- Orson Scott Card and the appeal of Ender’s Game discussed yet again. (Via Ypulse.) I still say more people should read John Kessel’s excellent, provocative analysis of its appeal, and the problem with the underlying morality in the book. Or, alternately, just read John’s collection and skip Card altogether.
- William Gibson is coming to our local bookstore in support of the paperback release of Spook Country next week. The local books columnist has a post about it, including some interview snippets wherein he recommends books by Junot Diaz and Charles Stross. I like this: Gibson says he only wants to read "science fiction that couldn’t have been written 10 years ago."
- Niall Harrison thoughtfully reviews Dave Schwartz’s Superpowers — just out in the U.K, and soon in the U.S. My recent interview with Dave is here.
- Justine Musk has a great quote about writers from Brian McDonald’s Last Call at Elaine’s, but I’ll send you there to read it. See also: Her recent post about meeting Coldplay and selling another book; her blog is always a fun read.
- Justine says don’t hate the famous. I don’t even care about the famous. I reserve my hatred for evil politicos, and my affection (mostly) for people I know.
- Sarah Rees Brennan has a great, hilarious post about finding the science fiction she could grok, and requesting suggestions for more like that.
- The lost rivers of London.
- Colleen on a shady-seeming new paid book blog tour site.
8 thoughts on “Friday Hangovers”
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Since when were evil politicos not famous? I’m just saying . . .
Other than presidents and talking heads that end up on cable news, I don’t think they’re famous in the same way as entertainment industry types. The type of famous I assumed you’re talking about is the kind where people are interested in taking your picture when you’re out to dinner (which even the most powerful political types rarely experience) and most people would recognize instantly. The kind that’s on E! more than Olberman. 🙂
Olbermann gets mobbed wherever he goes!
I was talking about all kinds of fame.
“Or, alternately, just read John’s collection and skip Card altogether.”
I think that’s a good rule of thumb for life in general!
Because he’s a talking head… I still say it’s two different things. I see James Carville in an airport, he’s mostly left alone. Brad Pitt? Probably harder for him. There are definitely different degrees of fame, and for the most part America’s obsessed with entertainment industry types (and Paris Hilton). I don’t care about entertainment industry goss At All, going back to your Jack Nicholson example.
Oh, and, just to be clear — the reason I made the distinction above is because there is a big difference between hating well-known or famous or semi-famous people just because they strike you the wrong way and hating ones that you have an actual investment in the actions of (politicos, in this case). And really, it’s more despise than hate. 🙂
Yes, Alan — agreed!
I just chose an example I was sure everyone had heard of and because I didn’t want it to be sidetracked into a political discussion. Also I’ve been watching the NBA finals and Nicholson’s been driving me nuts. But I hate Karl Rove and even Chris Matthews WAY more than Jack Nicholson. But my point stands for all of them. They’re all famous. Just different degrees.
Though really I was trying to talk about the ways you and I and other bloggers have our own teeny tiny “fame” issues to deal with. Not anywhere near the scale of Emily Gould’s of course. But I, too, have gotten hate mail from total strangers. Not much but enough to make me blink.
I get you. And I think maybe I am semi-immune to worries about being hated because of what I went through in elementary and high school being principal’s daughter. I gave up worrying about the opinions others held of me, and I could sympathize somewhat with the animating force of what they thought they hated about me.