I’m a big reader and like to read a variety of books, mainly fiction such as Sci-Fi, mystery, thrillers and non-fiction books on a variety of subjects. Overall I have over 5000 books in my house stored, either on shelves, the non-fiction reference books or in boxes, the fiction books. I’m always on the lookout for books and although I normally get my fiction fix from Asda at just over £3 a book I get my non-fiction from Amazon, or other web based shops and so every so often I always like to have a browse around.
Imagine my surprise when I found a book from beyond the grave. A new chapter to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy. The original Sci Fi classics were by Douglas Adams who died in 2001. This addition to the series by Eoin Colfer is the sixth part of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe trilogy. Maybe this is what is meant by a Ghost writer.
I quite like Eoin Colfer’s books, he writes the Artemis Fowl series of children’s books, among others, and I quite like them. For one thing they tend to be in big print… seriously though they make a good story and the good guys always win in the end whilst the bad guys are put in their place and punished. Not sure though if he will write in the same style as Adams but I’m pretty sure that the book will be popular and worth a read.
I’m still trying to work out what Douglas Adams gets out of the deal though.
There is a discussion thread about this in the SF section of the Science Fiction and Fantasy World site. No one is sure about how to take it yet.
I might just be ahead of you in the number of books – my son counted nearly 6000 12 years ago with about half being SF, including Analog, Worlds of IF, Galaxy etc, and I haven’t stopped getting more in that time, though I must admit I now tend to get technical books on PDF form – easier on storage space! I only wish I could afford the iRex digital reader 1000s.
Overall I have over 5000 books in my house stored
You actually counted them? As for ghosts, where’s your theory on the paranormal now, m’lud?
Ivan,
Well we can wait and read it. Sometimes a follow on writer can carry it sometimes not.
A man after my own heart even down to getting themin PDF form. I love books though a don’t find PDFs as much fun to read. Personally, I will wait till they come out with an unrestricted electronic book that is more like a real book that I can read my PDFs on. I don’t envisage it will be long in coming.
James,
Sadly a few years ago I actually catalogued them in an Access db and the count came out of that.
As far as the paranormal goes I’m still OK because, after careful diagnosis, I think we came out with a valid reason behind this.
Like slipping through a wormhole, Lord T?
Thank you Lord T, I have what some people might consider an unfair advantage – I started collecting books and SF mags in the early 1950s. Then at a later date I was in Sydney for a while and they had some very good second hand book shops. I was there when the Galaxy bookshop opened and spent many a lunch time discussing SF with others there.
The reason I’m considering the iRex 1000s is because it has a 10 inch screen – the only one I’ve been able to find that is available to buy. There is another, the Jinke Hanlin eReader V9 but it doesn’t have a release date.
Ivan,
I’ve been interested in Sci-Fi from my early teens after the usual school literature. Although, after that I moved to thrillers, mysteries and from there I moved to survivalist books, books on beekeeping, plumbing etc., then on to technical books such as programming, SQL, etc. All the while still keeping up my interest in Sci-Fi and mysteries. I’ve always looked out to the future and have been waiting patiently for it to arrive. It seems to be coming very slowly and there are times I look on with disbelief.
I’ve stopped looking at toys at the moment as I’m out of work. (couple of bad choices) and thus have little spare capital so I don’t torture myself by looking. I’m sure that there will be a decent system out there soon. Just make sure that you can read your existing PDFs etc..on it and that the files it uses don’t have DRM or someone has created a decryptor already.
I actually had a tablet PC when they first cameout. I always thought it was just that little bit to big for use as a book. My pref would be something half way between A4 and A5, an A4.5 if you will, that can display PDFs, and has a very simple OS with an open interface similar to HTML where people can format their text, allow page swaps, bookmarks, font changes etc. and the ability to send via WiFi/Bluetooth selected text. No Java or imbedded code. No DRM. Input restricted to controlled OS upgrades, and text, formatted or plain.