When I started writing what would become my debut novel, Happy for You, in 2015, the Cambridge Analytica scandal had not yet happened. I wanted to write about technology-specifically, internet technology-which, at the time, was still awash in techno-optimism, but which I was beginning to suspect was having some negative effects on my brain, on my sense of being. A story started to emerge: a woman in her early thirties leaves a PhD program in philosophy for the glittering world of tech-a job at the third-most-popular internet company. There, her team is tasked with developing an app that measures user happiness-an idea that, seven years ago, felt thoroughly speculative.
Links of the week May 16 2022 (20)
The Complicated Ethics of Writing Violence in Fiction | Time
There are some hard ethical questions in the writing of crime fiction.
For me, the most difficult one is how to portray violence.
For one thing, should you depict it all?
And if so, how do you do it with some sense of morality?
Bestselling Swiss author Joël Dicker tries his hand at self-publishing - SWI swissinfo.ch
Joël Dicker is often dismissed as a popular fiction writer not to be counted among the literary greats of his era. On the other hand, almost everyone acknowledges his business acumen. The Geneva native is one of the ten most popular authors in the French-speaking world. His popularity among readers outside Europe brings in substantial financial rewards, thanks to the translation of his books into 40 languages.
Why the Mystery Novel Is a Perfect Literary Form ‹ CrimeReads
David Gordon on the long, rich history of private eyes - and why contemporary novelists keep on turning to them.
The Bookseller - News - Children reading more books but enjoyment levels in 'worrying decline', report suggests
The number of books read by children is increasing, analysis completed as part of the annual What Kids Are Reading Report (WKAR) from learning and assessment provider Renaissance Learning has revealed. However authors warn "recent years have seen a worrying decline in children and young people's reading enjoyment".
A survey of 1,088,136 pupils across 6,049 schools conducted between 1st August 2020 and 31st July 2021 found approaching 22 million books had been read by them in total, 11% more than reported in the previous year.