I wrote fantasy novels during the pandemic (two and a half, to be precise). This was, for me, a return to my first career hope: even at age five, I wanted to be a writer. I fulfilled that dream in journalism and then in IT risk policy and then through songwriting on the hobby side. Why
Interesting article. From a global perspective it appears there will come a time when there is nothing for anyone to do. Yes, I'm sure that time is a long way, no need to worry. And, some would argue it frees peoples time so they have more leisure. Utopian living if you will.
But, as less and less people are needed and sent away into a world of pleasure, the less they will able to afford the products and services the people of yestermorrow used to do, before they drifted away to pleasureland, but now the artificial do.
It seems we need some equilibrium thinking, akin to the article you wrote a few weeks past. A conundrum, or a time to seek an equitable balance? I hear conspiracies riding over the horizon.
Thanks for making me think about some of my favorite things. Writing, reading and music are certainly among them. My sense is I will continue to enjoy them independent of the creative method from which they emerge. I love the expression "it all comes down to whose ox is being gored" -- this is an admittedly old expression as not many of us have much experience with oxen. The point in this case is we tend to fret the most about the activities (1) we enjoy and appreciate or (2) know someone who does it -- I think we manage to ignore all the rest through the ages. I suppose our love of something might be proportional to how animated we become when it changes. Technology has finally made great strides in what we nurture and value as creative. When a generation of workers were displaced by robotic welders, few were miffed about it. Welders were just not our ox. In reality, in specialized industries I had some connection to including submarine manufacture and nuclear pressure vessel construction the ART of a genuinely talented welder was the necessary contributor to building a masterpiece. My point is it is DOUBTFUL we collectively know many people who appreciate the artistic value of a perfection weld equally to a well crafted novel. It all comes back to what matters to us most I guess. I think all of this is progress. We need great novels, great music and great submarines. Part of the challenge of human evolution which is so tremendously slow is whether we are up to managing the change in our heads.
Interesting article. From a global perspective it appears there will come a time when there is nothing for anyone to do. Yes, I'm sure that time is a long way, no need to worry. And, some would argue it frees peoples time so they have more leisure. Utopian living if you will.
But, as less and less people are needed and sent away into a world of pleasure, the less they will able to afford the products and services the people of yestermorrow used to do, before they drifted away to pleasureland, but now the artificial do.
It seems we need some equilibrium thinking, akin to the article you wrote a few weeks past. A conundrum, or a time to seek an equitable balance? I hear conspiracies riding over the horizon.
Thanks for making me think about some of my favorite things. Writing, reading and music are certainly among them. My sense is I will continue to enjoy them independent of the creative method from which they emerge. I love the expression "it all comes down to whose ox is being gored" -- this is an admittedly old expression as not many of us have much experience with oxen. The point in this case is we tend to fret the most about the activities (1) we enjoy and appreciate or (2) know someone who does it -- I think we manage to ignore all the rest through the ages. I suppose our love of something might be proportional to how animated we become when it changes. Technology has finally made great strides in what we nurture and value as creative. When a generation of workers were displaced by robotic welders, few were miffed about it. Welders were just not our ox. In reality, in specialized industries I had some connection to including submarine manufacture and nuclear pressure vessel construction the ART of a genuinely talented welder was the necessary contributor to building a masterpiece. My point is it is DOUBTFUL we collectively know many people who appreciate the artistic value of a perfection weld equally to a well crafted novel. It all comes back to what matters to us most I guess. I think all of this is progress. We need great novels, great music and great submarines. Part of the challenge of human evolution which is so tremendously slow is whether we are up to managing the change in our heads.
Great article. Hopefully the demand for a human author will be exponential. Book covers will have to have an official stamp, Human Written!