Powysverse Compendium Update

[William Latham]

We’ve been a bit slow on the news front of late so I figured I’d give everyone an update on Pat’s book. The first word that comes to mind is, of course, awesome!

Pat has finished the book — now we’re into the formatting and indexing and all of the word processing challenges, then we’ll dig into editing mode. As currently formatted, it’s over 400 pages!

I think in some ways this is the most complex project Powys will ever have produced at least as far as the mechanics are concerned (actually indexing a book this size is quite a challenge!) but reading it is absolutely fascinating. It’s way more than a series bible — it’s a scholarly book written by someone with some serious analytical chops (something I think most forum readers already appreciate).

I’ve written a few software user guides over the years and it’s always fascinating to discuss the role of documentation in the software world — a user guide isn’t the same as an architectural/design document, or a technical specification, or the written code that makes up the software — a user guide tells you how to use it, not really how it works. Like the user guide for your car — it doesn’t tell you how the catalytic converter works, but it will tell you how to operate the glove compartment. Pat’s book is a user guide for the Powysverse, that tells you how many pieces interconnect into some larger whole. I think it will only make everybody else’s work shine more brightly.

I think this is the book that will become the most worn of all of your Powys books — you’ll be reading it and rereading it and jumping into it at random just because it’s fun to read and so easy to lose yourself in — I’ve gone to bed way too late on too many occasions over the past few months just because I’d read a little and find myself hooked and didn’t notice the passage of time.

More news as it surfaces, but you’re in for a treat with this one.

I can’t wait until this is out the door, but it’s gonna be awhile, folks.

[Ally Davies]

[quotePat’s book is a user guide for the Powysverse, that tells you how many pieces interconnect into some larger whole][/quote]

Knowing PatS as I do…I’m sure her book will be an absolute wonder…she astounds me with her knowledge of the Powysverse :cheer:

I can’t wait to get my copy !

[Charles C. Albritton III]

[quote]I think this is the book that will become the most worn of all of your Powys books — you’ll be reading it and rereading it and jumping into it at random just because it’s fun to read and so easy to lose yourself in…[/quote]

Therefore, it should be a hardcover book, [i]especially[/i] as it’s going to be clocking in at over 400 pages.

You know what trade-paperbacks look like after you’ve gone through them a few times, and reference books in trade-paperback form are just Eagle crashes waiting to happen.

Tex
(who would re-buy EVERY Powys book in hardcover–they’re THAT important…and worthy)

[Glenn McCrabb]

I agree Tex, Lulu should have a hardcover option for all Powys books. Of course then I would have to buy a hardcover and a paperback to have them all…

I can’t wait for a new Powys book, I want one now… 🙁

I went to see a psychic to see when the next Powys book is coming out but the mists of time were heavy and nothing could be seen. 🙁

Maybe I can ease my frustrations by having myself put into cryogenic stasis until publishing day… 😉 But then, I probably would thaw unevenly and shatter my legs as I tried to happy dance with my new book… :blush: That would be embarrasing.

Oh well, just have to sit it out and wait. 😛

[William Latham]

We have talked about hardcovers — we try to keep in mind that these are budget-conscious times, but some interesting possibilities that have been discussed include someday doing an omnibus edition of the novels in the same format as the Y1 and Y2 omnibi as well as if I ever get around to writing Tales of Arkadia, bundling that with Spider’s Web, Omega, and Alpha into one giant volume that would fill in lots of pieces of the mythology that haven’t been included in existing books yet. Pat Sokol sometimes dares me to go explore the Alterverse some more (even though she really doesn’t want to see me do that, do you, Pat?).

Regarding the Compendium, however, that’s going to need updating periodically, and making you shell out the money for a hardcover for an update falls into the uncomfortable “gee, I don’t know…” department. It would give Zack multiple happy dances, but also multiple “it’s still not here!” moments.

Weigh in, folks — who wants hardcovers? We can also reprint the individual books as hardcovers (but for the shorter books?). I think we’re always more interested in trying to get new books out, rather than repackaging the old ones.

[Patricia Sokol]

[b]blatham wrote:[/b]
[quote] Pat Sokol sometimes dares me to go explore the Alterverse some more (even though she really doesn’t want to see me do that, do you, Pat?).[/quote]
It’s a dark, ugly place, but knowing that it eventually gets cauterized like the festering boil that it is makes it OK.

[quote]Regarding the Compendium, however, that’s going to need updating periodically, and making you shell out the money for a hardcover for an update falls into the uncomfortable “gee, I don’t know…” department. It would give Zack multiple happy dances, but also multiple “it’s still not here!” moments.
[/quote]

Somebody in the chat room asked if the Compendium will be bound by the same licencing restrictions that the novels are, i.e., no e-books. I don’t know – what’s the word on this? Considering there will need to be updates to it as more Powys publications come out (thereby almost guaranteeing the upstairs bathroom will never get repainted, but that’s another story), is it possible to have a hard copy, and an electronic edition that can be updated? Believe me, I love the feel, the smell, and the look of new books, but can we take advantage of available technology? An e-book is searchable and linkable, too.

Also, are two different editions an option? I mean, can the reader have the option of hard cover or soft? Personally, I’d rather see a soft cover version so it’s a little easier on the purse strings. Go ahead, buy two and keep one hermetically sealed. B)

Thanks, Bill, for the kind words about the book. I hope everybody enjoys reading it as much as I did putting it together. Just like every author brings something of himself into his work (and a surgeon, apparently, according to Born for Adversity), a reader does as well. Being able both to read the Powysverse books and write about them meant I had (much) more than twice as much enjoyment with them. If the Compendium makes readers delve into possibilities they hadn’t considered, I’ve done my job![url=http://www.dogproductshop.co.uk][img]http://www.dogproductshop.co.uk/smile/characters/character0148.gif[/img][/url]

-Pat.

[Glenn McCrabb]

I tend to forget that the rest of the world is in financial woes. Here in Australia it is a bit of a golden age at the moment, with our dollar at parity with the US we are able to buy much more from the outside world. (at its worst we were at $0.50 just a few years ago) So, while you guys are suffering we are enjoying ourselves and buying up big.

I do like the idea of an omnibus hardcover though, bring it on. :woohoo: :silly: :woohoo: :silly: :woohoo: :silly: :woohoo: :silly: :woohoo: :silly:

[Patrick Zimmerman]

[b]blatham wrote:[/b]
[quote]Weigh in, folks — who wants hardcovers? We can also reprint the individual books as hardcovers (but for the shorter books?). [/quote]

I have zero interest in hardcover editions, other than the Year 1 and Year 2 omnibus books.

[Charles C. Albritton III]

There’s another way y’all could go with this.

Everyone here remembers the Moonbase Alpha Technical Manual, yah? (Hands up–who else cut out the coupon in back to send in for “future updates”?)

The PVC could be issued in a similar format, as three-hole-punched pages in a binder, allowing for update pages to be added at a later date.

It could come either in it’s own binder, or as a massive stack of pages so we can choose our own binders. The monstrously creative out there could even come up with cover designs to drop into the outer plastic covers certain binders come with.

This will eliminate the need to purchase a whole other book, with duplicate material, every time updated info is in need of issuance.

Either that, or you offer the book in both hardcover and softcover formats. The miracle of print-on-demand has made such an option possible.

Tex
(still waiting to hear back from Starlog)

[Mateo Latosa]

Tex wrote:

Still waiting to hear back from Starlog.

HILARIOUS!

[mooncadet]

I kind of miss Starlog. 🙁 It was a lifeline of sci-fi news back in the day…

[Glenn McCrabb]

I much preferred Future Life magazine, so many more topics covered… I still have every issue packed away somewhere. B)

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