Le Guin at National Book Awards

[meeera]

I don't avoid buying from people I disagree with on some point; as SteveEisenberg says, that would mean buying from no-one. I do try to avoid funding someone who is pumping big dollars into anti-human-rights political action. But to say more we'd have to go to P&R, where we've done this pretty much to death already.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Plenty of anecdotal reports to be found.
Like this one:

http://www.thepassivevoice.com/11/20...comment-269132

Problem is, none of the incidents involve Amazon at all because they are just a retailer.

Your link amounts to a negative book review that never gets around to naming the book! Or the publisher.

For all we know, the book in question was released by Amazon Publishing (the Amazon publishing arm which pays advances).

There's always a danger that heavy editing will make a book worse. But the idea that this commonly happens is an extraordinary claim for which there needs to be evidence. The most convincing form of evidence might be actual examples of authors whose books became better when they stopped being structurally edited.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Your link amounts to a negative book review that never gets around to naming the book! Or the publisher.

For all we know, the book in question was released by Amazon Publishing (the Amazon publishing arm which pays advances).

There's always a danger that heavy editing will make a book worse. But the idea that this commonly happens is an extraordinary claim for which there needs to be evidence. The most convincing form of evidence might be actual examples of authors whose books became better when they stopped being structurally edited.

So you assume it could be Amazon because Amazon is a publisher that has a history of turning books into movies? Remember...this was a publisher that has a history of publishing books and turning them into movies. Which books have Amazon turned into movies?

Shari

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The best way to get back at her for this atrocity is to not buy her books.

Well, since the only writings of hers I even remotely liked were the first three Earthsea books that's already a given.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Phogg

Well, since the only writings of hers I even remotely liked were the first three Earthsea books that's already a given.

I find all of her books to be not read worthy. And being part of the author's for Hatchette doesn't help either.

[Nabeel]

The 'Dispossessed' is a wonderful book: part commentary on the utopian tradition, part science-fiction exploration, part philosophical treatise.

Her recent stuff has got a bit more repetitive, but she is now in her 80s. You can't be brilliant all the time!

[murg]

Originally Posted by shalym

So you assume it could be Amazon because Amazon is a publisher that has a history of turning books into movies? Remember...this was a publisher that has a history of publishing books and turning them into movies. Which books have Amazon turned into movies?

Shari

It was just another in a long line of anti-Amazon diatribes.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by murg

She may be talking about the agents. There was a recent post on either here or The Digital Reader about the agents only being interesting in the genres that are currently selling.

I don't see Amazon trying to tell authors what to write, they only seem interested in the pricing, being that they are pretty much happy to sell anything.

Then again, maybe she's talking about the publishers...

When it comes to content, she may be referring to publishers. I read something about her and her agent years ago and it was interesting in that her agent supposedly never pushed her to write particular books (finish series) whereas the publishers wanted this or that and fumed if they didn't get it. She has a very diverse list and if I recall correctly, her agent was happy to let her write whatever she wanted and then sell it.

Some agents will only look at "the next in a series' and many agents do tell the writers "I'd like to see this genre." Some will not even send out books that they don't think will sell. I think the last is a terrible disservice. There must be some publisher somewhere that an agent can send it to. And I'm not talking about "won't send out because it's garbage" I'm talking about, "No one I know is looking for this right now and I don't want to damage my networking by taking a chance."

This happens more than people realize and is one of the prime reasons authors finally go indie. I've spoken with two midlist authors recently -- both had this sort of thing happen.

Of course she is probably taking a dig at Amazon because that's recently been in the news. But if she really believes that then why doesn't she just sell from her blog/website? Her name is known so she could do the marketing and make the sales. When someone talks about "sitting and taking it" well, I always want to know about the supposed alternatives and when that person plans to use those alternatives. She could try it and see if it works. If she isn't happy with the publishers, she could go indie.

There are alternatives today. So go ahead. Jump.

[WillAdams]

Isn't remaindering for books a function of a change in the tax laws?

AIUI, time was that one could defer any payment of tax on unsold inventory until such time as the item was sold --- this was changed in the late 70s or early 80s requiring taxing of the inventory each year.

I distinctly remember a news article about Librarian associations picketing Congress over this --- any accountants care to weigh in w/ facts?

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

There are alternatives today. So go ahead. Jump.

Apparently, it's much more satisfying to bellyache about change than it is to actually come up with a plan to deal with it.

Grumpy Nostalgic Cultural Reactionary seems to be quite in vogue among those who've already made a bit of a name for themselves. Amusing; since they're the ones who are best positioned to roll with the changes in the first place.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Nabeel

The 'Dispossessed' is a wonderful book: part commentary on the utopian tradition, part science-fiction exploration, part philosophical treatise.

Her recent stuff has got a bit more repetitive, but she is now in her 80s. You can't be brilliant all the time!

I just looked that book up and it's #5 in the series Hainish. Do you need to read the first four before reading The 'Dispossessed'?

[RHWright]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I just looked that book up and it's #5 in the series Hainish. Do you need to read the first four before reading The 'Dispossessed'?

IMO, no. LeGuin's "series" seem to be more loosely constructed than what is typically considered a series in F&SF.

Even in her most series-y of series, the Earthsea books, each book pretty much stands alone and can be read separately.

They explore various facets of the same universe, sometimes with common characters, sometimes not.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I just looked that book up and it's #5 in the series Hainish. Do you need to read the first four before reading The 'Dispossessed'?

I agree with the previous poster. I've not read that series, but I find her stuff accessible simply because it isn't all that connected. I can pick and choose what I want to sample (and by that I mean read a book in a series) without having to read the entire series. It's one of the things I like about her although I've only read a couple of her books.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by RHWright

IMO, no. LeGuin's "series" seem to be more loosely constructed than what is typically considered a series in F&SF.

Even in her most series-y of series, the Earthsea books, each book pretty much stands alone and can be read separately.

They explore various facets of the same universe, sometimes with common characters, sometimes not.

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

I agree with the previous poster. I've not read that series, but I find her stuff accessible simply because it isn't all that connected. I can pick and choose what I want to sample (and by that I mean read a book in a series) without having to read the entire series. It's one of the things I like about her although I've only read a couple of her books.

Thanks to both of you. I just put a hold on it at the FLOP, but they have it as book 1 of the series.

[Nabeel]

The previous two posts are right: the Hainish series might address common problems and dilemmas, but they don't progress from one to two to three...

There was an interview with Le Guin in this weekend's Guardian:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/201...al-book-awards