Materialism and the Fantasy Genre
Skimming critiques of critiques of capitalism makes you think really interesting things. Take, for example, the concept of materialism and how it relates to the fantasy genre–and more specifically its typical representations found in the big names of the genre. What does magic do to issues of hoarding, to materialism itself, and to general concerns […]
The Rules of Shelving Books: Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Their Literary Friends
David Barnett of The Guardian had an interesting post about science fiction as a label and how certain authors of the more “literary” vein see science fiction in general. It was an interesting article that highlighted the three typical responses to science fiction by “literary” authors: it’s trashy pulp, it’s just a stupid label and […]
Book Covers: Misrepresentations?
I was at Powell’s City of Books today and while perusing the shelves I noticed that some of books I was forced to read in high school had been redone with flashy new covers. What was disconcerting wasn’t so much that the covers were new–that’s just part of the “classics” sub-industry–but the kinds of covers. […]
Reader Question: Should Writers Have English Degrees?
(For some reason I did not write down the name of the person who asked this question, nor did I write down where it came from. So, if you asked this, please leave me a comment here letting me know so I can give you credit!) I think at one point people thought that they […]
Self-Publishing: A Clarification (for those who don’t know)
Apparently I’ve raised a tiny bit of a stink over self-publishing based on what I said here, particularly with folks who apparently are not familiar with my full position on self-publishing, which had no purpose being reiterated in that post. So, to make things more clear on my position, I give you this list of […]
Reader Question: To Self-publish or Not to Self-publish, That is the Question
Blondishnet recently asked: What are your thoughts on ‘self-publishing?’ Would you recommend it? And if so, for whom? This is a good question, the answer to which will not be remotely surprising. No, I do not recommend self-publishing except in the following instances: You are writing a family memoir that you only intend family to […]