[oddlyaromatic]

GP's argument was that reading is "exactly the opposite of a creative endeavor" ... To me, that does not hold up.

I guess I'm saying reading exercises the creative muscles more than not reading- and possibly more than entertainment where you can be more passive, like TV. Language alone can never fill in all the blanks. Reading IS an act of consumption but also one of creation.

> no reader of a Culture novel is going to create a story about two lovers in present-day Seattle in their minds.

Definitely. The difference between readers at the high level ought to be pretty small, but at the detailed level (how do people look, what is their voice like, how fast are they), stuff it's highly unlikely to really be the same.