More info flying around the blogosphere about the hot topic of self and e-publishing. Kristine Kathryn Rusch has another good blog on the subject. She talks about things indies should watch out for in the publishing world, not re-inventing the wheel, etc. Similarly, Jamie Rubin opines about a few things self-publishers should do in order to stand a chance in the market. Chuck Wendig has some smart things to say about writing life. First off, he suggests we need more writer rock stars. (Though we need fewer rock stars who fashion themselves writers.) I couldn't agree more. He's also got a few writing tips, presented in his own inimitable way, about how you can improve your writing.
Here's another smart article about "The Jewel Hinged Jaw". John Stevens breaks it down for the uninitiated.
There are few things about mainstream novels that bug me more than the constant parade of stock phrases and cliches which pass as writing. The NYTimes has got an article about a computer that has analyzed just that.
News of the government's attempts to ban coverage of the train crash in China reminds me of this article. It's hard to imagine China becoming more Orwellian, but Chan Koonchung thinks it can.
You know you've wondered about it. I know I have. Cracked.com has a list of a few technologies noticably absent in famous science fiction films.
The Atlantic wonders where all the trippy space colonies have gone.
Catch-22, by way of Thomas Ligotti.
---
I picked up the collection of Edgar Allan Poe's Haunt of Horror this weekend. The comic adapts and updates the classic stories, printed alongside of the originals. To my tastes, they run about 50/50, some are certainly more inspired than others. The art by Richard Corben is classic and varies in style, but the writing is uneven. I'm not keen on adding vampires to a Poe story, that's a big step backwards. Call me old-fashioned.
I also grabbed Motel of the Mysteries, written by David Macauly. You know, that guy that did those awesome books like Castle and Pyramid. This is a satire by way of cautionary tale, more at home in "Heavy Metal" than the children's section of the library. The book runs a little long, runs out of steam before the final page, but there's plenty of chuckles and sly jabs at both culture and cultural studies.
