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More than half of UK children do not read in their spare time, survey reveals
(www.theguardian.com)
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this post was submitted on 04 Sep 2023
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You see the same thing today with popular modern authors.
In 100+ year time the niche writers who spend years reworking their prose are still going to be niche, while the ultra popular authors who had a cultural impact and dozens of published books will be studied even if at the time they wrote they were trashed as being "not real literature" or "pop fantasy".
I severely severely doubt things like King Killer Chronicle or anything Jensin or Abercrombie has wrote will endure as much as Sanderson. This makes people seethe.
A more recent example of this is Asimov, part of the reason everyone knows him isn't that his writing was particular great. He just wrote a lot, that a lot of people liked. It was pulp Sci fi, but it's defined discussions generations later.
Imo Faulkner and Joyce are vastly overrated by people obsessed with prose, to the point that they fail to communicate their stories adequately. They get trotted out by English literature teachers, and frankly speaking snobs, and there are some cool uses of the prose in I. E. The Sound and The Fury, but I wouldn't reread it and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone to actually read. It just wasn't a particularly interesting book aside from the curious abuse of the language.
To get even pulpier sometimes I pick up a 40k novel and churn through it because it's fun. It doesn't demand me think much about it, it's just telling me a story in a universe I'm familiar with.
You talking about "Day of Ascension" by Adrian Tchaikovsky? That's more than everything Tchaikovsky writes is fun! ๐
My mum is also an author and good friends with Adrian. Never thought I'd see him named in a Lemmy comment section of all places. Small world?
Anyway, I think reading and literacy is an essential skill for everyday life, exploring arts and understanding things to a greater level of comprehension. However, the way it is taught in schools is absolutely monotonous and egregiously boring. I recently finished my GCSEs and even though school was incredibly easy for me, I almost had no motivation to do my own independent revision or study for literature. The structure of how it is taught and what is taught just sucks. This could really go for the entire school system up until college, but it is exemplified in high school. I love reading, but when it is presented in such a way it becomes a task rather than a thing to enjoy. Far too many people give up on reading because of bad experiences in school, and many people, especially in disadvantaged areas, are surrounded by a culture that is against education/the system in general. The UK is very classist.
Additionally, reading is not just about reading books exclusively. I have read a few books and pieces of work I found enjoyable by myself, especially politically motivated books such as the Grapes of Wrath. But, most of my reading and literary education has come from reading articles/forums online and playing games such as the Witcher or other RPGs. You can learn quite a lot if you are curious and have something to hold your interest. Sure, the dialogue is spoken, but subs are on by default and always a helpful read. Similarly, music can be another way to express or learn about literature. The main takeaway is that reading can be enjoyed in many forms, and I think it is best done in a multitude of ways. Books, articles, games etc. People will find something they enjoy in all categories if given the opportunity.
It's just about getting kids reading. Anything. It's a muscle that needs to be as strong as people can get it. Forcing classic literature on kids is going to work for some kids, but it turns off far more.
Adrian is great. Everything of his I've read has been fun and clever. I always recommend him to anyone who enjoys scifi.