VN me sempai

VNs are great. I want the next crop of translations to be done already, though, there's really only 2 I'm interested in reading, Sona-nyl and Higurashi 6-8.

It's kind of sad, no one reads these things so not many get made. Even the ones that are popular still seem to only scrape by.
And when they do get made, they don't make it over here. Even the things by some of the popular creators in the west don't get translated. We'll probably never see a translation of Tri-Anthology, even though Ryukishi is very popular in this niche.

I wish there were more traditional books that were able to immerse me in the same way. Maybe it's something about the style of story. Maybe the niche of what I like is just too small.

The whole situation is really funny to me, or sad, maybe. Because cinematic games are "in" right now. Not just cinematic games, but games without any gameplay and simple stories get tons of praise. People seem to like stories alright, even if they're not very good.

Meanwhile, there are deep stories out there, being translated, selling no copies. Someone whose mind was blown by video game stories would have their soul obliterated by something like Umineko or Steins;Gate or Muv Luv Alternative.

Is it reading? Is the future of everything just narration? Will people only take in stories if they have light RPG elements and voice acting or audiologs while walking around?

I'm reading the Philip K Dick story Man in the High Castle right now, it's interesting, but I'm not super hooked. I'm not sure what I'll read next. Maybe I'll try Mistborn, but I'm really not feeling like a pure fantasy story.

I want a setting that will grip me, suck me in and never let me stop thinking about it.
Every time I reread or rewatch something from Umineko I realize something new. A new connection, intentional or not. Some new aspect of the themes. Rewrite's Moon route, Kotarou's narration manages to weave its vines into my head. Muv Luv Alternative's *chomp* scene, nevar 4get.

I'll find something else to grip me like that, but it's getting harder each time.