He sure did!!! I had no idea how much til today! WOW! “I Am Legend” gives me nightmares. Here he is speaking about his writing career. https://youtu.be/GCdmnj5kJkY
He told me once -- referring to the 50s when he'd small kids and bills to pay -- "You don't get writer's block when you have kids to feed and a mortgage." I applaud such thinking.
It kills me how fast books fall out of print. Check out the following link for some background about the shorter lives of books and the quest for the mega bestseller.
Fingers crossed. I think it will. There will be no taxable standing inventory so the book can be kept in print indefinitely. The wrinkle comes when the publisher is no longer actively selling the book, merely holding the rights, and the author would like to resell those rights to a (typically) smaller house that will market the book to a fresh generation. To prepare for this I understand agents are now more likely to sell time-limited licenses to publishers. Once the time period ends, the rights revert to the author who can decide the next step.
I'd argue that it is. I shared a film agent with Anne Rice, and my agent told me she'd moved to self publishing. Granted, she already had a readership but she was still weighing the risk.
I understand that some are making a living writing romance/erotic fiction for highly specific fetishes. For example, mermen or time travellers. They write endless variations on a theme and accumulate many small revenue streams that add up to enough to make a living.
I read a while back that Amazon cracked down on some of the erotica because it was getting too much. I’ll see if I can find the article. I remember it mentioned a Big-Foot fetish. Lol
Not to break out the sacred-cow punch, but I've heard it said that many houses publish "low" commercial fiction to subsidize the advances of artists that create literary work—which tend to sell far less. Not sure if this is true, but from a business perspective seems to make some degree of fiscal sense.
I’d like to add Susan Orlean’s book, “The Orchid Thief” which lead to the film, “Adaptation.” I thought the whole universe containing the book, from 1998 to the film in 2008 was fascinating. I had begun my own orchid journey in Florida on the Gulf side as we snow birded to work our concession stands. When we were in the Everglades, I asked people that worked in the National Parks is the book/movie had raised more interest in orchid poaching. In fact, it HAD. They had to be more vigilant than ever patrolling for orchid thief’s. Not to mention—- the various dead bodies and half eaten ones they would have to pull out because people couldn’t navigate through the mangroves well and were often lost. The NP ranger I spoke to called them, “walking gator bait.”
I also really loved the film and the story within a story. I felt it was ground breaking in movie making/script writing.
Phenomenal screenwriter!! The films that came from them were truly outstanding. I love films that raise the bar and how to watch them. What a clever way to launch “The Orchid Thief.”
Marc Andreessen has touted Fight Club three times that I’ve seen recently as one of the key films defining our era. One tweet reads, “I'll confess, when I first saw FIGHT CLUB in 1999, I didn't get it at all. Boy, do I get it now. Look around.”
He names it first in a list of five or six “key films that define our era.”
I at least thought it was interesting coming from him.
Apparently the remake of ‘The Crow’ is gaining traction and Bill Skarasgard -- who played Pennywise in ‘IT’ (2017 & 2019) -- is slotted to play the Crow.
I don't know if they'd qualify for defining the 1990s, but two of my favorite books from the '90s are Cormac McCarthy's 'All the Pretty Horses' and Murakami's 'Wind-Up Bird Chronicles.' And 'Fight Club,' of course. ;)
And just for the record, I'm sick of reviewers insulting fans of a book. As if readers who relate to something about a book can all be lumped together in a homogeneous group. They only have one thing in common: an appreciation of literature. Who would I like to get in a fight with? A sanctimonious book reviewer. If for no other reason, I know I would win.
What Stephen King book depicted a floating, demonic Coca Cola vending machine that stalks and kills a book critic -- one who'd attacked King -- was it 'Tommyknockers'??
Good to see Generation X and American Psycho on the longer mentions list. Along with Fight Club, they were the focus of my dissertation, looking at trangression as amelioration. The only thing I’m proud of writing from my degree!
Whilst Generation X is probably more notable for that time, I do have far more affinity for Coupland’s Microserfs. I adored that.
Can't say much about what works defined 90s America.
On Fight Club, I couldn't disagree more with Getpocket that it's legacy hasn't been great. Although I could be dead wrong here.. I understood it as a satire on the kind of fascism, that appears at first, to be of good intention but, turns into silencing, cruelty and oppression. The book actually defines the world we're living in right now. Manosphere groups that started as self-help tools in 2013-14, since 2019 I think have turned into right wing cults ( Red Pill, Black Pill; That's what incels like to call themselves, MGTOW). and also how political correctenss turned out to be a silencing weapon. These two, are prime examples. Fight Club can be easily misunderstood in my view. The book was kind of prophetic.
I'd like to say, the movie There Will Be Blood also defines the spirit of my generation ( Born between 93-2004). Since opening our eyes we've been desensitized and fed so much media, more than any generation before. So many of us like Plainview, either willingly or in some automatic way, adopt a Plainview-esque guideline ( Greed, super ambition, insane drive, cunnery and always being watchful ) to maneuver the world. For what end? like Plainview, we want to earn enough money so we could get away from everyone. And lead some secluded monastic life towards our end.
Fiction! That book was science. Hard science.
No shit, but that was my mother's favorite book.
Oh my. (I read it at like 7 with my grandmother.)
Yeah I had to look back and saw the book, “Stir of Echoes” was written in the 50’s.
Richard Matheson wrote everything.
He sure did!!! I had no idea how much til today! WOW! “I Am Legend” gives me nightmares. Here he is speaking about his writing career. https://youtu.be/GCdmnj5kJkY
He told me once -- referring to the 50s when he'd small kids and bills to pay -- "You don't get writer's block when you have kids to feed and a mortgage." I applaud such thinking.
I was obsessed with “House of Leaves.”
How that went from a brain to well-received movie is just beyond me. Such a great piece of work.
It kills me how fast books fall out of print. Check out the following link for some background about the shorter lives of books and the quest for the mega bestseller.
https://www.sfwa.org/2005/01/05/how-thor-power-hammered-publishing/
Stay away from that book. It will never leave your head.
You guys are such a great resource. I am so damn ignirant of all these works.
Has print on demand helped this situation?
Fingers crossed. I think it will. There will be no taxable standing inventory so the book can be kept in print indefinitely. The wrinkle comes when the publisher is no longer actively selling the book, merely holding the rights, and the author would like to resell those rights to a (typically) smaller house that will market the book to a fresh generation. To prepare for this I understand agents are now more likely to sell time-limited licenses to publishers. Once the time period ends, the rights revert to the author who can decide the next step.
Is it possible to make a living self-publishing fiction?
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324678604578340752088305668
Thank you. That is a great article.
I'd argue that it is. I shared a film agent with Anne Rice, and my agent told me she'd moved to self publishing. Granted, she already had a readership but she was still weighing the risk.
I understand that some are making a living writing romance/erotic fiction for highly specific fetishes. For example, mermen or time travellers. They write endless variations on a theme and accumulate many small revenue streams that add up to enough to make a living.
I read a while back that Amazon cracked down on some of the erotica because it was getting too much. I’ll see if I can find the article. I remember it mentioned a Big-Foot fetish. Lol
Not to break out the sacred-cow punch, but I've heard it said that many houses publish "low" commercial fiction to subsidize the advances of artists that create literary work—which tend to sell far less. Not sure if this is true, but from a business perspective seems to make some degree of fiscal sense.
Geoff Ryman, "WAS" (1992). I've read this book more often than probably any other, and had to stop loaning it to people as I'd never get it back.
I’d like to add Susan Orlean’s book, “The Orchid Thief” which lead to the film, “Adaptation.” I thought the whole universe containing the book, from 1998 to the film in 2008 was fascinating. I had begun my own orchid journey in Florida on the Gulf side as we snow birded to work our concession stands. When we were in the Everglades, I asked people that worked in the National Parks is the book/movie had raised more interest in orchid poaching. In fact, it HAD. They had to be more vigilant than ever patrolling for orchid thief’s. Not to mention—- the various dead bodies and half eaten ones they would have to pull out because people couldn’t navigate through the mangroves well and were often lost. The NP ranger I spoke to called them, “walking gator bait.”
I also really loved the film and the story within a story. I felt it was ground breaking in movie making/script writing.
Phenomenal screenwriter!! The films that came from them were truly outstanding. I love films that raise the bar and how to watch them. What a clever way to launch “The Orchid Thief.”
Not yet! (Adds to the list)
I just read he did that purposely so it could never be made into a film! Lol.
Marc Andreessen has touted Fight Club three times that I’ve seen recently as one of the key films defining our era. One tweet reads, “I'll confess, when I first saw FIGHT CLUB in 1999, I didn't get it at all. Boy, do I get it now. Look around.”
He names it first in a list of five or six “key films that define our era.”
I at least thought it was interesting coming from him.
Books can take the big risks. They cost nothing to produce compared to films.
We better include comics! James O’ Barr’s, “The Crow.” I was an absolute hardcore fan— along with all the music. May I please have my 20’s back?!
All the soup! Can we start a shop that just sells the tops of muffins? 👩🏼🍳🥸
Apparently the remake of ‘The Crow’ is gaining traction and Bill Skarasgard -- who played Pennywise in ‘IT’ (2017 & 2019) -- is slotted to play the Crow.
Jurassic Park would be on that list for me.
I don't know if they'd qualify for defining the 1990s, but two of my favorite books from the '90s are Cormac McCarthy's 'All the Pretty Horses' and Murakami's 'Wind-Up Bird Chronicles.' And 'Fight Club,' of course. ;)
I'd agree with Murakami. "Wind-Up Bird Chronicles" blew my mind.
Amazing story about the Bowers film. Does anyone else remember Ishmael?
And just for the record, I'm sick of reviewers insulting fans of a book. As if readers who relate to something about a book can all be lumped together in a homogeneous group. They only have one thing in common: an appreciation of literature. Who would I like to get in a fight with? A sanctimonious book reviewer. If for no other reason, I know I would win.
What Stephen King book depicted a floating, demonic Coca Cola vending machine that stalks and kills a book critic -- one who'd attacked King -- was it 'Tommyknockers'??
Yes, Tommyknockers! But that's not the only time King used a sentient coke machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E7j79831v0
Verbatim
Good to see Generation X and American Psycho on the longer mentions list. Along with Fight Club, they were the focus of my dissertation, looking at trangression as amelioration. The only thing I’m proud of writing from my degree!
Whilst Generation X is probably more notable for that time, I do have far more affinity for Coupland’s Microserfs. I adored that.
Shampoo Planet for me.
Can't say much about what works defined 90s America.
On Fight Club, I couldn't disagree more with Getpocket that it's legacy hasn't been great. Although I could be dead wrong here.. I understood it as a satire on the kind of fascism, that appears at first, to be of good intention but, turns into silencing, cruelty and oppression. The book actually defines the world we're living in right now. Manosphere groups that started as self-help tools in 2013-14, since 2019 I think have turned into right wing cults ( Red Pill, Black Pill; That's what incels like to call themselves, MGTOW). and also how political correctenss turned out to be a silencing weapon. These two, are prime examples. Fight Club can be easily misunderstood in my view. The book was kind of prophetic.
I'd like to say, the movie There Will Be Blood also defines the spirit of my generation ( Born between 93-2004). Since opening our eyes we've been desensitized and fed so much media, more than any generation before. So many of us like Plainview, either willingly or in some automatic way, adopt a Plainview-esque guideline ( Greed, super ambition, insane drive, cunnery and always being watchful ) to maneuver the world. For what end? like Plainview, we want to earn enough money so we could get away from everyone. And lead some secluded monastic life towards our end.
White Oleander by Janet Fitch should be on that list.
Yup.