Married to the mob: the rise of the smartphone in fiction

They interrupt narrative and disrupt plot – no wonder novelists have been slow to warm to mobile phones. But a new generation is putting technology at the heart of their workWhat do you call a phone when it rings in a fictional world? “Mobile” and “cell” are old, “smartphone” is almost a tautology and “phone” is so intrusive that the word seems to ring out shrilly from the page the instant you type it. This may be because we read fiction partly to escape our phones, or it may be that phones, even fictional ones, seem to demand too much of our attention. Telephones, of the kind we all keep handy, are so much a part of daily life we touch them as often as our faces. But phones in fiction require a sleight of hand: if characters use them as realism dictates, they will feel as interruptive on the page as they do at the dinner table. How can authors navigate this challenge?Like bathrooms and paid employment, it is amazing how often phones are dispensed with by many otherwise realist fiction writers. JM Coetzee famously wrote to Paul Auster (in Here and Now, the 2013 selection of their letters) that he was not prepared “to write novels in which people go around with personal electronic devices”. Because, if “everyone has access to more or less everyone else, what becomes of all that plotting?” He also lamented the impact of mobile technology on the “novel of adultery”, though surely Sally Rooney has proved there was nothing to fear. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-22 10:00:09 UTC ]
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December Religion Bestsellers: ‘Faith Still Moves Mountains’ #1 in Nonfiction; Rivers Reigns in Fiction

Fox News host Harris Faulkner’s ‘Faith Still Moves Mountains’ remains in the #1 spot on PW’s Religion Nonfiction Bestsellers list for December; Francine Rivers takes three spots on Religion Fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-11 05:00:00 UTC ]
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8 of the Best Science Fiction Books About Robots

Meet mechanical dragons, security units, and wild robots in these incredible science fiction books all about robots. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-01-09 11:32:00 UTC ]
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10 Science Fiction Books by Black Women Writers

This past summer, an auntie of mine dusted off an old cardboard box of books from a cluttered storage unit, and handed me a slim blue and gold paperback with soft, slightly frayed corners and a creased spine by Octavia E. Butler. I had never read science fiction that featured a Black girl being... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2022-12-28 12:00:00 UTC ]
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10 New Historical Fiction Books Hitting the Shelves

Whether you love spy fiction, romances, sprawling sagas, or even horror, there’s a new historical fiction book for you on this list, like In the Upper Country by Kai Thomas. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-12-21 11:36:00 UTC ]
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Long Gone: 10 of the Best Historical Fiction Books of 2022

No DeLorean necessary: Let ten of the best historical fiction books of 2022 -- including Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang -- take you on a trip back in time! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-12-06 11:36:00 UTC ]
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The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2022

Pandemics, witchcraft, terrifying A.I.: speculative fiction that stood out in 2022. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-12-05 10:00:33 UTC ]
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The Best Historical Fiction of 2022

These sturdy time machines have two things in common: They’re built to last and they’re constructed by pros. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-12-04 12:20:13 UTC ]
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New Historical Fiction to Read

There’s something for everyone in this season’s bumper crop of novels set in other times and places. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-12-02 14:45:08 UTC ]
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Engadget Podcast: Kindle Scribe review and the rise of Twitter clones

Finally, a Kindle you can write on! This week, we dive into Cherlynn’s review of the Kindle Scribe, Amazon’s first e-reader that can also capture handwritten notes. The hardware is great, but as usual, Amazon’s software feels half-baked. Also, Devindra and Cherlynn discuss the rise of new... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-12-02 13:30:56 UTC ]
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The best fiction of 2022: death and life in Cormac McCarthy's The Passenger

The Passenger, Cormac McCarthy’s first novel since The Road in 2006, shows him at the peak of his powers even as he nears his ninetieth year. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2022-11-24 13:19:55 UTC ]
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Freedom to Read Advocates Warn of Proposed ‘Book Rating’ Bill in Texas, Rising Book Bans in Missouri

While still in the early stages of the legislative process, the proposed bill in Texas would require publishers to develop a new rating system for books, and would give Texas state officials the power to bar schools from doing business with publishers who do not comply with the state’s directives. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Traci Lester to Leave the Center for Fiction

Lester will step down as executive director of the Center for Fiction on January 1, and an interim director will be appointed until a permanent replacement can be found. Lester joined the Center in March 2021. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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2022 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction

The 2022 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction has been awarded to Khadija Abdalla Bajaber for her debut YA novel The House of Rust. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-11-10 19:36:19 UTC ]
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October Religion Bestsellers: David Jeremiah Tops in Nonfiction; ‘Deception’ Rules Fiction

Megachurch pastor and bestselling author David Jeremiah takes #1 on PW’s Religion Nonfiction Bestsellers List with his newest title, ‘The World of the End.’ In Religion Fiction, Amir Tsarfati tops with ‘By Way of Deception,’ based on real events inspired by Israel's national intelligence agency. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-09 05:00:00 UTC ]
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15 fiction books that follow their own rules — and make great gifts

We've rounded up the 15 best fiction books published this year to gift any lover of novels or story collections in your life this holiday season. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-11-02 16:00:00 UTC ]
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14 Great Japanese Historical Fiction Books

Read your way into the best Japanese historical fiction, ranging from novels to manga and historical fiction about Japanese Americans. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-10-28 10:35:00 UTC ]
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How Publishers Can Capitalize on the Rise of Intent Media

The intent media model has come to dominate the digital media world, and Future plc is one of its most well-known practitioners. Future's chief revenue officer, Zack Sullivan, joined Adweek media editor Lucinda Southern at Publishing Week to discuss the rise of intent media, how the pandemic... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2022-10-21 10:00:00 UTC ]
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The Eerie Experience of Watching My Science Fiction Story Become Real

On May 13, I finally got to read my wayward science fiction story “It Is the Voice That Unnerves Me” in The Dread Machine. I had been submitting the story since the spring of 2019, and had thought many times about consigning it to the “retired” list. I knew every word, sentence and section break... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2022-10-20 11:05:00 UTC ]
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Forbes’ Event Revenue Rises 60% as It Embraces Hybrid Formats

The business news publisher Forbes has seen revenue from its events division rise significantly this year after it transitioned most of its portfolio from a virtual to a hybrid model, according to the publisher. The privately held property, which in July scuttled its plan to go public via a... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2022-10-17 11:14:16 UTC ]
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Deck the Shelves with Holiday Fiction: Christmas-Themed Novels

Several faith-based novels set during Christmastime are publishing between now and November this year, just in time for the holidays. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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