Will people still read?

I watched a television special the other morning highlighting the electronics show in Las Vegas and what new products are being launched this year. Some of them were absolutely amazing, like glasses that project images right onto your eyeballs and gaming devices that the user controls with their own muscle movements instead of using their hands. These new devices led me to think about the future of my craft; writing.

With all of these fascinating new products coming out will there still be people who rely on words and their own imaginations to transport them to new and exciting worlds inside their minds? Can sitting alone in a silent room reading a story really make up for immersion into a 3-D world filled with noises, colors, and great heroes?

  I’m always intrigued when I’m out somewhere and someone has a book in their hands or holding an ereader instead of playing a video game or trolling on the internet. As a writer, I hope the art form doesn’t disappear and go the way of the public orator. Personally, I can’t find one other means of entertainment more stimulating than reading a good story.

As I see the future of gaming entertainment unfold before my eyes, I wonder what the future of books and writers will be. Will the written word win over the simulated society we are evolving into? Or will all stories be mere baselines for a more advanced video game. One will have to see.