Matt’s Bookosphere 7/21/08

“I’ve been trying to understand why I feel indifference and sometimes repugnance for most fantasy literature, whether H.G. Wells, Tolkien, Lovecraft, Rowling, or so-called “magic realism” (Garcia Marquez is insufferable, and not just for his politics). Fantasy feels like a cheat, an evasion, a con game for stunted children. I read to know the world, in particular the human world, even to celebrate it, not to slum in another.”

Joe Abercrombie gives “Firefly” a go

Meet Gardner Dozois, Michael Swanwick and Tom Purdom this Friday at Robins Bookstores in Philadelphia

The Crotchety Old Fan talks a bit more about the SF genre and whether it’s actually dying

John Scalzi and Jonathan McCalmont get into a bit of a tussle over a post regarding the new Tor online site

…and then S.M. Duke offers some commentary

More on the same matter from John Scalzi

LOTS MORE AFTER THE JUMP

Larry at OFBlog is curious about the TOR site, wonders what you think

Interview with Jacqueline Carey, author of “Kushiel’s Legacy”

Issendai on “other things the fantasy genre could do without” – and a list of books that do just fine without them

Alana Joli Abbot talks about YA fiction, genre and adult prejudices

“The line between Y.A. and adult has become almost transparent,” said Michael Cart, a former president of the Young Adult Library Services Association and a columnist for Booklist. “These days, what makes a book Y.A. is not so much what makes it as who makes it — and the ‘who’ is the marketing department.”

Interview with Marjorie M. Liu, author of “The Iron Hunt”

Should the Clarke Award change? (Via SF Awards Watch)

A Five Point Manifesto for “Positive Fandom”

Review: “Sabriel” by Garth Nix

These guys want to know Michael Moorcock’s position on Scientology

Review: “Skinned” by Robin Wasserman

A technical snafu is keeping Elizabeth Bear’s new book off the shelves!

Cory Doctorow answers your “Little Brother” questions at the Fire Dog Lake Book Salon

Bow to the mighty power of the “juvinilia meme!”

Can you help James Reasoner remember the title of this mystery book?

Has heroic fantasy stagnated?

Anyone in Brisbane catch the stage production of Angela Carter’s “The Lady of the House of Love?” (It’s one of my favorite short stories; shoot me)

Want to know how to lose me as a friend? Just buy me a book and say: ‘This is so you!’”

On Stephenie Meyer, her fiction and her Mormon faith

Authorities seek to halt auction of documents from Portugese poet Fernando Pessoa, including letters of correspondences with Aleister Crowley

More links from John Joseph Adams

Review: “The Alchemy of Stone” by Ekaterina Sedia

Reviewing the mail/short book blurbs at Antick Musings

Q & A with Iain Banks

PeTA makes list of top 10 animal-friendly superheroes (….AND FORGETS HELLBOY!!!!)

Very nice Readercon summary from Matthew Cheney

“Smart, Sassy Heroines Pack a Literary Punch” (NPR)

A movement is born: “Send Alan Moore a Fiver” if you go to see “The Watchmen” (Via Forbidden Plant blog)

More lit links from Condalmo

Fiction: “Sweetwater” by Lilah Wild

Phaedra Weldon talks about her novel “Spectre”

Poll on films that came from famous SF short stories

The Shirley Jackson Award winners

Review of Daniel Abraham’s “An Autumn War” with bonus Q & A

Review: “Darwinia” by Robert Charles Wilson

Thomas Pynchon Wiki?

Have you forgotten how to “deep read?” (Technology, your attention span and reading)

Anthropomorphism invades adult literature(Are you concerned? “Not I,” said the cat.)

What if the blogosphere decides to pack it in?

Review: “A Universal History of the Destruction of Books” by Fernando Baez