Apocalypse Soon Analysis

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In both the novel Mr Penumbras 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, and the article Apocalypse Soon by Jon Evans, the exploration of the concept of working within the book industry during a time of rapid progress and gradual immediate change is explored in the point of view of authors, novelists, and bookstores. The novel and the article emphasize the requirement for all aspects of the book industry to evolve with the people and the times, or to be pushed into history and left behind by the coming advancements. The novel goes into depth on how libraries need to grow with the times, and the article explains how the technical shift is all but forcing books to evolve. The article not only speaks of the technical aspect that defines the book, and…show more content…
In Apocalypse Soon, Jon Evans looks at the almost complete acceptance of digital publishing and the rise of e-book technologies, which have made most traditional publishing establishments gradually more irrelevant over time. “Publishers are resolutely opposed to this idea. They fear it… most of all, they fear the future.”(Evans 2) If publishers want to stay competitive, their business models will have to radically change. “Book publishing is a dinosaur industry and there is a big scary meteor on the way” (Evans…show more content…
The 21st century generation speaks of libraries as if it were their right to have access to. However, if asked, most don’t know where to find a library, nor do they use these buildings. In Mr Penumbras 24 Hour Bookstore, libraries are viewed as a means of discovery that cannot stand in a changing world. Other than the regular customers who have known about the shop since it had opened, or know Penumbra personally, the only people who enter the shop are those who discovered it by the online advertisements and coupons sent out by Clay. “So I switch to my MacBook and make my rounds: news sites, blogs, tweets. I scroll back to find the conversations that happened without me during the day. When every single piece of media you consume is time-shifted, does that mean it’s actually you that’s time-shifted?” (Sloan 40) This technological shift in the world gave Clay the encouragement to use the futuristic advancements, to discover the past. To find out all the bookstores secrets in such a way, that he didn’t realize what secrets he has uncovered, “And as a result, you have no idea what you have accomplished.” (Sloan
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