Brian Niemeier's Blog: Kairos - by Brian Niemeier, page 10

Business Type x Passion Type

One central aim of this blog is helping writers learn to find readres. You can become one of mine by backing my dark fantasy novel Lord of Fate, now funding on Kickstarter. Ryukishi07, the creator of hit light novels such as Higurashi and Umineko, has given interviews in which he’s highlighted three categories of writers. Defined along the Profession-Expression axis…

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Brand Evangelism: Consuming Our Way to Meaning?

In today’s extremely online world, we see branding going beyond just selling products. From tech giants to entertainment companies, corporations are deploying “brand evangelism” to create devoted followings with cultish loyalty. This phenomenon has turned product consumption into a substitute for deeper, more meaningful pursuits—and for many fans, it’s become a pseudo-religion.

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Older Zoomers vs Younger Zoomers

Over on X, Dylan Smith (@heaveninterface) notices the stark differences between kids born in the 90s and those born in the aughts. He’s not wrong. Except about calling people born in 1996 “Zoomers”. Related: Lost Generations A model’s worth is dependent on its predictive value. As we’ve seen, demographic models that lump people born in 1996 in with those born in 2010 is neither…

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The 20th Century Is Over, Act Accordingly

Such is author JD Cowan’s appraisal of Current Year science fiction and fantasy: Related: Is Science Fiction Doomed After Generation X? My comment: The mass media distribution monopolies of the post-WWII years has lulled most members of the Baby Boomer through Generation Y cohorts into forgetting that science fiction wasn’t always about Big Men With Screwdrivers…

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Is Science Fiction Doomed After Generation X?

As the literary landscape shifts, we might be witnessing a significant transition in genre dominance. Science fiction, once a staple of speculative fiction, may be losing ground to fantasy, particularly among younger readers like Generation Z. The unique cultural and societal factors shaping Gen Z suggest that science fiction’s popularity might not endure beyond Generation X. Let’s take a look…

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Today We Rest From Our Labors

A chronic affliction of the American mind is the backwards notion that leisure serves work and not the other way around. Catholic philosopher Josef Pieper that people work to afford the luxury of leisure time. After all, that’s ultimately why retirement plans and pensions are coveted parts of workers’ compensation packages. Yet most people are under the mistaken belief that the value of leisure…

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Lord of Fate Labor Day Limited Offer

Facing a long layover this weekend? Daunted by the prospect of daylong car trips today and Monday? Relax. I’ve got you covered! Just for all of you coach-class chillers, hardcore grillers, and grimdark thrillers out there, I’ve put together the single best crowdfunder deal ever offered on this site. Claim the Labor Day Limited Offer reward, and you get … That epic haul would run you…

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Authors: Grow the Pie or Die

A speech that’s become infamous in science fiction circles is Michel and Wolheim’s “Mutation or Death.” While the change it argued for was socialism, it did have a point from a business perspective. To paraphrase Major Motoko Kusanagi, stagnation is slow death. Business models must grow and adapt to thrive, and that means growing the pie. For authors, growing an audience isn’t just about…

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Talking With the Devil Box

A common criticism leveled at Baby Boomers by members of younger generations is that trying to change Boomers’ minds with dialectical reason is like hitting your head against the wall. This intellectual stubbornness is summed up in the meme “When you’re arguing with a Boomer, you’re really arguing with the television.” The Baby Boomers’ status as the first generation raised by television lends a…

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The Lord of Fate Kickstarter Is Live

This is your chance to get the book before launch & claim awesome rewards! The thrilling sequel to dark fantasy adventure The Burned Book is now on Kickstarter! A holy warrior plagued by doubt … A cloistered mystic yoked with rulership … A fated prophet seeking the powers of life and death … Besieged by a ruthless prince and a cruel legion, the free port of Dailij seems doomed.

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