Book Club: Who Next?

Well that Cory interview went great, who should be next? It would be really cool if we could get Kurt Vonnegut in here, but I doubt that's going to happen. Whoever can get Ray Bradbury to use a computer, let alone play with it should win a Nobel Peace Prize.

How about Chuck Palahniuk of Fight Club fame

Hmm, I've never read any Palahniuk, so I wouldn't have
an informed opinion there. If we did a book club with him,
though, it'd be interesting to see what kind of folks pile
in, with a trial account. I've read that his appearances at
book stores generate an... interesting audience. Like,
guys dressed as waiters throwing dinner rolls at everyone,
or showing up with real bruises, to proudly tell Chuck about
the actual fight club they started. And that's IRL!

In any case, the Lindens and myself are already sending
out feelers to 5 writers, four of them recommended by
you folks in the other topic, and one I through in as a
personal favorite: Don DeLillo, author of *White Noise*
and *Underworld*, among other classics. (A stretch,
I know, but what the heck.) I'm half-tempted to try
for Thomas Pynchon, because after all, he could do it
from the privacy of his home and not actually have to
meet me or anyone else.

Oh my god, I'm going to agree with Eggy


I'm a huge Palahniuk fan (just got done with Diary a few weeks ago). I think he would be very responsive to giving this type of format a try.

-Bone

Okay - it's been years since I read any of his books, but Piers Anthony just seems like an obvious possibility, given his whole Comp Pewter thing.

Bhodi

Of course the So Obvious As To Be Painful suggestion is Mr. Gibson.

I think an hour interview/talk with Bruce Sterling would be more mind-blowing and meme-dense than even Cory Doctrow's

Elsewise, what about Neal Stephenson? He's on a book tour right now, but who knows.

Just in terms of authors I would really like to hear, who are not at all future-y or SL-ey, Neil Gaiman, Micheal Chambon, Terry Pratchett, Jonathan Franzen, um, I'm away from by bookshelves right now...

I know it's not sci fi (but I don't think it should be exclusively sci fi anyways), but Michael Moore just released his latest book 'Hey dude, wheres my country?'.

He's kooky enough to convince to log on I think - he pretty much embraces new technology.


Siggy.

Haha, I love "Dude, Where's my Country?"

Oh, wow, I can see the protest now! LOL

Yes, yes! "Dude, Where's My Country" is brilliant and I vote that anything be done that can be to get MM to be the next guest!

Don DeLillo?!? Thomas Pynchon?!? Now you're talking! I sure hope Richard Powers is on the "feelers" list.

I agree Kanker, now we're talking! If Don DeLillo popped onto Second Life for an interview, I might pass out from excitement. "White Noise" is one of the most brilliant novels I've ever read, bar none, hands down. "Libra" is pretty good too .

If you could get Thomas Pynchon that would be a coup above and beyond all literary coups I can think of in the last, oh, thirty years or so. I would have to beg permission to write a story about it for the AWP Chronicle.

Yes! Yes! *bounces around like a little girl*

Zana

I've been lugging around the new Stephenson book for the past week; would love to see him in SL. And his press agent might actually like the idea of adding "...and one virtual world" to his tour agenda.

If we're building a wishlist, I'd nominate China Mieville (amazing, bizarre steampunk/fantasy novels) and Robert J. Sawyer (just won the Hugo Award), in addition to the very fine list we're building here.

Oh, and Sir Arthur C. Clarke, though I don't know how spry he is these days.

-Jay

Is Ray Bradbury still alive?

I just read his book, Fherinheit 451 a second time, and love it. He practically predicted the future in that novel... bigger flatter TV's, headphones, mag-lev trains, 4-lane highways... the works.

One thing he didnt get though: Computers.

Personally, I'd like to see an interview of Mr. Bradbury in SL

F*** Yes! I think and I bet Sawyer would do it too, as he's a (self-confesed) insatiable publicity whore. (and also a really nice guy, I've fan-emailed him a couple of times and he sent back prompt thoughful replies)

Please, not Robert Sawyer. He's a nice guy, but a poor writer. His recent novel is widely considered one of the worst to ever win the Hugo Award.

Please no Robert J. Sawyer - only one I've liked was Far-Seer and that was only good, not great.
No Gibson either please.

How about Sheri S. Tepper, L.E. Modesitt, Jr., or one of the many others who are out there writing?

How about Margaret Atwood for "Oryx and Crake"? It's a rather grim look at the future but I love some of the computer games she describes in the book, Blood and Roses, Barbarian Stomp, Kwiktime Osama.

Heh, that sounds cool!

These are worthwhile suggestions, keep 'em coming. (Though I would myself hesitate on Michael Moore, or other non-fiction authors. Anyway, if we do go the non-fiction route, I'd lean much more on books directly pertinent to SL as a medium, like Janet Murray and her *Hamlet on the Holodeck*.)

In any case, I'm happy to say we're firming up another author announcement, which should be imminent!

Just announced the next book club author:

http://secondlife.com/notes/

Atwood is actually a non-obvious choice but I think that would make it more interesting.

Why is she a non-obvious choice? She's not exactly a techno-phobe but does write out the first draft of her novels longhand because she says that it's "more in tune with the pace of thought." And even though many people classify Oryx and Crake as science fiction, I believe she disputes that -- perhaps because she doesn't want her "regular" fans mistaking her new novel for a space opera or something.

But I think she'd be interesting precisely because she's not someone immersed in the worlds of computing and gaming, and so might be able to offer some kind of fresh perspective.

I for one would definitely like to know what the author of The Handmaid's Tale and The Robber Bride thinks of a virtual world where 80% of the citizens are men, but at least half the avatars are statuesque women (or so it seems!).

Indeed she does, calling her work "speculative fiction," and explaining the difference this way:

"Science fiction has monsters and spaceships; speculative fiction could really happen." (Guardian interview, 26 April)

"[Science fiction is] talking squids in outer space." (BBC1 Breakfast News)

People who call their work speculative fiction are just too ashamed to call it what it is -- sci fi

Well, it's definitely a reason why Atwood irks all the sci-fi writers I know: it seems like she doesn't read much science fiction, when she says things like that. There are monsters and spaceships in the works of, say, William Gibson, Philip K. Dick, and Ursula K. Leguin, but it'd be foolish in the extreme to dismiss their writing as *just* about monsters and spaceships.

So true!
I am a big reader/collector (4500+ SF & F books) and there is so much 'speculative' fiction out there. Working in libraries has made me realize that the speculative label is so that the book gets a broader audience. Many people won't read books if they are clearly labelled scifi or fantasy.
But those problems also apply to young adult and adult SFF. Many people assume that SFF is for kids and young teens because its about 'monsters, fairies, spaceships, and aliens' - they forget that though those may be in the book, it is the content they need to worry about.

oops, i'm blathering!
back to mindless working.....