Sunday, July 21, 2013

Twenty great insults from science fiction & fantasy books

At io9 Amanda Yesilbas and Katharine Trendacosta came up with a list of twenty great insults from science fiction and fantasy books, including:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling

The Marauder’s Map evisceration of Snape:

"Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business.

Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git.

Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a Professor.

Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slime-ball."
Read about the other entries on the list.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban also appears on Charlie Jane Anders's list of the ten greatest prison breaks in science fiction and fantasy.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone also appears on John Mullan's lists of ten of the best owls in literature, ten of the best scars in fiction and ten of the best motorbikes in literature, and Katharine Trendacosta and Charlie Jane Anders's list of the ten greatest personality tests in sci-fi & fantasy, Charlie Higson's top 10 list of fantasy books for children, Justin Scroggie's top ten list of books with secret signs as well as Charlie Jane Anders and Michael Ann Dobbs's list of well-known and beloved science fiction and fantasy novels that publishers didn't want to touch. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire made John Mullan's list of ten best graveyard scenes in fiction.

The Harry Potter books made Cressida Cowell's list of ten notable mythical creatures and Alison Flood's list of the top 10 most frequently stolen books.

Dolores Umbridge is among Emerald Fennell's top ten villainesses in literature and Derek Landy's top 10 villains in children's books. The Burrow is one of Elizabeth Wilhide's nine most memorable manors in literature.

--Marshal Zeringue