The modern-day novel can be traced back to the 18th Century. However, this concept is not necessarily fixed, especially when we consider how much technology and literature overlap. Because of this, other kinds of literature have appeared, such as interactive fiction and SMS fiction, to name a few. It is also thanks to technological breakthroughs that we are now in the 'era of image', that is to say, a very visual world in which images and exposure to the world play a key role.
There is great variety of themes explored when it comes to the 21st-century novel. According to the Fair Observer*, "terrorism, clash and binding factors between civilizations or poupulist and cheap criticism" are the themes which have been most emphasised in the beggining of our century. It is also important to note the way in which these themes are explored. It is obvious that we are constantly bombarded by images and that we have been brainwashed to think that the more visible we are, the more importance we have - just ask any twitter user. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is a great example of how visual elements can be incorporated into a novel.
On the other hand, a lot of experimental literature is arising from the power of technology, a phenomenon which is not new. In the first edition of Edinburgh World Writers' Conference (EWWC), which took place in 1962, William Borrough discussed his 'cut-up' and 'fold-in' methods, something that was heavily criticied at the time. However, he held strong against the critics and held firm to the belief that his method would eventually allow internal space-age experiments. The reason I speak about this conference is because at the time it was considered a change of status quo. Discussing literature in such a way felt like something abnormal. Voila another remainder why things should never be taken for granted.
In this conference five different themes were addressed: should literature be political?, Style vs Content, A National Literature, Censorship Today and the Future of the Novel. Fifty years after, the Conference is being repeated and the exact same questions are raised and discussed. However, this time the conference did not last five days, but rather an entire year. Furthermore, speeches were scattered all around the world. It is very interesting to talk about the new edition of the conference because of the many debates which have taken place because of it and which may help us have a fuller undersanding of what the 21st Century novel is like.
First, the London-based author China Miéville compares the novel today to a cockroach because of its tenacious nature. Despite the many different forms of entertainment and of written expression, the novel remains one of the most prominent forms of expression. In a conference in Berlin, also in the frame of the EWWC, Georg Klein reflected upon the function of the novel in our times. According to him "the novel no longer has to provide the guiding thread linking a historically tamed past with a critically comprehended present". Continuing with the purpose of the novel, Njabulo S Ndebele said that in the former days of the apartheid, the novel was used as a weapon. But, as he explains, it is now rather a tool used for raising awareness and helping to understand the changing nature of post-colonial Africa.
To conclude, we can already notice from the few examples given that the novel is a changing element which adapts with time. Thus, we can expect it to feature elements which relate to our visual era. There are clearly many opinions on this matter, and I invite you to watch the video to which I have provided the link below, in which three authors discuss the future of the novel. I would like to draw your attention to a comment made by Hari Kunzru, saying that the novel is more flexible than image itself. According to Kunzru, a film based on a book tends to leave out elements because of its incapability to convey meaning the way literature does. I also to invite you to participate on the forum below the video, which addresses the following questions: Can a film convey more meaning than a book or is it the opposite? How important are visual elements in relation to descriptions?