News & Notes is a weekly Saturday post featuring book- and publishing-related news, links to interesting articles and opinion pieces, and other cool stuff
NOTE: I’m sorry I didn’t get this up on Saturday, but travel and a brief illness intervened, and since it’s a news and links post, I can’t really prepare it ahead of time.
Book News
- The YA Bestseller Brought Down by the YA Community. Was there an attempt to “game the system” to get Handbook for Mortals on the NYT YA Bestseller list? (Publishers Weekly; also, NPR’s The Two Way has some screenshots and additional information.)
- IPA urges China to ‘respect the decision’ of Cambridge University Press to restore articles in China Quarterly that have been blocked to readers in China. (The Guardian)
- ‘To E Or Not To E’: USC And UCLA Quibble Over How To Spell Shakespear(e) (NPR Books) For the record, I prefer it with an E… but USC has a point.
- Texas A&M University invites GoT fans to search George RR Martin archives for clues (The Guardian)
Literary Losses
Brian Aldiss, 1925–2017
Brian Aldiss, one of the great (and prolific) science fiction authors of the 20th century, has died at the age of 92. Aldiss published over 100 books, writing both science fiction and mainstream fiction as well as some nonfiction and two autobiographical works. His books and stories were thought-provoking and well-respected by fans and fellow writers alike.
Aldiss was born in Britain in 1925 and served in the British Army in India and the Far East during and after WWII, until 1947. Returning to Britain, he worked as a bookseller. His first book was a collection of short, humorous stories about life as a bookstore assistant, which originally appeared in the trade journal The Bookseller. After its publication, he quit his job and began to write full-time.
One of his short stories inspired the movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence; he also wrote novels and edited a number of science fiction anthologies. His sweeping Helliconia trilogy, about a planet where seasons last for a millenium, won multiple awards and is considered a classic of the SF genre. In his lifetime, Aldiss received a Nebula Award, two Hugos, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. In 2000, the SWFA named him a Grand Master, and he received an OBE in 2005.
Obituaries and tributes: The Guardian; Tor.com
Biography and Bibliography: Author website; Goodreads; Wikipedia
Worth Reading
Book & Movie Announcements
- Bad Wolf and Sky-1’s A Discovery of Witches will star Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer as vampire Matthew Clairmont and witch Diana Bishop. Author Deborah Harkness announced the casting of the two main characters on Tuesday, Aug. 22, on her website. Goode starred in the final season of Downton Abbey; he’s also known for The Imitation Game, Death Comes to Pemberly, Ordeal by Innocence, and 2008’s Brideshead Revisited. Palmer starred in Berlin Story and Warm Bodies, and appeared in Hacksaw Ridge and I Am Number 4. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Harkness talked about the long process of bringing the books to the screen. I am so excited for this!
Awesome Lists
Bookish Quote
That’s it for this week!
Rita @ Paging Through Books
Thanks for putting this feature up, better late than never! I enjoy reading it every week.
I enjoyed the link to the Guardian about Daniel Tammet. Interesting young man! My son has HF Asperger’s Syndrome and seizure disorder same as Tammet, but certainly not a savant 🙂 Enjoy your week…
Rita @ Paging Through Books recently posted…Weekly Book News- 8/27/17
Lark_Bookwyrm
I think HF Asperger’s is more common than people think, especially in girls and women, where it manifests a bit differently. From what you’ve said on your blog over the years, it sounds like your son is doing well. I wish him luck and success!
kimbacaffeinate
I absolutely cannot wait to see Discovery of Witches!
kimbacaffeinate recently posted…Dead Sky Morning by Karina Halle
Lark_Bookwyrm
I know, me too! I can hardly wait!
Carole @ Carole's Random Life in Books
What a great post! It is really crazy what happened with the author buying their way onto the bestseller list. I am very glad that someone was able to figure out what happened. I didn’t know about the Discover of Witches movie. I guess it is finally time to get that book read.
Carole @ Carole’s Random Life in Books recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday – White Trash Zombie Unchained
Lark_Bookwyrm
Reading the various articles about the YA book, it’s entirely possible the author didn’t know about it. I feel rather sorry for her, if she didn’t know. And yes, you should totally read A Discovery of Witches. 😉