I’ve previously written about how the demands of the algorithms that drive online marketing have created more genres than ever (over 13000 distinct genres on Amazon!). But even before this proliferation of categories within literature, some commonly accepted genres were problematic. The “war” genre is one of these. The modern “war novel” as a genre … Continue reading War is not a genre
On Algorithms and Genre
It’s generally accepted that in modern literature there are two broad kinds of fiction – literary fiction and genre fiction. While it is often said that the difference is that genre fiction is principally concerned with plot and convention, while literary fiction elevates character and theme, this is not the only difference. The sub-text, sometimes … Continue reading On Algorithms and Genre
An Interview with Ben Fox
Ben Fox is a serial entrepreneur and avid reader whose latest venture is a new platform for book discovery, www.shepherd.com. I was curious to know more about what drove him to pursue this new venture, and he kindly agreed to be interviewed. Phil: You have a number of businesses behind you already, mostly very tech focused. … Continue reading An Interview with Ben Fox
An Interview with Ele Pawelski
Ele Pawelski is a lawyer, former humanitarian worker and the author of The Finest Supermarket in Kabul, published in 2017 by Quattro Books. Many of the works written recently that are set in Afghanistan have been by soldiers who served there, and so I was interested in talking to someone whose experience in the country was … Continue reading An Interview with Ele Pawelski
An Interview with Eddy Boudel Tan
One of the best things about being a writer is that you get the opportunity to connect with other writers. I love being able to see what other people are writing, and then to talk to them about the choices they made, things they tried, things they discarded, etc. Writing can be a very solitary … Continue reading An Interview with Eddy Boudel Tan
Six Books I Think You’ll Enjoy
My new novel, Every Arm Outstretched, is about a month away from launching. Set during the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua, it explores universal themes like truth, loyalty and whether the ends can ever truly justify the means. If you’re interested in those things, there are a number of other books that I think you would enjoy … Continue reading Six Books I Think You’ll Enjoy