Buzz Worthy News
This week in Buzz Worthy News: Order of the Phoenix gets a face lift, a Sandman Prequel is in the works, Geeks Out has organized a boycott of the Ender’s Game movie that prompted a response from the author, Penguin Random takes its first steps into the sunlight and the UK publishing scene just got insanely masculine.
Buzz Worthy News is Cuddlebuggery’s weekly news post bringing you all the best information about the book and blogging world, particularly for the venn diagram of people who overlap between the two. For new releases and cover reveals of all the best Young Adult fiction, check out our Sunday post: How New Titles.
Books
Another New Harry Potter Book Cover
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the lastest Harry Potter book to get a redesign with its new print.
Author and illustrator Kazu Kibuishi created the cover for the fourth in a series of trade paperback editions from Scholastic. Here’s more from Scholastic Trade Publishing VP Stacy Lellos:
With the reveal for the first book on Good Morning America, the second third and fourth book covers at Book Expo America, the LeakyCon convention and the American Library Association convention respectively, it took no time for fans to catch the fifth cover right on the Scholastic website. We have two more fun reveals planned in the coming month.
This is one of my favourites so far out of the cover reveals. Mostly because those demon-horse things otherwise known as Thestrals, are visually awesome and completely creepy. Also, look at that vista.
Sandman is Up for a Prequel!
Neil Gaiman, Nerd God and Twitter Baron, has announced a prequel to his intensely popular Sandman series. Sandman 1989-1996, also known as the only Neil Gaiman creation that I ever truly enjoyed, has been very successful for Gaiman. It made the New York Times Best Seller’s list, something few graphic novels have ever done, and it fetched Gaiman 19 Eisner and six Harvey Awards.
The storyline describes what happened to Dream before the events of the first ever comic, in which he was imprisoned by an Aleister Crowley-ish Satanist, Roderick Burgess, in the cellar of his tumbledown English mansion at Wych Cross.
Gaiman said: “This is the one story that we never got to tell. In Sandman #1 Morpheus is captured somehow. Later on in the series, you learn he was returning from somewhere far, far away – but we never got to the story of what he was doing and what had happened. This is our chance to tell that story, and JH Williams III is drawing it. It’s the most beautiful thing in the world.”
Ender’s Game Boycott
Whilst I don’t agree with denying other people the right to access what they want, I fully appreciate boycotting things by bigoted authors because you don’t feel like supporting their dumb asses.
Geeks Out have organized a boycott of the Ender’s Game movie in retaliation to Orson Scott Card’s militantly homophobic attempts to block marriage equality and outlaw homosexuality.
“Do not buy a ticket at the theatre, do not purchase the DVD, do not watch it on-demand. Ignore all merchandise and toys. However much you may have admired his books, keep your money out of Orson Scott Card’s pockets,” says the group on its “Skip Ender’s Game” website. “By pledging to skip Ender’s Game, we can send a clear and serious message to Card and those that do business with his brand of anti-gay activism – whatever he’s selling, we’re not buying. The queer geek community will not subsidise his fearmongering and religious bullying. We will not pay him to demean, insult and oppress us.”
This week, Orson Scott Card replied to the boycotting, begging for tolerance. *snort*
“Laws against homosexual behavior should remain on the books, not to be indiscriminately enforced against anyone who happens to be caught violating them, but to be used when necessary to send a clear message that those who flagrantly violate society’s regulation of sexual behavior cannot be permitted to remain as acceptable, equal citizens within that society.” -Orson Scott Card “The Hypocrites of Homosexuality,” Sunstone Magazine, Feb 1990
He responded in Entertainment Weekly stating that the battle for marriage equality had been lost:
“Ender’s Game is set more than a century in the future and has nothing to do with political issues that did not exist when the book was written in 1984,” he writes. “With the recent Supreme Court ruling, the gay marriage issue becomes moot. The full faith and credit clause of the constitution will, sooner or later, give legal force in every state to any marriage contract recognised by any other state. Now it will be interesting to see whether the victorious proponents of gay marriage will show tolerance toward those who disagreed with them when the issue was still in dispute.” SOURCE
Yeah… I think I’m going to keep going with my decision to not support any project related to Card.
Publishing
Random House and Penguin Group celebrate the consummation of their merger
As the groom looked on, a loving smile crossed his face. The blushing bride stepped up the aisle. And now that magic night has occurred, it’s the next day and Penguin Random is looking at each other strangely, wondering what kind of mistake they’ve made.
According to the company, the new mega-publisher counts more than 10,500 employees in nearly 250 imprints and publishing houses. In all, they publish over 15,000 new titles every year. Random House issued this press release:
The global senior executive team for Penguin Random House was announced today by Chief Executive Officer Markus Dohle, following the closing of the transaction by shareholders Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson this morning to formally establish the venture. Bertelsmann owns 53% and Pearson 47% of the company.
I will be very interested to see what little Publishing babies they spit out over the next couple of years.
SOURCE
UK Publishing Suddenly So Very Masculine
The passed decade has seen three of the four major UK publishers run by women. In the very recent past, that all changed. This week Gail Rebuck stepped down from her position of Chairperson and Chief Executive of Random House UK, a position she has held since 1991. She has stepped back from her Chief Executive role, limiting her role in the general running of the business. Victoria Barnsley also retired this week from HarperCollins UK, a position she has held since the year 2000.
Joining the mass exodus of women from publishing is Kate Swann, the head of WH Smith and in January, Marjorie Scardino retired from Pearson. All four of these women have been replaced by men.
“The suddenness of the change is startling – from 2000 to 2012 three of the big four British publishers were overseen by women. In the Guardian’s Book Power 100 list two years ago, Rebuck was ranked ninth and Barnsley fifteenth, and Rebuck took 10th place in Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour power list for 2013. Now, arguably, there are none.”
Don’t worry my publishing peeps. I’m… er… sure this is just a coincidence and not some kind of terrifying conspiracy.
Fuck! Run! Any of us could be next!
Entertainment
Odd Thomas Almost Upon Us
Odd Thomas, the film adaptation of Dean Koontz’s novel of the same name is going to be showing at the Film4 Frightfest in London.
The blurb for Odd Thomas:
“The dead don’t talk. I don’t know why.” But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn. Maybe he has a gift, maybe it’s a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odd’s otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo’s sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it’s different.
A mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world’s worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odd’s deceased informants can tell him. His most ominous clue is a page ripped from a day-by-day calendar for August 15.
Today is August 14.
In less than twenty-four hours, Pico Mundo will awaken to a day of catastrophe. As evil coils under the searing desert sun, Odd travels through the shifting prisms of his world, struggling to avert a looming cataclysm with the aid of his soul mate and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. His account of two shattering days when past and present, fate and destiny converge is the stuff of our worst nightmares—and a testament by which to live: sanely if not safely, with courage, humor, and a full heart that even in the darkness must persevere.
But doesn’t it seem like Odd Thomas has been a long time coming? It had an initial release date for 2012. So what happened?
A lawsuit filed in January of this year explained the hold-up, and as usual in Hollywood it revolves around money. The film’s producers are suing several entities for failure to deliver a promised $35 million dollars for marketing and distribution costs.
According to TOOT and Fusion, OMG pledged to spend $25 million on prints and advertising to support a release of Odd Thomas in the U.S. and another $10 million to partially refinance certain loans. Several deadlines came and went, but most of the money never materialized, according to the lawsuit, filed by the Law Offices of Alan S. Gutman in Beverly Hills.
Disturbing Darcy Sculpture Touring London
Sam Heughan to Play Jamie Fraiser from Outlander
Based on the series of novels by Diana Gabaldon and developed for television by Battlestar Galactica‘s Ron Moore, Outlander spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history, and adventure in one grandiose tale. It follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. The drama series is being produced by Tall Ship Productions, Story Mining & Supply Company and Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television. The executive producers are Ronald D. Moore and Jim Kohlberg. Sony Pictures Television is handling global distribution.
Diana Gabaldon said: “Oh. My. God. That man is a Scot to the bone and Jamie Fraser to the heart. Having seen Sam Heughan not just act, but be Jamie, I feel immensely grateful to the production team for their painstaking attention to the soul of the story and characters.”
Controversy
Joyce Carol Oates Teaches Us a Valuable Lesson in Racist Tweeting
It’s really nice of Oates to use herself as a personal example of how to be horribly racist.
Galleycat’s Storify is here.
Some of her tweets:
“Where 99.3% of women report having been sexually harassed & rape is epidemic–Egypt–natural to inquire: what’s the predominant religion?”
“Something dispiriting about “Brotherhood” political parties–wonder what it is.”
Some responses to Joyce Carol Oates:
Lorraine Adams:
Violence against women is rampant across almost all cultures since time began. Why is that so hard to understand? #JoyceCarolOates
26,000 people were sexually assaulted in the US military last year. it’s not about islam, @JoyceCarolOates. it’s about POWER AND VIOLENCE.
LBBA Reviews!
Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys Reviewed by Jude from Geeky Reading
****
I was very happy with how the book turned out, and with how much I enjoyed it. It wasn’t light, but it was a pretty easy read, kept my interest easily, and went by much faster than I thought it would. And while I’ve heard a lot of good things about Sepetys’ first book, Between Shades of Gray, now I know that I want to pick it up when I get the chance, as well as anything else that Sepetys releases in the future.
Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglin reviewed by Rachel-Madison from Moosubi Reviews
***
Cold Fury is ultimately book with a ton of entertainment value and potential. Though there was some disbelief on my part, it was still fun for me to read! Both the paranormal and more contemporary parts of the novel are also really original, so I’d love to see them fleshed out in the next book. If you’re a fan of action-movie type things, or are looking for a quick and fun read, try out this read!
With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent reviewed by Nara from Looking for the Panacea
*****
In the series, we’re presented with a very nice and well developed cast of characters. I quite like most of the supporting characters (except Sabine. Still think she’s a bit of a bitch. At the same time, it’s kind of refreshing to have a character that’s just so unapologetically bitchy). We also finally get the whole Tod vs Nash thing sorted out which was a long time coming, seeing as though the brother drama got rather annoying after a while. I might be a bit weird, but I actually really liked Ira. He was pretty badass for a hellion. Won’t mention any major events that go down for fear of spoilers, but basically, the guy isn’t as bad as you’d expect.
Hooked by Liz Fichera reviewed by Melanie from YA Midnight Reads
***
One of these days I am going to read the beginning of a contemporary novel then predict how the romance builds-up. Chances are, I’m going to get a gold star. Now that I’ve become more attentive about the contemporary genre, I am starting to realise that the romance is pretty much the same. While the complications may be different, it’s the same stereotypes and same ending. While Hooked was no exception, I did enjoy the plot and depth this novel expanded towards.
The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson reviewed by Priscilla from Nightly Reading
***This book really ended up surprising me. It wasn’t omygosh-what-the-heck-just-happened-in-the-name-of-awesomeness fast-paced, but it -dare I say- stayed at a refreshing medium pace. It was not slow, but it didn’t make me drop my marbles either. It was the pace I’d expect from a Contemp., which I liked.
***I am a huge Meg Cabot fangirl. She reminds me of being a tween/teenager. I love and adore her books. That being said. This book, and Cabot’s writing, left a lot to be desired, which of course, made me sad. Mostly because there is something lacking from Cabot’s writing that didn’t always exist in previous novels. I will however be continuing on with the series when it ends in July.
Adam A
Meg Cabot will never top The Mediator series.
Orson Scott Card is just dragging himself and his production into the ground. I don’t know well Ender’s Game will do or not – I’m pretty sure more people of this generation are more aware of Beautiful Creatures and look how that did – but he’s certainly not helping his case.
Fangs4Fantasy
Card is not only someone who fights against marriage equality (and a director of NOM, a hate group) but he has openly campaigned to keep sodomy laws on the book. So that “round up and kill them” isn’t far wrong – he wants gay people rounded up and thrown in prison. So, yeah, not spending money on that bigot
It will always be Random Penguin now
It’s eerie that 3 out of 4 suddenly all went male – but I think it’s indicative of a blip. The industry is overwhelmingly male dominated, we had a blip where it wasn’t, but ultimately most of the people waiting to fill their shoes were still male
Joyce reminds me that humanity is still generally full of horrible people, but some of them at least advertise their horribleness on social media – it’s very convenient
Lexi
While I am for gay marriage, I also respect one’s right to an opinion. I’m okay if people dont agree with me. Orson Scott Card, however has taken it too far. I’ll still go see the movie, though, mainly because I love the other people in it and don’t want to bring them down with him.