I don't think any actual author is worred that robot kindle is going to take sales from audio books... today. I think it's a preemptive strike against the day when the technology is good enough to give an audio book a run for its money. And if they don't fight it now, they may be relinquishing a key right that they may not be able to get back.

I look forward to that day, when text-to-speech sounds as good or better than audiobook actors (many of whom are, frankly, terrible.). At that point, authors should be able to profit from their work - everyone else does - and this is a preemptive strike for that inevitable day.

But hating on authors? Without authors, the kindle is just a sad plastic shell. The authors are the ones who sit in darkened room, night after night, rip out their souls and die early so that everyone else get through their day.

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then who is going to write the books? You?

Why is everyone jumping all over this thing? It is quite simple. The creative artists are getting squeezed out again. How much do you think the average author makes in a year? Poverty level or over 30k?

Do you know how much they make on a $25 hardcover and how much less they are making now that Amazon has reduced that to a $9.99 ebook?

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