From Crime Solving Single Ladies of a Certain Age to a Group of Sweater Detectives
Plus, we got kittens!
Hello fellow readers!
The Atlantic recently published an article on how Meta trained its AI*. Every writer I know is in a justified uproar. In short, Meta used Library Genesis or LibGen, a shadow library for file sharing, for its AI training. I’m still unsure what LibGen is exactly. The descriptions I’ve read online suggest it’s akin to a free library of sorts. Maybe like the notorious Internet Archive? To stock this “free” library, LibGen pirated who knows how many copyrighted works and made them readily available to their users.
This copyrighted work is what Meta used to teach its AI. Or stole, I should say. The Atlantic article provided a tool to search the LibGen database also. Thousands of authors are finding their books in it. Some with 20+ books have been horrified to discover all of their work up for grabs in the database.
Remember those six crime fiction novels I ghostwrote? All are in the database. So, if I have any writers in the house, you might want to check out The Atlantic’s article for your own work. Here again is the link to do this. And, if you do find yourself a victim of this theft, the Authors Guild has created a page where you can tell Meta to stop using your work.
And now, your regularly scheduled links…
* Subscription required unfortunately but you can read enough in the preview to get the idea.
Spinsters, Spinsters, Everywhere
Gretchen Rue at CrimeReads shines a light on the single women who rule cozy fiction.
Also on CrimeReads, Katherine Hall Page remembers Dolores Hitchens and the early days of the “spinster sleuth”.
Meanwhile, Nina Stochlic enlightens readers on Rose Mackenberg, who probably posed as a spinster or two as she worked along-side Houdini to unmask fraudulent mediums.
Fun and Games
Test out your deduction skills at Mystery-O-Matic, where “A mystery a day, keeps the coroner away!”. How high can you get on the Sleuth-O-Meter?
Jonathan Bailey at Plagiarism Today offers insight into the bizarre IP history of Clue/Cluedo.
I love this breakdown on Danger Mouse, one of my favorite childhood cartoons, by Jon at Animated.
If the Walls Could Talk…
Back at CrimeReads, Gigi Pandian examines architectural misdirection in mystery novels.
In an older but still interesting article at The Denver Gazette, Jennifer Wilson recounts the shocking discovery during a home remodel of a man’s confession to a nineteenth century murder written on a board nailed to a wall. If you’d prefer a more recent article on the discovery (and more photos), Mike Walker at Atlas Obscura has you covered.
Be Kind to Your Mind
Things have been a bit slapdash in the world the past few months. If your anxiety’s been spiking (like mine has), Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum via CrimeReads suggests we read a mystery to calm our anxious minds.
And, in case anyone needs to hear it, the amazing Jenny Lawson is here to remind us that there’s beauty in imperfection. Embrace it.
Odds and Ends
Laura Miller at Slate offers Sweater Detective show recommendations to warm you in these still chilly days of early Spring.
On LitReactor, Brian McGackin evaluates Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles.
If you're looking for your next missing persons mystery to read, Jamie Canaves at BookRiot has suggestions. And, if you’re searching for new mystery, thriller, and true crime adaptations to watch instead, Canaves also has eight of them for you to check out.
That’s all for this edi...Ah, wait. I mentioned kittens in the subtitle, didn’t I?
Meet Charles and Oliver, the six month old lil’ darlings who chose us to be their forever family. If you’re wondering about the names, we’re big fans of Only Murders in the Building around here, so Charles and Oliver made sense for our new boys.
Thanks for reading!