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Click here for the true story of Christopher 'God Is Not Great' Hitchens vs. The Syrian Nazis!
Story care of Super Punch
Image courtesy of the Blacksmiths of Lebanon
Friday, February 27, 2009
Author As Badass
Quote of the Day
"Your comics are not worth a thousand dollars each. You bought them in 1993 and so did literally a million other people. You have all kept them in near-mint condition. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you don't understand basic economics, though, because as an adult you still think the 'investment' you made as a 10-year-old was a sound one."
Jack Eldredge
From Wired Magazine's Secret Lives of Comic Store Employees
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Inkwell Michelle's 30 Second Book Review
Mistress of the Art of Death
by Ariana Franklin
Become immersed in the scandal and intrigue of Henry II’s England by means of Ariana Franklin’s well-researched historical mystery. Outsider Dr. Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar of Salerno is hired in secret by King Henry II to investigate the murders of several children in Cambridge which threaten to become a political nightmare. Adelia’s plight as an educated, independent woman in a repressive society is handled with delicacy, unlike so many historical novels that imbue the characters with modern sensibilities. Adelia is a winning creation - intelligent, prickly, and truly alive on the pages. Mistress of the Art of Death is certain to appeal to fans of Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael mysteries.
Book News, In Brief
Note to Bookseller of Kabul author Asne Seierstad: The Kabul bookseller you based your novel upon hates your book.
From Salon.com: Let death change your life. "You only die once. Why not take tips from great philosophers on how to do it well?"
Also from Salon.com: Why can't a woman write the Great American Novel? While this may sound like debate bait, it's actually a thoughtful review of Elaine Showalter's A Jury of Her Peers.
Author Shanna Swendson has posted a couple of practical guides for writers performing on the pimp-circuit: Lesson 1. Promotion for Non-Jerks. Lesson 2. How to Be a Good Con Guest.
The Millions Book Blog attempts to revive the Revolutionary War, only instead of tea taxes, they have England and America battling over book cover aesthetics.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Comic Book News & Links
The Free Comic Book Day website has posted their list of the 45 titles to be given away on May 2nd. Collect them all! (Then sell 'em on ebay!)
Related: Fantagraphics has leaked a Jaime Hernandez pencil sketch from the limited edition Love & Rockets comic being given out on Free Comic Book Day. (NSFW if your work doesn't like the word, 'f**ker.')
The Comics Reporter offers 10 Ways to Read Watchmen, a useful way to fake your long-term appreciation and/or advanced critical understanding of the comic while waiting in line at the movie theater.
Typical corporate comics crap: Thanks to The Brave And The Bold cartoon, the new Blue Beetle has become a hit with kids. So what does DC Comics do to capitalize on this? They cancel the character's book! Memorial services are being held at The Comic Book Junction.
With manga giant Kodansha posting a loss of $81.2 million for 2008 and VIZ Media announcing their 'sketchy' plans to 'restructure,' David Welsh's list of 11 Manga to Make You Laugh couldn't come at a better time.
(Special thanks to MangaBlog.net for these 3 links!)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Publishing Industry Is Killing The Undead Genre...Before It's Even Risen From Its Grave!
According to today's Shelf Awareness email, the buzz surrounding Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has been strong enough to inspire a new genre -- 'Monster Lit -- and a slew of hastily conceived knock-offs. Among them:
A Wuthering Heights in which Catherine returns as a ghost to terrorize Heathcliff.
A Jane Eyre title that features more than an insane wife in the attic.
A Mill on the Floss "powered by human sacrifice."
Unsurprisingly, only one of these knock-offs has actually been written. But then, maybe that's already one 'Monster Lit' title too many. After all, the media has pretty much pushed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to the point of overexposure -- and the book isn't even out yet. If all that this newly minted genre has to offer after P&P&Z are uninspired rush-jobs written by publicity-hungry hacks, then the public and the press are going to lose interest pretty quickly. Personally, I'll be pissed if I never get to see the recently announced Hollywood horror film, Pride & Predator. Supposedly, it's being produced by Elton John, who will also supervise the music.
Seriously.
(Editor's Note: Isn't this what the kids used to refer to as, 'Jumping the shark'?)
(Author's response: If by 'the kids' you mean the forty-year-olds who frequent Facebook, then yes.)
Tuesday's Tips for Flailing Writers: Links!
Psst. C'mere. AdvancedFictionWriting.com has the secret to creating characters.
Can a writer write too much? The NYTimes argues the pros and cons of prolific publishing.
Warning: Take this one with a grain shaker of salt. The NYPost presents: Blogging for bucks: How the pros get paid.
In a seemingly obvious (yet obviously necessary) piece, The Rejecter warns would-be authors against sending query letters to 'rockstar agents'...especially those listed as, "not accepting queries."
My favorite link of the lot comes care of Pub Rants. An excerpt: Some days I can’t help thinking, and yes I’ll admit this is cynical, that there are more people who want to write a book than there are people who actually read books. When asked, just about every person you talk to believes they have at least one book in them. These same people when asked how many books they’ve read in the last year might also say just one.
To read the whole thing, click here.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Book News, In Brief
(The 'Does This Blog Make My Ass Look Fat?' Edition)
Diet Girl author Shauna Reid lost nearly 200 pounds...by blogging. CBS gets the skinny.
Over at Robot 6, comics auteur Carol Lay talks about her inspired and inspirational new book, The Big Skinny: How I Changed My Fattitude.
Tapping into the timeworn tradition of blaming everyone but ourselves, CBS points their pudgy finger at cookbooks, asking are cookbooks making us fatter?
Here's a diet that may or may not be easier to stick to, depending: The credit card diet. Hell, with the way things are going in the book industry right now, I'm more likely to develop one of those distended, Unicef-ish credit card bellies than anything resembling a cash-heavy gut.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
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