tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post483394428123466699..comments2023-09-12T06:18:38.552-04:00Comments on The World in the Satin Bag: "Best Of" Lists: A Game of Gap-ology?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13571452656553970472noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-49001109864790578052013-01-08T10:50:38.327-05:002013-01-08T10:50:38.327-05:00Jonathan: I think we understand what the lists ar...Jonathan: I think we understand what the lists are telling us about a certain community and one's membership. I just don't think we're particularly happy with those aesthetic standards. That's my position. It's narrow in vision and unfortunately repetitive and dull. Some of those books are wonderful, but that there is no variety concerns me, and rightly so. As a writer and reader of the genre, I've found myself increasingly annoyed with the repetitive, almost nostalgic world we've created for ourselves.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13571452656553970472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-54749863184636074212013-01-08T04:35:25.464-05:002013-01-08T04:35:25.464-05:00I think you're both overlooking the fact that ...I think you're both overlooking the fact that aside from being genuine expressions of opinion, these lists are also forms of social signalling.<br /><br />For example, if you're an epic fantasy blogger and your list consists of nothing but PR novels then chances are that your readership will be confused.<br /><br />Pointing to certain works as 'books of the year' is a sort of social shibboleth, a means of making it clear that you belong to a community that considers certain types of books to be the aesthetic standard.Jonathan Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12664070458542872255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-39907166420412019472013-01-02T23:51:54.888-05:002013-01-02T23:51:54.888-05:00I noticed the cultural/racial/gender gaps too, but...I noticed the cultural/racial/gender gaps too, but was in too much of a hurry to get that post finished that I didn't mention it. I don't think I'll release a Best Of list this year, in part because most of what I read was not published in 2012. If I did, it would automatically include a fairly varied punch, simply because I read rather widely.<br /><br />But such is life, I guess. I get older, grow more pretentious, and my genre love stays the same age.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13571452656553970472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-68593928639071581502013-01-02T19:42:00.488-05:002013-01-02T19:42:00.488-05:00The lack of reading breadth is one of several I no...The lack of reading breadth is one of several I noticed. Since I didn't want to "spoil" the exercise on my blog, here are a few others:<br /><br />Note who the authors of those pieces are and compare that to which writers are selected. I was thinking also along lines of gender, race, and culture/nationality. Also I was struck by what I <i>wasn't</i> able to find readily from sources with which I'm somewhat familiar. That makes me curious to see what my "blind spots" are.Larry Nolenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16001420558511460998noreply@blogger.com