The Twilight of Logic

• Frans cites the success of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Vampire series as an example that defies logic. The author was inexperienced and not a talented writer. None the less, her work broke the Hairy Potter best seller longevity record. When she started writing she knew little about vampires and broke all the rules, no fangs, no coffins. We also hear the story of best selling author Steven King who tried to publish under a pseudonym to pump out books faster. What he found out is that his initial success caused his other Steven Kings books to sell well thanks to the brand identification of his name rather than his writing skill.
• We also see how you can’t follow trends and expect success. For example, the relative success of lawyers in the past has lead to an over supply that has reduced the chances of success for new graduates. Anything exposed to market forces needs to be different in order to rise above the competition. Success in the future defies logic and prediction and is therefore somewhat random.

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