Cover of What Do You Read?

What Do You Read?

    Boyd Ellanby's What Do You Read? is a Victorian science fiction and classic fantasy novel. Readers will find themes of Authorship.

    On Project Gutenberg it was downloaded 331 times in the last 30 days.

    It is in the public domain in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg.

    About What Do You Read?

    "What Do You Read?" by Boyd Ellanby is a science fiction narrative likely written in the early 1950s. The story explores a future where machines called Script-Lab are able to write stories and literature, raising questions about the role of human authors in a society favoring machine-generated content. The likely topic of the book revolves around the conflict between human creativity and mechanical efficiencies in the literary world. The plot centers on Herbert Carre, a writer who wrestles with the impending obsolescence of his profession due to advancements in automated writing technology. As he navigates a society increasingly enamored with machine-made literature, he discovers unsettling changes in both the quality and moral implications of the stories produced by Script-Lab. Through his investigation, Carre finds that the machine-generated narratives undermine human emotions and compassion, replacing them with cold logic. This culminates in a confrontation with his superior, Commissioner Ludwig, revealing the detrimental impact of this technology on societal values. Ultimately, the narrative challenges readers to reflect on the importance of human insight and emotion in storytelling, suggesting that the essence of literature cannot be fully replicated by machines.
    Summary from Project Gutenberg (automatically generated)

    Themes, setting & tropes

    Genres

    Subjects

    • Science fiction
    • Authorship

    Quick answers

    Who wrote What Do You Read??

    What Do You Read? was written by Boyd Ellanby.

    What genre is What Do You Read??

    It is usually shelved as Victorian Science Fiction and Classic Fantasy.

    Is What Do You Read? free to read?

    Yes. It is in the public domain in the United States and can be read free on Project Gutenberg in EPUB, Kindle and HTML formats.

    What books are similar to What Do You Read??

    Readers who like it often enjoy Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, The Time Machine and The Invisible Man.

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