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Jun. 20th, 2010 12:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
furyofvissarionFan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet - Edited by Karen Hellekson and Kristina Busse. This anthology was created to address the lack of academic work on fandom that considered fan culture online (the book came out in 2006). Again, as someone who isn't particularly well-read in fan studies, there was a lot to sink my teeth into, and a lot of lovely affirmative stuff about texts as non-closed things & blah blah blah. It starts off with a useful history of media fandom. Several of the articles focus on how fanfiction relates to other forms of writing, showing links between more respected texts and fic. Probably the most interesting piece to me was the one on the history of beta readers, but I also was fascinated by one arguing that fanfic is more closely related to drama instead of prose, in terms of structure and audience expectations. I really wanted more from the piece on how the performance of queerness (including by women who may identify as straight) by fic writers and readers on LJ is problematic--I remember this issue cropping up several years ago &... I dunno. The article lays things out but then I felt like it didn't really go anywhere. Anyway: worth reading, would be interested in other similar stuff if anyone has any recs!
Global Goes Local: Popular Culture in Asia - Edited by Timothy J. Craig and Richard King. Like most anthologies, this is mixed in terms of quality and what I found compelling. I wished that more of the pieces didn't seem like they were written by people not of Asian descent and/or not living in Asia: there were moments of "aw, look how cute/charming/fascinating the natives are," yes. Nevertheless, some interesting pieces to do with how the conception of Asia as uncritical recipient of Western pop culture is actually not true, and a vast simplication of what's going on (this is a theme in stuff I've read lately!). Topics covered include the popularity of Hulk Hogan in Borneo, the intersection of consumer technology, US pop music, and local music practice in the Cordillera region of the Philippines, appropriation of Tibetan culture by Han Chinese musicians, the role of gunka (Japanese war songs) through WWII and afterwards, and rock music and images of the US in Malaysia (this was one of the most interesting articles to me).
There was also one article about religiosity in manga (specifically Tezuka's) that might've interested me more had it not set up the "manga can discuss deep issues but US comics are shallow superhero things only targeted at teen boys!" dichotomy. I mean, okay, the anthology was published in 2002 but it's not like there weren't indie comics back then, & also, while there are going to be differences in comics produced in different cultures, I'm so sure that there has never, ever been one single deep storyline in US superhero comics. And oh yeah, if you expect me to take you seriously when you talk about comics, maybe you shouldn't talk about "Marvel and Dell" when clearly you mean Marvel and DC. Oh snap.
Wizard's Holiday - Diane Duane. Seventh in the Young Wizards series. Re-read. There aren't many authors I will follow through a series this long, but Duane has me re-reading and nailbiting for more. In this installment, Nita and Kit go on a cultural exchange program to the other end of the galaxy. They think it's just a vacation, but of course it isn't; there's a question for which only they are the answers. Duane works in some deep stuff about choices (not a surprise to anyone who's read this series) & growth & happiness. Back at home, Nita's little sister Dairine is hosting the aliens who've come through as the other half of the cultural exchange. Some of the culture shock bits are hilarious, and I like that Dairine has to stay home with them as punishment for bending the rules one too many times.
Wizards at War - Diane Duane. Eighth in the Young Wizards series;another reread. I loved this one even more than the first time around. One of the fantastic things about long series like this is that you can bring in characters from older books, who may have been the focus for a while but then moved offstage. So you're got the family reunion feel but also the "oh shit, things are getting serious"-ness... because of course, as hinted at in the title, things are. Adults are losing their wizardry and it's up to kids like Nita and Kit to save the universe. I love that so many seeds Duane planted in previous books come to fruition here: Carmela's increased involvement in otherworldly things (& the awesomeness of her not being a wizard but still having a vital role to play in saving the universe: & her scorn for wizards' assumption that they will do it all); Ponch's developing skills; & the aforementioned cast of characters from previous books. I love the sense of danger & panic. There's a painful choice to be made, of course--this is a Young Wizards book. And I think I bawled even more than I did the first time I read this (oh, Ponch).
Global Goes Local: Popular Culture in Asia - Edited by Timothy J. Craig and Richard King. Like most anthologies, this is mixed in terms of quality and what I found compelling. I wished that more of the pieces didn't seem like they were written by people not of Asian descent and/or not living in Asia: there were moments of "aw, look how cute/charming/fascinating the natives are," yes. Nevertheless, some interesting pieces to do with how the conception of Asia as uncritical recipient of Western pop culture is actually not true, and a vast simplication of what's going on (this is a theme in stuff I've read lately!). Topics covered include the popularity of Hulk Hogan in Borneo, the intersection of consumer technology, US pop music, and local music practice in the Cordillera region of the Philippines, appropriation of Tibetan culture by Han Chinese musicians, the role of gunka (Japanese war songs) through WWII and afterwards, and rock music and images of the US in Malaysia (this was one of the most interesting articles to me).
There was also one article about religiosity in manga (specifically Tezuka's) that might've interested me more had it not set up the "manga can discuss deep issues but US comics are shallow superhero things only targeted at teen boys!" dichotomy. I mean, okay, the anthology was published in 2002 but it's not like there weren't indie comics back then, & also, while there are going to be differences in comics produced in different cultures, I'm so sure that there has never, ever been one single deep storyline in US superhero comics. And oh yeah, if you expect me to take you seriously when you talk about comics, maybe you shouldn't talk about "Marvel and Dell" when clearly you mean Marvel and DC. Oh snap.
Wizard's Holiday - Diane Duane. Seventh in the Young Wizards series. Re-read. There aren't many authors I will follow through a series this long, but Duane has me re-reading and nailbiting for more. In this installment, Nita and Kit go on a cultural exchange program to the other end of the galaxy. They think it's just a vacation, but of course it isn't; there's a question for which only they are the answers. Duane works in some deep stuff about choices (not a surprise to anyone who's read this series) & growth & happiness. Back at home, Nita's little sister Dairine is hosting the aliens who've come through as the other half of the cultural exchange. Some of the culture shock bits are hilarious, and I like that Dairine has to stay home with them as punishment for bending the rules one too many times.
Wizards at War - Diane Duane. Eighth in the Young Wizards series;another reread. I loved this one even more than the first time around. One of the fantastic things about long series like this is that you can bring in characters from older books, who may have been the focus for a while but then moved offstage. So you're got the family reunion feel but also the "oh shit, things are getting serious"-ness... because of course, as hinted at in the title, things are. Adults are losing their wizardry and it's up to kids like Nita and Kit to save the universe. I love that so many seeds Duane planted in previous books come to fruition here: Carmela's increased involvement in otherworldly things (& the awesomeness of her not being a wizard but still having a vital role to play in saving the universe: & her scorn for wizards' assumption that they will do it all); Ponch's developing skills; & the aforementioned cast of characters from previous books. I love the sense of danger & panic. There's a painful choice to be made, of course--this is a Young Wizards book. And I think I bawled even more than I did the first time I read this (oh, Ponch).
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Date: 2010-06-20 08:38 pm (UTC)had it not set up the "manga can discuss deep issues but US comics are shallow superhero things only targeted at teen boys!" dichotomy.
I don't have much experience with manga at large, but what I have sometimes seen is that religion is not really a religion in the stories, but more of a... just a thing, you know? Haha, so badly explained. Neon Genesis Evangelion is a great example of anime: you'd think that with names like Eve and the whole Genesis thing, the story would be a pompous, religious allegory. But the writers, not familiar much with Christianity, just thought it had cool symbols and names, and decided to use them. And Fruits Basket is all about the Zodiac signs--but it's not at all about believing in them in any in-depth manner (at least that was not my experience with reading it).
So... yeah. I can see how the editors of this book might have had some biased shades on them.
Sounds like an interesting book nevertheless. I'll add it to my reading list. :)