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 ]
The Hugos and several other major science fiction award winners were announced this week. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-23 14:50:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) The influence of H. G. Wells (1866-1946) on science fiction goes without saying. Brian Aldiss, in Trillion Year Spree, call him the Shakespeare of science fiction, acknowledging his role in raising the emerging genre to an art form. The tales of The... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2023-10-20 14:00:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City doubles down on supporting Drag Story Hours following a bomb threat, and is preparing to launch a new venture, Mosaics Community Bookstore and Venue. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Computer languages are ultimately rendered in ones and zeros, even AI programs. Though this technology is new, the concept it’s hinged on is not. Isaac Asimov’s iconic science fiction collection I, Robot, tells the story of androids created at U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men Inc. The androids... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2023-10-17 06:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-16 14:13:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this
These nine medieval science fiction books play with limits of time, space, and history to tell fascinating stories with medieval elements. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-13 10:32:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, all picked by Book Riot. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-09 11:52:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A new collection of her novels and stories is a showcase for a science fiction pioneer. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-10-08 09:00:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-02 14:03:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Lydia Davis’ new collection Our Strangers, is available now from Bookshop Editions, so we asked her a few questions about her writing, reading, and more. How do you tackle writer’s block? I don’t really have writer’s block anymore. When I first started out, I certainly did just sit there... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-02 09:00:46 UTC ]
More news stories like this
If anyone has ever told you Dune is a “tough read,” it would be interesting to see if that same person was able to read an eight‑hundred‑page Stephen King or Harry Potter novel. Although there are dozens and dozens of characters, and various layers of politics, religion, philosophy, and science... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-27 09:40:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this
AI will change the way that we work. Or so says the most fervent purveyors of the tech, which now includes Microsoft. But after seeing ChatGPT, Dall-E, and other AI systems integrated into the latest versions of Windows 11, Office, and the company’s Microsoft 365 platform, I can’t say that... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2023-09-26 17:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-09-25 13:38:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this
“What are we willing to fight for? What do we deserve, morally speaking? What is our place, our relationship with the universe, with nature?”During a preview of The Talos Principle 2 in August, series writer Jonas Kyratzes posed 19 questions about the essence of humanity in just 90 seconds.... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-09-19 16:00:14 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-09-18 13:32:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The co-owner of San Francisco's Bookshop West Portal and founder of onetime Bay Area bookselling staple A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books, died on September 6. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Looking for a work of science fiction that will make you really think? Welcome to these philosophical sci-fi books! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-09-15 10:33:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-09-11 13:32:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A great spaceship can make a science fiction story soar. See if you can guess which stories these famous spaceships belong to. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-09-05 10:36:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-08-28 14:39:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this