Tuesday evening I heard local author Robin Sloan read from his 1st novel, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, in a gallery space at Arion Press in the Presidio. The affable Mr. Sloan described how he was inspired to write the story after reading a friend's tweet mentioning the concept of a 24-hour bookstore. The book seems to be a fun read that is steeped in the cultures of both San Francisco & Silicon Valley. In the Q&A, Mr. Sloan was asked about the accuracy of his portrait of Google, & he characterized it as "affectionate exaggeration." He also proudly verified that Hadoop is a real technology. Mr. Sloan is quite sunny about the publishing business & averred that owners of eReaders buy more books, both digital & print.
The event was preceded by a wine reception, & the gathering was literate & cultivated. Arion Press board member Kevin King introduced Mr. Sloan. Mr. King pointed out the book's glow-in-the-dark cover & challenged the author to defend his optimistic vision of the compatibility of old & new technologies.§ Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
Robin Sloan
November 27, 2012, 6:00 p.m.
Arion Press
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