Essay “Literature was a vast minefield occupied by enemies,” Roberto Bolaño, who enjoyed accruing enemies in the pantheon of Latin American letters, writes in the short story “Meeting with Enrique Lihn” (New Yorker, December 22, 2008): except for a few classic authors (just a few), and every day I had to walk through that minefield, where any false move could be fatal, with only the poems of Archilochus to guide me. It’s like that for all young writers. There comes a time when you have no support, not even from friends, forget about mentors, and there’s no one to give you a hand; publication, prizes, and grants are reserved for the others, the ones who said “Yes, sir,” over and over, or those who praised the literary mandarins, a never-ending horde distinguished only by their aptitude for discipline and punishment—nothing escapes them and they forgive nothing. Aptitude for discipline and punishment Bolaño himself had aplenty, too. And in spite of his precarious health, he had stamina. At a young age, he had made up his mind he would die. Who cared if he annoyed others? His mission, as is clear from The Savage Detectives (1998), was to upend that tradition, to take it by the neck and expose its platitudes. What is the use of sacred cows if not to be desecrated? Indeed, every tradition needs an enfant terrible, maybe more than one. When was the last time a rabble-rouser came along in Latin American literature? As Bolaño put it in... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2022-02-28 21:05:10 UTC ]
Photo by Arturo Villarrubia Science fiction writer Ted Chiang has won the 2024 PEN/Bernard and Ann Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. The award is given each year to a writer who has “demonstrated exceptional achievement in the short story form.” Ted Chiang has published two... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-06-12 14:52:48 UTC ]
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I love it when a text centers the dynamics of conversation. In my own life, talking to others gets me out of my head, and introduces me to possibilities I would never have dreamed of alone. I think of a quote by the activist Valerie Kaur, which my local bookshop has printed on some of […] The... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2024-06-12 11:00:00 UTC ]
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In which Robin Sloan writes Moonbound—a science fiction book about science fiction—and our writer writes his way into total insanity. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-06-11 11:00:00 UTC ]
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An elaborate water trap, three generations of empathetic witches, a space thriller, and more of today's best science fiction and fantasy book deals. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-06-10 13:30:00 UTC ]
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The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of American (SFWA) has announced the winners of the 2023 Nebula Awards, one of SFF’s most prestigious honors, “given to the writers of the most outstanding speculative fiction works released in 2023.” Here are the winners: NOVEL Vajra Chandrasekera, The... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-06-10 12:14:36 UTC ]
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In a new book, the journalist and science fiction writer Annalee Newitz shows how we have used narrative to manipulate and coerce. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-06-05 09:05:03 UTC ]
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Four years after two Minneapolis specialty bookstores were destroyed amid unrest following George Floyd's murder, Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore and Uncle Edgar’s Mystery Bookstore are thriving in their new locations. Their owner, Don Blyly, is also celebrating his 50th anniversary as a... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
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"This list is a pretty balanced blend of science fiction and fantasy, spanning cultures and space, past and future, authors familiar and under-the-radar." Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-05-29 10:30:00 UTC ]
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AI is being shoved into everything now, from laptops to kitchen appliances to celebrity gossip news. (No, none of that is an exaggeration.) The term is so ubiquitous that it’s fast becoming meaningless, just like “performative” or “green.” So, I’d like to thank Cooler Master for taking... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2024-05-22 14:28:16 UTC ]
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Out of this world deals on some of the best science fiction and fantasy–grab these excellent reads for under $3. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-05-20 13:30:00 UTC ]
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Bookshop and arts centre run by Salmon Poetry is saved from closure after raising more than €60,000 from 700 individualsA bookshop and arts centre run by a prominent Irish poetry publisher has been saved from closure after a GoFundMe campaign raised more than €60,000 – enough to buy new premises... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-05-13 15:18:10 UTC ]
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Here are the finalists for the 2024 Locus Awards honoring the best in science fiction and fantasy across several categories. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-05-13 14:32:10 UTC ]
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Over the last few days, heightened solar activity (and those heady geomagnetic storms) led to outages in the GPS navigation systems that guide some modern tractors from John Deere and other brands. 404 Media reported farmers have been told to pause using high-tech tractors that use GPS systems... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-05-13 11:15:58 UTC ]
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In this installment of What We're Listening To, Engadget writers and editors discuss some of the recent music releases we've had on repeat. It's safe to say there's some variety on this list. Sierra Ferrell - Trail of Flowers Sierra Ferrell seems almost like an anachronism in 2024, but in the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-05-11 14:30:52 UTC ]
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As baby boomers have aged, they have accumulated more assets leading to more discretionary spending. Since retiring two years ago, Joan Harris has upped her travel game.Once or twice a year, she visits her two adult children in different states. She’s planning multiple other trips, including to... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2024-04-29 13:22:05 UTC ]
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Murder aboard a claustrophobic space ship, an island hidden by magic, a tale of blood and loyalty, and more of today's best science fiction and fantasy deals. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-04-29 13:00:00 UTC ]
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The answer lies at the heart of theoretical physics. Note: The following article contains spoilers about the Netflix series 3 Body Problem.I first encountered the three-body problem 60 years ago, in a short story called “Placet is a Crazy Place” by American science fiction writer Frederic Brown. Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2024-04-27 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Do you like rip-roaring science fiction books? Do you like movies? Then you are in for a treat in, well, two years. Amazon MGM Studios just set a release date of March 20, 2026 for Project Hail Mary, according to Deadline. It’s based on the Andy Weir novel of the same name, which was one of our... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-04-19 17:44:40 UTC ]
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5 Questions for Ethel Rohan, by Michelle Johnson Interviews [email protected] Tue, 04/16/2024 - 08:28 Ethel Rohan’s second novel, Sing, I, was published by TriQuarterly Books on April 15. The novel’s heroine, Ester Prynn, works in a convenience... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-04-16 13:28:17 UTC ]
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During the summer of 1896, a poster of a redheaded woman riding a bicycle appeared in bookshop windows and newsstands in cities across the United States. Sporting a fashionable outfit, the cyclist gazes blankly beyond the viewer, seeming to exert little effort. Though her body occupies most of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-04-03 08:55:47 UTC ]
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