This one's primarily for Lisa: the Literature Map. You type in the name of an author, and it shows you what authors are the most similar, thereby giving you (hopefully) recommendations for new authors.
So Charlotte Bronte shows up the closest to Jane Austen. I'll accept that, even if Bronte had a low regard for Austen's work. However, how on earth did Daphne Du Maurier (author of Rebecca) end up the closest to L. M. Montgomery? Granted, Wilder, Alcott, and L'Engle are close by, but still...
I'd love to know the criteria they're using. For example, Madeleine L'Engle and Dorothy L. Sayers show up next to each other. Okay, I get it. They both deal with theological issues in their fiction (which is often genre fiction, although different genres), and they both have a good grasp of diction. But L'Engle also shows up near Edna St. Vincent Millay, and the only thing I know that they have in common is that I like them both. Probably not what it's based on.
ETA:
So "God" showed up on the map, and I clicked on it, just to see who would be on His map. The list had Jesus next to Him (so far so good), and then a baffling variety of names around them. They included Drew Carey, Joseph Smith, the Holy Spirit, Arthur C. Clarke (of 2001: A Space Odessey fame), Tim LaHaye, Gary Paulsen (Hatchet), Saint Paul, Satan, and Einstein. Wow...
ETA2: Apparently the point is not so much that the authors are similar as that people who will like one will also like the other. It still seems massively flawed to me.
About Me
- Sally
- I delight in quirkiness, interesting books, fresh produce, and old hymns. Contrary to what some have thought, I am not a vagabond. I am a deeply rooted, often-transplanted, small tree.
5 comments:
That's okay. I typed Lemony Snicket and got Hector Berlioz. Yes, the composer.
Very interesting. I'm wondering even where they got their choice of names from. God's map includes Tim LaHaye and Dr. Tim LaHaye, who, unless I'm mistaken, are the same person. I also find it amusing that F*ck is on God's map. I didn't know there was an author by that name.
if you look over to the side bar on the left, there's a note that says, "the closer two writers are, the more likely someone will like both of them." so i bet what it does is count the number of times someone types in a given author's name, and then clicks on another given author. so the more people who type in "neil gaiman" and then click on "terry pratchett" the closer terry pratchett moves to neil gaiman.
strangely enough, jane austen appears on the map for neil gaiman.
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