The Death of Physical Media

To preface the idea of death of physical media, physical media is important to me, of two reasons. I enjoy the idea of holding the book in my hand, with words printed on the page, and becoming immersed inside a writer’s thoughts. The second reason is that I am a published author and holding a book I created in my hand is one of the most admirable aspects beyond comparisons. I can’t pretend this isn’t costly to a publisher. A lot goes into physical media. The spine of the book, the way the cover reflects in the overhead light, the way the pages are bound together, looking at the plot synopsis on the back, trying to piece together all the clues so that I can keep reading.

            Reading, for me, is finding out what the inner psyche can say when the world around us isn’t as useful as it should be. Physical media isn’t such a bad thing, if you have space. The reality is that it’s an art piece. It becomes the center of your existence. Having a physical release makes the piece of entertainment an event. Having all the copies of Berserk on a bookshelf is one impressive feat. It can feel like a personal achievement when you can gaze at something you bought and waited for patiently.

            I think the first piece of physical media that influenced me was Fantasia. A world that somehow gave me so much imagination and somehow creates so many good memories for me that it made me sad when I think about how much I traded in all of it. Because the death of physical media becomes a bother if you don’t hold it with the same reverence you thought it had.