By any other name ...

Here at the Vulture, we raised a collective eyebrow on hearing the intriguing news that John Banville, surprise winner of this year's Booker, has decided to turn his hand to thriller writing - under the pen name Benjamin Black. Seems that someone - his publisher, perhaps? - has forgotten to explain to Banville that Booker winners are supposed to make the most of their new-found fame - but we say, good luck to him. He's obviously resisting the temptation to take himself too seriously - and by branching out into genre fiction, he'll no doubt reach a far wider audience than the largely academic crowd that currently appreciate him. Wonder how he chose his pseudonym? Read the story in full here.