Among all the types of paper documents, narrative fiction is one of the few that will not benefit from electronic organization. Almost every reference book has an index, but novel don’t because there is no need to be able to look something up in a novel. Novels are linear. Likewise, we’ll continue to watch most movies from start to finish. This isn’t a technological judgment – it is an artistic one. Their linearity is intrinsic to the storytelling process. New forms of interactive fiction are being invented that take advantage of the electronic world, but linear novels and movies will still be popular.
Predictor: Gates, Bill
Prediction, in context:In his 1995 book “The Road Ahead,” Microsoft CEO Bill Gates writes: ”Among all the types of paper documents, narrative fiction is one of the few that will not benefit from electronic organization. Almost every reference book that has an index, but novel don’t because there is no need to be able to look something up in a novel. Novels are linear. Likewise, we’ll continue to watch most movies from start to finish. This isn’t a technological judgment – it is an artistic one. Their linearity is intrinsic to the storytelling process. New forms of interactive fiction are being invented that take advantage of the electronic world, but linear novels and movies will still be popular.”
Biography:Bill Gates, the most influential technology entrepreneur of the late 20th century, was the primary author of the prediction-packed 1995 book “The Road Ahead” and is the founder and CEO of Microsoft Corporation. (Entrepreneur/Business Leader.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Getting, Sharing Information
Subtopic: General
Name of publication: The Road Ahead (book)
Title, headline, chapter name: Chapter 6: The Content Revolution
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Pages 118, 119
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne