h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia: Fear of long words (a.k.a. sesquipedalophobia)

I think it is mean to apply the phobia condition to the name of the affliction, just like aibohpobia: the fear of palindromes, so that anyone suffering from it suffers even more when asked about it.

I do see a fear of wooden books, favouring digital fanfic in my adolescents. Not sure whether it is caused by the fear to gain muscle tone by holding a book while reading it (this only goes for bigger books, phones aren't as heavy) or that it takes more than a thumb to skip potentially 'scary' bits containing human interaction and emotions.

Reading 'bad' stuff and recognising it as such has a huge formative impact. Following the thought that reading bad stuff makes you bad yourself, it is a miracle I didn't turn into a psychopath, looking at the lyrics of the songs I have been listening over the past 35 years.

Oh, the debate about 'real' books. Every time somebody starts moaning about how they can't read unless they can smell ink or touch paper (who DOES these things?), I retort that things went downhill once we stopped using scrolls. What's this codex fad all about, anyway?

I strongly suspect that this points to reading as an activity being state-based for some people, just as writing apparently is for some.

Some people can't write without their cup of coffee, special mouse pad, whatever. I guess some people can't read without a certain format. I started reading things on microfilm - sticking my head in a big metal box at the library - in 1970. I've read old manuscripts where I had to put gloves on. Heck, I read packaging - round or square. What's the difference?

Electronic books are a good thing for the visually impaired. They're good news for forests. There's only one bad thing about them: predatory capitalist publishers who want to RENT people the books rather than SELL them.

Which is why everybody needs to support Brewster Kahle. He's the genius behind the Internet Archive and he's fighting them on behalf of libraries everywhere.

Oh, and yeah - I agree that kids need to read about the 'bad stuff'. It's much preferable to learning about it from experience.

Amen to that last sentence.

Maybe my frustration has more to do with loads of never-ending non-peer-reviewed fanfic and the fact that their Dutch is suffering. I do agree with them that a lot of Dutch literature is boring as hell. Apparently, you can only write it if you have had a terrible childhood. It is all about 'angst', Brussels sprouts and trauma, give or take a few exceptions, some of which decided to throw spelling and grammar overboard entirely and get away with that by calling it surrealism or anarchism. Just like Dutch movies with their obligatory awkward sexual relations.

I know you didn't mean to do it, but reading that last sentence caused scenes from 'Turks fruit' to flash unbidden across my mental screen. You gotta love Rutger Hauer.

But yes, I hear you. I've been ranting about the low quality of independently produced books in English, as well. I consort with some lovely people on Twitter. They write books in a variety of genres (most of which I'm not into). If the publishing industry weren't in a shambles, they would probably get better at it. Instead, their stuff arrives - with not even a proper copy edit - on an ebook site. They've spent WAY more time on their book covers than their antecedents.

Every once in a while, I run through Amazon and read sample chapters. It can be painful.

I understand why you don't want to expose your kids to bad writing. We enjoyed Janwillem van de Wetering's detective fiction.