OK, watch the clip below, and imagine it's me talking about the ranting post I had here which I just removed, blathering about Gettysburg by Newt Gingrich being placed in the Science Fiction section of a local bookseller. Mind you, the book dealer wasn't consistent in placing all fictions in which history was reworked in the Sci-fi section, but based on the comments of James who is a particular fan of the genre, I can see how I misconstroodeded the whole thing.
So, anyway. Never mind.
13 comments:
I really love William Gibson's writing - at least they got Gingrich correct alphabetically :)
What Pratchett did you get?
I agree, books should be put into each section accordingly and alphabetically.
Glad you found another place to go to.
Happy reading.:)
Me: Are you the store manager?
Mgr: Yes, may I help you?
Me: Maybe but I doubt it but I'll ask anyway. Since I found a Gingrich book about civil war history in the SciFi section, will I find the Pratchett SciFi Discworld books in the, oh I dunno, geography section maybe? Or astronomy 'cause it's about a world? Or maybe whatever section has books about magic in it?
That's how Idda dun it.
Like you, I have a lot of problems with merchants inconveniencing me with their own fool ideas. Stories like this one always remind me of a quote: "When I was a child I thought like a child, acted like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways." (Paul to the Corinthians.) Sounds like the store is run by children. Competition is good.
I bet it's ignorance.
I presume that somebody thinks these are alternate history, like the book 1632 you can see in the same picture, and thus would be classified as fantasy.
Maybe I'm just being too charitable?!
I'm going to be the voice of reason here and point out that Newt's books are classified as alternate history and therefore, by virtue of bookstore shelving practices, belong in the science fiction/fantasy section. Don't get me wrong, HPB is full of granola-munching hippies, but that doesn't make it a bad bookstore - I've found more obscure Texana there than any other place I've ever shopped. And while I've been on the receiving end of a certain amount of snottiness (the look I got for buying a book entitled The Black Cowboys comes to mind), by and large the employees have always been very pleasant and helpful to me.
On the other hand, I always prefer to shop at locally owned businesses, so the new place gets my vote because they need your patronage much more than HPB does. Your call.
James
I am reading Gaiman's "American Gods" right now. Forget half price books, it's worth full retail.
james - You mean that Newt's book has spaceships and Amazon women with hypnotic powers? I mean, if an historical fiction belongs in Sci Fi/Fantasy, then why aren't all the Bernard Cornwell novels in that section, too?
Nope, I mean that that particular series is classified as alternate history, which while it doesn't contain improbably attractive spacewomen with telepathy/telekinesis/what have you, still comes under the fantasy/science fiction umbrella. Wikipedia defines alternate history as "a subgenre of speculative fiction (or some would say of science fiction) that is set in a world in which history has diverged from history as it is generally known. Alternate history literature asks the question, "What if history had developed differently?"". That's the way I've always understood the genre, and since Amazon and NG's publisher both call Gettysburg alternate history, I'm sticking to my story.
In case you're curious about my sources, I used Amazon, Wikipedia, and NG's publisher, St. Martin's Press.
Incidentally, none of this is meant as criticism, but since I read a lot of alternate history, I felt compelled to comment.
James (who is currently re-reading Dorothy Sayers' Peter Wimsey mysteries)
I worked for one of the big chain bookstores (coughLovers/Greenville) when I first came to Dallas years ago. I lasted 5 months until I'd had it with insolent 18 year olds under my supervision who babysat the manager's Incubii in their off-time plotting against me.
Gotta say, though, it was the only job I've ever just walked off from.
Now I've gotta head down Campbell to that new old place. Maybe this weekend....
Regards,
Rabbit.
dba dude - I haven't read any of William Gibson...
lainy - Indeed, this other store is great!
myron - clever!
brbiswrite - I agree - completely childish
christina - I agree. I noticed alternate histories by Philip Roth were not put in the sci-fi fantasy section, so it seems a peculiar placement.
george h - Gaiman is brilliant
rabbit - They didn't deserve you. Be sure and check out Pasand next door for their fantastic Indian food buffet 7 days a week. On Sundays, they give dhosas with the buffet. *yum*
And thanks, James. They didn't put the alternative history The Plot Against America by Philip Roth in that section.
From your point, I can see putting it in this section, but again it appeared anomalous for the section rather than the place where alternate. Perhaps you are right, but the inconsistency seems peculiar to me.
Um er, I have no idea what yer talkin' about, since I missed the original post.
But I thought I'd comment anyway.
My fave Gilda/Jane moment is when Gilda is talking about "what's the fuss about violins on tv?"
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