Jay Kristoff's Stormdancer
Oct. 10th, 2012 11:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hawkwing_lbI haven't read it.
This isn't because I don't have a copy. In a somewhat-baffling-to-me turn of events, the UK publisher sent me an unsolicited review copy (they had my address, I believe, because Tor.com asked them to send me a review copy of The Air War, which turned out to be an unbound stack of pages in 10-pt type... so I ended up unable to review that, because 10-pt type, ouch) back in - hell, it must be before I went to Greece.
I was on the busy side at the time,* so I ignored it.
An unsolicited review copy, with an enclosed press release and no other covering note. I like getting free books: acquiring any book gives me a sense of joy. Free books are like birthday presents out of season. (Unless it's the first fortnight of July, in which case they're birthday presents in season.)
But if the person in charge of Stormdancer's publicity had asked, I would've told them to spend the postage on sending it to someone else.** I'd got me a copy via NetGalley, you see, and the first few pages, combined with the jacket copy, had convinced me that it wasn't my book. (I'm given to understand, in the intervening time, that it's problematic - and possibly bad - in culturally appropriative ways.) But the opening does the opposite of work for me, and with so much else to read - a large proportion of it to be read for work: reviews are work, writing the column is work,*** and while I enjoy it I'm not about to pretend it doesn't take effort - reading a book I'm not expecting to enjoy when I'm not under any particular obligation to read it...
...Let's just say it's not going to happen.
This makes me sad. It feels like a waste of a birthday present (or disrespect of a gift) but there isn't enough time - or, to be honest, enough of my brain - to read things I don't like without the prospect of some form of remuneration. (Whether that comes in the form of finishing my thesis or the acquistion of funds, or other less tangible things is an open quetion.)
Anyway. Conider this an open letter on why I'm not going to review Stormdancer despite getting a free copy.
Probably will donate the free copy to my old school, soon as I get around to it, though.
*I'm still on the busy side, but because I'm sick, I'm trapped in my armchair and can't actually do most of my business.
**If they wanted to send me something recent by, I dunno, Paul Cornell or China Miéville or Cherie Priest or even maybe Alan Campbell, now, that'd be another story. I'd really like to get my hands on a copy of London Falling when it comes out.
***In the last couple of years I've produced a novel's worth of words in work nonfiction even besides what I've done for college and my thesis. I was shocked when I calculated this.
This isn't because I don't have a copy. In a somewhat-baffling-to-me turn of events, the UK publisher sent me an unsolicited review copy (they had my address, I believe, because Tor.com asked them to send me a review copy of The Air War, which turned out to be an unbound stack of pages in 10-pt type... so I ended up unable to review that, because 10-pt type, ouch) back in - hell, it must be before I went to Greece.
I was on the busy side at the time,* so I ignored it.
An unsolicited review copy, with an enclosed press release and no other covering note. I like getting free books: acquiring any book gives me a sense of joy. Free books are like birthday presents out of season. (Unless it's the first fortnight of July, in which case they're birthday presents in season.)
But if the person in charge of Stormdancer's publicity had asked, I would've told them to spend the postage on sending it to someone else.** I'd got me a copy via NetGalley, you see, and the first few pages, combined with the jacket copy, had convinced me that it wasn't my book. (I'm given to understand, in the intervening time, that it's problematic - and possibly bad - in culturally appropriative ways.) But the opening does the opposite of work for me, and with so much else to read - a large proportion of it to be read for work: reviews are work, writing the column is work,*** and while I enjoy it I'm not about to pretend it doesn't take effort - reading a book I'm not expecting to enjoy when I'm not under any particular obligation to read it...
...Let's just say it's not going to happen.
This makes me sad. It feels like a waste of a birthday present (or disrespect of a gift) but there isn't enough time - or, to be honest, enough of my brain - to read things I don't like without the prospect of some form of remuneration. (Whether that comes in the form of finishing my thesis or the acquistion of funds, or other less tangible things is an open quetion.)
Anyway. Conider this an open letter on why I'm not going to review Stormdancer despite getting a free copy.
Probably will donate the free copy to my old school, soon as I get around to it, though.
*I'm still on the busy side, but because I'm sick, I'm trapped in my armchair and can't actually do most of my business.
**If they wanted to send me something recent by, I dunno, Paul Cornell or China Miéville or Cherie Priest or even maybe Alan Campbell, now, that'd be another story. I'd really like to get my hands on a copy of London Falling when it comes out.
***In the last couple of years I've produced a novel's worth of words in work nonfiction even besides what I've done for college and my thesis. I was shocked when I calculated this.
