The Grand Illusion
During my recent stints on airplanes over Christmas, I actually did get in some reading, not all of it science fiction and fantasy. In some ways, the most interesting book I read was Dark Genius of Wall Street, The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould, King of the Robber Barons, by Edward J. Renehan, Jr. This is not a book I’d recommend to most people. It’s filled with the details of 19th century financial manipulations and complex transactions, but it provides great insight into the men and institutions who, in many ways, shaped the framework of today’s world. Gould was generally regarded as a scheming and unprincipled scoundrel. The details shared by Renehan suggest that he was no more a scoundrel, and perhaps no less, and actually more principled than at least some of his contemporaries, not that such is necessarily an accolade, given the times, compared to other tycoons who are revered today. One fact I found most intriguing was that Gould was not only a philanthropist, but that the vast majority of his philanthropy was accomplished during his lifetime… and that one of the conditions was that his name and gifts never be revealed publicly, possibly because his largess would have undermined his reputation as a cold-hearted, scheming bastard. From the book, he was “only” a calculating, driven, schemer who fought a frail constitution and ill-health most of his comparatively short life.
Other books I read worth my mentioning were The First Fifteen Lives of Harry North by Claire North, Impersonations: A Story of the Praxis, by Walter Jon Williams, and The Fold by Peter Clines.
Long ago, you said that readers should give new authors a chance, rather than patronizing only the most popular established authors, such as the two you specifically named: Nora Roberts and James Patterson.
I’ve been taking your advice recently. There are over 37 books on my Amazon wishlist by popular established fantasy authors, that I have not bought and don’t expect to buy in the near future. Those books will remain un-bought (by me) until their prices are more reasonable.
No, I won’t pay $16.99 for a Kindle edition of a fantasy novel, not even if it is Brandon Sanderson’s forthcoming major novel. I’d wanted to buy it… until I saw the price, which was a deal-breaker for Oathbreaker.
Maybe in a few years, that book will be more moderately priced. I’ll buy it then. There’s plenty to read in the meantime. And with all the new and skillful indie authors with books ranging from FREE to $4.99, there’s also plenty of new books to buy.
Books do take quite alot of effort to make, even the ones that end up being skillful or not. Presumptions of mine aside, would you not believe that even the work that appeared slapshod and inexpensive be worth nothing, even if the experiences managed to help push away some of that daily humdrum?
I say, we are overestimating the effect of these stories big or small on our lives. The price is of no relation to the story provided we as individuals find what within it resonates in us on a personal level. To not take our hobby seriously, why we would just be doing it to look like studious know-it-alls!
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry “August” <- just sayin'