A Vicious Circle

These tools won't fix television

 

There are too many cable channels.  I said it.  I know, for most of you out there, that's blasphemy.  You all want as many channels as you can get.  If cost weren't a factor, probably a lot more of you out there would agree.  It sounds good, but let's look at this critically. 

Way back, I was so happy that we would have a channel devoted to Science Fiction (I like it so much that I have to capitalize--if you don't like it, write your own blog).  Then we got a channel devoted to cars and auto racing.  If it weren't 24 hours of NASCAR I would probably like it more.  There was so much promise, where did it all go wrong?

Basically, there are lots of great ideas for specialty channels, as they have come to be called, but there have been a lot of bad ideas too.

I used to look forward to some TV programs.  Now, I think that if I miss it, I can see it another time.  Maybe the problem isn't too many channels, but too many choices.  The problem is, that too many choices has led to too many channels.

A twenty-four hour reality TV channel means that not only is there too many mediocre shows being broadcast, but that too many mediocre shows are being made to fill the need.  Can anyone say vicious circle?

Now, I am not advocating a return to the 13 channel universe--I remember those days all too vividly.  I am advocating a return to quality over quantity.  When will it start?  Cynically, I say never.

Star Trek Beat Us To It

 

Tablet computers and mini tablet computers are all the rage this year.  That is, of course, if you believe the advertisements from the big department stores and electronic megastores.  Those coveted front pages are jammed with the latest must have devices.  Seeing this, all I could think about was how Star Trek beat us to it.

This is not a new thing.  I am sure William Shatner did a television show about this (It couldn't have been a movie).  Science fiction has usually predicted things long before they came about.  In fact, I would argue that science fiction shaped the way things turned out.  We all watched them use hand held computers on that TV show, so that's what they built.  If not for the incredible works of William Gibson, the internet might be a bland, monochromatic land of information (as opposed to the multi-coloured, multi-formatted, multi-everything you want and don't want kind of place it is now--I am trying not to focus on the huge pile of useless crap it contains)

So, Star Trek beat us to it.  For non fans, or Star Wars fans, this might anger you.  That probably doesn't stop you from using these devices, so stop your bellyaching.  The technology exists, and there is no way that genie is getting back in the bottle.

I have always loved science fiction, or speculative fiction as Harlan Ellison would rather have it called.  I have enjoyed tales of intergalactic empires, interstellar travel and battles, and of course interspecies love and trouble.  I have let my imagination wander those stellar pathways.  Now, I just wonder when we are going to get the other stuff that science fiction has promised.

How to Organize a Bookstore

I wonder why a bookstore can't do a better job of categorizing its books.  They usually have all the standard categories, (fiction, non fiction, cooking, selfhelp...) but that just doesn't cut it any longer.  In this age of thousands of TV channels, each with their own specialty, people want (and seem to need) and respond better to narrower classifications.  That has to be the reason behind the Game Show Network, and the All Reality TV Network. (okay sometimes there can be too much specialization)

I think bookstores should, at least, add a few categories.  It wouldn't necessarily increase the number of books, but would make finding some of them easier.  I am always happy when I go to a bookstore and find that they have separated the fantasy from the science fiction.  If only my local library could separate both of them from the general fiction area I would be happier.

I don't think what I am proposing is so hard, or so radical.  They do a lot of other things to make life easier for customers (self checkout, price scanners, loyalty points, computer screens) so why not go one, lest costly, step further?

For a start, I would love to see the already noted separation of fantasy and science fiction. (and would be even happier if they put all that vampire stuff somewhere else, but if that's what's selling....well, they're not going to put it in some deep dark corner are they?)  I say this despite the fact that fantasy is what is selling these days and what dominates this section of the bookstore.

What about having a section devoted to books that were made into films? (and not books that were written after the films--because that is definitely not the same thing)  I think people would be surprised to find out how different (and usually how much better) the books were from the films.

Of course this idea will be somewhat blurred because of all the aforementioned vampire and fantasy literature which is so quickly being turned into movies, or huge budgeted properties on cable TV.  Regardless of how much of that I won't read, I stand by my assertions.

Which categories do you think they should have.  I welcome your comments.