Jarett Kobek: ‘The internet has been enormously detrimental to society’

The author of Silicon Valley satire I Hate the Internet on the evils of social media, and how novelists have failed to tackle itWhen the novel I Hate the Internet came out in the US earlier this year, it had every likelihood of sinking without trace. It was self-published, it was by a young unknown – Jarett Kobek – and its main selling point was naked, gleeful contempt for the devices and technology platforms that are an essential part of all our daily lives. “Nothing says individuality like 500 million consumer electronics built by slaves,” he says at one point. “Welcome to hell.” Hell, for Kobek, a 38-year-old American of Turkish heritage, became daily life in San Francisco, where the novel is set. Along with many of the city’s artists and writers, he found himself driven out by the forces of gentrification, moved to Los Angeles, where he’s now based, set up his own small press, and wrote this book – a scorching satire of how a few hypercapitalist companies in Silicon Valley have come to dominate everything. I Hate the Internet didn’t sink without trace. It found a readership thirsty for its funny, acerbic edge, got a rave review in the New York Times, went to the top of the bestseller charts in Germany and has now been published here by Serpent’s Tail.So, do you actually hate the internet, Jarett?Not particularly. There’s part of it that I find really contemptible. The title is offered like the sneer of a 15-year-old into Twitter, after they’ve just seen a meme of... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2016-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Jarett Kobek: ‘The internet has been enormously detrimental to society’"


More Bold Than Cozy: Drama In The Coloring Book Community—What It Is and Why It Matters

Adult coloring books have been rising up the bestseller charts. But one team of creators has brought a host of controversy with their cute and cozy offerings. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-12-19 14:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Aspiring UK author shoots up bestseller lists after viral social media post

Vicky Ball expressed delight on X at selling two novels at an event – then catapulted up Amazon’s book chartsAn aspiring author who went viral after selling two books at an event has described seeing her novel climb up Amazon’s bestseller charts as “amazing” and “unbelievable”.Vicky Ball, a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-12-07 11:51:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Sales surge for dystopian books after Trump election victory

The Handmaid’s Tale has risen more than 400 places on bestseller charts since Wednesday with a similar rush for copies of On Tyranny by Timothy SnyderBooks about democracy, dystopia, tyranny, feminism and far-right politics rapidly climbed bestseller charts in the wake of Donald Trump winning... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-11-07 15:33:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Kara Swisher Is Sick of Tech People, So She Wrote a Book About Them

Silicon Valley’s top pundit dishes on her memoir Burn Book, immature billionaires, and whether she’s actually mean. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2024-02-15 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


China Bestsellers December: Legal-Issues Nonfiction

Normally slow-moving, bestseller charts in China highlighted nonfiction on legal issues in December. The post China Bestsellers December: Legal-Issues Nonfiction appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-01-24 19:33:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this


China Bestsellers June: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Serials

Both in fiction and nonfiction, China's bestseller charts in June reflected readers' deepening interest in national culture and history. The post China Bestsellers June: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Serials appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-07-24 17:26:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this


China Bestsellers in March: Adaptations on the Rise

A stage adaptation and the work of a strong translator were behind some of the standout books on China's bestseller charts in March. The post China Bestsellers in March: Adaptations on the Rise appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-05-04 22:03:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this


We can build immortal celebrities from ChatGPT and their existing back catalogs

Our reverence towards stars and celebrities was not borne of the 19th century’s cinematic revolution, but rather has been a resilient aspect of our culture for millennia. Ancient tales of immortal gods rising again and again after fatal injury, the veneration and deification of social and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-04-04 18:00:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Adobe is bringing generative AI features to Photoshop, After Effects and Premiere Pro

Adobe’s suite of photo and video editing software has long leveraged the assistance of machine intelligence to help its human users do their jobs, having employed the Sensei AI system for more than a decade to power features like Neural Filters in Photoshop or Acrobat's Liquid Mode. On Tuesday,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-03-21 13:00:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this


10 books to add to your reading list in February

Bethanne Patrick's February picks include new work from Salman Rushdie and Zadie Smith, plus fresh insights into friendship, Silicon Valley and wolves. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-01-31 14:18:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Prince Harry’s memoir hits No 1 on Amazon, predicted to be one of year’s bestsellers

Spare is already the UK’s top-selling title a day ahead of publication, with high-street retailers expecting sustained interest in the royal psychodramaPrince Harry’s Spare is currently the No 1 in the UK Amazon bestseller charts and among the biggest pre-order titles for high-street retailers,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-01-09 17:46:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Suspense in Silicon Valley

In Bit Flip, readers find a Silicon Valley corporate thriller that sparks a change of heart. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Reader, I followed them: TikTok expands its content to tap into the BookTok phenomenon

New retailer partnerships, live events and book clubs are all planned to capitalise on the platform’s vibrant community of literature loversSocial media app TikTok is making increased efforts to tap into the power of its books content, with new retailer partnerships, live events and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-08-15 16:03:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this


DOJ v. PRH: Markus Dohle's Silicon Valley of Media

In roughly five hours of testimony on Thursday, Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle jousted with government lawyers over PRH's market share, his commitment to allow PRH and S&S editors to bid on the same books if the merger is completed, and other issues tied to what the impact of a... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A more sympathetic perspective on Silicon Valley’s venture capitalists

With engaging stories and little-known details, Sebastian Mallaby defends the role of VC firms. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-02-04 13:00:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Is Work Replacing Religion in America?

Ethnographer Carolyn Chen draws on research conducted in the Silicon Valley to argue why the workplace is increasingly replacing houses of worship and how some tech giants have appropriated religious language and culture in her new book, ‘Work, Pray, Code.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Marcus Rashford to publish children’s novel The Breakfast Club Adventures

The footballer and campaigner is writing story with Alex Falase-Koya, drawing on his own memories of friendships made before starting the school day Fresh from receiving an MBE for his campaigning to lift children out of poverty, Marcus Rashford is now warming up for a new challenge: the England... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-12-01 12:04:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Instagram user accused of capitalising from Ijeoma Oluo’s anti-racist book

The white woman behind the popular Instagram account @soyouwanttotalkabout has apologised after claims that she has co-opted the black author’s brandThe white woman behind an Instagram account with almost three million followers has apologised for the “harm” she caused to bestselling black... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-08-16 16:19:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Marcus Rashford scores in book charts with You Are a Champion

Public sympathy for the defeated England striker has sent sales rocketing for his inspirational life guide for kidsMarcus Rashford’s children’s book You Are a Champion has shot to the top of the charts in the days after England lost the Euro 2020 final to Italy.A guide for young people in which... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-07-14 16:27:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Books Briefing: The New Literature of Burnout

A memoir of life in Silicon Valley, a capitalist satire, a novel that envisions a better future, and more: Your weekly guide to the best in books Continue reading at The Atlantic

[ The Atlantic | 2021-04-23 14:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this