Yesterday afternoon I participated in the Omaha Public Library’s annual author fair, featuring (mostly) local authors and their books. The highlight, of course, was my own table featuring the “new genre of Lab Lit” and my 3 modest contributions to the burgeoning field. But there were books on everything from a young man’s escape from south Sudan, to a book about service dogs (featuring two very photogenic and amiable greyhounds who graced the library with an appearance) and non-fiction about the women executives in Omaha’s own Warren Buffet’s organization, and much, much more.
I sold several books, particularly hot was “A Degree of Betrayal,” which takes place in an undisclosed medical center in Omaha. And a great time was had by all…
About Steve Caplan
I am a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska where I mentor a group of students, postdoctoral fellows and researchers working on endocytic protein trafficking. My first lablit novel, "Matter Over Mind," is about a biomedical researcher seeking tenure and struggling to overcome the consequences of growing up with a parent suffering from bipolar disorder. Lablit novel #2, "Welcome Home, Sir," published by Anaphora Literary Press, deals with a hypochondriac principal investigator whose service in the army and post-traumatic stress disorder actually prepare him well for academic, but not personal success. Novel #3, "A Degree of Betrayal," is an academic murder mystery. "Saving One" is my most recent novel set at the National Institutes of Health. Now IN PRESS: Today's Curiosity is Tomorrow's Cure: The Case for Basic Biomedical Research (CRC PRESS, 2021).
https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B006CSULBW?
All views expressed are my own, of course--after all, I hate advertising.
Hoorah for Literature!
To be fair, lab lit is not really a new genre. I coined the term almost 15 years ago, but it’s been around a lot longer, with a surge around 1990 (and increasing ever since). If you haven’t seen it already, I graphed its rise in a piece in Nature, here: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v465/n7298/full/465552a.html
But it’s great to see such enthusiastic promotion. Makes me realize I still haven’t decided what to do with my third novel…
Agreed! As I pointed out here http://occamstypewriter.org/stevecaplan/2014/02/02/lab-lit-on-the-map/ there is clearly a history of books about scientists. But I guess I can claim that the idea is still new to most readers.
The author at the neighboring table would call out to people attending the fair: “Murder Mysteries!” and reel them in. “Lives of scientists” is a distinctly harder sell, although I was very happy with the outcome.
As for what to do with a written novel: I recommend publishing it! In my case, it doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to quit my day-job and be a full-time author, so I’m just happy having the opportunity to write something that will be read by a select crowd of interested people.
I think shouting out “Sex in the lab!” would probably do the trick. 😉