My last post listed some drawbacks to the movie The Martians (including Matt Damon’s rugged good looks and marketers that infect movies like barnacles on a speedboat). However, that’s overstating diddly little shit. The main point is you ought to see it (you probably already have since I’m usually the last to pick up on such things).
It occurs to me:
- The book is probably as good as the movie.
- Winter is coming.(1)
So, you might as well buy the book now. You know you’re going to want it. I have already ordered mine. You have two choices The Martian on kindle for $8.99 and The Martian on paperback for $9.00
Just buy it. You know you’re going to read it sooner or later so quit pretending.
A.C.
- Winter is the time for peacefully reading by a warm fire. Duh!
Traditional publishing (IMHO) isn’t toast. Among other things, the Wall Street Journal had a story about so-called millenials who prefer to read books vs. stare at a screen. Sales of ebooks have leveled off, and so have regular books.
Several reasons why traditional (hardback) publishing is unlikely to disappear:
o- ebooks require batteries
o- ebooks can be much more easily censored/recalled
o- paperbacks tend not to be printed on acid-free paper, and use shoddy bindings, using glue, etc.
Hardbacks tend to avoid these problems. I don’t buy paperbacks anymore, except for technical works that will age out fairly quickly. I have tried buying some ebooks for technical subjects, and just can’t stand reading them that way.
I’m old – get off my lawn.
Kurt
I read technical stuff on paper. A car repair manual on e-book would be doomed.
Do both. They’re each good but in different ways. You’ll enjoy it twice.
I’m afraid I’ve been totally dominated by my kindle. I carry around a couple hundred books all the time now and paper (which I loved for decades) is no longer my favorite media.
I like to read hardbacks. The low cost of e-books is driving the cost of hardbacks down. I’m happy.
If I buy it on paperback and like it, when I am done I can legally share it with someone else. It would be a felony to do that with an e-copy.
Loved The Martian. Mostly read Kindle books. My life is just too hard on paper these days. I have no idea why people wouldn’t keep at least one book on their phone these days. I love being able to learn things in those waiting moments of the day.
The similar prices between e-Book and printed book make you think traditional publishing is toast? I got the exact opposite – If I have a choice between paying the same amount of money for a THING, A physical thing that I can have, and store, and use, and loan or sell, as opposed to a piece of impermanent digital media that may or may not be there tomorrow, then I choose the Thing hands down, every time.
I’m with BK. Give me a book I can hold, pages I can feel as I turn them. Not to mention, it’s a more useful thing to hurl (I have cats).
Been meaning to turn an old laptop into a garage computer. Load it with bike manuals, parts breakdowns, schematics, etc. Not sure how well it’d work.
You can find an .epub of .mobi copy for free on Google.
Unless you live in Kalifornia and the BAAQMD has forbade fires every damn day of winter. Then you can read by the warm glow of Chinese manufactured, govt mandated compact fluorescents. I can hardly wait to turn the cover.