Good points on marginal value. Once the authority of legacy media is eroded, the floodgates open, and we must be convinced to dedicate our time.
I'd argue that pre-self publishing (and AI), non-fiction books had more utilitarian value. Those which were published had a proven system or paradigm-shifting idea.
Now, every Tom, Dick and Harry wants to sell their wares via a book. There are many brilliant self-pub non-fiction books, but most are not worth my time because they accrue value mainly for the writer.
The value of fiction (to my mind) is equal to that of non-fiction. But it's much harder to quantify than an instructional or framework-based manual.
The value is through the active participation of the reader, who creates much of the story and meaning in their mind. It's like exploring a huge world in an RPG as opposed to playing a platformer.
Fiction really activates a different part of the brain. A lot of people want to consume in a passive way, and choose not to participate, but they still love stories (news, movies, anecdotes).
Good points on marginal value. Once the authority of legacy media is eroded, the floodgates open, and we must be convinced to dedicate our time.
I'd argue that pre-self publishing (and AI), non-fiction books had more utilitarian value. Those which were published had a proven system or paradigm-shifting idea.
Now, every Tom, Dick and Harry wants to sell their wares via a book. There are many brilliant self-pub non-fiction books, but most are not worth my time because they accrue value mainly for the writer.
The value of fiction (to my mind) is equal to that of non-fiction.
But it's much harder to quantify than an instructional or framework-based manual.
The value is through the active participation of the reader, who creates much of the story and meaning in their mind. It's like exploring a huge world in an RPG as opposed to playing a platformer.
Fiction really activates a different part of the brain. A lot of people want to consume in a passive way, and choose not to participate, but they still love stories (news, movies, anecdotes).