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 ]
Today Samuel Delany–inventor/expander of several galaxies–turns 82. And I for one would like to throw some birthday love towards this greatest of octogenarians. Known for his high-concept science fiction and his sharp theories on social contact, Delany’s canon spans genres and generations. I... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-04-01 17:53:48 UTC ]
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By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘The Electric Ant’ is a short story by the American writer Philip K. Dick (1928-82), written in 1968 and published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in October the following year. The story is about an ‘electric ant’ or robot which has... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2024-03-29 15:00:43 UTC ]
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He conceived an early version of cyberspace and predicted the “technological singularity,” a tipping point at which machines would become smarter than humans. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-03-28 22:04:59 UTC ]
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If you love science fiction and fantasy reads, these works of nonfiction will be right up your alley. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-03-22 11:00:00 UTC ]
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The Times’s critic Alissa Wilkinson discusses Frank Herbert’s classic science fiction novel and Denis Villeneuve’s film adaptations. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-03-15 18:52:12 UTC ]
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The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association has announced the finalists for the 59th Annual Nebula Awards, recognizing some of the best SFF writing from 2023. SFWA is also honoring Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising) with the 40th Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award, recognizing her... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-15 15:58:33 UTC ]
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Just as Engadget was hitting publish on its first posts, I was putting a freshly minted English degree to use working at an indie bookshop in Los Angeles. In seemingly unrelated news, Amazon had just reported its first profitable year after switching from selling books to selling “everything”... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-03-08 14:15:57 UTC ]
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Who among us hasn’t wished that they could get paid to just sit and read for a little while? No strings, no work-related tasks involved—just good old fashioned American currency in exchange for reading a book of your choosing, for pleasure. Well, fellow dreamers, I have good news! Perelandra... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-06 17:56:29 UTC ]
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There’s a new online bookstore in town—and this time it’s helmed by RuPaul. Yes, that RuPaul. (Reading being, after all, fundamental.) Allstora, announced today*, is a membership-based bookstore that offers a profit-split to authors. RuPaul serves as Allstora’s Chief Creative Officer and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-04 16:45:28 UTC ]
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For a few days in October 2023, the capital of the science fiction world was Chengdu, China Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2024-02-29 02:54:58 UTC ]
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The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-02-26 16:13:28 UTC ]
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Before running the bookshop, Yeongju had never considered whether she was suitable to be a bookseller. She thought, rather naively, that anyone who loves books could be one. It was only when she started her own bookshop that she realized she had a serious shortcoming. She fumbled questions such... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-02-23 09:44:53 UTC ]
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10 Questions for Hwang Bo-reum, by Michelle Johnson Interviews [email protected] Tue, 02/20/2024 - 10:01 Photo by Seong Ji Min Clayhouse Inc.Hwang Bo-reum’s debut novel, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, translated by Shanna Tan, was published... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-02-20 16:01:47 UTC ]
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When some books, including best sellers, were conspicuously absent from the science fiction Hugo Awards last year, writers and fans became suspicious. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-02-17 13:11:43 UTC ]
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Leaked emails reveal organisers of leading science fiction and fantasy awards flagged works of a ‘sensitive political nature’Leaked emails from the organisers of the prestigious Hugo awards for science fiction and fantasy suggest several authors were excluded from shortlists last year after they... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-02-15 18:16:42 UTC ]
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Terrifying monsters, loved ones return from the beyond, fairy tale women, and more of today's best science fiction and fantasy book deals. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-02-12 14:11:45 UTC ]
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By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘My Dream of Flying to Wake Island’ is a 1974 short story by the British writer J. G. Ballard (1930-2009). Ballard’s unique contribution to literature was to take the trappings of science fiction – space travel, new technologies, and the rest of it –... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2024-02-09 15:00:22 UTC ]
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While much science fiction is based on theoretical physics, occasionally literature returns the favor and inspires scientific ideas. A perfect symbiosis between the two came about in the early 1980s, when astronomer-turned-novelist Carl Sagan was researching his fictional work Contact and turned... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-02-09 09:54:04 UTC ]
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The third book in the Crescent City series becomes third fastest-selling science fiction and fantasy title since records beganThe story of a half fairy, half human woman has gripped UK book buyers this week, as a novel about the hybrid heroine shot to the top of the bestseller chart.House of... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-02-07 14:13:13 UTC ]
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“I pulled the Fitzgerald off a shelf in the bookshop where I had a summer job. It was so delicious and joyful to read, I could canter through it with such bright and sudden pleasure, that it felt almost criminal.” Continue reading at The Paris Review
[ The Paris Review | 2024-02-01 15:52:46 UTC ]
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