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There are two completely distinct differences that jump out to me initially that I think may help justify your feelings: 1: Reading a long book demands focus o

by wrigby 1y ago

There are two completely distinct differences that jump out to me initially that I think may help justify your feelings: 1: Reading a long book demands focus on a longer timespan than scrolling TikTok, and with focusing on a single thing for a long time, we get a sense of accomplishment. I don’t know how to justify this as valuable, but for some reason I feel that it is. 2: The Song of Ice and Fire (and GoT) were consumed by a huge proportion of people, and you now have this in common with them. This act of consuming entertainment also grants you a way to connect with other humans - you have so much to talk about. Contrast that with an algorithmic feed, which is unique just for you - no one else sees your exact feed. Of course, there are tons of people that see some of the same snippets of content, if their interests overlap with yours, but it’s not nearly as universal as having read the same series of books (and there’s much less to talk about when you’ve seen the same 17-second short form video than when you’ve both invested dozens of hours in reading the same series of books). I don’t think these thoughts fully justify your belief, but hopefully they provide some support to it.

raincole 1y ago
I think the point 2 will rub many people the wrong way (me included) though. That would make reading Fourth Wing or Twilight a more connecting experience than most classics. (Nothing inherently wrong with that, but... you know...)
- matthewaveryusa 1y ago
  The classics were classic because they were the most available and the most popular stories of their time, and they meant more in an era where creating and disseminating media was difficult. I love to romanticize a world where we go back to the classics to connect with our past and present better, even if just for the sake of efficiency. For better or for worse media is more ephemeral which means getting to a common vocabulary is one step removed. It's really a fun time to be alive.
  - echelon 1y ago
    Welcome to the future, where the notion of "classics" is just a point in the memetic information manifold: https://x.com/theo/status/1973167911419412985 https://x.com/theo/status/1973167911419412985 (Music video with Sam Altman as Skibidi Toilet) This is pretty fun. These keep getting wilder and wilder: https://x.com/MatthewBerman/status/1973115097339011225 https://x.com/MatthewBerman/status/1973115097339011225 (Kinda gross) https://x.com/cloud11665/status/1973115723309515092 https://x.com/cloud11665/status/1973115723309515092 (Japanese) It can do cartoons: https://x.com/venturetwins/status/1973158674899280077 https://x.com/venturetwins/status/1973158674899280077 (Rick and Morty) https://x.com/TheJasonRink/status/1973163915476611314 https://x.com/TheJasonRink/status/1973163915476611314 (Family Guy) https://x.com/cfryant/status/1973162037305024650 https://x.com/cfryant/status/1973162037305024650 (Family Guy Horror) Incredibly convincing anime: https://x.com/fofrAI/status/1973164820863262748 https://x.com/fofrAI/status/1973164820863262748 Minecraft meets GTA: https://x.com/Angaisb_/status/1973160337752121435 https://x.com/Angaisb_/status/1973160337752121435 Super Mario in the real world: https://x.com/skirano/status/1973184329619743217 https://x.com/skirano/status/1973184329619743217 Super solid looking movie trailer: https://x.com/jasonjoyride/status/1973142061114335447 https://x.com/jasonjoyride/status/1973142061114335447 Damn: https://x.com/theo/status/1973210960522559746 https://x.com/theo/status/1973210960522559746
    - MattRix 1y ago
      That movie trailer isn’t made with Sora (or AI at all, as far as I can tell?)
      - icemelt8 1y ago
        you are right, its an actual movie called Planet
      - Geenkaas 1y ago
        The irony is not lost I hope.
    - ketlag 1y ago
      If you think this stuff is going to last longer than four months, dog, we're cooked.
- skydhash 1y ago
  If you've read the classics, then you will likely find a circle you can connect too. I've gone through "The Malazan Book of the Fallen" and it's a signal to know who are truly in epic military fantasy.
- rixed 1y ago
  Depends if you are trying to connect to your contemporaries or to mankind in general. Aren't "classics" just timeless pop?
- failingforward 1y ago
  > That would make reading Fourth Wing or Twilight a more connecting experience than most classics. I prefer classics myself, but this is exactly why booktok works (and why Fourth Wing blew up the way it did).
- bradstewart 1y ago
  Reading the classics, in some sense, connects you to everyone who ever read them across all of human history. That's not nothing.
hombre_fatal 1y ago
You're missing what I think is the major one: fulfillment.

by wrigby 1y ago

raincole 1y ago

I think the point 2 will rub many people the wrong way (me included) though. That would make reading Fourth Wing or Twilight a more connecting experience than most classics. (Nothing inherently wrong with that, but... you know...)

matthewaveryusa 1y ago
The classics were classic because they were the most available and the most popular stories of their time, and they meant more in an era where creating and disseminating media was difficult. I love to romanticize a world where we go back to the classics to connect with our past and present better, even if just for the sake of efficiency. For better or for worse media is more ephemeral which means getting to a common vocabulary is one step removed. It's really a fun time to be alive.
- echelon 1y ago
  Welcome to the future, where the notion of "classics" is just a point in the memetic information manifold: https://x.com/theo/status/1973167911419412985 https://x.com/theo/status/1973167911419412985 (Music video with Sam Altman as Skibidi Toilet) This is pretty fun. These keep getting wilder and wilder: https://x.com/MatthewBerman/status/1973115097339011225 https://x.com/MatthewBerman/status/1973115097339011225 (Kinda gross) https://x.com/cloud11665/status/1973115723309515092 https://x.com/cloud11665/status/1973115723309515092 (Japanese) It can do cartoons: https://x.com/venturetwins/status/1973158674899280077 https://x.com/venturetwins/status/1973158674899280077 (Rick and Morty) https://x.com/TheJasonRink/status/1973163915476611314 https://x.com/TheJasonRink/status/1973163915476611314 (Family Guy) https://x.com/cfryant/status/1973162037305024650 https://x.com/cfryant/status/1973162037305024650 (Family Guy Horror) Incredibly convincing anime: https://x.com/fofrAI/status/1973164820863262748 https://x.com/fofrAI/status/1973164820863262748 Minecraft meets GTA: https://x.com/Angaisb_/status/1973160337752121435 https://x.com/Angaisb_/status/1973160337752121435 Super Mario in the real world: https://x.com/skirano/status/1973184329619743217 https://x.com/skirano/status/1973184329619743217 Super solid looking movie trailer: https://x.com/jasonjoyride/status/1973142061114335447 https://x.com/jasonjoyride/status/1973142061114335447 Damn: https://x.com/theo/status/1973210960522559746 https://x.com/theo/status/1973210960522559746
  - MattRix 1y ago
    That movie trailer isn’t made with Sora (or AI at all, as far as I can tell?)
    - icemelt8 1y ago
      you are right, its an actual movie called Planet
    - Geenkaas 1y ago
      The irony is not lost I hope.
  - ketlag 1y ago
    If you think this stuff is going to last longer than four months, dog, we're cooked.
skydhash 1y ago
If you've read the classics, then you will likely find a circle you can connect too. I've gone through "The Malazan Book of the Fallen" and it's a signal to know who are truly in epic military fantasy.
rixed 1y ago
Depends if you are trying to connect to your contemporaries or to mankind in general. Aren't "classics" just timeless pop?
failingforward 1y ago
> That would make reading Fourth Wing or Twilight a more connecting experience than most classics. I prefer classics myself, but this is exactly why booktok works (and why Fourth Wing blew up the way it did).
bradstewart 1y ago
Reading the classics, in some sense, connects you to everyone who ever read them across all of human history. That's not nothing.

hombre_fatal 1y ago

You're missing what I think is the major one: fulfillment.