Tag: books

Android development is sexay!

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There’s a small side project that I’ve been wanting to do for a while now and I’m finally getting ’round to getting it done. It basically revolves around an online fiction website that I frequently go to to get new reading material. The only downside to that website is that it only offers HTML-fotmatted text, unless you pay a really silly amount for a premium account. The work-around I’m developing will allow you to log in, collate all of the individual chapters and subchapters and produce a full-fledged ebook. That’s all already done. The next step is to skin it and make an android app!

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I can already see a few cool features I want to implement: * keep track of ongoing serials * set custom cover pages And that’s just the beginning :-)

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Yet another reason to hate “50 shades of grey”

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Following the success of erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey, one enterprising publisher has ‘sexed up’ some of the greatest works of English literature for the 21st century. The existing texts have been interspersed with more racy scenes – some in toe-curling language that would surely have made the original authors blush. All of the revamped titles come from classic works whose copyright has expired and are therefore in the public domain. These include Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, 20,000 leagues under the sea and Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet.

From the publisher:

The old fashioned pleasantries and timidity have all been stripped away, quite literally. You didn’t really think that these much loved characters only held hands and pecked cheeks did you? Come with us, as we embark on a breathtaking experience—behind the closed bedroom doors of our favorite, most-beloved British characters. Learn what Sherlock really thought of Watson, what Mr Darcy really wanted to do to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and unveil the sexy escapades of Mr Rochester and Jane Eyre. We’ll show you the scenes that you always wanted to see but were never allowed. Come on, you know you can’t resist…

When Dr John Watson takes rooms in Baker Street with amateur detective Sherlock Holmes, he has no idea that he is about to enter a shadowy world of criminality and violence. Nor does he anticipate falling in love with Holmes and having his sexual needs attended to in a way he had only previously dreamed about.

Accompanying Holmes to an ill-omened house in south London, Watson is startled to find a dead man whose face is contorted in a rictus of horror. There is no mark of violence on the body yet a single word is written on the wall in blood. Dr Watson is as baffled as the police, but Holmes’ brilliant analytical skills soon uncover a trail of murder, revenge and lost love…

Along with Holmes, Watson throws himself into finding the killer, but also finds himself. As Watson reveals more of his desires to his lover, Holmes does his utmost to make sure those desires are met. In a heady time where Watson is thrust into a horrifying murder case, the love he feels for Holmes, and the sexual experiences they share, help him to remain level-headed until the killer is caught.

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A book while you wait

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I’ve seen this concept knocking around for a few years now. I don’t think that it’ll take off, but I do like it. In the end though, I think e-book are the way of the future but there will always be a demand for printed books. They do have a feel that even the best of the current ebooks can’t match. I have a feeling that that may chance in the future (think of the Primer in Stephenson’s The Diamond Age). Still, it’s a nice idea for now and I wish it well.

A novel idea: The machine that can print off any book for you in minutes

It promises to bring the world of literature to the ordinary book-buyer at the touch of a button. In the time it takes to brew a cappuccino, this machine can print off any book that is not in stock from a vast computer database.

The innovation, launched by book chain Blackwell yesterday, removes the need to order a hard-to-find novel, or the wait to buy one that has sold out. Even out-of-print works can be printed off in minutes.

The Espresso Book Machine will also benefit aspiring novelists who can walk in to a shop with a CD of their work and have their book professionally printed in minutes. The cost of buying a book will be generally the same as if it were in stock. Currently there are 400,000 books ready to be be downloaded. Blackwell hopes that by summer, one million will be available.

It has bought one of the machines for its store on Charing Cross Road in Central London, but if it is a success then more could appear at shops across the country. The machine, which resembles an industrial photocopier and printer, prints 105 pages a minute, or one book every five minutes or so.

Blackwell’s aim is that the customer will be able to browse a catalogue in a kiosk next to the machine then press ‘Make Book’ and watch as their novel is created.

First the cover is run off, then the pages are printed and collated. The pages are then clamped and glue applied to the spine. In the final stage, the pages are stuck to the cover before being trimmed to size from A4. The completed book then pops out of a slot in the side of the machine. Blackwell believes the EBM will allow it to exact revenge on the supermarkets and online retailers.

Tesco, for example, offers aggressive discounting while Amazon has teamed up with second-hand shops and independent sellers to provide an enormous variety of books at knock-down prices. Five years ago, only 7 per cent of books were bought online. By last year, that was 14 per cent. In December, the value of books sold on the high street was down 12.7 per cent year on year.

Andrew Hutchings, of Blackwell, said: ‘Companies such as Amazon have been offering a very competitive service but you still have one or two days to wait from ordering the book until it arrives. ‘With the Espresso Book Machine you can order it and have it in your hand within a few minutes. Having books printed on-demand also reduces the carbon footprint and cuts down on the number that are pulped or sent back.’

Out-of-copyright books will be sold at 10p a page, meaning a 300-page book would be £30, although Mr Hutchings hopes the cost will come down. All other books will cost the same as if they were bought off the shelf.

Source: The Daily Mail

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Harry Potter In Review

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I took last friday off and had myself a 3-day weekend (it's a little-known fact, but according to EMBL rules, if you work on a sunday, you're allowed to take 2 days off at a later time – I love my contract).

I spent most of friday and saturday reading the last Harry Potter book. I'm pleased with the outcome. I'd read the abridged version as reviewed by the Guardian: Harry Potter took was waiting in the Dursleys' house in Privet Drive. They were sent off and would never be heard from again. His reverie was interrupted by the arrival of Arthur Weasley, Ron, Hermione and 10 other familiar characters. “We've got to get you out of here,” said Arthur. “The protective charm runs out when you are 17, and You Know Who and the Death Eaters will be after you. Six of us are going to take some Polyjuice potion to create some decoy Harrys.”

Harry knew he was up against it this time. A favourite character from an earlier book had been killed off within the first 80 pages. That Rowling woman meant business. “OK,” said Harry, grimly, as Ron and Hermione embraced. “There might have been time for that kind of adolescent awakening in books five and six. Now, it's time to get serious.”

Hermione recovered her customary poise. “You're right, Harry,” she replied. “The Ministry has been taken over by Voldemort, and the Order of the Phoenix is compromised. Nowhere is safe. You must continue your quest for You Know Who's Horcruxes.”

The scar on Harry's forehead burned, but an intense migraine was a small price to pay for giving the reader a chance to find out what Voldemort was doing and catch up with more back story.

It was the morning of Fleur's wedding to Bill Weasley and Harry, Ron and Hermione were examining the strange bequests they had been left in Dumbledore's will. “Why have we been given this effing rubbish?” Ron laughed. “I've told you before that book seven is not the place for jokes and swearing,” Harry answered sternly. Just then he saw Ginny passing. He didn't know why – though he suspected it was something to do with letting the reader know that although he was a goody-goody on the outside, he was a rampant horny hetty on the inside – but he kissed her passionately. “Stay safe for me,” he whispered knowingly.

“I've found a strange mark in this book,” exclaimed Hermione. “What do you think it means?” Harry frowned. “I've no idea,” he murmured, “but my scar will start hurting again soon and we'll find out.” Sure enough, the tingling sensation soon returned. As he came out of his dream, which revealed yet more back story about Dumbledore, Harry intoned solemnly: “It's the sign of the Deathly Hallows. We must find them and the Horcruxes.”

Harry, Ron and Hermione had criss-crossed the country getting out of ever-tighter scrapes with wizard spells, but still Harry felt no nearer to knowing what to do. Yet he had the strange feeling everything was becoming clearer. “I'm leaving you two,” Ron declared one day. “I need to create some narrative tension.” Harry was lost again but a Patronus spell led him to the Sword of Gryffindor. He had to step naked into an icy pool to retrieve it. “I knew getting the lead part in the school production of Equus would come in handy,” he thought.

“I'm back,” said Ron, as Harry's scar continued to reveal yet more of the seemingly endless back story. Sometimes Harry didn't know if he was awake or asleep, alive or dead, as so many old characters flashed through his mind. “Don't worry,” said the figure of Dumbledore. “This time, no one knows what's going on either.” So Harry made his way back to Hogwarts to face Voldemort. It would end as he had always known it would. With everyone wondering what JK would do next.

And yes, it was quite accurate. There were a few things in the book that did annoy me though. First off, I don't mind that they killed off a bunch of characters. It was done in context, and nothing was too gratuitous. But the whole Percy thing, I-was-a-prat-but-I'm-better-now-forgive-me, was completely unnecessary. Then Harry is killed. Sorta. But doesn't die. Again. And then it's all better. Yes, I can understand the whole justification of the thing, but still. It bugged me.

Rowling still left herself a way out for spin-offs and more books by means of her last chapter “19 years later”. I'm pretty sure it's not the last Harry Potter book that will grace the shelves, though I'm thinking that the next one will be a while in coming – if only to let the woman have a break from writing and a chance to play with all of her money.

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It's beginning to look a lot like xmas

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Except for the complete and utter lack of snow hereabouts… blergh. Only 18 days until I leave for Canadia, joy! Like Katy says, it can't come soon enough. It'll do me good to see friends and family again. Hopefully the shoulder from doom will be kind to me on this trip though. It's been acting up again and I've been waking up stiff as a board for the last two weeks. Not cool, not cool at all.

I've been reading an interesting book by Jon Grimwood called 9Tail fox. The bio reads:

Sergeant Bobby Zha of the SFPD is desperate to find out who murdered him. But he also needs the answers to some other questions. Like, why is he in another man's body? Why is someone trying to kill him, again… And why is he being haunted by a nine-tailed Celestial fox?From the shell-shattered ruins of Stalingrad in 1942 to the present day politics of San Francisco's Chinatown, 9tail Fox is evocative of place and crystal clear in its depiction of character.

It's not bad. There are bits and pieces that make prevent it from being excellent – one of which is that the author keeps thinking that you know the book and storyline just as well as he does, so he keeps making these hints that you think you should understand, but just don't and they're not explained so that just makes them frustrating. Besides that though, it's been keeping me entertained so that's always a good sign

Things at work are becoming interesting. In the span of 2 days, half a dozen people have contacted me about putting bits of the ontology lookup service I've been working on into their applications. Very gratifying. I'm almost done with the first draft of the paper I'm going to submit and it's being reviewed by my boss today.

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Booklist, as of Oct 31 2005.

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  • Alexandre Duman, Trois Mousquetaires
  • Andre Norton, Beast Master's Circus
  • C.S. Friedman, In conquest born
  • C.S. Friedman, This alien shore
  • C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia
  • Caleb Carr, The Alienist
  • Caleb Carr, The Angel of Darkness
  • Caleb Carr, The Italian Secretary
  • Carl Hiaasen, Eager Beaver
  • Carl Hiaasen, Lucky you
  • Carl Hiaasen, Skin Tight
  • Carl Hiaasen, Skinny Dip
  • Charlaine Harris, Dead to the world
  • Charlaine Harris, Dead until dark
  • Charlaine Harris, Living Dead in Dallas
  • Chris Moriarty, Spin State
  • Christopher Moore, Bloodsucking fiends
  • Christopher Moore, Coyote Blue
  • Christopher Moore, Fluke
  • Christopher Moore, Island of the sequined love nun
  • Christopher Moore, Lamb
  • Christopher Moore, Practical Demonkeeping
  • Christopher Moore, The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
  • Christopher Moore, The Stupidest Angel
  • CJ Cherryh, Chanur's Homecoming
  • CJ Cherryh, Chanur's Legacy
  • CJ Cherryh, Hestia
  • CJ Cherryh, The Chanur Saga
  • Craig Nova, Wetware
  • Dan Brown, Angels and demons
  • Dan Brown, Deception Point
  • Dan Brown, Digital Fortress
  • Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code
  • David Webber, Ashes of Victory
  • David Webber, Echoes of Honor
  • David Webber, Field of Dishonor
  • David Webber, Flag in Exile
  • David Webber, Honor Among Enemies
  • David Webber, In Enemy Hands
  • David Webber, More than Honor
  • David Webber, On Basilisk Station
  • David Webber, The Honor of the Queen
  • David Webber, The Service of the Shield
  • David Webber, The Short Victorious War
  • David Webber, War of Honor
  • Dennis Danvers, Circuits of Heaven
  • Dennis Danvers, End of days
  • Dennis Danvers, Wilderness
  • Douglas Coupland, Microserfs
  • Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac
  • Eric Flint, Forward the Mage
  • Erica Jong, Fanny
  • George R. R. Martin, A clash of Kings
  • George R. R. Martin, A game of thrones
  • Iain Pears, An instance of the fingerpost
  • Ian Caldwell, The Rule of Four
  • Ian Rankin, The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse
  • J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets
  • J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the goblet of fire
  • J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  • J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  • J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone
  • J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkhaban
  • Jack L. Chalker, Exiles at the Well of Souls
  • Jack L. Chalker, Midnight at the Well of Souls
  • Jack L. Chalker, Priam's Lense
  • Jack L. Chalker, Quest for the Well of Souls
  • Jack L. Chalker, The return of Nathan Brazil
  • John Irving, The World according to Garp
  • Jonathan Lethem, Gun, with occasional music
  • Jules Verne, 20,000 lieues sous les mers
  • Jules Verne, Cinq semaines en ballon
  • Jules Verne, Le tour du monde en 80 jours
  • Jules Verne, Les enfants du Capitaine Grant
  • Jules Verne, L'ile Mysterieuse
  • Julie E. Czerneda, Beholder's Eye
  • Julie E. Czerneda, Changing Visions
  • Julie E. Czerneda, Hidden In Sight
  • Kirsten Bakis, Lives of the Monster Dogs
  • Larry Niven , The Houses of the Kzinti
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, A caress of twilight
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, A kiss of shadow
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, Blue Moon
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, Burnt Offerings
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, Cerulean Sins
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, Circus of the Damned
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, Guilty Pleasures
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, Incubus Dreams
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, Narcissus in chains
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, Obsidian Butterfly
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, Seduced by moonlight
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, The Laughing Corpse
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, The Lunatic Caf
  • Laurie R. King, A Letter of Mary
  • Laurie R. King, A Monstrous Regiment of Women
  • Laurie R. King, Locked Rooms
  • Laurie R. King, Justice Hall
  • Laurie R. King, O Jerusalem
  • Laurie R. King, The Beekeeper's Apprentice
  • Laurie R. King, The Game
  • Laurie R. King, The Moor
  • Lisanne Norman, Between darkness and light
  • Lisanne Norman, Dark Nadir
  • Lisanne Norman, Fire margins
  • Lisanne Norman, Fortune's wheel
  • Lisanne Norman, Razor's edge
  • Lisanne Norman, Stronghold Rising
  • Lisanne Norman, Turning point
  • Luke Rhinehart, Search for the Dice Man
  • Luke Rhinehart, The Dice Man
  • Mark Simmons, One foor in the grave
  • Martin Amis, The Rachel Papers
  • Mercedes Lackey, A cast of corbies
  • Mercedes Lackey, Bardic Voices
  • Mercedes Lackey, Bedlam's bard
  • Mercedes Lackey, Beyond world's end
  • Mercedes Lackey, Born to run
  • Mercedes Lackey, Burning water
  • Mercedes Lackey, Four and twenty blackbirds
  • Mercedes Lackey, Lammas night
  • Mercedes Lackey, Spirits white as lightning
  • Mercedes Lackey, The chrome borne
  • Mercedes Lackey, The eagle and the nightingale
  • Mercedes Lackey, The fire rose
  • Mercedes Lackey, The robin and the kestrel
  • Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon
  • Neal Stephenson, Diamond age
  • Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash
  • Neil Gaiman, American Gods
  • Neil Gaiman, Neverwhere
  • Neil Gaiman, Smoke and Mirrors
  • Orson Scott Card, Children of the mind
  • Orson Scott Card, Ender's game
  • Orson Scott Card, Ender's shadow
  • Orson Scott Card, Shadow of the Hegemon
  • Orson Scott Card, Shadow puppets
  • Orson Scott Card, Speaker of the dead
  • Orson Scott Card, Xenocide
  • Paul Cornell, Oh no it isn't!
  • Peter F. Hamilton, The Naked God
  • Peter F. Hamilton, The Neutronium Alchemist
  • Philip Jose Farmer, The other log of Phileas Fogg
  • Phillip Pullman, Amber Spyglass
  • Phillip Pullman, Golden Compass
  • Phillip Pullman, Ruby in the smoke
  • Phillip Pullman, Shadow in the north
  • Phillip Pullman, Subtle Knife
  • Phillip Pullman, Tiger in the well
  • Richard Morgan, Altered Carbon
  • Richard Morgan, Broken Angels
  • Richard Morgan, Market Forces
  • Richard Morgan, Woken Furies
  • Robert Harris, Enigma
  • Robert Heinlein, Stranger in a strange land
  • Robert Heinlein, The door into summer
  • Robert J. Sawyer, Frameshift
  • Robert J. Sawyer, The Terminal Experiment
  • Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity
  • Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Supremacy
  • Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Ultimatum
  • Roger Zelazny, A Farce to be Reckoned With
  • Roger Zelazny, Bring me the head of Prince Charming
  • Roger Zelazny, Changeling
  • Roger Zelazny, Chaos and Amber
  • Roger Zelazny, Isle of the dead / Eye of the Cat
  • Roger Zelazny, Lord of Light
  • Roger Zelazny, Madwand
  • Roger Zelazny, The dawn of Amber
  • Roger Zelazny, The Dream Master
  • Roger Zelazny, The Great Book of Amber (Complete Chronicles)
  • Roger Zelazny, To die in Italbar
  • Sarah Waters, Fingersmith
  • Spider Robinson, Callahan's key
  • Spider Robinson, Callahan's Lady
  • Spider Robinson, Callahan's Legacy
  • Spider Robinson, Lady slings the booze
  • Spider Robinson, The Callahan Chronicals
  • Susan Kay, Phantom of the Opera
  • Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum
  • Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites
  • Terry Pratchett, Eric
  • Terry Pratchett, Feet of Clay
  • Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
  • Terry Pratchett, Guards Guards
  • Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times
  • Terry Pratchett, Jingo
  • Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms
  • Terry Pratchett, Monstrous Regiment
  • Terry Pratchett, Mort
  • Terry Pratchett, Moving Pictures
  • Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man
  • Terry Pratchett, Sourcery
  • Terry Pratchett, The Colour of Magic
  • Terry Pratchett, The Fifth Elephant
  • Terry Pratchett, The Last Continent
  • Terry Pratchett, The Last Hero
  • Terry Pratchett, The Light Fantastic
  • Terry Pratchett, The Night Watch
  • Terry Pratchett, The Truth
  • Terry Pratchett, Thud!
  • Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens
  • Tom Clancy, Clear and present danger
  • Tom Clancy, Executive order
  • Tom Clancy, Hunt for Red October
  • Tom Clancy, Patriot games
  • Tom Clancy, Red rabbit
  • Tom Clancy, Teeth of the tiger
  • Tom Clancy, The Bear and the Dragon
  • Tom Clancy, The Cardinal of the Kremlin
  • Tom Clancy, The sum of all fears
  • Tom Clancy, Without remorse
  • Tom Godwin, The Cold Equations
  • Vernor Vinge, A deepness in the sky
  • Vernor Vinge, Fire upon the deep
  • Vernor Vinge, Marooned in Realtime
  • Vernor Vinge, The collected stories
  • Vernor Vinge, The Peace War
  • Victor Hugo, Les Miserables
  • William Barton, Alpha Centauri
  • William Barton, When we were real
  • William Gibson, Neuromancer

I've just come to the conclusion that I've only bought about 4 new books in the last 3 months. This is bad. This is very bad. I need more reading material!

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