Comments on: Why Do We Call Ebooks, Ebooks?

By: Eli James

Eli James — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 07:47:22 +0000

Electronus Constructus Novelus!

Okay bad joke.

By: srsuleski

srsuleski — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:19:17 +0000

The next question is “What DO we call them?” I looked “codex” up because I was, shamefully, unfamiliar with the word. According to Wiki (God) it’s Latin for “block of wood.” Which leads me to wonder, what’s Latin for “electronically published story”? ;)

By: Eli James

Eli James — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:44:27 +0000

Gavin,

It did get posted, didn’t it? But I’ll leave it up because it seems you’ve rewritten the 2nd comment (unless you don’t like that, in which case just email me and tell me which comment you want to delete …)

You know, it’s funny, thinking about names. Because when a name sticks, that could only mean that the vast majority of people are using that name, which in turn implies that a huge portion of the population are now familiar with said idea/medium/object. I’ll be sure to blog about that when that happens, for sure. ;-)

By: Gavin

Gavin — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:04:46 +0000

My link was written wrong, here I’ve fixed it. :)

By: Gavin

Gavin — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:04:04 +0000

(If my other comment actually gets posted, you can delete this, as I’m repeating in case I screwed up ;) )

I’ve said before that online fiction is an emergent art form, with untapped potential. Pictures, links, video and music can be incorporated to create a new and different experience from a traditional book.

The plethora of new names speaks to that emergent, nascent quality. We don’t know what to call this new creature, as it emerges from its chrysalis. We keep inventing new names until something perfect sticks.

By: Gavin

Gavin — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:01:44 +0000

I keep using the term “emergent artform” when I talk about online fiction, but I think it’s true. We don’t know the potential yet for online literature, which can incorporate music, video, links to other sites, pictures and scaffolding stories. Who knows what else lies in store?

But because of that emergent, nascent quality, it means that the multiple labels being applied are our culture’s attempt to name this new creature. And none of the names are perfect, yet, because otherwise we’d have picked one by now. It’s part of the process, as we evolve and change into something new, that’s more than traditional books.