Abigail Nussbaum has one of the more challenging literary blogs on the ‘Net where she posts long essays about whatever books have caught her attention. More often than not, she writes about science fiction or fantasy; but this time, she dissects The Best American Short Stories 2007, edited by Stephen King. I rarely agree with Ms. Nussbaum despite my great respect for her work. In fact, I tend to use her as a negative indicator. That is, if she hates something, I figure I’ll love it. Still, this essay, which is as much about the current state of the short story as it is about the collection under Ms. Nussbaum’s microscope, is well worth your time and trouble. And her website is worth a bookmark.

Nicholas Clee, writing for The London Guardian this past Monday, suggests that hardcover books have seen their day. He points out that more and more books are being printed in paperback format right off the bat, which may well help writers sell many more copies much more quickly. Good idea or bad?

Jeff Vandermeer has a thoughtful piece in this month’s issue of Clarkesworld Magazine entitled “The Language of Defeat.” Vandermeer discusses the tendency of science fiction and fantasy writers to bemoan how the literary community tends to dismiss their work. Worse yet, so-called literary writers steal science fiction and fantasy tropes and write bestsellers with ideas that were old hat decades ago, essentially mined out and better written inside the SF ghetto before those literary writers were even born. And then those literary writers have the nerve to claim that they’re not writing SF! Margaret Atwood, for instance, can sure get on an SF writer’s nerves. Vandermeer points out that it isn’t good for either SF or literary fiction for each to dismiss the other. He also argues that the bias runs in both directions. As one who reads everything, including all those crossovers, I have to agree with him. I’m particularly intrigued by the lists with which he ends his articles: SF books for the literary reader to read, and so-called literary works for the SF reader to read.

I’ve never been crazy about the idea of getting a tattoo, but these science tattoos make me wonder if I want one after all. Are you allowed to get a tattoo when you’re 51 years old, or is there some rule against that?

Ever wanted to read Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, but didn’t know where to begin? Try The Discworld Reading Order Guide 1.5.

Finally, anyone who deeply loves books qua books – the paper, the smell, the heft, the feel, being surrounded by shelves and the color of jackets, the very presence and weight and atmosphere of books, will be as disheartened by this review of the Sony Reader as I was. Damn it, this is one technology I emphatically do not want to see get better! Paper books are already the perfect technology. No gadgets to replace them, please. Now hand me a sabot and stand back.