No, I’m not talking about Harry Potter books– there won’t be any more of those for a while, at least until J. K. Rowling decides she really needs to buy Bolivia. I’m talking about “Harry Potter” the cultural phenomenon– the inescapable, endlessly hyped mass-culture Event that everybody talks about and obsesses over. The question is… Continue reading What’s the Next “Harry Potter”?
Category: Pop Culture
Heresy and Humiliation
John Scalzi makes a startling admission: I’ve never read a Harry Potter book. In the same post, he also links to an old piece expressing the heretical opinion that the Lord of the Rings movies are better than the books. He’s got reasons for both of those, and you can go read them, but what… Continue reading Heresy and Humiliation
Thoughts on Clarke’s Laws
Speaking of dubious and oft-cited “Laws”, I’ve run into a number of citations of “Clarke’s Laws” recently. Of course, these were apparently subliminal mentions, because I can’t seem to locate any of them again, but it put the subject in my mind, which is partly why I was primed to be annoyed by the subject… Continue reading Thoughts on Clarke’s Laws
Harry Potter and the Total Loss of Perspective
Everybody is all abuzz about Harry Potter these days, what with the release of the final book coming this weekend. Scott McLemee takes up the really important question, though: what do professional academics think about everybody’s favorite boy wizard? In the years since the author introduced her characters to the public, they have become beloved… Continue reading Harry Potter and the Total Loss of Perspective
My Hugo Ballot
Having finished all of the fiction nominees, I’m now basically ready to submit my votes for the Hugos. Though it occurs to me that I’ve actually seen two of the five movies up for “Best Dramatic Presentation,” so I might Netflix the others, and check off yet another category. At any rate, I’m sure you’re… Continue reading My Hugo Ballot
Remake Poll 1: TV to Film
Pete Vonder Haar at Blog 9 from Outer Space is not enthusiastic about a Sex and the City movie. Neither am I, really, and this wouldn’t rate a post except for a passing mention: At any rate, I’m sure a movie about a quartet of promiscuous 40- and 50-somethings will be much better than that… Continue reading Remake Poll 1: TV to Film
Olive Earth
I know, it’s “Live Earth,” but they’ve got this giant blue-green circle at the left of their logo, which makes it look like an illuminated initial capital… So, the latest charity rock specatcle is scheduled to start tonight. I can’t say I’ve been paying any attention– I only noticed it today because the New York… Continue reading Olive Earth
You Gripe About What You Know
Via PZ, a blog on biology and science fiction is griping that biology gets no respect, and links to a Jack Cohen article complaining that authors and filmmakers don’t take biology seriously I was particularly struck by this bit: Authors, film producers and directors, special-effects teams go to physicists, especially astrophysicists, to check that their… Continue reading You Gripe About What You Know
Charles Stross, Glasshouse [Library of Babel]
My intention of reading all of the nominees for the Hugo Awards in the fiction categories hit a bit of a snag yesterday. I finished all the short fiction (novella, novelette, short story), and most of the novels, leaving only Peter Watts’s Blindisght and Charlie Stross’s Glasshouse. James Nicoll described Peter Watts as the sort… Continue reading Charles Stross, Glasshouse [Library of Babel]
Hugo Nominees: Best Novella
I’ve never really understood the distinction between “Novellas” and “Novelettes”– I know it’s a length thing, but I don’t have a good feel for where the dividing line is, and I can never remember which is longer. And, as far as I can tell, the only place this ever comes up is in SF awards.… Continue reading Hugo Nominees: Best Novella