And why did I hear about, I don't know. Ender's Game, I guess? Hyperion? Not that these are bad, but that they're not aligned with my particular interests. These unique voices are out there, even lauded, and I seem somehow to be paying attention to the wrong spaces.

Given how exciting I found what I've read from both of them, it's shocking I hadn't heard of them.

In the last year I have been hearing about Gene Wolfe and M John Harrison, both of him were prolific for decades and who never flitted across my radar. How?

I think that there's something about influential writers from exactly one generation back being skipped over because they influenced people that hadn't yet broken out. This last year I've been exposed to Angela Carter and Joy Williams, both of whom wrote for decades, but never came across my radar.

(Note: this post is not endorsed nor in any way affiliated with Sleeper Coffee of Astoria, OR, where you can enjoy a range of sumptuous caffeinated and decaf drinks while watching the cargo ships on the Columbia and breaking a loved one's heart.)

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Update: I think my espresso machine might be struggling with anxiety and also projecting its neurosis onto anyone nearby.