Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[jaydub]

I didn't even know he was ill.  He apparently died of cancer.  Rumors that he was despondent over the canceling of E.R. and lost all joy in life are unfounded.

[lprkn]

ditto. I thought we still had many years of (somewhat) science-based popular fiction to look forward to.

[AugustWest]

Hopefully a mosquito bit him so we can bring him back in a few years.

[lprkn]

No need, quantum time travel is possible, according to Crichton anyway.

[pmcd9]

I wasn't really a fan.  Although, I really have no basis for judgement.  I should say, I'm not really a fan of most of what has been adapted from his work.

[Toaster]

What is the wombat rule?

[miles]

What is the wombat rule?

That you shouldn't illegally distribute, buy used copies of, or check out from the library (unless you can't afford to slap the money down for a purchase) works of living artists. She did say that she is more lenient for successful writers/musicians like Stephen King or Bruce Springsteen, which leads to my next question...

Is it OK to check out from the library a copy of, say, Michael Connelly's newest work? In the past I have bought them, but always end up getting rid of them (because although I do enjoy his books, they're not that good, and don't really warrant a second read), sometimes selling them back to used book stores. Also, having too many books makes it difficult to move. Until I get a kindle or something like that, it's incredibly wasteful (although I could never give up books completely). However, I do agree that with less financially successful artists, it's a good rule to pay them for their work. But Connelly is a wildly successful writer. Say with someone less successful, but keeping in mind the pain in the ass that buying too many darn books can be, and also the waste issue, is it OK to sample work at the library?

One more thing, I illegally download music all the time. But I treat more like sampling. If I love it, I'll buy it eventually. If I don't, I'll delete the files. Plus, I attend so a lot of concerts, and from what I understand, that is how some artists make a good deal of money. Also, I'm not going to feel bad about downloading Metallica or Dr. Dre. ASSHOLES.

[theinevitable]

I mean, I think there is a reason that it is the Wombat rule, and not the Everyone rule.
I am not going to feel bad about buying used books and CDs.

[wombat]

My friend who has a book coming out in January and I were discussing the wombat rule earlier today. She is much more in favor of libraries, which she said bought a lot of copies of her last book. And she talked about the sampling thing - if she tries one book and likes it from the library she'll buy the others, so in that sense, libraries are good for writers financially in the long run.

But, she and I have both never forgotten when she published her first book, and two of her acquaintances announced, as if they were very clever, that they'd found used copies to buy even thought it was so new!  Did they not realize that she does not make money off those copies and they don't count towards her sales numbers? I mean, at least don't tell the author that you did it!

Here's the thing: Not only don't most authors make much money, but if the book doesn't sell enough, the publisher will stop publishing their books. So if you like an author and want more to read by that person, it's in your own self-interest to vote with your dollars.

So, you know, it is not an absolute, but I just think it would be good if people would stop and think.

[Doc]

it's in your own self-interest to vote with your dollars.

I'm waiting for that phrase to summon A-Cap in a cloud of smoke and equally acceptable trade.

[JorgeFabregas]

New books are bad for the environment!

Signed,

A dude whose wife buys too many books (new and used).