“Whee, kids! Look at all this bright shiny new New!”

[eldritchhobbit]

I have a few links to share:

* Farah Mendlesohn has a provocative article in the March/April 2009 issue of The Horn Book Magazine on science fiction for teens: "The Campaign for Shiny Futures." Some of her points seem to anticipate her forthcoming book The Inter-Galactic Playground: A Critical Study of Children's and Teens' Science Fiction as well as Noga Applebaum's forthcoming book Representations of Technology in Science Fiction for Young People.

* The contents of the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of the journal Mythlore are now listed here. This volume includes articles of particular interest to readers of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling; also, it contains my long review of K. Dale Koontz's recent book Faith and Choice in the Works of Joss Whedon.

* StarShipSofa has unabridged readings of all of the 2008 Nebula Award best short story nominees. Head on over to hear these stories:
-- "The Button Bin" by Mike Allen
-- "The Dreaming Wind" by Jeffrey Ford
-- "Trophy Wives" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
-- "26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss" by Kij Johnson
-- "The Tomb Wife" by Gwyneth Jones
-- "Don't Stop" by James Patrick Kelly
-- "Mars: A Traveler's Guide" by Ruth Nestvold

* For your amusement:
1) "Things I've Learned from British Folk Ballads"
2) "Everything I Need to Know I Learned from American Folk Songs"

* I'm a great fan of Tori Amos, and I have been since her first solo album in 1992; I consider the release date of each new album of hers to be something of a personal holiday. Her next release is due out next month, and I'm already quite taken with the first single:

Watch on YouTube

"As Perry Nodelman noted in an article in Science-Fiction Studies 12 (1985), instead of an attitude that basically said, “Whee, kids! Look at all this bright shiny new New!” young readers were taught that innovation, new technology platforms, genetic engineering, and birth control would all rot their minds, sap their human spirit, and turn them into soulless and uncaring vegetables. Consider M. T. Anderson’s Feed, a book that is beautifully written and offers a brilliantly visualized future but clearly regrets the day we all stopped learning The Odyssey by heart and began writing things down, where they could be looked up by the ignorant."
- Farah Mendlesohn, "The Campaign for Shiny Futures"

Comments

[keerawa.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks for the Mendlesohn link! As an adult example of “the reading child” (from whose hands you have to remove the book so that they can eat) and also a child who regarded every other child in the school as an alien, I am intrigued by her ideas and wish to susbribe to her newsletter.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad it was of interest to you! I'm very much looking forward to her new book on the subject (as I, like you, was one of those reading children).

[greenhoodloxley.livejournal.com]

Hee, the British Folk Ballads/American Folk Song lists are hilarious.

Tori's new album looks like it's going to be great!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I loved those lists!

I can't wait for Tori's new album. It does look like it will be terrific, doesn't it? I'm ready to learn about her next tour, too, for that matter. Yay!

[estellye.livejournal.com]

Interesting essay - thanks for the link!

Yay for Tori! :)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

My pleasure! I'm glad it was of interest. I'm looking forward to Mendlesohn's book, which should be out later this week, I think.

And yay indeed!

[peadarog.livejournal.com]

Agree with those above. The Farah Mendlesohn article was really interesting.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you thought so, too. I'm looking forward to her book on the subject.

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

I had to track Tori down via YouTube and a different clip because of the whole 'British ban' on certain things. But I'm really glad I did. She has a lovely voice - thank you for mentioning her.

*Toddles off to Amazon*

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you were able to find a different clip of her. She's really remarkable, and I hope you enjoy listening to her.

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I shall - thank you again for the recommendation.

[sittingduck1313.livejournal.com]

Not actually related to this post, but Have you ever done this at Seaworld (or any other aquarium)? If so did any companions with you pretend you were a stranger?

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

ROFLOL! That is a hoot. Alas, the last time I was at Seaworld I was only a wee child, and I'd not yet emerged into my full eldritchness. This does give me wicked ideas, though. ;)

[emerdavid.livejournal.com]

Oh, I do like that Mendlesohn quote. I just might have to track down that Horn Book issue, as well as the books you referenced.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Fascinating stuff, I think. I'm quite anxious for both of those books to come out. (According to Barnes & Noble, Mendlesohn's book will debut later this week.) I'm glad it's of interest to you, too!

[abbie (from livejournal.com)]

Oh, Dr. Sturgis. I remember one time in class your cell phone rang, and you stopped and said, "Yes, I have Tori Amos as my ringtone. Get over it."

:-D

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, that does sound like something I would say. *blushes*

I still use that ringtone, by the way. Ha!

[abbie (from livejournal.com)]

The funny/adorable part was that your comment was totally unsolicited. I think we were so in shock that your phone was ringing that we didn't have time to notice the ringtone, let alone judge you for it. :)