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 ]
News tagged with: #silicon valley #bestseller charts

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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... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #silicon valley #bestseller charts


Authors Guild and Society of Authors Allege Copyright Infringement by the Internet Archive

In a copyright flare-up, California's Internet Archive finds itself on the wrong side of the English-speaking world's two largest author trade organizations. The post Authors Guild and Society of Authors Allege Copyright Infringement by the Internet Archive appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #authors guild #internet archive #wrong side


Books on the impact of the internet and AI are finalists for the first-ever Women's Nonfiction Prize

Books about the dizzying impact of the internet and artificial intelligence are among finalists for a new book prize that aims to help fix the gender imbalance in nonfiction publishing Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2024-03-27 18:22:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nonfiction prize #artificial intelligence #gender imbalance #book prize


Publishers File Appeal Brief in Internet Archive Copyright Suit

Nearly one year after district court judge John G. Koeltl found the IA's scanning and lending of library books to be copyright infringement, the publisher plaintiffs are asking an appeals court to affirm the decision. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #library books #copyright infringement #publisher plaintiffs #appeals court


Folio Society Comes Out Swinging in the Battle of Deluxe Comic Book Reprints

'DC: Batman,' a luxe new slipcased hardcover gathering some of the Dark Knight’s most iconic stories, is among a number of recent reprint editions employing differing printing strategies and techniques to bring classic comics stories to readers old and new. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Streaming video changed the internet forever

It’s 1995, and I’m trying to watch a video on the internet. I entered the longest, most complex URL I’d ever seen into AOL’s web browser to view a trailer for Paul W.S. Anderson’s long-awaited film adaptation of Mortal Kombat. I found it in an issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, tucked away in... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-03-01 17:00:14 UTC ]
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UK’s Society of Authors: More Clarity in Spotify’s Terms

Changes in Spotify's terms of use for its Findaway Voices audiobook product trigger concerns from the Society of Authors in London. The post UK’s Society of Authors: More Clarity in Spotify’s Terms appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-02-22 15:16:42 UTC ]
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How Womb House Became the Internet’s Favorite ‘Women-Driven’ Bookstore

Womb House Books owner Jessica Ferri's carefully curated listings have turned her online storefront into the favorite bookseller of Emma Roberts, Natalie Portman, and thousands of Etsy customers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Internet Archive Seeks Reversal in Book Scanning Suit

In a highly anticipated appeal brief, officials at the Internet Archive argued that district court judge John G. Koeltl misunderstood the facts and misapplied the law in finding that the IA’s scanning and lending of print library books infringed publishers’ copyrights. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital curator Giulia Carla Rossi: ‘There is a misconception that if something is on the internet it will last for ever’

The British Library’s head of digital publications on the urgency of preserving digital stories, from smartphone apps to interactive web narrativesGiulia Carla Rossi collects the fragile artefacts of our increasingly transient publishing world. She is a curator of digital publications at the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-11-18 13:00:21 UTC ]
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You Will Live on the Internet: The Grim Realities of the Metaverse

Years ago I came across a children’s book called You Will Go to the Moon. It was first published in 1959 by Mae and Ira Freeman, ten years before the first moon landing. The book predicts a future where space travel is a leisure pursuit for a baby boomer and his parents. It shows the […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-16 09:01:20 UTC ]
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Spotify’s new audiobook streaming could have ‘devastating effect’, says Society of Authors

The industry body says the music giant’s move to make more than 150,000 titles available has not been discussed with authors and may compete with salesThe Society of Authors (SoA) has said it is “deeply concerned” about Spotify’s new audiobook provision. The industry body cited “the devastating... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-11 15:40:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #authors soa #music streaming #audiobook streaming #devastating effect #industry body #deeply concerned #audiobook


England’s Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize 2023 Shortlist

With a new five-year sponsorship from the Trivedi Family Foundation, the 35-year-old Royal Society Prize names its 2023 shortlistees. The post England’s Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize 2023 Shortlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-07 02:08:05 UTC ]
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Eliza Clark Was ‘Really Online.’ Now She’s Looking Past the Internet.

Eliza Clark’s debut novel was a hit on TikTok. With her next book, “Penance,” she aims for literary longevity over viral success. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-09-21 04:01:24 UTC ]
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Society of Authors calls use of bad reviews for book blurbs ‘morally questionable’

After several critics complained of being quoted out of context on the covers of Jordan Peterson’s new book, the industry body has spoken out against the practiceThe Society of Authors (SoA) has spoken out against publishers misrepresenting negative reviews on book covers and the UK publisher... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-01 06:02:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jordan peterson #back cover #industry body #authors soa #paperback edition #bonnier


Judge Approves Final Injunction in Publishers, Internet Archive Copyright Case

After more than three years of litigation, it took judge John G. Koeltl just hours to sign off on the parties’ negotiated consent judgment—but not without a final twist. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers, Internet Archive Submit Proposed Judgment in Copyright Case

More than four months after a federal judge found the Internet Archive liable for copyright infringement, the parties have delivered a negotiated agreement for a judgment to be entered in the case. A final resolution could still be years away, however, as the Internet Archive has vowed to appeal. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Sony and other music labels sue Internet Archive for digitizing old records

The Internet Archive is facing another lawsuit over one of its conservation projects. Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and a handful of other music labels have filed a lawsuit against the nonprofit organization, accusing it of copyright infringement for digitizing, "willfully... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-08-12 11:01:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #louis armstrong #project website #unlimited access #legal battle