And I have to take exception to the inclusion of McCarthy’s The Road. Time would be far better spent on a re-read of Miller’s Canticle.

Honestly. An appropriately brief review of The Road: former darling of the literati engages in depressive masturbation. The end.

Same for Garcia-Marquez, Cortazar, Borges and Bioy Casares being ignored as fantastic (in every sense of the word) writers in the genre canon. I could add Guy de Maupassant, Théophile Gautier, Italo Calvino, Voltaire (“Micrómegas”), Rabelais.

Dostoievsky did very few fantasy, but his “Crocodile” is also a must-read for any serious fan.

“Hawking’s belief that the lay person should have access to his work led him to write a series of popular science books in addition to his academic work. The first of these, A Brief History of Time, was published on 1 April 1988 by Hawking, his family and friends, and some leading physicists. It surprisingly became a best-seller and was followed by The Universe in a Nutshell (2001).”

A *true* genius, such as Hawking, can produce a ‘simple book’ that involves complex concepts that can be enjoyed by everyone. Impenetrable writing is crap writing.

And also from here:

“Hawking was asked about his IQ in a 2004 newspaper interview, and replied, “I have no idea. People who boast about their I.Q. are losers.”"

And *that’s* why he’s the smartest guy on the planet.

Don’t get me wrong – I love physical books. That’s why I’ve got so many of the damn things taking up all space. A bookbinding press, plough, and other bookbinding tools take up some room as well, but I use them to make yet more books.

So, yes, ebook availability makes a huge difference to me, because buying a kindle was cheaper than buying a bigger house.

I agree.

It’s not on Kindle.

So what.

Buy the book…