Michael Caine’s novel will most likely be rubbish, but I’m glad he’s found his happy ending | Xan Brooks

Most actors make terrible novelists – but writing the ‘cracking thriller’ Deadly Game was life-affirming for the veteran star, so never mind the finished productGod spare us another millionaire actor who fancies themself as a bestselling author –unless the actor is Michael Caine, in which case good on him, raise your glass. The 90-year mainstay of British cinema spent lockdown writing his first novel, tapping away at his iPad every day, toiling to master the intricacies of the craft. “Paragraphs,” he said. “Punctuation, all that.” The book might be awful. It won’t trouble the Man Booker panel. But in finally completing the thing, Caine has indirectly written himself a happy ending of sorts – the most knackered and lovely writer’s cliche of them all.According to Caine’s publishers, Deadly Game is “a cracking thriller with a real voice and a super twist”, although quite frankly, what else would they say? Specifically, it’s about a London DCI, Harry Taylor, who’s on the trail of a stash of uranium. Potential suspects include a posh art dealer called Julian Smythe, and a dodgy oligarch, Vladimir Voldrev. Also in the mix: a couple of neo-Nazis, a Colombian drug cartel (possibly several, going from the press release) and a pair of cockney refuse collectors. Caine says he got the basic idea from a newspaper story he once read about two East End blokes who found uranium on the rubbish tip. Everything else (the Nazis, the Colombians, dodgy Vladimir) is 100% uncut Michael Caine.... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-06-08 12:30:07 UTC ]
News tagged with: #happy ending #press release #basic idea #bestselling author #novelists

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End Notes: 'Wandering Stars' by Tommy Orange

An inside look at the publication process for the PEN/Hemingway Award-winning author's second novel Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Where does the bot end and human begin?’: what the legendary @Horse_ebooks can teach us about AI

By reusing and repurposing existing writing into viral fragments on Twitter, the account functioned like today’s chatbots. The Guardian spoke to Jacob Bakkila, the human behind the accountMore than a decade before an AI-powered chatbot could do your homework, help you make dinner or pass the bar... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-01-03 15:00:04 UTC ]
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Colm Tóibín! Geraldine Brooks! A guide to killing time! 19 books out in paperback this January.

2o24 is approaching! It’s hard to believe that 2023 is over, but a new year means new possibilities (always), new resolutions (maybe), and new books (once again, always). But it also means a new chance to pick up some excellent reads from 2023 that you might have missed when they first came out,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-22 14:01:02 UTC ]
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Bobby Kotick's reign at Activision Blizzard ends December 29, 2023

We knew it was coming, but now we have a date: Bobby Kotick will officially step down as CEO of Activision Blizzard on December 29, 2023. Blizzard and King vice chairman Humam Sakhnini will also leave at the end of December, Activision Blizzard chief communications officer Lulu Meservey is out... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-12-20 19:42:25 UTC ]
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The End of the Holiday Print Book Sales Streak

Sales of Liz Cheney's new book got off to a good start and three titles by Rebecca Yarros continued to be hot, but print sales dipped 1.1% last week from a year ago. The decline put an end to two weeks of higher sales over 2022. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #higher sales #liz cheney #good start #decline put #print sales #print book


Year End: Cambridge University Press Reports Record £1 Billion in Revenue

England's merged Cambridge University Press & and Assessment reports record revenues and numbers of users in 2022-2023. The post Year End: Cambridge University Press Reports Record £1 Billion in Revenue appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-12-12 20:15:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #revenue appeared #year end #cambridge university press


Tracy Behar Moves to Avery, Michael Szczerban Up at Little, Brown

Tracy Behar, founding publisher of Little, Brown Spark, has been named senior v-p and publisher at Avery and TarcherPerigee, effective next year, succeeding Megan Newman. At Little, Brown, Michael Szczerban has been named v-p and publisher of Voracious and Spark. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Doctor Who has left the ABC after nearly 60 years – and Russell T Davies knows some fans aren’t happy

The Doctor Who showrunner sympathises with Australian fans annoyed about its move to Disney+ but hopes the show will provide something ‘positive and optimistic’After nearly 60 years, Doctor Who is leaving Aunty and moving in with the Mouse. The much-loved British science fiction show is no... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-11-25 19:00:02 UTC ]
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‘Going Infinite’ Audiobook Review: Michael Lewis Tells His Own Story of Sam Bankman-Fried

“Going Infinite” may have missed the big takeaway, but it offers at least one undeniable pleasure: deep access. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-11-17 14:25:02 UTC ]
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CEO of Hachette Book Group will step down at end of the year

The head of Hachette Book Group, Michael Pietsch, is retiring as CEO and will be succeeded by Hachette UK CEO David Shelley Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-11-14 20:46:13 UTC ]
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The death of Jezebel is the end of an era of feminism. We’re worse off without it

Websites like Jezebel revived feminism, showing the internet might have a re-radicalizing effect. Who will carry the torch?Jezebel is dead. After 16 years, the women’s news site, launched by Gawker Media under the editor Anna Holmes in 2007, shuttered for good this past week. Its most recent... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-11-11 12:00:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #past week #slow death #gawker media #media industry #sexual abuse #bad quarter #private equity #digital media


Column: She set out to build robots. She ended up exposing big tech

Joy Buolamwini, author of "Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines," joins the L.A. Times Book Club on Nov. 14. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-11-03 00:31:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #build robots #joy buolamwini #unmasking ai #times book


10 of the Best Michael Crichton Books Everyone Should Read

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) The American author Michael Crichton (1942-2008) was a pioneer of what became known as the ‘techno-thriller’. He wrote novels informed by the latest up-to-date science on a range of issues, but what sets him apart is his willingness to adopt a... Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2023-10-30 15:00:38 UTC ]
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Ending Censorship Applies to Prison, Too: A Prison Banned Book Week News Roundup, 2023

U.S. prisons have banned tens of thousands of books and remain the largest purveyors of censorship. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-10-30 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Scholastic Apologizes, Will End Controversial Book Fair Offering

After a public outcry, Scholastic this week said it will discontinue its optional diverse stories collection and pledged to "redouble" its efforts to "combat the laws restricting children’s access to books." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #public outcry #scholastic #book fair


Michael Leapman obituary

My father, Michael Leapman, who has died aged 85, was a Fleet Street journalist whose 60-year career spanned war reporting, editing the diary column of the Times and writing about his Brixton allotment. His 18 books include biographies of Rupert Murdoch (Barefaced Cheek, 1983) and Neil Kinnock... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-20 11:34:51 UTC ]
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Marianne Moore and AI Helped Make Sean Michaels' New Novel

The author of 'Do You Remember Being Born?' explains how he created a "Moorebot" to generate the verse in the novel. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Past Is Messy and Repeats Itself: The Trap of Fairytale Victory Endings in Historical Fiction

This essay isn’t about World War II. But like any historical fiction writer publishing in 2023, it’s impossible to ignore the recent wave of WWII novels that fill bookstore shelves at the moment. As someone who reads and enjoys many of these books but has no desire to write one, I have a theory... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-17 08:45:05 UTC ]
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We found the best Prime Day Kindle deals for October 2023

An ereader lets you take a whole library of books with you wherever you go — and even lets you borrow titles from your actual library too. Kindles are probably the best known (and top selling) ereaders on the market and they make great gifts for the holidays. During... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-10-10 14:35:09 UTC ]
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The Fall review: Michael Wolff spills the goss on Murdoch, Trump and Fox

The Fire and Fury author returns with a typically readable account of the declining years of a rightwing media behemothIn September, Rupert Murdoch ceded direct control of Fox and News Corp to Lachlan Murdoch, his oldest son. At 92, Rupert became chairman emeritus. He is off the stage but... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-01 06:00:36 UTC ]
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