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queensthief2020-11-02 04:07 pm
checkers65477.livejournal.com) wrote in queensthief2020-11-02 04:07 pm
Entry tags:
Happy Birthday to Us!
Our little ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
sounis community is all grown up. 15 years old, can you believe it?? We're old enough to act surly and roll our eyes, tear up our army enrollment papers, and go searching for Hamaithes' Gift.
This community formed just before King of Attolia was published and has remained active pretty steadily over the years. With the publication of the last book in the series, this may be sort of a last hurrah for us, although I think we'll be talking about RotT for quite awhile yet.
As a tribute tosounis, I thought there'd be no better words than what Megan said in the virtual author visit last week. Here's a transcript from the part of her talk that touched on the dedication in RotT.
"They're probably wondering why I dedicated it to Sophos, right? The book is dedicated to Sounis, and that is the community on Livejournal that has been talking about my books for the last 14 years or something. They are a truly wonderful group of people and I've loved peeking into their community and reading their conversations over their shoulders. And sometimes participating; I was in their Halloween chat in disguise, just last week. But Sounis was one of the reasons I have the Not Telling policy.
Back in the day, authors didn't get a lot of interaction with their fans. When the Thief came out, there weren't Amazon reviews. The only reviews you got were in School Library Journal and Kirkus and Horn Book, and that was it. Maybe really dedicated people would write a letter and after 6 or 8 months your publisher would send it to you. The Internet was transforative. Suddenly you could see, in real time, people reacting to your book. And one of the things that happened in Sounis was they were talking about my books and everything that I'd ever hoped anybody would notice, they did. To get that kind of experience as an author, not only that they liked your book but that they GOT the book...and they picked up on things on a second read. Which told me, "Oh my gosh, they read my book twice." Or they read my book three times. And they talked about it and somebody understood something one way, and somebody else would present a different interpretation. It was great.
Watching it, I realized, I never wanted to be part of that conversation because the author in the conversation short circuits everything by just answering the question...If the author can just answer that question at the touch of a screen I think it takes something away from those readers who really want to figure all that stuff out for themselves. I have watched for years while people in that community essentially validate the things I've written, and I'm incredibly greatful. When it was time to dedicate this last book, I figured, these people--some of whom had been waiting for 23 years since reading The Thief--there's really nobody in the world that means more to me than these readers so I dedicated the book to them."
So, have a slice of Sophos' iced honey cake and raise a glass to us!
sounis community is all grown up. 15 years old, can you believe it?? We're old enough to act surly and roll our eyes, tear up our army enrollment papers, and go searching for Hamaithes' Gift.This community formed just before King of Attolia was published and has remained active pretty steadily over the years. With the publication of the last book in the series, this may be sort of a last hurrah for us, although I think we'll be talking about RotT for quite awhile yet.
As a tribute to
sounis, I thought there'd be no better words than what Megan said in the virtual author visit last week. Here's a transcript from the part of her talk that touched on the dedication in RotT."They're probably wondering why I dedicated it to Sophos, right? The book is dedicated to Sounis, and that is the community on Livejournal that has been talking about my books for the last 14 years or something. They are a truly wonderful group of people and I've loved peeking into their community and reading their conversations over their shoulders. And sometimes participating; I was in their Halloween chat in disguise, just last week. But Sounis was one of the reasons I have the Not Telling policy.
Back in the day, authors didn't get a lot of interaction with their fans. When the Thief came out, there weren't Amazon reviews. The only reviews you got were in School Library Journal and Kirkus and Horn Book, and that was it. Maybe really dedicated people would write a letter and after 6 or 8 months your publisher would send it to you. The Internet was transforative. Suddenly you could see, in real time, people reacting to your book. And one of the things that happened in Sounis was they were talking about my books and everything that I'd ever hoped anybody would notice, they did. To get that kind of experience as an author, not only that they liked your book but that they GOT the book...and they picked up on things on a second read. Which told me, "Oh my gosh, they read my book twice." Or they read my book three times. And they talked about it and somebody understood something one way, and somebody else would present a different interpretation. It was great.
Watching it, I realized, I never wanted to be part of that conversation because the author in the conversation short circuits everything by just answering the question...If the author can just answer that question at the touch of a screen I think it takes something away from those readers who really want to figure all that stuff out for themselves. I have watched for years while people in that community essentially validate the things I've written, and I'm incredibly greatful. When it was time to dedicate this last book, I figured, these people--some of whom had been waiting for 23 years since reading The Thief--there's really nobody in the world that means more to me than these readers so I dedicated the book to them."
So, have a slice of Sophos' iced honey cake and raise a glass to us!
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:') I'm so glad this forum came into being when it did, as I started reading the series round about the time KoA came out. And I lurked until ACoK. It's been such a happy influence on my life ever since.
I love that MWT has enjoyed reading over our shoulders (and occasionally joining in). The internet has become an unfriendly place to too many authors but this has always been a refreshingly positive corner, though I blush (like Sophos!) to think of some of the shenanigans she's witnessed over the years! 0;)
For as long as Sounis exists, I plan on being around. <3
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(Anonymous) 2020-11-03 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)Rouan
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I've been trying to remember when I became aware of Sounis-the-community, without much success. I think I lurked for a few years before I tip-toed in to a chat a little while after aCoK came out because there was a rumor MWT might show up. (And she DID, and she REPLIED TO SOMETHING I SAID and I very nearly fainted away like Irene at the sight of blood. Well...of Eugenides's blood, anyway.) And then I went back to lurking :)
Even though I don't post or chat much and I haven't gotten to know any of you, the Sounis community means a great deal to me as a place I know I can go and see my own joy and appreciation for these amazing books reflected back to me. I appreciate you!
~Rosie
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I can't remember exactly how long I've been a member, and I've never been the most active person, but I've loved reading the discussions and knowing that others care as deeply about the books as I do. And I so fondly remember meeting Megan along with other Sounis members at a Starbucks at San Diego Comic-Con in 2010 and at the LA Times book festival in 2011.
Happy birthday, Sounis!
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Happy birthday, Sounis! You've all changed my life for the better!
*huggles all the reprobates*
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And thank you to all the serial posters and organizers f discussions. I've always been a lurker and a back row audience member.
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As for RoTT being the last hurrah, we can always generalize the community to anything MWT writes. Seems like she has a few ideas for future books. To be honest, I'm more worried about LiveJournal just kicking the bucket in the next few years more than the Sounis community itself dwindling XD.
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Quite by accident, I recently came by the dates of my Sounis journey. I began to lurk in 2008 after MWT replied to an email of mine and alerted me to this community. I joined in 2009, and in 2010 was able to meet MWT at an event (sadly, can't remember which event but it was in the Bay Area) and also met many lovely Sounisians at a "ThiefCon."
These days I am not on LJ very often and am once again mostly a lurker but I so appreciate that the community continues to thrive and that there is always somewhere to go for more discussion when I'm doing rereads or just want to see what everyone is up to these days.
Many happy returns!