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When we were young, my mother, after Sunday dinner, would read from “My Life and Hard Times” (Thurber) or PG Wodehouse’s Mr Mulliner stories and we would howl with laughter. Sent me down many pleasant rabbit holes for similar writing.

I tried to read Lord of the Rings when I was young, completely bounced off it. Read the Hobbit, enjoyed that and went back to LOTR later. Also didn't read Moby Dick until my 40s and absolutely loved it then. I wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much in my 20s.

*Same SHOW not same shoe my gods.

And sometimes they get a special interest in it, sometimes in things I don't have as much interest in myself. Our eldest likes vintage computers and typewriters and Polaroid cameras and tricks older games used on lesser hardware to pull off graphics and he even remembers release dates of things 🤯

Yup. My bookshelves were always open to Athena if she wanted to explore. Also, I took her to the bookstore frequently and let her pick books of her own.

I was born in 1980 and ever since I was a kid I loved movies from silent era up until my childhood. I never had that problem and never understood people who did. So much wonderful art throughout history.

I, born in 1960, and my daughter, born in 1997, have an ongoing cultural exchange. We take turns playing DJ in the car and enjoy movies and TV series from the past 6 decades. But books? She likes sci-fi/fantasy while I'm a nonfiction history junky. All I'll say is she keeps me young.

Decades? Try centuries, says the English major whose course work spanned from Beowulf to Faulkner. 🙂 Yes, I know wanting to do that makes me unusual. That's fine. I've been eccentric since forever.

I found the Algonquin Round Table as a teen by reading (then) current newspaper columnists, which led me to older columnists, including HL Mencken, which lead me to the American Mercury and then to the early New Yorker, which took me to Parker, Thurber, Benchley, et al. A lovely exploration...

Either the “classics” are so good you’d want to read them anyway, in which case making this a purity test is entirely redundant, or else this is just a purity test, in which case you’re dealing with a gatekeeper bro who doesn’t know reading is a thing we do for fun.

That is a good point..

While in some ways it's a good thing to develop standards, they also steal joy.

Once I read through all the scifi/fantasy space books in my personal library (audio book format) I was having issues with my eyes I was desperate, so I read all the classics and I advise everyone to do that. It was fun to see how the robots were first made. Asimov was specifically delightful.

And on this note, absolutely watch Reacher, soak in it, love it. Just maybe don't rewatch it. A lot of highly improbables or impossibles might jump out at you. (How are 650 surface to air missiles shipped cross-country? In a civilian container trailer with no security escort or seal on the doors!)

Don't underestimate the power of "some of the chapters are told from the perspective of a dead person" on teenage curiosity. I will note I managed to read the wrong book, but still, somehow, ended up liking Faulkner.

It'd be like trying to teach CS 101 straight from Knuth's TAOCP. No.

I am reminded of your blog post from six years ago about the stupidity of demanding that new readers/writers slog through the sci-fi "canon". 100% agree. whatever.scalzi.com/2020/08/07/o...

And some of those classics sit better if the new generation is allowed to experience it without You Will Get This guidance. I loved Lord Of The Flies by myself at 14, hated it at 15 when led/graded by a teacher who was so ready to retire 'swing by if you want to keep your final projects' was a lie.

This happens all the time with the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise

It's sometimes intentional, as a form of gatekeeping. "You're not a *real* fan unless..."

I have never been madder about someone else’s fine taste in music as I am when that happens.

Try explaining 45's and LP's to an 18 yo, As for bangers Led Zep and Whole Lot of Love every time!

False dilemma is the bedrock logical fallacy of internet discussion

The closet!

I hope it’s clear that my responses did not intend this (not that you’re necessarily addressing me, of course!). I think you’re right that older work is not generally where young readers should start in any genre.

I think all the 80s revival synth bands that are popular right now kind of refutes that. I'm thinking of "Nation of Language" and "Hot Chip". Young people will always find some part of that past, see value in it and revive it. This is as old as, well, old itself.

As my username suggests, I slightly resemble George Lucas. One time, a clerk at a drive-thru said he thought Jerry Garcia. Told my adult daughter about it and she replied “Who?”

My mother raised me on the Beach Boys and I Love Lucy reruns. In the 90s. But obviously those things weren’t “it”, I just didn’t care. Our experiences are all subjective. Everyone will love something from the past. There’s lots to love. Which is why old things aren’t “it” anymore!

When I was young, I generally didn’t care for music from my parents’ generation. As an adult, I learned about the MC5, the Velvet Underground, and David Bowie, and I understood that there was plenty of good music, but my parents just weren’t cool.

This is why I like to just put on random music and movies at my house, even if my kiddo complains, or doesn't like it. Because there will be one time where she does connect, and that will lead to more interest. She can always leave the room, and she is always welcome to stay.

That was a lot of confusing words

When I was young, I loved watching The Monkees. I remember knowing it was from my dad's time and asking him if he liked them too. He told me, no, he liked The Beatles. Years later I mentioned enjoying a Johnny Cash song and he said, "You know Johnny Cash?" He was a big fan.

In my profession, new members are expected to give presentations of their work at conferences. And the overwhelming majority get up in front of a much more experience group, and start with “no one has ever…“  with no historical context, how the hell would they know?

That is a fun image. Music always shifts with the times. It shows how we find new ways to connect. It is cool to see older styles inspire new ones. Keep sharing your love for the old beats.