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March 09, 2003
Internet Book List
The Internet Book List could well turn into a tremendously valuable resource for book-lovers everywhere. That said, judging by the current list of the most popular books and authors, it badly needs input from non-SF fans:
Books
1. Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the (1979)
2. Atlas Shrugged (1957)
3. American Gods (2001)
4. Ender's Game (1985)
5. Coraline (2002)
Authors
1. J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Douglas Adams
3. Neil Gaiman
4. Isaac Asimov
5. Terry Pratchett
[Via Blogatelle]
Posted by John at March 9, 2003 08:43 PM
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Comments
Immediate and not very constructive reaction:
It wasn't all that many years ago that the demographic profiles of internet users and SF readers were virtually indistinguishable. Going back even further, I believe the first internet newsgroup that wasn't discussing science, computers, or some other serious&constructive subject was discussing SF. There's a reason why the Jargon File incorporates so much fanspeak from the SF community. Let mainstream literature build its own internet.
Second, more considered reaction: "I think I'll go over and look at the author lists." So I did; and sure enough, there are lots of non-genre authors and titles. They're just not the most popular ones.
For that, there's no cure. Readers are a wayward and willful bunch.
Posted by: Teresa Nielsen Hayden at March 10, 2003 05:08 PM
"Atlas Shrugged"
Jon Shuddered
Posted by: Jon at March 10, 2003 05:17 PM
Teresa:
I think that if I were running the IBL site I'd worry that a non-SF fan coming across the front page might conclude that the site is catering for the internet's core SF/Fantasy audience and decide it's not for me. As you say, readers will do what they'll do, and I don't think the problem is to do with the way the IBL presents itself. It's just a fact of life for that sort of site that one post to Slashdot early on will bring hundreds of geeks over.
In the short run, if I were running the IBL I might display a Top 10 or even a Top 20 list, in the hope that the longer list would start to show some non-SF authors and books and reflect the balance of authors and books in the database as a whole.
As word of the IBL spreads through weblogs and book sites with a more mainstream bias like Bookslut it'll be interesting to see how much non-SF shows up in the IBL Top 5 lists.
Jon:
LOL!
Me too.
Posted by: John at March 11, 2003 12:38 AM