Book Review: Machine of Death (Disposable Edition)

(Photo source: TopatoCo sales page) 

Machine of Death has a fascinating premise, amazing creativity and brings together a diverse group of writers and artists. And that's not even the best part. What really excites me about this book doesn't even involve the content. It's doing things that I've not seen in other commercially produced books.

I came by my copy of this book as a reward from the kickstarter for the releated game which I'm really looking forward to playing in the near future.

The book was all kicked off by this comic and an open call for story submissions. Some of the authors are recognisable, frequently best known for their online work, others are largely unknown. Each story has an illustration from one of a talented group of authors. The stories revolve around the idea of a 'machine of death' which can, with absolute precision and extreme ambiguity, predict how you will die. Stories predominantly focus on how this might affect our decisions, relationships and society. The variety is incredible and some of the ideas are seriously exciting. I'd recommend reading it for that alone, but there is more to love here.

First, applying to all editions of this book with the exception of four specific stories, the book is released under creative commons licencing - while the book has certainly sold plenty of print copies it's perfectly free to copy, email and share with the only real conditions being that the authors are credited and it is not used for commercial gain. You can even download it for free directly from the book's website. For balance, if you wish to buy a paper copy it's sold here.

Given all the DRM and library distribution issues plaguing the industry this is a breath of fresh air. I'm not sure it'd be appropriate for all works but for a book of short stories it might just be a great model for quality new authors to get themselves seen and encourage readers to explore their other work.

Onto issues that some find upsetting. I believe that no modern mass-produced copy of a book needs to be treated as if it were sacred. Some are shocked to see crafts that chop up books, or to see them removed from library shelves - an issue I've discussed before. This book is clearly labelled as a disposable edition. It's really, really cheap even by paperback standards (regarding Australian pricing at least). At the beginning of the book there is a preface explicitly stating that it's okay if you don't want to keep it but would rather give it away, recycle it or whatever else. Like the Creative Commons licencing I find this incredibly refreshing. The section finishes up with a wonderful line 'This book is not a priceless artifact. Its value lies in the experience of reading it and passing it along. Enjoy! p.s. of course you can keep it if you want to.' So for now I'm going to hang on to my copy - but I'm more than happy to lend it to people wanting to give this book a go.

So go, give it a go. Buy it if you wish, or download it for free. Explore fantastic ideas in a work that's exciting for plenty of reasons beyond the brilliant writing.

Heritage to innovation in one great new library

I was very excited some months ago when I heard we'd get a new library in the city centre - having visited a few in other states and countries I was eager to see what my home city would come up with. I wasn't able to visit on opening day - too busy working in another library - but I've made it in on day two.

My first impression of the new City Library was great - the design is modern, adaptable, full of natural light and really interesting. Some of the photos I'd seen looked a little sterile but once in the building it is anything but. Design features and displays of local artists and work produced using the facilities available make the space warm, inviting and seriously interesting.

I'm really impressed by this library. It seems to have everything - so many things that I'd love to see many more libraries offer. The spectrum is covered from the History Hub to the Innovation Lab with an artist in residence (though not while I was visiting) and a media lab ensuring there are opportunities to create and explore whatever art or subject inspires you. It is so much more than just a place to read books and use a computer and it is already being well used.

I had a good opportunity to browse the shelves and as I did I found lots of places to sit and take a closer look before borrowing in spaces that were being used for study, small get-togethers, wireless Internet browsing, quiet reading and more. Though there are many people here - a wonderful thing to see - the building has been designed in such a way that there is still a sense of calm and focus.

According to the greeter at the door there have been a lot of library staff from all over visiting - I don't find this at all hard to believe as while I waited for a PC to write this very entry there was an impromptu meeting of staff from a library that I used to work in. All of them have had really positive things to say about this facility.

I highly recommend coming and having a look if you haven't already. This is a brilliant new community asset. I'll be back in future for sure - if nothing else I'm really eager to try out the 3D printing. I don't want to simply print something that I download so I'll have to get designing....

Found Alphabet - Z

Less than seven hours from the end of the year I bring you the end of my found alphabet. This is the detail of a sign put up to tell tourists about one of Gawler's historic areas. No alternate Zs for now, I'm just glad to have had the chance to find a good photo to finish with.

It feels good to have finished this year though I have hopes to improve some of the letters through reshoots or new subjects and eventually produce some kind of poster as an end product.

Beyond this I hope to find a new photo project and create some more crafty things, possibly tutorials too. I also hope to start reviewing books again and I'm sure I'll have more to say on the business of being a librarian.

Until then I hope your New Year celebrations are memorable, I'll see you on the other side!

Found Alphabet - Y

I had great success looking for Y. Down by the riverfront I found the sleigh-pulling kangaroo's harness and was sure I had an unbeatable shot then only seconds from home I found this wire fence with the tops not bent over and just loved the shot.

All of these are in and around Gawler - the old steam train at the Gawler train station, a log near a church on Adelaide Road and the riverbank Christmas Display.

Just one more post to round out the year and this found Alphabet!

Found Alphabet - X

I'm so happy with today's X photos that I had to ask a friend to help me select which one to go with. Asides the half-shadow one they're all pretty decent resolution too - doesn't make it easy!

This is a rotated shot of a cast iron heritage street lamp in Gawler. I pass by it and many other beautiful heritage features every work day.

The shadow photo I'll attempt again later - at the moment the sun's in the right position when the light is getting quite dim so with a lot of zoom involved it's a touch difficult to get a good quality shot.

The shot with pigeons is the underside of a heritage road bridge - I like it for the pigeons and how lined up I managed to get several rows of struts, there is, however, the inevitable byproduct of pigeons in there too...

The staircase jumped out at me from some distance - I wish I could somehow have all of these as my feature shot...

Another post later tonight with Y - I've not edited/cropped/rotated any shots for that yet but I've got at least two I believe will come out exceptionally well.

Found Alphabet - W

I was incredibly lucky to get this shot - one morning this moth was just sitting on my verandha and it stayed put while I got a camera extremely close to it to get this. I wish I'd had my SLR ready to go to get a much more detailed close-up but I'll consider myself lucky to have this one. The unedited shot below (you will have to click on it to expand to full size) shows the amazing texture of the moth's wing. This was as close as a zoom/distance combo could get me without losing focus.

I have some other Ws that I'm also very happy with but I just didn't know how to top the one above... and yes, the same moth was a back up U - it's quite the show-off... these were found on a walk around this area. I especially like the tree, it was tough deciding between that and the photo I chose to feature.

I realise I miscalculated yesterday so tomorrow there should be a morning and afternoon post (bonus).

Found Alphabet - V

A quick aside, somewhere in there while I wasn't paying attention my blog passed 50k views! Just a little excited. Thank you! On with the show...

Strictly speaking I mean to take photos sequentially... but this V was too good to leave behind. Technically it dates back to my holiday in November - this is the ceiling in one of the terminals of Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

I should be back with W tomorrow - a photo a day to the end of the year will see this alphabet done this year. Then I can work out which letters need a reshoot etc. and work on some kind of final project.

Found Alphabet - U

It's time to pick up the pace a bit to finish this up this year! This picture is from the veranda of a local bakery that makes shortbread that I don't buy very often - only because I'm going to wind up eating the whole packet in one sitting. I was very excited to find the second U below - it's the wing of a moth that I happened across. I thought at the time I'd found my W and was very excited to get a wing-close-up letter, but there was more than one hiding there.

Found Alphabet - T

At long last, T appears. I may attempt a reshoot of my favourite T but although the brick one below has some things going for it I love that this one isn't so flat and it's got a very strange sense of perspective that's kind of fun.

There were many chances to get electrical pole Ts but I did that back at F and I didn't want a repeat...

I hope I can pick up the pace to get this thing done this year...

I also spotted the most wonderful M in leftover wrought iron on an old stone fence while I was doing this. I may have to think very hard when it comes to deciding which ends up in the final piece of work once the alphabet is finished.

Library Shelving Entropy

If asked to give a layman's definition of the second law of thermodynamics I'd likely explain that in a closed system the level of disorder tends to increase over time. The common misuses of this theory asides, I offer libraries as a proof.

It starts innocuously enough. Two books are reversed on the shelf. Or one's lying down at the end of a row of books. A few days later six books have hopped to other bays of shelving and large gaps in the fiction collection have the whole thing looking dishevelled. When you go to put one of the bay-hoppers back where they belong you find two books that have made an epic journey from a collection on the other side of the building. Others have disappeared into the blackness behind other books and under furnishings where they can hide for weeks.

Before you know it: 

This, thankfully, is from Wikimedia Commons, not from my own camera.

The library I work in offers significantly lower levels of entropy (phew).

Any member of staff who has been handed the routine but sometimes mildly terrifying task of searching the notorious missing report or any of the other lists for materials that aren't where they were expected to be can confirm this to you.

Shelvers, shelf tidiers and shelf readers might fight the forces of entropy with great enthusiasm and persistence but the laws of physics can never be truly overcome.

Ebooks may offer a sort of salvation - but to look wider to the world of digital resources the work of entropy is plain to see.