After reading
Science fiction: the genre that dare not speak its name, I've got a new, rather
sci-fi idea for the modern bookstore (tongue planted firmly in cheek).
First off, let's get rid of genres altogether. There are so many new literary novels that promise to bust the genre (whatever that might be) and according to the op-ed in the Guardian, many authors are happy to borrow ideas from a genre but aren't comfortable being classified within them.
Next, big bookstores who want fewer customers wandering around completely befuddled should install touchscreen terminals at convenient locations, providing a place that allows people to search for books. People can either search for a specific title or browse keywords to be offered a selection of possible books they might enjoy. Of all the things the modern Web has brought us, the one thing most useful to book lovers is the concept of taxonomy.
(Small independent bookstores already have this in place - they're called staff.)
And there you have it - I've solved the problem of genre.
