Devil's Advocate

I have this idea that I'm not sure I agree with, but I'm going to talk about it anyway, because that's just how I roll, y'all.

Ahem.

People are getting knickers twisted because of the current slew of YA books that mention brand names. You know, the seven squillion Gossip Girl* clones out there. Where all the kiddies are wearing Burberry and Manolos and whatever else is fashionable right now. And now companies are paying publishers for in-book product placement. So poor Katie H Protagonist is now slapping on Maybelline WetShine Diamonds in Raunchy Red.

And the knicker twisted ones (whose side I am almost completely on, btw) are saying: "how TERRIBLE that companies are using BOOKS to peddle their wares! BOOKS the LAST TRUE BASTION OF CULTURE etc etc.

So my devil's advocate position is this:

Companies are going to advertise their products to teenagers no matter what we do, or say. Nothing will stop that. So wouldn't you rather a Young Person was getting a healthy dose of Reading along with their advertising? Instead of just on a TV commercial or billboard somewhere?

I suppose it depends on what the choice is. If the choice is: Books With Product Placement or Books Without Product Placement, I choose the latter. But if the choice is Advertising With Character Development And Narrative or Advertising On Irritating TV Commercials, I'll take my ads in books.

Does that make sense?

I also wouldn't want it to go too far the other way. In my latest book, I mention Two Minute Noodles, Mars Bars, MySpace, Google and Care Bears. The story wouldn't have felt as real if I'd not been able to use those things. Nothing pulls a reader out of a narrative like the mention of Three Minute Rice, Jupiter Bars, MyArea, Croogle and Solicitude Bears. Of course Google and the Care Bears didn't pay me anything to mention their products. So I suppose that's different.

But still.

You see what I'm saying?

I still haven't convinced myself. But I'm getting there.
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*Speaking of Gossip Girl, have you seen the racy new promos? SOLID GOLD.

Harry Potter and the Fanfiction of Better

So it's a year since Harry Potter mania peaked and then disappeared. We all got over it. We read the epilogue and said "ORLY, JK? Albus Severus? For cereal?". And now a year on most of us look back on those years with a slight nostalgic confusion - what were we thinking?

Except for me. (and Hank).

I am more obsessed with Harry Potter than I ever was when HP mania was around. I'm sure you all remember my snarky comments about plotholes and adverbs. I read the books, I enjoyed the books, then I enjoyed criticising the books. It was my Thing.

So what's the deal?

The deal, my friends, is Sarah Rees Brennan.

She's a YA author. She has a book of her very own. I haven't read it yet, but I'm sure it's excellent.

She also writes Harry Potter fanfic.

And it's AMAZING.

It is a hundred squillion times better than anything JK ever wrote. She understands the characters better than JK does. And she certainly understands romance better than JK does.

Anyway. The end of the most recent chapter made me squee like a fangirl. I WANT MORE.

(here's chapter one, for the interested)

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

I devoured this book over two days.

It's scary.

Really scary.

Scary in the way that 1984 is but times a million, because 1984 is about a future that never happened, but Little Brother is about right now.

Basically, it's about what happens after a terrorist attack in San Francisco. Marcus, a relatively normal 17 year old with a penchant for minor hackery, gets arrested by the Department of Homeland Security for being found near the attack site without a good excuse. He is taken to a secret offshore prison, tortured, and then forced to sign a document stating that he was held voluntarily.

Outside, the DHS is taking over. Civil liberties are being stripped from citizens who happily allow it because it's making them safer. A general air of terror and paranoia lies over everything. And Marcus can't help wondering - who are the real terrorists, here?

It's an extraordinary novel that every teenager should read. Every adult should read it too, but it's young people who really need to read it. I think it'll really speak to the new generation of technology and news-savvy kids who are growing up in a world where fear and secrecy are considered to be the same thing as security*.

The world is a scary place, and it's easy to believe that there's nothing you can do - especially if you belong to one of the most politically disenfranchised groups of people in the world - young people. Hopefully Little Brother will encourage them to take a little turf back.

You can buy the book here, or download the whole thing for free in just about any format you can imagine here. 

___________________________

*Plus, there's sex!

Words

A while ago, Justine blogged about words she can never remember the name of. Talking about it with some friends, we discovered that nobody knows what 'erstwhile' means. Nobody. I certainly didn't. Some of the suggestions were:

-absent
-distinguished
-naughty
-roving

All wrong. Read the definition here.

B also pointed out that nobody knows what 'palaver' means. I thought it meant 'hubbub' or 'fuss'. It doesn't.

I remember getting all confused about 'caucasian' as a kid. I thought it meant 'asian'. It has 'asian' in it!

English. Wacky. Discuss.

The Bookshelf of Shame

I've been re-reading a lot of Diana Wynne Jones lately. She was an author I adored as a child/teen, and I still adore her today. In fact I think I adore her more, as her books seem to get better every time I read them and unpick another thread. I read Fire and Hemlock once a year, and every time I discover something new.

But it's been making me think of some of the other books I devoured and worshipped as a child. And I must say my reading choices were not always as inspired. Here's my top three books on Lili's Adolescent Bookshelf of Shame:

1. The Clan of the Cave Bear (and sequels)

Yeah, you can say that you're reading it for the Realistic Prehistorical Blah Blah, but let's face it. We read it for the sex. For the throbbing members and Pleasures (particularly in later volumes) and the rest of the rather limber and creative lovemaking that those wacky cavemen got up to. Also, are we really supposed to believe that one girl invented the needle, the spear-thrower, the bra, firestarters, surgical stitches, domestication of animals (including horseback riding), and was the first person to figure out that sex = babies? For serious?

2. The Mists of Avalon

This came in the very deepest part of my crushed velvet, crystals, Loreena McKennit-loving phase. I loved it. Celtic jiggery-whatsit. Strong feminist themes. Mythology. Except, on revisiting it as an adult, I realised that the so-called Strong Women are in fact, weak, indecisive, antagonistic, manipulated and manipulative, and all seemed to be completely obsessed with Lancelot, whose barely-sketched character was just the wet, empty husk of an underwear model. (although, Arthur/Lancelot/Gwenhwyfar threesome? hot.)

3. Everything by David Eddings

This was my real obsession. I read those books over and over. I eagerly awaited the next one, and shelled out all my hard-earned pocket money for a shiny hardcover big enough to beat someone to death with. Oh, Garion. A pig-keeper with a secret destiny. A fiery-tempered redheaded princess. I WONDER IF THEY WILL GET MARRIED. Meh. And don't get me started on the racism. OH the racism. The western world is ruled by a tiny tiny island up in the top left hand corner of the map where it rains a lot. My, how very much the Chereks are like Vikings. What nice, loyal people they all are. Like those nice French Mimbrates, so noble.

But wait! What happens when we move further east? Snake-worshipping poison-loving jungle-dwelling eunuchs, that's what.

Oh-ho, and now what? Further east? Self scarification? Worshipping evil gods? Ritual sacrifice? We'd better KILL THEM ALL gently encourage them to become more like us! Because we're better! Hurrah!

What about you? What once-loved books now make you cringe?

I dare you not to smile

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

NOT CLEAR

Isn't it nice the way International Telecommunications Corporations make you feel loved?

I got a letter in the mail from Optus yesterday. It says, in very big letters:

We're making your bill a little clearer

Oh good! Thinks me. How nice!

Then I read the rest.

This is how Optus are making my bill clearer:

1. My 8-digit customer account number is now 14-digits.
   
2. The heading "Usage Summary" is now the "Service Level Summary".
   
3. The heading "Plan Options" is now "Discounts".
   
4. All the BPAY codes have changed.
   

This is all.

NOT CLEAR.

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

How awesome is English!?

The above is a grammatically correct sentence, using three meanings of the word 'buffalo': the bison, the place, and the verb, which means 'to bully'.

So, it means: the buffalo from Buffalo who are bullied by other buffalo from Buffalo, also bully buffalo from Buffalo.

Getit? No? Here's the Wikipedia article, which also provides a link to the article on "James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher".