best quiz I've seen in years

Swiped from telophase, who has discerning taste in memes. ( What Steampunk Archetype Am I? )

Badass, man.

a short note on buying books in bookstores

There is a thought I keep having, but not saying; this time, it was triggered by reading the second half of Chris Butcher's excellent pair of essays on the state of the manga industry in North American publishing. Butcher mentions, rightly, that if manga readers/booksellers etc want to see the current market of heavily teen-oriented manga titles evolve into a broader market that can support mature and literary manga, it's important for the manga sphere to help create the climate for it. Readers need to support titles they like by buying them, reviewers should actively talk about those kinds of titles, and booksellers should keep them on the shelves and not just make them available for pre-order. I agree absolutely on all points! Well-stocked stores with a diversity of material contribute immensely to book culture. Although I have limited discretionary spending money and could save a lot by restricting my purchases to the Barnes & Noble where I work, I make a lot of off-the-shelf purchases at wonderful indy comic book stores in my area, because I have poor impulse control because I want to reward them for having books I'd like to read right on the shelf.

But--hey, all you manga and graphic novel fans, who I so often see bemoaning the lack of Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service or what-have-you, at the local chain bookstore, which is the only store within forty miles of you--you do realize you can order books into the store at major chains like B&N and Borders with no obligation to buy? Just because it's not on the shelf when you look doesn't mean that it's never been there, never will be there, or that they won't sell it to you. You can buy damn near anything that's in print from a large chain bookstore--they don't have all the books in print on the shelf because there are too many of them, and it costs too much, but not ordering for the shelf doesn't mean they won't order it for YOU.

( Big bookstores make this option available because they can afford it, and it is not troublesome to them when customers exercise it. )