Erstellt am: 26. 3. 2012 - 11:55 Uhr
Today's Webtip: Flurb
I'm a bit frustrated.
I've been trying to buy books, and it's been a nasty experience. Aside from the insane eBook prices, regional barriers, licensing issues and poorly stocked brick and mortar stores, I have been running into one massive problem I can't find a way around.
The german language selection of decent teen literature is abhorrent. Complete and utter crap. Schulhof dramas, undead romances, and silly "thrillers". It's not even possible to branch out to adult classics from other cultures because the books have either never been translated, or the translations have been out of print for ages.
And woe is to the father who wants to help his kids discover the joys of science fiction. That market is totally stupid, with most bookstores unable to tell the difference between science fiction and fantasy. I will admit that it would be possible to spend the next couple of lifetimes reading nothing but the Perry Rhodan epos, but anyone looking for some golden age classics is very much out of luck.
And don't even think about trying to find any Vonnegut beyond Slaughterhouse 5.
Having asked more than a few store clerks and buyers for help with finding something I was always just a little bit stunned to realize that they didn't seem to understand the difference between fantasy and science fiction. After having one very eager store owner suggest a vampire story, a dragon story, a thriller featuring elves, and finally a book about a vampire detective; it occurred to me that someone somewhere was missing out on the importance of the word "science" in science fiction.
So I want to help a few people out with a taste of the goods. It's free, it's in english, and it's curated by Rudy Rucker, a man with some pretty heavy credentials. A cyberpunk, mathematician, computer scientist and philosopher who is also interested in helping aspiring young writers by publishing their works in a webzine.
And no, I have nothing against fantasy. Just don't call it science fiction.