Past Programs
Internet - 2007
Creative commons: a challenge for creatives?
25/12/2007
Since the 19th century copyright has served to protect the rights of authors. But has this protection become a hindrance to creativity? Supporters of creative commons licenses say the pendulum has swung too far towards protectionism, and that this is affecting our creative culture.
Creative commons is an alternative copyright regime that can allow people to copy other people's work for free -- as long as it's not-for-profit.
Cory Doctorow has written articles for The Guardian on copy culture. He is passionate about the future of copyright and says a more democratic approach would be better for writers. Cory Doctorow is also a science fiction writer. His latest work is a collection of short stories called Overclocked, which he's published as a book, but it's also available for free on the web under a creative commons license.
For the Book Show, Sarah L'Estrange spoke to Cory Doctorow about why he embraced creative commons.
Radio National often provides links to external websites to complement program information. While producers have taken care with all selections, we can neither endorse nor take final responsibility for the content of those sites.
Travels in the blogosphere -- blogging novelists
13/12/2007
Is blogging a way for authors to keep in touch with readers or just a distraction from that manuscript they're supposed to be finishing?
Science fiction writer William Gibson gave up his blog, or web diary, because it needed too much of his time - it was a bottomless sink that took him away from 'proper' writing.
On the other hand, Colby Buzzell - an American GI - was offered a book deal based on his online diary about life as a soldier in Iraq.
Why do writers blog and what are benefits and drawbacks of life in the blogosphere?
Writing for Second Life: Richard James Allen
10/10/2007
How is writing for Second Life different from writing a book, a play or even a film? Today we crawl into the future to find out about writing stories for virtual worlds.
Poet Richard James Allen has adaptated his work Thursday's Fictions for Second Life -- it's already been a book of poetry, a film and a theatre work.
The adaptation was collaborative process and he worked with Jackie Turnure from LAMP (Laboratory of Advanced Media Production) to transform his writing for this virtual world.
It's part of the Story of the Future project run by the Australia Council which explores new ways for writers to ply their trade across platforms from games to mobile phones.
The Book Show's Sarah L'Estrange spoke first to Richard James Allen when he was in Melbourne recently and asked him to describe the story, Thursday's Fictions.
The Cult of the Amateur by Andrew Keen (review) Read Transcript
09/10/2007
Is the internet making our culture and society more banal? Are we becoming less intelligent in the age of information? A new book by Andrew Keen says this is indeed the case. He argues that because ordinary people can post opinions and film clips online, as well as contribute their ideas to pseudo-encyclopedias such as Wikipedia, that our culture is being swamped by mediocrity. Our culture -- represented by novels, music, newspapers and the like -- is threatened by this new army of amateurs.
Simon Cooper is here to review The Cult of the Amateur and he is only partly convinced.
Creative commons: a challenge for creatives?
25/09/2007
Since the 19th century copyright has served to protect the rights of authors. But has this protection become a hindrance to creativity? Supporters of creative commons licenses say the pendulum has swung too far towards protectionism, and that this is affecting our creative culture.
Creative commons is an alternative copyright regime that can allow people to copy other people's work for free -- as long as it's not-for-profit.
Cory Doctorow has written articles for The Guardian on copy culture. He is passionate about the future of copyright and says a more democratic approach would be better for writers. Cory Doctorow is also a science fiction writer. His latest work is a collection of short stories called Overclocked, which he's published as a book, but it's also available for free on the web under a creative commons license.
For the Book Show, Sarah L'Estrange spoke to Cory Doctorow about why he embraced creative commons.
Radio National often provides links to external websites to complement program information. While producers have taken care with all selections, we can neither endorse nor take final responsibility for the content of those sites.
