Probably the most shocking thing to happen in the arts in several years was the recent announcement that fiction readership is on the rise. The reason it was shocking was that fiction had been on the decline for more than a quarter of a century. The last positive year was way back in 1982. So, when the National Endowment for the Arts reported a rise in readership, publishers and readers alike were taken aback. However, few people actually took the time to ask themselves why? Why is fiction suddenly popular again? Let us take a moment to explain our theory.
Yes, it is only a theory. But we believe it is built on solid ground. The first thing we want to discuss is the influence of new technologies. Over the past fifteen years, people have been receiving information in many different ways. At present, the internet is the only medium that is actually growing. Listening to the radio and watching the television are on the decline, along with international shipping services. Not surprisingly, these recent trends have led a number of enterprising businesses to explore new entertainment options. One of them is called the electronic reader. This simple device gives users the ability to download books directly from the internet.
Electronic readers are not only cheaper and more convenient, but they also appeal to younger users who have grown up with electronic media. What we mean is that they have been reading words on computer screens for so long that they actually prefer it to paper and printer's ink.
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