Newsletter Update
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Hey everyone! Andrew here.
Quick update on the eye situation before I get into this week’s topic. Things are looking better (pun intended). The headaches are still there, but they’re manageable. More importantly, the laser surgery seems to have worked. No new holes in my retina. I’ll take that win. Thanks to everyone who wrote in with audiobook recommendations and support. I read every message, even if I’m slower than usual getting back to you.
Let’s talk about something weird because I was thinking about it in the shower. The smell of books.
I know, I know. But hear me out. I was reorganizing my bookshelf this week (procrastinating on writing) and I picked up my old copy of The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. The smell of old paper hit me. There’s a touch of vanilla in it I never realized was there before. It took me back in an instant to when I was fourteen reading the book for the first time. z
We talk a lot about immersion in sci-fi and fantasy. We obsess over worldbuilding details, arguing about how the technology works, and whether the magic system is consistent (and most importantly, whether the economics make sense). Those things matter (trust me, as someone currently wrestling with The Master’s Munificence, I know how much they matter). But we don’t talk much about the physical experience of reading.
I’m pretty much consistently reading on Kindle these days. I need to use it to blow the font up big after my eye issue, but I’m not naive enough not to know that there’s something lost in the digital reading experience. You can’t smell a Kindle ( I mean…if you can, there’s something really going wrong). You can’t feel the weight of an 800-page door-stopper epic in your hands.
The physical book has a presence. It’s a reminder of the world you’re in the middle of visiting. You can lend it to a friend, not just recommend the title. Real books have history. They become history. What will ebooks become? When I think about this, I get a little sad.
Ebooks are incredibly convenient, and they’ve made reading more accessible for a lot of people (including me). But I am saying there’s value in the physical object that we sometimes forget about in our rush toward efficiency and convenience.
So here’s my question for you: Do you still read physical books? If you’ve gone fully digital, do you miss anything about the physical experience? And for those of you who still maintain physical libraries—what makes you choose paper over pixels for a particular book?
Maybe I’m just being sentimental because I nearly lost my eyesight last week and I’m feeling grateful for every aspect of the reading experience. Or maybe there’s something here worth preserving.
Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
All the best,
Andrew (ZZ)
Zero-Point Awakening – The Complete Series Books 1-8
It is somewhat surprising how a series of this length can continue to maintain its pace and the readers interest. Recommended read.
– Amazon 5 Star Review
Read this Box Set Promos
Check out these bargain and discounted reads from our fellow speculative fiction authors!
Earth is dying. Ravaged by disease, hunger, climate change and world wars. Can humanity unite to avoid extinction?
Creatures in your basement? Undead spooking your castle? Infestation of goblins? Beast Be Gone will clear out those pesky pests and save your health and business
A broke ex-captain. A weapon that could shatter the stars. Tredd Bounty’s only chance at redemption—armed with one impossible gift: he can stop time.
Check this out Do you still read physical books?
Mostly, yes. Screens can’t replace the feel of a real book
A mix of both
Only if someone lends or gifts me one
No, I’ve fully gone digital
Survey Result
And now, let’s take a look at last week’s poll results. We asked, “Which character from sci-fi would you absolutely not want to be stuck with on a survival mission?”
Here are the incredible results:
Andrew: As always this is fascinating and slightly terrifying in equal measure. 40% of us think AI surpassing humans is “creepy” and you’ve “seen enough sci-fi to know how this ends.” I’m right there with you. Every time I read about a new AI development, part of my brain immediately starts plotting dystopian scenarios. We’ve been warned by Asimov, Gibson, and countless others. We should have learned by now…
What strikes me about the 27% in the “depends who’s in charge” camp is how practical that is. Because really, that’s the core question, isn’t it? The technology itself is neutral. It’s the implementation and control that matters. In The Master’s Munificence, I’m dealing with similar questions about magic—who gets to wield power, and what safeguards exist when they abuse it? Same questions, different technology.
And to whoever voted for “Ask me again after my AI makes me coffee perfectly”—I feel you. I’d probably trade a small amount of existential dread for a perfectly made coffee every morning. Priorities, right?
Li, thank you for the audiobook recommendations! I struggle with audiobooks. I’m in the “I want to believe” camp, hoping I can enjoy the experience but also knowing I am more likely to end up daydreaming than I am listening to the story. We will see!
Ryen, your experience with Ender’s Game audiobook sounds incredible. Serious immersion, which to be fair is exactly what we’re chasing as writers. This is the age-old battle between wanting to disappear into a story and having responsibilities in the real world. I hears you on that!
Kris, I am hoping your shivering in horror was in response to my eye ordeal and not a reaction to my prose writing. 
If it is the former, please don’t worry. I am fine now and recovering well. If the latter… um… sorry?
