Saturday, July 23, 2011
Sunday eBook Review: Ghost Plane and Other Disturbing Stories
Suzanne Tyrpak, Ghost Plane and Other Disturbing Tales
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Cascade
[This post continues the post of 08 June 2011 titled How Jacques Pepin will change ebooks.]
Cookbooks present a profitable venue for embedded explanatory video. What other type of books present such venues?
1. Carpentry books;
2. Plumbing books;
3. Electrical wiring books;
4. Car mantenance and car repair books;
5. Owners' manuals;
6. Some children's books (I think there will always be a place for DTBs in children's books, but I think interactive first readers comprise a profitable venue.);
7. Language instruction books;
8. History books;
9. Interactive mathematics textbooks; and
10. Any 'How-to' books.
I can see this happening. And here's the way it'll happen:
Once upon a time, there were no automatic washing machines. And the people were sad. Then Maytag said, "Let there be automatic washing machines at affordable prices." And the people were happy. But the automatic washing machines did not clean as well as the old by-hand washing. And the people were sad. Then Procter and Gamble said, "Fret not, for the problem lies not with the machine but with the soap." And the people asked, "How shall we wash our clothes without soap?" And Procter and Gamble said, "Here, use this." And the people asked, "What is it?" And Procter and Gamble said, "We call it 'detergent'. And, lo, it worketh better in the machine than doeth soap. And its name shall be called 'Tide' because it foameth like the sea waves." And the people asked, "How much?" And Procter and Gamble named a price. And the people said, "That's pretty steep. How 'bout you throw in a manufacturer's coupon or something?" And Procter and Gamble said, "Okayeth."
And the moral of the story?
Tide was the first washing machine detergent. Nearly a hundred years later, its formula is unchanged, and it still has a 24% market share. The next most popular brand has an 18% market share. (And it's a Procter and Gamble product, too.)
The author who gets there first with a book on 'how to' do something that Mister John Q wants to do will own a dominant market share.
Don't believe me? Look at Microsoft and Amazon.
Right now Apple's iPad is the hands-down best platform for presenting embedded video. If Apple exploit this advantage timely, they will dominate the market for decades.
____________________
Cookbooks present a profitable venue for embedded explanatory video. What other type of books present such venues?
1. Carpentry books;
2. Plumbing books;
3. Electrical wiring books;
4. Car mantenance and car repair books;
5. Owners' manuals;
6. Some children's books (I think there will always be a place for DTBs in children's books, but I think interactive first readers comprise a profitable venue.);
7. Language instruction books;
8. History books;
9. Interactive mathematics textbooks; and
10. Any 'How-to' books.
I can see this happening. And here's the way it'll happen:
Once upon a time, there were no automatic washing machines. And the people were sad. Then Maytag said, "Let there be automatic washing machines at affordable prices." And the people were happy. But the automatic washing machines did not clean as well as the old by-hand washing. And the people were sad. Then Procter and Gamble said, "Fret not, for the problem lies not with the machine but with the soap." And the people asked, "How shall we wash our clothes without soap?" And Procter and Gamble said, "Here, use this." And the people asked, "What is it?" And Procter and Gamble said, "We call it 'detergent'. And, lo, it worketh better in the machine than doeth soap. And its name shall be called 'Tide' because it foameth like the sea waves." And the people asked, "How much?" And Procter and Gamble named a price. And the people said, "That's pretty steep. How 'bout you throw in a manufacturer's coupon or something?" And Procter and Gamble said, "Okayeth."
And the moral of the story?
Tide was the first washing machine detergent. Nearly a hundred years later, its formula is unchanged, and it still has a 24% market share. The next most popular brand has an 18% market share. (And it's a Procter and Gamble product, too.)
The author who gets there first with a book on 'how to' do something that Mister John Q wants to do will own a dominant market share.
Don't believe me? Look at Microsoft and Amazon.
Right now Apple's iPad is the hands-down best platform for presenting embedded video. If Apple exploit this advantage timely, they will dominate the market for decades.
____________________
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Sunday eBook Review: Falling Free
(cover from Shelfari:
this is the 1999 mass market paperback cover)
this is the 1999 mass market paperback cover)
Published 8/1/2007
| SKU: | 1416521410 |
| Ebook Price: $5.00 | |
Available from Baen Books as the first part of Miles, Mutants and Microbes(by Lois McMaster Bujold).
(For reasons known only to God and Google, this got saved as a draft and did not get posted when I wrote it last year. I post it now. My apologies, Ms Bujold.)
1. Short review:
2. Long review:
2.1. What I liked: Well-conceived, well-written SF by LMB.
Roller coaster or walk in the park? Roller coaster.
2.2. What I did not like: Falling Free is one of LMB's early works. At the time she wrote Falling Free, she had not yet shed the use of adverbs and saidisms; for example, "Thank you." Leo smiled back automatically. / "I'm head of the Cay Project now; I'll be your boss," Van Atta amplified. ['automatically' is a null; it adds nothing. Most adverbs add nothing. 'amplified' is a saidism. It is redundant. 'said' works as well. Better. 'said' is no longer a word; it is punctuation.]
2.3. Who I think is the audience: Hard SF fans.
2.4. Is the book appropriate for children to read? Yes. 12 and up will enjoy it.
2.5. On the basis of reading this book, will I buy the next book in the series? Yes, but LMB wrote in an author's note that she has not written much else about the quaddies (creatures in the book).
2.6. Other: (my highlights from the book follow)
'The human mind is the ultimate testing device.'
'You may fool men. You will never fool the metal.' (I've half a mind to get this one engraved on a brass plaque and mount it over my desk.)
'There was no limit to what one man might do, if he gave all, and held back nothing.'
'It's not what we do next week, it's what we do next that counts most.'
'We make our own luck.'
'I know better than to humiliate a man like this, and then leave him alive.'
'If you ever have to make a choice between learning and inspiration, boy, choose learning. It works more of the time.'
'[W]hat is the most important leg of a three-legged stool? The one that is missing.'
'[D]on't be afraid of troubles.... They're a sign of life.'
Falling Free ends 39% of the way through the volume Miles, Mutants and Microbes.
2.7. Links: Baen's Bar
To find where Lois McMaster Bujold hangs out, register at Baen's Bar (link above) and scroll down to the thread titled 'Miles to Go'. (If you are an LMB fan, you get the joke.) From time to time, you can find me on the Bar, too, but I don't have my own thread.
2.8. Buy the book: Baen's Books, Miles, Mutants and Microbes
____________________
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Sunday eBook Review: Clarkesworld Magazine
ClarkesWorld Magazine
[The Product Details above apply to the July 2011 issue, Issue Number 58.]
Kindle Subscription: $1.99 a month
1. Short review: (4 out of 5 stars)
2. Long review:
2.1. What I liked: In every issue I have seen, the pieces were well-written. Each issue contains three articles and two SF short stories. Gives value for the money (US$1.99).
2.3. Who I think is the audience: SF fans.
2.4. Is the book appropriate for children to read? Yes and no. In ClarkesWorld Magazine, I have seen nothing vulgar, profane, or blasphemous, so parents may rest easy on that score. But I doubt the kiddies will understand or enjoy the typical ClarkesWorld short.
2.5. On the basis of reading this book, will I buy the next book in the series? Yes. I subscribe.
2.6. Other:
[No image available. I cannot copy the ClarkesWorld Magazine thumbnail.]
Product Details
|
[The Product Details above apply to the July 2011 issue, Issue Number 58.]
Kindle Subscription: $1.99 a month
1. Short review:
(4 out of 5 stars)2. Long review:
2.1. What I liked: In every issue I have seen, the pieces were well-written. Each issue contains three articles and two SF short stories. Gives value for the money (US$1.99).
Roller coaster or walk in the park? Varies from month to month.
2.2. What I did not like: Not every short is to my taste, but so it goes with magazines.
2.2. What I did not like: Not every short is to my taste, but so it goes with magazines.
2.3. Who I think is the audience: SF fans.
2.4. Is the book appropriate for children to read? Yes and no. In ClarkesWorld Magazine, I have seen nothing vulgar, profane, or blasphemous, so parents may rest easy on that score. But I doubt the kiddies will understand or enjoy the typical ClarkesWorld short.
2.5. On the basis of reading this book, will I buy the next book in the series? Yes. I subscribe.
2.6. Other:
ClarkesWorld Magazine began offering Kindle subscriptions with its June 2011 issue, Issue Number 57. The staff's published goal is 500 subscriptions by October 2011.
Other than ClarkesWorld Magazine, only Analog and IASFM offer subscriptions; they charge US$2.99 an issue, but their magazines contain more stories per issue. F&SF sells single issues by Kindle (US$2.99 each) but does offer subscriptions.
2.7. Links: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/
(If you chase this link and scroll down to the bottom of the page, you will find a button that takes you to Amazon's ClarkesWorld Kindle subscription page.)
2.8. Buy the book: Clarkesworld Magazine
2.8. Buy the book: Clarkesworld Magazine
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Flight Out
Genre: ROMANCE
Length: SHORT STORY — 5 pages
Rating: PG13 for sexual situations
——-
"Do you love me?"
How dare he ask her?
But what will she answer?
=====
Flight Out is now available at Amazon for only 99¢.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Sunday eBook Review: Cautionary Tales
Product Details
- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 161 KB
- Print Length: 25 pages
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
- Language: English
- ASIN: B004PLNIPE
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews)
- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 161 KB
- Print Length: 25 pages
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
- Language: English
- ASIN: B004PLNIPE
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews)
1. Short review:
2. Long review:
2.1. What I liked: Good for laughs. Gave value for the money (US$1.99).
Roller coaster or walk in the park? Walk in the park.
2.2. What I did not like: Does not apply.
2. Long review:
2.1. What I liked: Good for laughs. Gave value for the money (US$1.99).
Roller coaster or walk in the park? Walk in the park.
2.2. What I did not like: Does not apply.
2.3. Who I think is the audience: Americans, particularly American males.
2.4. Is the book appropriate for children to read? No. Sexual situations.
2.5. On the basis of reading this book, will I buy the next book in the series? Yes, but as of this date, there aren't any.
2.6. Other:
When I think of Stephen Tobolowsky, I think of his portrayal of the character of Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day. Tobolowsky stole every scene he was in.
*** Henceforth, I shall only post reviews of works that I enjoyed. You may take it as read that a review on The Log of the Antares means a recommendation.
2.7. Links: None.
2.8. Buy the book: Cautionary Tales at amazon.com
2.7. Links: None.
2.8. Buy the book: Cautionary Tales at amazon.com
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
How Jacques Pepin will change ebooks
My hero is the French-born American chef Jacques Pepin. I learned knife technique by watching him chop, slice, and dice. When he chops, his knife is a blur. In his hands, a cucumber goes from whole to slices in two-point-three seconds.
On an episode of one of his shows, he uttered the line, "Cooking is an expression of love." At that instant, he became my hero.
Jacques Pepin got me interested in cooking and in cooking shows. I love 'em. The Food Network is my favorite channel. My favorite TV star is Alton Brown of Good Eats. And I loves me some Jamie Oliver.
That's how I came to watch a cooking show with two cougars (40+ women) cooking recipes from an Indian cookbook. These women must be rich. You gotta have serious money to stay that thin at that age.
The gimmick is that 1) these two have never cooked Indian cuisine before; 2) they are going to prepare four dishes from recipes in the cookbook; 3) two chefs from some 'world class' Indian restaurant in New York City will come to taste the resulting products and give their opinions; and 4) the cougars recommend (or not) the cookbook.
They read the recipe for nan, Indian flatbread. The recipe called for 'five to six cups of flour.' They did not know what that meant, so they measured out five and a half cups. They produced a wet, sticky dough that they kept adding flour to in order to work it. In the end, they let the dough rise for the prescribed length of time, sprinkled it with poppy seeds, and baked it on a stone in an oven.
All the while, the brunette cougar -- the other was blonde -- said over and over again, "There's no picture [of what the nan was supposed to look like at that stage of production]."
That's when I had THE IDEA.
Wouldn't it be great if the cookbook had embedded video?
One of the keys to making nan is to stir in one direction only. So it was written in the cookbook. A one-minute video illustrating the right way and the wrong way would add much to the reader's understanding.
Alton's Brown show Good Eats is running collection of cooking videos.
And Jamie Oliver. Can you imagine a Jamie Oliver cookbook with embedded videos of him showing you how to do each step? I can.
Which device is best for video cookbooks?
The Kindle is not. I enjoy it for reading, but it does not do video.
Can't say if the Nook is. Never seen one.
The iPad is perfect for cookbooks with embedded videos. Set one up on a kitchen counter in a bookstand and go!
Then I had a cascade of GREAT IDEAS . . . which I shall save for another day.
On an episode of one of his shows, he uttered the line, "Cooking is an expression of love." At that instant, he became my hero.
Jacques Pepin got me interested in cooking and in cooking shows. I love 'em. The Food Network is my favorite channel. My favorite TV star is Alton Brown of Good Eats. And I loves me some Jamie Oliver.
That's how I came to watch a cooking show with two cougars (40+ women) cooking recipes from an Indian cookbook. These women must be rich. You gotta have serious money to stay that thin at that age.
The gimmick is that 1) these two have never cooked Indian cuisine before; 2) they are going to prepare four dishes from recipes in the cookbook; 3) two chefs from some 'world class' Indian restaurant in New York City will come to taste the resulting products and give their opinions; and 4) the cougars recommend (or not) the cookbook.
They read the recipe for nan, Indian flatbread. The recipe called for 'five to six cups of flour.' They did not know what that meant, so they measured out five and a half cups. They produced a wet, sticky dough that they kept adding flour to in order to work it. In the end, they let the dough rise for the prescribed length of time, sprinkled it with poppy seeds, and baked it on a stone in an oven.
All the while, the brunette cougar -- the other was blonde -- said over and over again, "There's no picture [of what the nan was supposed to look like at that stage of production]."
That's when I had THE IDEA.
Wouldn't it be great if the cookbook had embedded video?
One of the keys to making nan is to stir in one direction only. So it was written in the cookbook. A one-minute video illustrating the right way and the wrong way would add much to the reader's understanding.
Alton's Brown show Good Eats is running collection of cooking videos.
And Jamie Oliver. Can you imagine a Jamie Oliver cookbook with embedded videos of him showing you how to do each step? I can.
Which device is best for video cookbooks?
The Kindle is not. I enjoy it for reading, but it does not do video.
Can't say if the Nook is. Never seen one.
The iPad is perfect for cookbooks with embedded videos. Set one up on a kitchen counter in a bookstand and go!
Then I had a cascade of GREAT IDEAS . . . which I shall save for another day.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Sunday eBook Review: With the Night Mail
Rudyard Kipling, With the Night Mail From Project Gutenberg, the first producer of free ebooks.
1. Short review:  2. Long reviews: 2.1. What I liked: On the line level, well written. Roller coaster or walk in the park? Walk in the park. 2.2. What I did not like: There is no hero to identify with. This is a 'Technology As Hero' story. And the technology is airships. 2.3. Who I think is the audience: Rudyard Kipling. 2.4. Is the book appropriate for children to read? Yes. 2.5. On the basis of reading this book, will I buy the next book in the series? The next 'book' in the series is 'As Easy as A.B.C.' and is a novella. I read it before I read this. 'As Easy as A.B.C.' is a much better read. 2.6. Other: Jerry Pournelle said, "You cannot predict the future, but you can invent it." That's the problem with 'With the Night Mail'. Kipling tried to predict the future -- and failed. This book is from the Project Gutenberg collection: http://www.gutenberg.org/ 2.7. Links: 'As Easy as A.B.C.' is found in 'A Diversity of Creatures': http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13085 2.8. Buy the book: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29135 |
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Heaven and Hell
Publishing is Heaven for editors and Hell for writers.
Well, maybe it's not Heaven for editors. I wouldn't know. Never been an editor. But I am a writer, and I can state from my experience that PUBLISHING IS HELL.
I have been fighting to publish Heart of Stone. Fighting. I fired my cover artist who held me up for 4 months and hired Peter Ratcliffe who produced a cover in . . . lessee . . . first contact was 15 May 2011 . . . approved cover delivered 28 May 2011 . . . thirteen days.
Rob Siders, whom I hired to format Heart of Stone, recommended Peter. I have been pleased to work with Rob and Amy Siders. Every exchange has been pleasant. He delivered when he said he would. For ebook formatting, I strongly recommend Rob.
So if I have had outstanding positive experiences with Rob and Peter, why am I so pyssed off?
Because those have been my only positive experiences. Everything else sucks. Sucks, sucks, sucks.
I know me. I know the way I work. I am goal-oriented and single-minded. When I want some goal done, I will drop other tasks until that goal is achieved. Heart of Stone is the only dymned thing on my DayTimer now. Nothing else is happening.
In the month of May, I wrote 1,500 words. 1,500 words in a month!? I can write 1,500 words in a morning. And so far in June, none, zilch, nada.
I have a short story, Flight Out, ready to go. Okay, needs to have the cover stuck in, but then it can be uploaded to Amazon. I have not looked at it in three weeks.
I know in my bones what Joe Konrath means when he says he would pay an agent's fee -- 15% -- to have someone take the manuscript and publish the book for him.
And now I understand why Hemingway drank so much. 08.20 AM and I have already finished my first glass of wine. I wonder if I'll make it to noon before I break into the 18-year-old Glenfiddich.
Gonna be a helluva teatime today, boys and girls.
Well, maybe it's not Heaven for editors. I wouldn't know. Never been an editor. But I am a writer, and I can state from my experience that PUBLISHING IS HELL.
I have been fighting to publish Heart of Stone. Fighting. I fired my cover artist who held me up for 4 months and hired Peter Ratcliffe who produced a cover in . . . lessee . . . first contact was 15 May 2011 . . . approved cover delivered 28 May 2011 . . . thirteen days.
Rob Siders, whom I hired to format Heart of Stone, recommended Peter. I have been pleased to work with Rob and Amy Siders. Every exchange has been pleasant. He delivered when he said he would. For ebook formatting, I strongly recommend Rob.
So if I have had outstanding positive experiences with Rob and Peter, why am I so pyssed off?
Because those have been my only positive experiences. Everything else sucks. Sucks, sucks, sucks.
I know me. I know the way I work. I am goal-oriented and single-minded. When I want some goal done, I will drop other tasks until that goal is achieved. Heart of Stone is the only dymned thing on my DayTimer now. Nothing else is happening.
In the month of May, I wrote 1,500 words. 1,500 words in a month!? I can write 1,500 words in a morning. And so far in June, none, zilch, nada.
I have a short story, Flight Out, ready to go. Okay, needs to have the cover stuck in, but then it can be uploaded to Amazon. I have not looked at it in three weeks.
I know in my bones what Joe Konrath means when he says he would pay an agent's fee -- 15% -- to have someone take the manuscript and publish the book for him.
And now I understand why Hemingway drank so much. 08.20 AM and I have already finished my first glass of wine. I wonder if I'll make it to noon before I break into the 18-year-old Glenfiddich.
Gonna be a helluva teatime today, boys and girls.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Sunday eBook Review: Imperial Stars 1: The Stars at War
Published 12/1/1986
SKU: 0671656031
Ebook Price: $4.00
SKU: 0671656031
Ebook Price: $4.00
1. Short review:
(Full disclosure: I am a friend of Jerry's.
Imperial Stars is a series of collections of short stories. I have given each component a review as well as reviewing the work as a whole. I have not reviewed the editor's introductions to the pieces.)
"In Clouds of Glory" (8 chapters), Algis Budrys
"The Star Plunderer" (4 chapters), Poul Anderson
"Tradesman, Barbarian, anc Citizen", John W. Campbell
"The Barbarians from Within", John W. Campbell
"Hymn of Breaking Strain", Rudyard Kipling
"The Miracle of Government" (3 chapters), James Burnham
"To a Different Drum", Reginald Bretnor
"The Whirligig of Time", Vernor Vinge
"Nightmare, with Angels", Stephen Vincent Benet
"The Aristocrat" (3 chapters), Chan Davis
"The Sons of Martha", Rudyard Kipling
"Mail Supremacy", Hayford Peirce
"Herbig-Haro", Harry Turtledove
"The Fighting Philosopher", E. B. Cole
"The Voodoo Sciences", Jerry Pournelle
"Pax Galactica", Ralph Williams
"The Proper Study of Mankind", Jerry Pournelle
"All Ends of the Spectrum", Jerry Pournelle
"Finger Trouble", Edward P. Hughes
"Yellow Rain", Adrian Berry
"Space Wars", Adrian Berry
"That Share of Glory", C. M. Kornbluth
"The Stars at War", Jerry Pournelle
2. Long reviews:
2.1. What I liked: Some very memorable stories; for example, "That Share of Glory."
Roller coaster or walk in the park?
Both. Some roller coasters. Some walks in the park.
2.2. What I did not like: The volume begins with two stories which I found slow. And it ends with Jerry's diatribe against the now-dead Soviet Empire.
2.3. Who I think is the audience: Military sf fans.
2.4. Is the book appropriate for children to read? Yes.
2.5. On the basis of reading this book, will I buy the next book in the series? I already have. The book gave good value for $4.00.
2.6. Other:
This book is from the Baens Books collection.
2.7. Links: Jerry Pournelle
2.8. Buy the book: Imperial Stars 1: The Stars at War
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)