Neil Gaiman Celebrates Independent Bookstore Day (indiebookstoreday.com) 33
An anonymous reader writes: Today is "Independent Bookstore Day," a national event promoting local bookstores which will feature exclusive bookstore-only offerings, including a Neil Gaiman coloring book with 20 black-and-white illustrations by Gaiman illustrator Chris Riddell and quotes from Coraline, The Graveyard Book, and Fortunately, the Milk. "Independent bookstores are not just stores, they're community centers and local anchors run by passionate readers," reads the event's web site, saying independent bookstores "are not just stores, they are solutions. They hold the key to your love life, your career, and your passions."
There's actually more independent bookstores this year than there were last year, according to the site, which argues that "In a world of tweets and algorithms and pageless digital downloads, bookstores are not a dying anachronism. They are living, breathing organisms that continue to grow and expand."
There's actually more independent bookstores this year than there were last year, according to the site, which argues that "In a world of tweets and algorithms and pageless digital downloads, bookstores are not a dying anachronism. They are living, breathing organisms that continue to grow and expand."
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Let's see. The stock market has been soaring under President Obama, unlike the Bush administration where it collapsed over 50%.
The job market is growing, unlike the Bush administration where over 14 million people lost their jobs.
Housing is picking up, unlike the Bush administration where millions lost their homes.
While interest rates have been kept artificially low to help Wall Street, at least $700 billion of taxpayer money hasn't been used so they could pay out their bonuses.
Last I looked, planes aren't
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If they are really growing and expanding, you wouldn't really need to tell people about it.
Those of us who shop at bookstores didn't need to be told about them. And yet, we wouldn't know if there are more or less overall.
I don't think you really thought your comment through though.
If the claim was, "bookstores have replaced all other forms of store," then it would be reasonable to presume that you'd have had to know about it for it to be true. But simply increasing in number? Why would that be obvious? Most people shopping at bookstores wouldn't know about a new bookstore across town. It seems mo
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Wow, you must get out a lot more than any human could, to see the whole world all the time, and have time to write down the address of every new business and every closed business!
Oh, you thought I meant a person couldn't make a wild guess! Oh, sure they could. But it wouldn't have value, or tell them if there are more or less stores than there were before.
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Depends on the rate of growth and expansion. Your city might have had a small net loss, while your state as a whole had a net gain. Since you're unlikely to have surveyed the entire state, you might think there's still contraction.
In my case, my city actually had a net loss of one last year (two closed, one opened). However, one of the ones that closed actually just moved to a nearby city where the rents were cheaper. So, overall, it was a wash.
Put another way (Score:3, Interesting)
Author of niche-interest fiction hypes small providers of a formerly popular type of entertainment media. It's ironic that science fiction fans are so attached to the past.
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Author of niche-interest fiction hypes small providers of a formerly popular type of entertainment media. It's ironic that science fiction fans are so attached to the past.
I think the first sentence is a little unfair: Gaiman is extremely successful, and many of his works have reached the popular audience. Moreover, we live in an era where science fiction is highly successful and even mainstream, hardly niche any more in many ways.
As for the second bit, it shouldn't be that surprising. Much science fiction, or what passes for it, has often had a reactionary element. Look at how much science fiction involves feudal systems with sword fights. Dune and Star Wars are the most
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Gaiman is extremely successful
I listened to the Neil Gaiman hype once and watched MirrorMask. I didn't like it. I don't understand why his fans like his work.
They are absolutely welcome to like it and be happy, of course. But non-fans of Gaiman (and independent bookstores, and books made of paper) are left to wonder who any of this is really for.
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Gaiman primarily writes fantasy.
Anachronism day (Score:4, Funny)
So, 2?
The problem with independent bookstores is they never have a large enough spot for my horse.
there are... (Score:2)
There's actually more independent bookstores this year than there were last year
Shouldn't that read there're ?
You can get a star named after you... (Score:2)
...if you pay the right company.
> Today is "Independent Bookstore Day,
No, it's not.
Just like those airline magazine ads that tell you "top ten steakhouses" that are paid for by... the ten steakhouses listed,
this "day" is nothing other than sheer marketing.
Big clue: It was formed in 2014 by a group wanting money to advertise for... independent booksellers.
Read all about it here: http://www.indiebookstoreday.c... [indiebookstoreday.com]
I'm surprised Scott "I hate Amazon and the Internet" Turow hasn't come out and supported it too