Stories: the thirst for knowledge

When I was reading Oryx and Crake, one of the most horrifying aspects of that futuristic world was the lack of books/literature. I think that literature, whether written or orally passed on, stories in general, are intrinsically important to culture. Ironically, after the bioterrorist haulocaust dropped upon humanity, the only "people" left were Crake's creations, the Crakers, who were illiterate. And though illiterate, the thing that they craved more than anything were stories - the oral tradition.