Michael Chabon has done an interesting project, that he calls โThe Shelves of Time.โ
โAn imaginary reconstruction of the Fantasy & Science Fiction section at Page One Books, Columbia, MD, as aggregated and averaged by memories of regular, intense perusal during the years 1972-1980.โ
Itโs a kick to see many of these covers again, many of which I imagine will be familiar to yโall. Itโs also a strange glimpse into Chabonโs mind.
Borrowed from our friends David Levine and Kate Yule. Itโs a line from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Indy: Snakes. Whyโd it have to be snakes?
Sallah (peering into the tomb): Asps. Very dangerous. (pause) You go first.
Usage:
โThat rhino snot pie on the menu looks interesting.โ
โAsps.โ
(Kate died in 2016. We miss her a lot.)
Made by our friend Moshe Feder in New York.
Dave Winer writes: โIf I see something on Micro.blog that I would Like on another system, I don’t comment, I just do nothing, not because I’m bashful or overly quiet, rather because this is a language, and a comment has different meaning from a Like.โ
This is another example where science fiction fanzines had this situation decades before online venues. (Not a surprise โ many online customs clearly have precursors.) In this instance, thereโs an acronym. RAEBNC. Read And Enjoyed But No Comment.
Iโve said before among my circle on Facebook that the FB Like fulfills much of the function of RAEBNC. Twitter is somewhat different, because of velocity. Instagram, because of the implicit aesthetic assessment.
But both Like and RAEBNC are doing that same thing โ I read it, I agree with it, and no more communication at this time, Captain. (snappy salute)