YABookgate

[Rezza]

That WEBTOON thing had its origin in the East, especially East Asian like JP, KR, or CN demographics. They've also tried it on Southeast Asia, and as far as I know, it works well in that region also

 

[JJLiautaud]

Don't Make Me Think

I. Dagger 🗡 A man🙎🏻‍♂️—a boy👦—grows up in the exquisitely quantified🔢📊➡️ and gamified🎮➡️ world🌎, in the city🌆 of Cupertino, on the edge🗺🚪 of the Santa Clara Valley, in the shadow👤 of the Santa Cruz Mountains⛰. When he is eleven, his parents👪—an Ashkenazi✡️ technical💻📊 product🏭⚙️⬇️ manager🧮🤔🙍🏻‍♂️...

zerohplovecraft.substack.com

I know this isn't the place to post shit you've read, but rather than screaming into the void of what have you read recently thread, I'm posting this here because this is genuinely one of the greatest sf/horror stories I've read period, if there was any justice in the world it would win all the prizes and be feted for centuries to come, even the dumb emoji thing works. @Boston Brand I really hope you enjoy this one. Edit: seems to render best on your phone sorry.

 

[Three Gorillion Dollars]

Don't Make Me Think

I. Dagger 🗡 A man🙎🏻‍♂️—a boy👦—grows up in the exquisitely quantified🔢📊➡️ and gamified🎮➡️ world🌎, in the city🌆 of Cupertino, on the edge🗺🚪 of the Santa Clara Valley, in the shadow👤 of the Santa Cruz Mountains⛰. When he is eleven, his parents👪—an Ashkenazi✡️ technical💻📊 product🏭⚙️⬇️ manager🧮🤔🙍🏻‍♂️...

zerohplovecraft.substack.com

I know this isn't the place to post shit you've read, but rather than screaming into the void of what have you read recently thread, I'm posting this here because this is genuinely one of the greatest sf/horror stories I've read period, if there was any justice in the world it would win all the prizes and be feted for centuries to come, even the dumb emoji thing works. @Boston Brand I really hope you enjoy this one. Edit: seems to render best on your phone sorry.

This is very cool, thank you for posting it. I appreciated reading the author's notes at the end of it. Personally, I thought the story was a little overlong and it dragged in the middle, but the ideas and thoughts behind it were very compelling. The author draws a lot of very interesting links between a variety of topics. Solid read.

 

[JJLiautaud]

This is very cool, thank you for posting it. I appreciated reading the author's notes at the end of it. Personally, I thought the story was a little overlong and it dragged in the middle, but the ideas and thoughts behind it were very compelling. The author draws a lot of very interesting links between a variety of topics. Solid read.

The story is part of an unofficial trilogy From the authors twitter which is pretty good by the way:

My first big story, the Gig Economy, had the motif of money, and my second big story, God-Shaped Hole, had the motif of sex. This story completes the trilogy, thematically: its motif is power.

 

[2525ABC]

The story is part of an unofficial trilogy From the authors twitter which is pretty good by the way:

Really appreciate the link - I used to love love love sci-fi shorts, but I'd completely given up looking for new shit since the what if space but non-binary cottagecore trend took over.

Reminds me of old Neal Stevenson, touch of Maupassant for the twist.

 

[NoReturn]

Don't Make Me Think

I. Dagger 🗡 A man🙎🏻‍♂️—a boy👦—grows up in the exquisitely quantified🔢📊➡️ and gamified🎮➡️ world🌎, in the city🌆 of Cupertino, on the edge🗺🚪 of the Santa Clara Valley, in the shadow👤 of the Santa Cruz Mountains⛰. When he is eleven, his parents👪—an Ashkenazi✡️ technical💻📊 product🏭⚙️⬇️ manager🧮🤔🙍🏻‍♂️...

zerohplovecraft.substack.com

I know this isn't the place to post shit you've read, but rather than screaming into the void of what have you read recently thread, I'm posting this here because this is genuinely one of the greatest sf/horror stories I've read period, if there was any justice in the world it would win all the prizes and be feted for centuries to come, even the dumb emoji thing works. @Boston Brand I really hope you enjoy this one. Edit: seems to render best on your phone sorry.

Holy shit that was good.
Also

Spoiler: YEEESH quotes

• (1 in 4 boys are resistant🛡 to Neuralink -induced️ “cued bisexuality” vs. 1 in 50 girls. [French, 2029, The Conservative Case for State-Enforced Homosexuality.])
• In the mornings, he’s used to [...] simulating five impossible plates before breakfast–a bite of salmon tartare in crepes with miso bonito sauce, hickory-smoked octopus in tandoori masala marinade, bamboo-steamed arctic char in a mango hollandaise, and for dessert, poached pear with yuzu caramel and spiced🌶 oat cake (although of course it’s all “secretly” high fiber cricket loaf)–and all of this makes sitting through a whole bowl of noodles feel monotonous.
• Neurochemistry is the animism of the scientific age. Neurotransmitters are animal spirits that come and go in a dark forest. We no longer relax🕯; instead we “lower our cortisol.” Meditation and walks in nature are rituals designed🏛🗺 to placate these spirits.
• “The corporate man is a victim of malware from DMT entities that counsel powerful Bay Area and Hollywood️ creatives. Machine elves taught them how to transmute humans into Bitcoin️ miners⛏; sexless , industrious, agreeable, anxious, dreamless, like the entities themselves.”

Also this "(Pervert, B.A., 2018, Bronze Age Mindset, p. 334)" took me down a strange rabbithole.

 

[JJLiautaud]

Yeah i need to make a weird right thread does any one know of any other writers like this? All of his stories are horror of the completely comprehensible sort, the entire time im reading his stuff im praying for it to stop making sense.

 

[Three Gorillion Dollars]

Yeah i need to make a weird right thread does any one know of any other writers like this? All of his stories are horror of the completely comprehensible sort, the entire time im reading his stuff im praying for it to stop making sense.

Peter Watts, perhaps. Some elements of that story felt reminiscent of ideas in his Rifters novels (the induced guilt to prevent antisocial behaviors) and other works, such as Blindsight. Same kind of sci-fi horror, complete with citations and showing his working.

 

[Elwood P. Dowd]

Meanwhile, at the library...pretty sure these are ALL YA titles ofc.

 

[trekkor]

Meanwhile, at the library...pretty sure these are ALL YA titles ofc.

Naturally. I get far too much Booktok vids on my timeline and out of self-hatred, I watch them to see if they've started to read anything but YA, but no. That's too much to hope for. Even the 25+ people only seem to read YA. Maybe it's because I never had an YA phase (I wouldn't even say it's a big genre in my country), but I can't wrap my head around it.

I think the only good rec I got from Booktok was Tender is the Flesh, which I did love. But it's an actual adult dystopia with gross imagery and came out of the small side of BT that recs horror and thriller.

 

[Candlelight Desolation]

Naturally. I get far too much Booktok vids on my timeline and out of self-hatred, I watch them to see if they've started to read anything but YA, but no. That's too much to hope for. Even the 25+ people only seem to read YA. Maybe it's because I never had an YA phase (I wouldn't even say it's a big genre in my country), but I can't wrap my head around it.

I think the only good rec I got from Booktok was Tender is the Flesh, which I did love. But it's an actual adult dystopia with gross imagery and came out of the small side of BT that recs horror and thriller.

It's the same with what's known as "Booktube"; if you go to the Youtube search bar and put in "shelf tour", you'll find people with HUNDREDS of books, and it's all YA schlock.

 

[JJLiautaud]

I'm fine with shlock I read mostly shlock but even I'm embarrassed enough to have a few haute littérateurs on my shelf

 

[Boston Brand]

Meanwhile, at the library...pretty sure these are ALL YA titles ofc.
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You know why I can't emphasize enough that people exercise their local library system's "request a book you want us to order" forms as often as possible?

Because if you don't decide where library acquisition funds go, they will.

That's your tax money, why shouldn't you get a say how it's spent?

 

[Windows 10 Upgrade]

Meanwhile, at the library...pretty sure these are ALL YA titles ofc.
View attachment 3876255
View attachment 3876264

What is not surprising is that the authors in this motley list have all been involved in some kind of malfeasance.

(I won’t be able to edit this post but in the first instance:

IF I WAS YOUR GIRL by Meredith Russo - domestic and child abuser, marital rapist, but that only means cancellation for the straight whiteys. Mind you the wife walked directly into it)

 

[Elwood P. Dowd]

Short article on Booktok... The Bookseller / Archive

More than half of young readers credit BookTok with sparking passion for reading, PA finds

A poll conducted by the Publishers Association has found more than half of young readers credit BookTok, a subcommunity on the social media platform TikTok focused on books and literature, with helping them discover a passion for reading.

Of 2,001 16–25-year-olds surveyed by the organisation in October, 59% said that BookTok or book influencers had “helped them discover a passion for reading”, while more than half (55%) said they turn to BookTok for recommendations. Moreover, 68% said BookTok had inspired them to read a book that they would have never considered otherwise.

The research also saw 38% of young people say they turn to BookTok for recommendations ahead of family and friends, while nearly one in five (19%) reported that following the Booktok hashtag helped them find a community. Another 16% reported that they had made new friends through BookTok.

Dan Conway, chief executive of the Publishers Association, said: “It’s great to see that the BookTok phenomenon is igniting a love of reading for young people. Reading can be so beneficial to health and happiness and is a way for all ages to connect over common interests.”

Findings suggest a boost for bookshops, too, with nearly half (49%) of respondents visiting a physical bookshop to buy a book they have seen on BookTok. Book Bar, an independent bookshop and wine bar in London, is among a number of bookshops aiming to cater for this audience.

Due to trends driven by BookTok, the shop now stocks more contemporary books which cater to a broader demographic. Chrissy Ryan, the owner of Book Bar, said: “Launching in the pandemic was challenging but BookTok has been really helpful in driving customers into our store. More and more we are seeing young people come to the shop asking for books they discovered on TikTok.

“At Book Bar, we really want to facilitate those connections they’ve found online to create an authentic in person experience. We are increasingly looking to BookTok to help determine our stock and predict demand. It’s exciting to see that BookTok has helped make reading cool again.”

Conway added: “Publishers are fully embracing this trend and it is really interesting that this is a digital phenomenon which is being felt directly on the high street.”

Recently TikTok Shop UK opened a "books" section, partnering with a number of publishers and booksellers and enabling users to buy books directly from the platform for the first time. The Bookseller has launched a BookTok column, the first instalment of which can be read here.

Alas, the nascent "Booktok column" is behind a paywall, so those gems will remain forever forbidden to my profane eyes. How will I survive?

 

[ShinyStar]

Short article on Booktok... The Bookseller / Archive

More than half of young readers credit BookTok with sparking passion for reading, PA finds



Alas, the nascent "Booktok column" is behind a paywall, so those gems will remain forever forbidden to my profane eyes. How will I survive?

I wish they linked to the actual poll. I'd be interested in how they collected their information, who the pool of respondents are, what their sample size is, etc.

 

[JJLiautaud]

Hey publishers this:


shows up in your slush what do you do?
H/T: @Mr Moonface

 

[Kari Kamiya]

Hey publisher this:

View attachment 3959880
shows up in your slush what do you do?
H/T: @Mr Moonface

Is this a A Christmas Carol fanfic? Sounds pretty gnarly to read if you're not hammered.

 

[JJLiautaud]

Is this a A Christmas Carol fanfic? Sounds pretty gnarly to read if you're not hammered.

No its Fat Rick writing an "action packed" sequel to A Christmas Carol

 

[SamTheEagle]

Hey publishers this:

View attachment 3959880
shows up in your slush what do you do?
H/T: @Mr Moonface

I want Malcom McDowell to narrate the audiobook.