Skip to main content

Random Articles - RAW 160702

By

The Calvin and Hobbes comic strip has always been a favourite of mine, it is at the top of the list with The Far Side and Dilbert coming close behind.  It was only after I read the article below about Calvin and Hobbes that I realised 'Yes, this is why I like it so much'.  Enjoy reading this weekend along with your favourite beverage :)




What Makes Calvin and Hobbes So Special?


Calvin and Hobbes should be everyone’s favorite comic strip. But what makes it so special? Kaptain Kristian dives in to explain why the strip is so good. The argument centers around the idea that Calvin and Hobbes puts art before commerce, as all art should. Read more...


Why Do Teens Prefer Printed Books To E-books? ‘We Just Do!’


The Guardian has an interesting essay by a teen writer from the Guardian children’s books site entitled “Why teenagers are so resistant to e-readers.” (The writer posts under a handle and doesn’t give a gender, so I’m just going to assume she’s female so I can use a pronoun that looks less awkward than “they”.) It’s interesting enough, but when you read the thing, it’s actually kind of mistitled. It could better have been called “Why this teenager still loves paper books.” Read more...


An Abridged Da Vinci Code Implies Teens Need Simple Books – They Don't

The news that Penguin is releasing an abridged version of The Da Vinci Code, advertised on its cover as “adapted for young adults”, is puzzling. A common way to introduce a book to a new market is to give it a fresh cover – a widespread practice, often used for books with “crossover appeal”. Penguin has created a bold new cover for The Da Vinci Code, but they haven’t stopped there – the book is also being condensed, as though what really makes a story appeal to young adults is the prospect of a short read. Yet it’s been proven time and time again that this isn’t the case. Read more...


11 Science Fiction Books That Are Regularly Taught in College Classes


We all learn a lot from reading science fiction books—not just the cool ideas, but also the fascinating thought experiments. But college professors often reach for classic science fiction when they’re planning classes on literature, society or philosophy. Here are 11 science fiction books that are often taught in college. Read more...


Simon & Schuster is Cheating Authors With eBook Royalties

When you purchase an eBook you are merely licensing the digital file and there is no outright ownership.  Simon & Schuster apparently did not get the memo and has been paying authors royalties based on sales. This is a big deal because the average author gets paid 25% for a sale, whereas they should have been getting 50% for the license. This situation has pissed authors off and has resulted in a new class action lawsuit against the publisher. Read more...


Smartphone Addiction and Our Spiritual ADD


If I am being honest, I have to admit that my iPhone habits have been largely unchecked, undisciplined, and unhealthy. And in a recent survey of 8,000 of our readers, many of you honestly admit the same struggle. Read more...

Liked what you read? Want to known when new posts are up?
To follow me on Twitter or Google+ click on the images below.
Twitter    Google+    YouTube
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Feedback is welcome.

Popular posts from this blog

Verner Vinge and The Fermi Paradox | A Fire Upon The Deep

By
There are two things about this book that I really like: The first is Verner Vinge's take on the Fermi Paradox and the second are the Tines, an alien race he created for the story. [Would you rather watch the video edition of this post? - releasing soon.] I love reading Science Fiction and Fantasy stories and one of my favourite things about these books are all the different non-human races that we encounter. In Fantasy it’s normally just a handful of races like Elves and Dwarfs, but in Science Fiction there is an unlimited amount of different alien races out there… but what about in real life? In real life… Have you ever wondered where all the aliens are? Have you ever been looking at the stars and wondered ‘Are we alone in the universe ?’ If so you’re not alone. There has been a lot of discussion about this topic by people from all walks of life including philosophers, scientist and writers. In fact this discussion has a name: The Fermi Paradox. The Fermi Para...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Most Mysterious Book in the World - The Voynich Manuscript

By
Bibliophiles who love a good mystery, or conspiracy, should be familiar with the Voynich Manuscript. In the article that follows I’ll take you through a quick overview on this mystery and then provide you with some links for further reading. Enjoy! The mysterious Voynich Manuscript has been hanging around for almost 500 years, most of that time it was lost among a private collection but is now the focus of intense of scrutiny. It is famous for being written in an unknown language or code which, so far, has yet to been deciphered. The Voynich manuscript, or Beinecke Ms. 408, is thought to be the only medieval document on the planet in that category. This handwritten codex famous for its indecipherable language also contains drawings of strange plants, Zodiac star charts, and what looks like women bathing in green water.
Post a Comment
Read more

Cycling In The Dark - A Technique For Writing Fiction.

By
I’ve been reading a lot of ‘ how-to ’ books on writing novels recently, the majority of them talk about creating an outline even before writing the first draft. For those of us who have attempted this sort of thing it does make sense. Step 1: Create and outline of your story, know where and when everything will happen. Step 2: Write your first draft, don’t worry about spelling mistakes or typo’s just let your creative voice have free reign so you can get the story out there. As Joanna Penn says ‘ splurge on words and ideas ’ in this first draft. Step 3: Spent time editing. That is using your critical voice, correcting the spelling mistakes and typo’s, rewriting and polishing the story. The problem is that we spend a lot of time on step 1 and never seem to be able to finish.
Post a Comment
Read more