The Weekly Wrap: November 30-December 6

Will AI Replace Writers?

One of the articles posted in this Weekly Wrap addresses the concern of writers that AI will replace them. At least half of UK novelists think this possible. And to be honest, I think it possible. AI can produce works in the style of any writer. For some readers, this may be all that’s necessary. Personally, I think to accept that is “welcome to The Matrix” material.

Yet real novelists who are good at their work don’t write in a “style.” There is a certain mystery to the human creative process, but it involves synthesizing a variety of elements and one’s own vision of the world into a story that is recognizably unique.

The challenge is not to write better than Atwood, McEwan, or King (even if you are them). Rather, it is the hard work of birthing words on the page out of that mysterious process, something very different from Large Language Models. I suspect there is a significant cadre of readers who will be able to discern and want the products of such a process.

Still, I think there ought to be some safeguards. The biggest is transparency. Ultimately, most people don’t want to be deceived that something they thought human authored was not.

While Amazon will sell most anything, with some exceptions, bookstores don’t have to. And perhaps it is time for those who buy books to decide, will I buy AI-written books? The danger I see is that the low cost of producing AI books might allow discount pricing that makes this attractive to buyers on a budget. And if an AI book can be written that is a page-turner, that might be all you need at the airport. But do you want to fill your life with airport fare?

People feared that print books would die with the advent of e-books. They haven’t, although the mass market paperback may be on the ropes. I wonder if we will see something of the same here. I also wonder if we will see a resurgence of small indie publishers who will go against the grain of those publishing AI material. What strikes me is that publishers and authors won’t decide this. Readers will–at least I fervently hope so!

Five Articles Worth Reading

The article I referenced is “A troubling question has been raised around human authors vs AI.” The article raises an interesting question about only the rich being able to afford books by human authors.

Technology has also changed public discourse. Formerly this was the purview of a class of intelligentsia. Now everyone with a smartphone is part of the conversation. Dan Williams thinks the elimination of “gatekeeping” a good thing. In “Let’s Not Bring Back The Gatekeepers” he argues that the once privileged who are on the margins need to learn to engage and persuade, not whine about media-facilitated populism.

The theory that Hamlet was inspired by the death of Shakespeare’s son has gained currency with the publication Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet in 2020 and the movie adaptation of it recently released. James Shapiro engages this trend in “The Long History of the Hamnet Myth“

The work of giving reasons for one’s faith, know as apologetics, was always a part of my collegiate ministry experience. So I was very interested in this interview, “Godly Persuasion,” with Ohio historian Daniel K. Williams on his new book studying the character of Christian apologetics from the English Puritans down to contemporary evangelicals.

Finally, many are turning to Hannah Arendt as a kind of prophet concerning totalitarianism. In “Hannah Arendt Is Not Your Icon,” New York Times non-fiction reviewer Jennifer Szalai profiles Arendt and proposes that one may find someone quite different than who they are looking for.

Quote of the Week

Poet Rainer Maria Rilke was born December 4, 1875. There are various versions of this translated quote, but one I’ve seen is:

“Live your questions now, and perhaps even without knowing it, you will live along some distant day into your answers.

Miscellaneous Musings

I’ve written before of the exceptional place Hearts and Minds Bookstore is. Owned by Byron and Beth Borger, they stock a wide array of thoughtful Christian books and other genres. They can get anything. Late last week I ordered three books. They arrived Tuesday, carefully packed and undamaged in a sturdy box. In addition, while on their website, you can sign up for Byron’s “Booknotes,” a regular newsletter reviewing books, usually on a theme, and all are discounted!

I’ll be compiling my “Best Books of 2025” to post next Friday. I choose an overall book as well as exceptional books in a number of categories. Don’t miss it!

I’ve just started Michael Grunwald’s We Are Eating the Earth which makes the case that our current practices of food production are unsustainable and contribute to climate change. I hope he offers practical help concerning what ordinary citizens can do.

Next Week’s Reviews

Monday: Rick Atkinson, The Fate of the Day

Tuesday: Esther Lightcap Meek, Loving to Know

Wednesday: Dave Ripper, Experiencing Scripture as a Disciple of Jesus

Thursday: Robert Garcia, Paul Gondreau, Patrick Gray, Douglas S. Huffman, eds., Watching The Chosen

Friday: Bob on Books Best Books of 2025

So, that’s The Weekly Wrap for November 30-December 6.

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