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Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.
Give ‘Em Something to Tok About
Rolling Stone has rounded up the 11 biggest BookTok hits of 2024 so far, and you might be surprised to learn that they’re not all romantasy. Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Mist and Fury and Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing hold down the first two spots as expected, followed by Brynne Weaver’s serial killer romance (yep, serial killers who do it is a thing) Butcher and Blackbird. Contemporary rom-coms snag a couple spots thanks to Emily Henry and Hannah Grace, and dark academia makes a good showing with The Secret History and The Atlas Six. Notably, Colleen Hoover is nowhere to be found. The algorithm, she is a fickle mistress.
Disney Pauses Gaiman Adaptation in Response to Sexual Assault Allegations
In the two months since news of two women accusing Neil Gaiman of sexual assault first broke and was followed by two more women coming forward, I’ve spent a lot of time wondering when we would see broader coverage and if Gaiman would face any professional consequences. As Maris Kreizman points out, publishing and book media have been conspicuously quiet about this these particular allegations. The whisper network is buzzing with publishing professionals’ stories about Gaiman, but none of the major industry outlets have covered the allegations (and linking to someone else’s story in a tweet doesn’t count, PW).
Now, the tide seems to be turning. Disney has “paused” production on its adaptation of The Graveyard Book, which has been plagued by a revolving door of directors since 2012. Smart money says it won’t be revived. Additionally, Netflix has announced that Dead Boy Detectives, based on Gaiman’s comic series, will not be renewed for a second season despite having been well-received by fans and critics alike. Netflix did not give a reason for the change. Will these high-profile cancellations create the permission structure publishing apparently needs to prompt a bigger conversation? Stay tuned.
Steve Silberman Has Died at 66
Steve Silberman, a science writer whose 2015 book NeuroTribes expanded the public’s understanding of autism and helped popularize the concept of neurodiversity, has died at the age of 66. It’s hard to overstate how ubiquitous Silberman and NeuroTribes were at the time of the book’s release, garnering rave reviews, bestseller status, and spots on many best-of-the-year lists. More importantly, Silberman’s work contributed to shifting the discourse about autism away from defining it as an illness in need of a cure and toward understanding it as a disability for which individuals receive accommodations and support to participate in public life. If this framing seems like a given now, it’s due in no small part to NeuroTribes. Fare thee well, Steve Silberman.
Authors Discover Book Bans Four Years Later
Funny how the way authors talk about book bans changes when they discover their books are included.
