Do book awards matter? ft. author Ken Liu

[@Bookborn]

I’m sorry the screen goes blank when I’m talking about Amazon about midway through - Final Cut Pro ate my image there showing how Amazon recommends things and I didn’t notice it until after upload 😅

[@genghisgalahad8465]

Final Cut Pro 🎬 works surreptitiously for the nefarious one devil😈.... it's the darkfriend to Amzn.

[@PonderingsOfPete]

Means you must’ve not fed it well enough at feeding time. SMH. Feeding your video editor a healthy diet of clips and memes is one of the basic things we learn in school

[@groofay]

Yeah sure, just casually drop an hour-long chat with Ken Liu.

[@Bookborn]

I like to keep you guys guessing 😂

[@bookdmb]

Ken Liu is a legit sage as well as one of the greatest living authors of fiction

[@Bookborn]

Every time I leave a chat with him, I've learned something! And his books are no different tbh

[@jackinthebox1993]

Your growth as a KZbinr is insane. You have the greatest attitude and are extremely professional in your work. The Internet is lucky to have you BB 📚

[@kirktanka8199]

Ken Liu is amazing. The fact that he treasures that award speaks volumes about him. I have wanted to start The Grace of Kings, and this just solidified that. I am going to go get that book completely based on this interview and his personality. I could watch many more hours of Ken talking about anything else. Thank you Bookborn, this was a great interview with a fascinating person. By the way, I love Shogun, so I am glad Ken said Grace of Kings in the same sentence as Shogun! 🤣

[@esmayrosalyne]

I'm a simple girl, I see Ken Liu in the title, and I click. This was a fascinating chat, I loved all the insights and speculations, so much to dig into!! Thanks a lot for sharing 🤩

[@pjalexander_author]

You have no idea how much this interview struck a chord with me. Or multiple chords ;) Thank you so much Mr. Liu, and thank you as always bb. 😊 This was so enlightening and so refreshing.

[@Maximus0623]

This was a great discussion and certainly expanded my viewpoint on some things. I especially loved his insight on awards saying more about the people giving them than those winning them, the 100% alone vs 80% match with a large community, and The Odyssey vs Paradise Lost. It’s obvious Ken Liu has a deep understanding of the craft. He should make a masterclass on writing.

[@lieslherman]

This is SUCH a fantastic discussion!! Thank you to both you and Ken Liu--I don't even know where to start while digesting all of this, because it was so jam packed with good insights... But it is so validating, to hear someone highly respected say, essentially, "Art matters because it matters to YOU. No award, or lack thereof, should affect that." Especially in this era where everyone's opinions are readily available, it can be difficult to weigh what we hear against what we feel, make decisions on what to try, etc... But it's also easier than ever because if you can find the right few people who resonate with you, like Liu says, it makes all the difference. And it goes for so many things outside of books: my favorite may not ever be everyone or even many people's faves, and that shouldn't ever matter. I LOVE that. Thank you for sharing!!

[@Bookborn]

"Art matters because it matters to YOU" is seriously SUCH an empowering statement

[@readingwithrebeccanicole]

This makes me more interested in Ken Liu's books than any of the reviews I've seen. So many great thoughts from this interview! I love the conversation about a perfect work vs a great book with a good community. There were many things discussed that I'll be thinking about more

[@sierrajane5593]

This is so I fascinating I actually might go back and make notes… I feel like I just want to hear Ken Liu’s thoughts on every topic in life, he has such amazing insight!

[@mariareadsssf]

Me making sure I listen to all Ken Liu interviews that exist. 😇 Thank you for this opportunity.

[@ri3sch]

Man, I had didn’t know ken liu had such thought on art, market-based value, and pursuits of artists. Very philosophical and insightful

[@XxunforgottenxXxlove]

Wow. I’m only halfway through this is such a great conversation! Thanks for this

[@thecrispymaster]

Not finished the video yet but the convo at about 20mins really strikes a chord because this is basically how I've felt about people measuring the quality of movies with Rotten Tomatoes scores. RT just tells you what proportion of people liked the thing with no real measure on HOW MUCH they liked it (and even that binary "liked/didn't like" metric often seems vague and ill defined when actually reading the reviews themselves). So a good movie by this measure is one that's "pretty enjoyable" for pretty much everyone, rather than targeting more specific tastes. When you consider that, is it really any wonder that big budget Hollywood is where it's at? Striving to be just the right side of "mid" for just enough people to enjoy, probably alienating the hardcore fans when it comes to adapted properties because they ultimately make up quite an insignificant portion of the audience. The only issue with this IMO is that the internet has made us all so connected. People who are fans of a property will rage about something and people who like or agree with them on other things will join in that ire. Angering a fanbase alienates more than that fanbase now, it alienates everyone who follows the loud voices in those spaces, who respect their opinions or literally anyone who wants to hop on a hate bandwagon because a lot of folk like to get the popcorn out to enjoy a good pile-on, even if it's not something they're actually that invested in. You only have to look at stuff like Morbius, memed to oblivion but a film few actually paid to see, to spot examples of this.

[@Bookborn]

Yes, I've thought SO much about how everyone being connected has fundamentally changed how we view art and media. Nothing exists in a vacuum anymore or just among your friends/those you know - and conversations on the internet are vastly different than conversations in person.

[@rodoh22]

I do enjoy awards, but the most fun book I read recently was “Venomous Lumpsucker” which I read because I loved its title and had actually won the Arthur C Clarke award. Great video and conversation with Ken Liu

[@elaineirving77]

What a great interview! I’ve just finished book 2 of the Dandelion Dynasty and am loving the series. Yes his views on the awards and the processes provided more insight. It was the follow up to part 1 I didn’t know I needed 😂 thank you!

[@brooklynkelsey703]

Great conversation!! I learned a lot. I love the idea that the process of awards is more important than the result.

[@h.i.m.3200]

@17:54 - I like the idea of there being a different ideal work for each person. I personally consider a book "good" if it moves me emotionally and/or entertains me. I often don't enjoy reading books that have "sophisticated" or abstract concepts. I can appreciate their cleverness and their value as thought experiments or their literary feats, but if they miss the qualities I prefer, they're not "good" by my standards.

[@gordonhunt5967]

I’m always excited when your videos drop! Especially when it involves Ken Liu!!! The Dandelion Dynasty is easily in my top 10 series of all time.

[@readbykyle3082]

Great channel! #2 television show in the world! (After Durfee, of course)

[@thegreatother25]

Love your content! Hope you're enjoying Dance with Dragons, cannot wait to hear your take on it!

[@SheWasOnlyEvie]

It brings me a weird amount of joy to see Ken Liu having a momentary crisis over 1990 being 34 years ago, because I, too, just this morning, had a crisis over realizing 1996 can now be described as being "almost thirty years ago". To paraphrase Bender from Futurama, I'm gonna make my own book awards with blackjack and ladies of the night.

[@Bookborn]

I know, I didn't MEAN to give him a crisis, but hey we are all living in the reality everyday that the 90s were indeed that long ago 😭

[@krystololsen2318]

I would say I've never been interested in the awards sticker or process, but now I'm interested in checking out the discussions that take place

[@tweegerm]

SO cool you got to interview Ken Liu, really nicely done too! I just saw him on Literature Science Alliance channel a little while ago, love that he's trying to find his readers on booktube, like you guys talk about.

[@Bookborn]

Yes!! Our community needs more attention! I feel like we have a really nice little fantasy one going here

[@Ray.500]

OMGG you really keep blessing us with your innovative content we needed this!!! can’t wait to settle in and watch later tonight 🤍

[@peterunger7372]

Thank you so much! I will listen or read Ken Liu discuss anything. This was a fantastic conversation. Thanks for setting this up and asking great questions!

[@PonderingsOfPete]

great conversation, loved what he had to say about how authors should treat awards and the Japanese award he was showing off was precious. Can't wait to see what he does next

[@chayanika8155]

Damn, this was so good! Yes, it definitely was very thought-provoking. Love Ken Liu's statement, 'Awards tell us more about the people awarding them than anything else.' Even though... uh... I'm a bit embarrassed to admit, I've tried starting both The Grace of Kings and Invisible Planets (where Ken Liu has played a part in translating I think?), neither worked out for me, I BECAME SUCH A HUGE FAN OF HIS PERSONALITY, from this video!!!! Just loved all his insights. A bit curious though, Liu says he loves awards, but feels wary of opening reviews? Isn't that a bit of a contradiction? I would love if you were to do a future video about what seems to be the best way to select books to read, as far as possible, of course. I... er, have to say that I'm one of those who buys books based on the cover (honestly, I can't fight the temptation of a gorgeous cover!), which of course is an imperfect way. I also do take Amazon stars and Goodreads stars into account, hehe. If I am to be honest, though, I hardly ever notice award stickers. I'd heard about the Hugo and Locus? awards in fantasy, but didn't know much about them, even though I'm a pretty voracious reader, of diverse genres though. Thanks for the deep dive!!!

[@DiggerdanReads]

This was an amazing conversation! Ken Liu is very insightful

[@AndrewDMth]

Fantastic chat! Thank you both!

[@hidden317]

Great conversation. Love your channel. Thanks for keeping things grounded for us. ❤

[@anonymousname5860]

I love the Paper Menagerie. I read it as a senior in high school and I remember finding it very moving. I definitely heard of the Dandelion Dynasty and will give it a read.

[@bookishmelody]

What a fabulous discussion; thank you!

[@jaginaiaelectrizs6341]

20:24 - I think, the fact that for some people the thing which may make a book more perfect for them might be if it amasses more of a community around it while for some other people the thing which makes a book more perfect for them may be instead simply how well it reached them personally regardless of how many others it did or did not reach also, actually aligns as a rather perfect extension of Ken Liu's preferred theory the the best work for each individual differs from one individual person to another. And I personally tend to believe that theory is most probably correct, too. 😊👏🏻😁💖💖

[@zoinks2607]

Love this!

[@nazimelmardi]

Just finished the last book, perfect timing. 👏

[@TheCronedoggy]

I just finished hidden girl anthology and loved it. My first Liu book, but I loved it so much I'll eventually read them all

[@genghisgalahad8465]

There is great tangible value in qualitative awards with regard to prestige and the market, but the inherent value must always lie within the work itself, reception and resonance from audience and readers, and a kind of burgeoning zeitgeist milieu significance. Reflectipn in art to life and back is a key 🔑 to success, defined in myriad ways, including reach, sales, and awards, and readership. 🎉 📖 📚

[@vledermaus]

Sadly have yet to read any of his books (too many books to catch up with) but even just from the very beginning, he seems like a cool guy from having a handheld console collection and being into 3d printing alone.

[@Florfilm]

Ken Liu ist such an awesome guy. I never read anything by him, but I have the Paper Menagerie.

[@michaelfeeney6108]

I’d read “The Phone Book” by Ken Liu. Great discussion!

[@kevinkibbe2679]

I love your channel!!

[@karenbird6727]

Thank you for this.

[@davidranderson1]

Writing for the market, or the "one for them, one for me" philosophy, is just one form of the many forms of self censorship, which is just a subset of the different forms of self policing we engage in in a seemingly free society. The philosopher Michel Foucault used the example of Jeremy Bentham's "perfect" prison to describe how a free society exercises control over our minds. Bentham imagined a circular prison in which the guards could see every prisoner but the prisoners could not see the guards. The prisoners therefore would know they could be seen at any time but wouldn't know when. As a result, each prisoner would become their own guard. Even in a free society, we learn to constantly monitor not only our behavior but also our thoughts certainly in terms of what is legal but also what is acceptable, preferred, desirable, etc. Ursula Le Guin explores this idea of social control in a seemingly utopian society in The Dispossessed.

[@jaginaiaelectrizs6341]

My general philosophy is that people should create the things that they want to create and/or the things that they want to see be[ing] created-and should only ever create what they think will sell and/or what they think audiences want to see IF that is genuinely what they personally legitimately want to do.😊 (And either way, it's fine, whether they do or don't; because both things can have different yet equal value! 💖💖)

[@jaginaiaelectrizs6341]

43:15 - I wonder, is he speaking of the annual Japan Science Fiction Convention's Seiun award for Paper Menagerie in the Best Translated Short Story category? 🤔🤔 🤔👀 😁🤭🤭🤷

[@renaissancewoman3770]

I'm a pleb so I'm so sorry I do not know this author, but this was such a great discussion, I cannot believe how good video is.

[@h.i.m.3200]

@58:14 - Yes! I feel like the publishers doomed Jin Yong's Condor Heroes books in English by calling them "the Chinese LOTR" when the only mild similarities are the importance of that series in the 20th century and the heroes going on a journey. Most reviews on the first book talk about being disappointed because the blurb set the book up for failure. (There's also the translation issue but the wrong comp was the most egregious.)

[@PonderingsOfPete]

no, I didn't know who Ken Liu was *muffled screaming*

[@Bookborn]

lmao

[@mattkean1128]

Super interesting

[@edjcaldera]

Great channel

[@jaginaiaelectrizs6341]

31:14 - I just realized.....I dunno if I was literally never taught that, but that was never the lesson or whatever that I ever learned about art! 👀 In fact, that's kind of the opposite of the lesson I learned about art-which is that it's almost not even considered art at all anymore if it's created specifically to sell, because art is about expression and not sales, and that's why many artists actually weren't famous until after they weren't themselves even alive anymore. HOWEVER, I feel like a little bit of both is sometimes possible too? 🤔😁 🙂

[@billyalarie929]

Ken Liu has a delightful voice, I’m surprised by that.

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

Learned a lot!

[@陈晰然]

Compared to how grand the dandelion dynasty series is, the three body problem is merely a child's play

[@NonAnonD]

This channel is so good lmao

[@billyalarie929]

Seriously. It’s consistently great quality.

[@Jmhunte1]

It’s not about satisfying everyone. What about techniques and application of certain methods or even the inversion of generally accepted methods that are used to review artistic works (I.e. use of line, use of lighting for paintings)? I don’t think art historians would agree that the measure of “good” is simply subjective or popular. A philosopher as well would not suggest ethics as a subjective matter. Good does not mean popular, but there are objective measures. Art that lives on as a masterpiece is a combination of skill of the artist and providence that kept it from obscurity. I think more specific awards highlighting books that do specific things well is a great concept though.

[@davidranderson1]

The "best" acting is as hard to judge as the best writing. I think that's why dramas almost always win best picture and why actors playing real people or portraying a person from a different identity group regularly win for best performance. What makes us sad is more universal than what makes us laugh. So it's easier to judge which movie made us the saddest, therefore is the best picture. If acting is about delivering a convincing performance than it's great to have a historical figure, person with a disability, etc. that you can compare their performance to in order to judge whether they got it right. Daniel Day-Lewis won lots of awards essentially for accurately imitating historical figures, people with disabilities, and gay men.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

What makes us sad may be Universal, but what makes us laugh is certainly Paramount. Calling acting "imitating" by DDL is equivalent to calling fiction "lies." There is great tangible value in qualitative awards with regard to prestige and the market, but the inherent value must always lie within the work itself, reception and resonance from audience and readers, and a kind of zeitgeist significance. So, hard disagree on this fundamental misunderstanding of art. En garde! 🤺 📜 🎨 🎬 📚

[@davidranderson1]

Ironic humor is hard to convey in written form. I engaged in hyperbole when I used the word "imitate" to critique not acting but rather award giving (that's where the irony comes in). Award giving has a documented tilt toward actors playing historical figures or people who don't share an identity with the character they are portraying. Why? Because it's hard to say one example of good acting is better than another example of good acting. What's easier to do? Judge the accuracy of a portrayal against a real world example. Given the strong tilt, that seems to be what award voters are doing. An actor is playing a character. Voters seem to be evaluating the accuracy of an imitation.

[@NonAnonD]

I don’t understand why his publicist is sending him reviews lol? I completely agree that both good and bad reviews can impact an author, and they are better off just completely avoiding them.

[@rachelspencer9456]

🧡📚🧡📚🧡📚🧡

[@robertunijat8299]

As I'm currently in the middle of book 2 of the Dandelion this was very interesting to listen to. I chuckled a little when you said that the "internet landscape" was different in 1990; very true as in there was none. /godImold 😉