Fictional references to ebooks and epaper

AprilHare · 09-23-2009, 12:31 AM

I've been wondering if people know of some good fictional references to the use of ebooks and epaper.
I know of two:
- The Andromeda Strain telemovie (2005), where a military presentation is given on thin flexible colour epaper;
- Star Trek: Voyager television series, where a chief engineer reads a ebook on her break on a 'data padd' (looks too small to be comfortable to read from!).
Any others, anyone?

Dylrob · 09-23-2009, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AprilHare

- Star Trek: Voyager television series, where a chief engineer reads a ebook on her break on a 'data padd' (looks too small to be comfortable to read from!).

Also mirror-universe Phlox was comparing classical works on a 22nd century PADD device.

nomesque · 09-23-2009, 12:57 AM

Ummm... I think Anne McCaffrey mentions an epaper concept in at least one of her books, but I can't think for the life of me which one.

However - Piers Anthony and Phillip Jose? Farmer, The Caterpillar's Question makes reference to a high-tech flexible e-paper type substance with buttons (scroll, wipe etc) which can be written on with a stylus, and text can be transferred between e-paper devices with a touch of a button.

pwarren · 09-23-2009, 01:23 AM

Babylon AD movie - Mr Diesel uses a epaper map, which looks exactly like paper, except that you can move the image around, zoom in, re-orient etc.

Caprica - The kids use epaper like a login terminal for their VR games.

And when I say looks exactly like paper, I mean, it can be folded, is actually white and seems to weigh almost nothing.

Stormchild · 09-23-2009, 05:18 AM

Philip K Dick made several references to a similar technology.

Sweetpea · 09-23-2009, 05:47 AM

Julian May in her Galactic Milieu series. And mostly from the eyes of a book seller too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by from Intervention

"Mf!" said Shelby. My mention of the great innovation in communication struck a sour note with the publisher. The programmable liquid-crystal reader-plaques had already spelled the doom of printed periodicals and paperback ephemera; and the newer large-format plaques with improved color-imaging that had just come out of China were bound to take a nasty bite out of conventional book publication.

and

Quote:

Originally Posted by from Jack the Bodiless

Marc made his way through the close-standing shelves of old-fashioned paged books - fantasy titles, science fiction, and horror novels - that were the stock-in-trade of his great-granduncle. The business catered exclusively to collectors, selling mostly by mail order. The only modern liquid-crystal plaque-books in The Eloquent Page were reference volumes or scholarly studies of the good old stuff.

So, no e-ink, but LCD, and not downloads, but physical products

HarryT · 09-23-2009, 05:49 AM

The "Marauders Map" in Harry Potter? Clearly a form of ePaper

toomanybooks · 09-23-2009, 07:18 PM

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The greatest e-book ever.

mrscoach · 09-23-2009, 08:11 PM

Dara Joy, in Ritual of Proof, references a device that stores texts, because the heroine talks about need ANOTHER one because the several she has are full, and she can't resist getting more books, even though she hasn't read the ones she has. Evidently several hundred books waiting to get read aren't enough, even though she never actually reads anything in the story.

ShortNCuddlyAm · 09-23-2009, 08:23 PM

I want to say Mary Gentle's "Left to his own devices", but I can't remember if it's something like ebooks that are mentioned, or merely a more advanced form of the internet

delphidb96 · 09-23-2009, 11:08 PM

L Neil Smith's "Win Bear" (Probability Broach) series had a form of e-paper that could be written upon using smart pens - press a button and use the 'pen' to erase as well.

Derek

Gudy · 09-24-2009, 02:11 AM

David Weber frequently mentions people reading books (both novels and reference books) electronically in his Honor Harrington novels. Paper books are considered antiquities and collector's items in that universe.

DawnFalcon · 09-24-2009, 04:35 AM

Brin's _Earth_, one of the characters is handed a paper book, dosn't like it (you can't tap words to get their definition!) and the "dictionary" he was given when he complained, well...

WillAdams · 09-24-2009, 07:20 AM

Niven and Pournelle's _The Mote in God's Eye_ has characters using a slate device which is used to reference technical manuals, perform calculations, &c.

William

ardeegee · 09-24-2009, 08:37 AM

A list of a few, borrowed from someone else:

Wells, transparent flat panel display, 1936
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1286

Boucher, micro-books, 1943
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=250

Asimov, the tele-book, 1951
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1802

Heinlein, the reading plate, 1954
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=601

Stanislav Lem, the "opton," -- it's an ebook -- 1961
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1024

1965, Philip K. Dick, "batery-powered 3D comic book"
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1108

09-23-2009, 12:31 AM	#1
AprilHare Wizard Posts: 2,981 Karma: 11862367 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2	Fictional references to ebooks and epaper I've been wondering if people know of some good fictional references to the use of ebooks and epaper. I know of two: - The Andromeda Strain telemovie (2005), where a military presentation is given on thin flexible colour epaper; - Star Trek: Voyager television series, where a chief engineer reads a ebook on her break on a 'data padd' (looks too small to be comfortable to read from!). Any others, anyone?

09-24-2009, 04:35 AM	#13
DawnFalcon Banned Posts: 2,094 Karma: 2682 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: N/A	Brin's _Earth_, one of the characters is handed a paper book, dosn't like it (you can't tap words to get their definition!) and the "dictionary" he was given when he complained, well... Last edited by DawnFalcon; 09-25-2009 at 04:27 PM.

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09-23-2009, 12:57 AM	#3
nomesque Snooty Bestselling Author Posts: 1,485 Karma: 1000000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia Device: PRS-650	Ummm... I think Anne McCaffrey mentions an epaper concept in at least one of her books, but I can't think for the life of me which one. However - Piers Anthony and Phillip Jose? Farmer, The Caterpillar's Question makes reference to a high-tech flexible e-paper type substance with buttons (scroll, wipe etc) which can be written on with a stylus, and text can be transferred between e-paper devices with a touch of a button.

09-23-2009, 01:23 AM	#4
pwarren Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 186186 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Canberra, Australia Device: Irex Iliad (Dead), EcoReader (Smashed screen), Kobo Touch	Babylon AD movie - Mr Diesel uses a epaper map, which looks exactly like paper, except that you can move the image around, zoom in, re-orient etc. Caprica - The kids use epaper like a login terminal for their VR games. And when I say looks exactly like paper, I mean, it can be folded, is actually white and seems to weigh almost nothing.

09-23-2009, 05:18 AM	#5
Stormchild Evangelist Posts: 466 Karma: 878943 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Cornwall UK Device: BeBook 1. BeBook Mini. BeBook Neo and Club. BeBook Live. BeeBook Pure.	Philip K Dick made several references to a similar technology.

09-23-2009, 05:49 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The "Marauders Map" in Harry Potter? Clearly a form of ePaper

09-23-2009, 07:18 PM	#8
toomanybooks Addict Posts: 302 Karma: 1039424 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Ipad, Ipod Touch, KIndle Fire	The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The greatest e-book ever.

09-23-2009, 08:11 PM	#9
mrscoach Guru Posts: 763 Karma: 4837659 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: San Angelo Texas Device: Samsung Galaxy tab	Dara Joy, in Ritual of Proof, references a device that stores texts, because the heroine talks about need ANOTHER one because the several she has are full, and she can't resist getting more books, even though she hasn't read the ones she has. Evidently several hundred books waiting to get read aren't enough, even though she never actually reads anything in the story.

09-23-2009, 08:23 PM	#10
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	I want to say Mary Gentle's "Left to his own devices", but I can't remember if it's something like ebooks that are mentioned, or merely a more advanced form of the internet

09-23-2009, 11:08 PM	#11
delphidb96 Wizard Posts: 2,999 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Citrus Heights, California Device: TWO Kindle 2s, one each Bookeen Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS-500, Axim X51V	L Neil Smith's "Win Bear" (Probability Broach) series had a form of e-paper that could be written upon using smart pens - press a button and use the 'pen' to erase as well. Derek

09-24-2009, 02:11 AM	#12
Gudy Wizard Posts: 1,154 Karma: 3252017 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Germany Device: Pocketbook Touch Lux (623)	David Weber frequently mentions people reading books (both novels and reference books) electronically in his Honor Harrington novels. Paper books are considered antiquities and collector's items in that universe.

09-24-2009, 07:20 AM	#14
WillAdams Wizard Posts: 1,234 Karma: 3350652 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (300ppi), Samsung Galaxy Book 12	Niven and Pournelle's _The Mote in God's Eye_ has characters using a slate device which is used to reference technical manuals, perform calculations, &c. William

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09-24-2009, 08:37 AM	#15
ardeegee Maratus speciosus butt Posts: 3,292 Karma: 1162698 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-350	A list of a few, borrowed from someone else: Wells, transparent flat panel display, 1936 http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1286 Boucher, micro-books, 1943 http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=250 Asimov, the tele-book, 1951 http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1802 Heinlein, the reading plate, 1954 http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=601 Stanislav Lem, the "opton," -- it's an ebook -- 1961 http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1024 1965, Philip K. Dick, "batery-powered 3D comic book" http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1108