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 ]
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With the current COVID-19 pandemic leading to increased demand for online services there have been concerns about the web's ability to cope. New analysis by Fastly of traffic patterns between January and March looks at regional trends for key US states and countries around the globe that are... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2020-04-09 10:31:56 UTC ]
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The ‘National Emergency Library’ has made 1.4m ebooks freely available, many by current bestsellers, and sparked outrage from writers’ organisationsThe Internet Archive has launched a “National Emergency Library”, making 1.4m books available free online – but has been accused of “hitting authors... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-03-30 17:13:20 UTC ]
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After a week of intense criticism, the Internet Archive yesterday posted an FAQ in response to concerns raised by authors over its National Emergency Library. The FAQ claims the initiative has a basis in law, and reiterates that it is being undertaken in response to a national crisis. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The merger, for which the two institutions are currently seeking public funding, will see the library take on stewardship of BHS's landmark Pierrepont Street building in Brooklyn Heights as well as all of its holdings and programming. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-02-28 05:00:00 UTC ]
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How did everything get so bad, so fast? For young Americans, trust in society and its various institutions is at historical lows. These books comprise a solid intro to the mechanics of our totally fucked up and bullshit American society in 2020. There’s no Trump on the list, but if you read the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-02-25 09:49:35 UTC ]
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The viral ELLE.com columnist just released “Here for It,” his first book of essays. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-02-24 15:35:17 UTC ]
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The viral ELLE.com columnist just released “Here for It,” his first book of essays. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-02-24 15:35:17 UTC ]
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And here it is: Canadian Book-Buying Habits Haven’t Changed Much in the Last Year. In case you’re still reading, for some reason Forbes is reporting that Canadians (my people) aren’t taking to audiobooks in quite the same way their cousins to the south are. Year-over-year American audiobook... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-02-11 16:22:32 UTC ]
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What begins as a familiar addition to the dystopian or techno-horror genres becomes far stranger and more appealing. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-12 20:41:58 UTC ]
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1960s programs to ease poverty and discrimination were doomed from the start, Amity Shlaes argues. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2019-12-05 20:42:48 UTC ]
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Alasdair Gray has won the inaugural Saltire Society Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Scottish literature. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-02 08:58:03 UTC ]
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Books from publishers including 404 ink and Charco Press have been shortlisted for a brand-new award celebrating "the enormous talent Scotland has in book production and design" as part of the 2019 Saltire Literary Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-18 17:30:02 UTC ]
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The Brontë Society in Haworth has won an auction to bring one of Charlotte Brontë’s rare ‘little books' back home. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-18 12:51:15 UTC ]
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Astrophysicist Raman Prinja and artist Chris Wormell’s book Planetarium: Welcome to the Museum (Templar Publishing), about the wonders of space, has scooped the Royal Society’s Young People’s Book Prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-12 19:41:46 UTC ]
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Andrew Marantz explores the disturbing implications of online far-right extremism. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2019-10-25 13:18:59 UTC ]
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Feminist campaigner Caroline Criado Perez’s "exposé" on the gender data gap, Invisible Women (Chatto & Windus), has scooped the £25,000 Royal Society Science Book Prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-23 14:17:51 UTC ]
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From policy to dating, seeing issues through this lens has ill effects, Binyamin Appelbaum writes. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2019-09-20 01:24:30 UTC ]
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At the IPA Amman seminar, OverDrive's Steven Rosato will stress that in moving to a digital library ecosystem, 'It's the publishers who must take the leap.' The post OverDrive’s Steven Rosato: The Arab World’s ‘Enormous Advantage’ in Libraries appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-09-16 05:30:15 UTC ]
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In “Because Internet,” a linguist looks at the way online conversation is shaping all conversation. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2019-09-13 02:02:24 UTC ]
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The Royal Society Science Book Prize shortlist for 2019 has been revealed with nominations for indies Icon, Bloomsbury and Atlantic. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-27 01:50:28 UTC ]
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