FREE PDF file of Hamish MacDonald's dystopian novel of future climate chaos in UK

danbloom · 10-31-2009, 09:02 AM

Hamish MacDonald' is a Canadian novelist living in Scotland. His new novel, published independently, and handbound by himself, is also being made available for a short time only (with his permission) on a PDF file for anyone who is interested in this kind of novel. I've read it and it's not only a good and entertaining read, it deals with important climate change and global warming issues as well, and is set in the distant future in an un-named country, similar to the UK but never named. Date is never mentioned exactly, either, but perhaps it's around 2100 or 2200 AD. Comes in at around 250 pages in print out, and I think it can be downloaded to E-readers, too. This guy is the new Douglas Adams of new fiction from the UK, and while it's different from "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" -- it's a picturesque and colorful story about a future dystopa, and very well written.

For a free PDF copy, email bikolang@gmail.com and it will be sent to you, no strings attached, no banner ads, no promotional stuff at all. Just a pure read, if you want to try something different and new -- and powerful!

I have been authorized by Mr MacDonald to give out this PDF file, which he sent me a few months ago, for a limited time, simply to test the waters and get feedback from readers pro and con on his book. I loved it. I read it in one sitting in one night, about 5 hours of constant reading. That good!

When you finish the book, please do send a brief feedback comment on how you liked it or didn't like it, and why or why not. Purely voluntarily, as if you do not want to make a comment, no need either. Just enjoy.

NOTE: or leave your contact info here, but better to do it offline. See above.

danbloom · 11-02-2009, 12:38 AM

Thanks. I got 4 "orders" for the free PDF file and I sent them out. More welcome.

danbloom · 11-03-2009, 05:01 AM

10 more requests came in, all sent out now. More welcome, of course.

One reader said of the book: excerpts from a longer letter:

"....[FINITUDE is] perfectly presented."

"...[Hamish MacDonald] has an entertaining and light touch and is
admirably economical
with words."

"I'm sure he'll attract a loyal and
happy readership with a perfectly respectable piece of writing."

"I always find it
encouraging to know there are writers [like MacDonald] with a passion
out there who are
not aiming for overnight riches and fame, but merely to honestly and
generously entertain those who come along and take an interest."

ghostyjack · 11-04-2009, 08:08 AM

If this a reflowable PDF?

Just asking as I don't like reading non-flowable PDF's on my reader.

danbloom · 11-11-2009, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostyjack

If this a reflowable PDF?

Just asking as I don't like reading non-flowable PDF's on my reader.

Am not sure what that means. I can send free PDF if you wish and you find out.

danbloom · 11-11-2009, 07:46 AM

One reader who got the PDF via Mobile told me tonight: "On my Desktop PC the PDF works flawlessly. Is does not work on my Sony PRS-300 (E-reader). I tried to convert it to different formats (.epub, .lrf and .rtf) but this does still not work. I'm working on it

"

another said: "Hi..................
I'm really not an expert on these matters, but I have learned a few things since getting my Sony 505 a couple of months ago.

PDF files are the worst to try to read on an ereader device. One can't really do to much with the formatting and if the font is too small it's really difficult. Adjusting to the larger sizes (on the Sony) makes a real mess and for some reason the pagination doesn't work.

I was looking forward to reading Finitude after your recommendation and because I'm always interested in new Canadian authors. Unfortunately, this book is almost completely unreadable on my device because the font is too small and the spaces between sentences and paragraphs is a mess.

I have had some success extracting the text from a PDF, doing some find and replace of spaces and paragraphing in Word and then converting it to RTF format. But, this is a lot of work and sometimes doesn't solve all the problems. I've tried converting into LRF format from there using Calibre, but that doesn't really give me the results I'm looking for either. I also find that I can suffer through some bad formatting if I'm reading nonfiction, but never when I'm reading fiction - it needs to look like a real book or I just don't enjoy it.

Some people are really good at this stuff. I'd recommend that you start asking some questions in the Calibre section of Mobileread forums. Keep a lookout for someone named Elfwreck. She hangs out in a few of the forums and is really good with this stuff. She even permitted me to send her a file once that she performed some miracles with. "

ghostyjack · 11-11-2009, 08:10 AM

What I mean by a reflowable PDF is one that can adjust the test displayed per page (reduce it so there is less to see but expands to more pages, much in the same way a web page adjusts if you increase or decrease the size of the browser window) so that it fits the screen of a smaller device, such as an ereader. With a non-reflowable PDF, the text on the page will not change and it will require you to zoom in (if your device has that function) and pan and scroll across the page to view everything.

It sounds like from your above post that the PDF was not set up with the ability to reflow, hence the comment on the difficulty in viewing the PDF.

BTW I did actually send you a request for a copy on the 4th of November, but I haven't received a copy yet. I'll send a new request.

jj2me · 11-11-2009, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostyjack

BTW I did actually send you a request for a copy on the 4th of November, but I haven't received a copy yet. I'll send a new request.

+1 (ditto)

Maybe check your spam folder?

WT Sharpe · 11-11-2009, 08:43 AM

Hi!

I just sent the e-mail . Thanks!!

Gibbo · 11-11-2009, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostyjack

BTW I did actually send you a request for a copy on the 4th of November, but I haven't received a copy yet. I'll send a new request.

I also send you a request via PM, sending a new request

Elfwreck · 11-11-2009, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostyjack

If this a reflowable PDF?

Just asking as I don't like reading non-flowable PDF's on my reader.

I've made a cropped, tagged/reflowable, bookmarked version & sent it back to him.

If I've got time in the next few days, I'll try saving it out & reformatting for 6" screens, but I can't be sure I'll have the time & energy for that.

Stormchild · 11-11-2009, 02:26 PM

I wouldn't hold your breath. Dan has unfortunately had a heart attack. I would think he has other things on his mind at the moment. Get well soon Dan.

danbloom · 11-11-2009, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jj2me

+1 (ditto)

Maybe check your spam folder?

will check Spam folder. Looking now. if resend, will send out tonight, danny

danbloom · 11-11-2009, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stormchild

I wouldn't hold your breath. Dan has unfortunately had a heart attack. I would think he has other things on his mind at the moment. Get well soon Dan.

Thanks for good wishes, Stormchild. Out of hospital after 7 days in ICU with a new stent in my ticker and doc said I should be fine. Feeling better already, and doing minimal online work now but do have time to send PDF, just takes minute. 85 percent recovered that the little unannounced out of the blue incident last Friday, now back home and very happy to be alive....again!

danbloom · 11-11-2009, 11:21 PM

Hamish the author tells me from his home in Scotland:

"Danny, I did it! The tools for creating e-books are, I have to say, still pretty poor; they haven't advanced much in the ten years since I was first trying to create e-books. But, not happy with all the difficulties involved in trying to cram PDFs through the current batch of readers, I persisted, and, with some help, have found some apps that made it possible to create a proper ePub version of ''Finitude'', which is attached.

Most conversion software strips out all the styling and formatting of a novel's text. As someone who not only writes these books but also typesets and publishes them, these are far more than cosmetic considerations to me. (For instance, I use italics to show when someone is thinking as opposed to speaking; when that's removed, the passage no longer makes sense.)

By converting the text to HTML, running it through Sigil, then fixing up the metadata in Calibre, I think I've finally managed to create an e-book that preserves my intended formatting but will re-flow on the reader. Unfortunately, Calibre was unable to create e-books in the MOBI and LRF formats, so it looks like I'll just be offering the book in ePub format -- which suits me, since it's a free and open format.

Thanks for all the pictures that Mobile readers you of the book on their e-readers cool, , and I hope this version works better. The file is also available at: Free!

http://www.hamishmacdonald.com/Finitude.epub

...or as an HTML file if anyone wants to try converting it further (with the proviso that I'd really prefer it wasn't rendered down into raw text):

http://www.hamishmacdonald.com/Finitude.html

- Hamish MacDonald

10-31-2009, 09:02 AM	#1
danbloom Banned Posts: 135 Karma: 366 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Cyberspace Device: The Bindle: no batteries, hand-cranked pages, mobile, underlineable	FREE PDF file of Hamish MacDonald's dystopian novel of future climate chaos in UK Hamish MacDonald' is a Canadian novelist living in Scotland. His new novel, published independently, and handbound by himself, is also being made available for a short time only (with his permission) on a PDF file for anyone who is interested in this kind of novel. I've read it and it's not only a good and entertaining read, it deals with important climate change and global warming issues as well, and is set in the distant future in an un-named country, similar to the UK but never named. Date is never mentioned exactly, either, but perhaps it's around 2100 or 2200 AD. Comes in at around 250 pages in print out, and I think it can be downloaded to E-readers, too. This guy is the new Douglas Adams of new fiction from the UK, and while it's different from "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" -- it's a picturesque and colorful story about a future dystopa, and very well written. For a free PDF copy, email bikolang@gmail.com and it will be sent to you, no strings attached, no banner ads, no promotional stuff at all. Just a pure read, if you want to try something different and new -- and powerful! I have been authorized by Mr MacDonald to give out this PDF file, which he sent me a few months ago, for a limited time, simply to test the waters and get feedback from readers pro and con on his book. I loved it. I read it in one sitting in one night, about 5 hours of constant reading. That good! When you finish the book, please do send a brief feedback comment on how you liked it or didn't like it, and why or why not. Purely voluntarily, as if you do not want to make a comment, no need either. Just enjoy. NOTE: or leave your contact info here, but better to do it offline. See above.

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11-02-2009, 12:38 AM	#2
danbloom Banned Posts: 135 Karma: 366 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Cyberspace Device: The Bindle: no batteries, hand-cranked pages, mobile, underlineable	Thanks. I got 4 "orders" for the free PDF file and I sent them out. More welcome.

11-03-2009, 05:01 AM	#3
danbloom Banned Posts: 135 Karma: 366 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Cyberspace Device: The Bindle: no batteries, hand-cranked pages, mobile, underlineable	10 more requests came in, all sent out now. More welcome, of course. One reader said of the book: excerpts from a longer letter: "....[FINITUDE is] perfectly presented." "...[Hamish MacDonald] has an entertaining and light touch and is admirably economical with words." "I'm sure he'll attract a loyal and happy readership with a perfectly respectable piece of writing." "I always find it encouraging to know there are writers [like MacDonald] with a passion out there who are not aiming for overnight riches and fame, but merely to honestly and generously entertain those who come along and take an interest."

11-04-2009, 08:08 AM	#4
ghostyjack Guru Posts: 718 Karma: 1085610 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bristol, England Device: PRS-T1, 1825PT, Galaxy Tab, One X, TF700T, Aura HD, Nexus 7	If this a reflowable PDF? Just asking as I don't like reading non-flowable PDF's on my reader.

11-11-2009, 07:46 AM	#6
danbloom Banned Posts: 135 Karma: 366 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Cyberspace Device: The Bindle: no batteries, hand-cranked pages, mobile, underlineable	One reader who got the PDF via Mobile told me tonight: "On my Desktop PC the PDF works flawlessly. Is does not work on my Sony PRS-300 (E-reader). I tried to convert it to different formats (.epub, .lrf and .rtf) but this does still not work. I'm working on it " another said: "Hi.................. I'm really not an expert on these matters, but I have learned a few things since getting my Sony 505 a couple of months ago. PDF files are the worst to try to read on an ereader device. One can't really do to much with the formatting and if the font is too small it's really difficult. Adjusting to the larger sizes (on the Sony) makes a real mess and for some reason the pagination doesn't work. I was looking forward to reading Finitude after your recommendation and because I'm always interested in new Canadian authors. Unfortunately, this book is almost completely unreadable on my device because the font is too small and the spaces between sentences and paragraphs is a mess. I have had some success extracting the text from a PDF, doing some find and replace of spaces and paragraphing in Word and then converting it to RTF format. But, this is a lot of work and sometimes doesn't solve all the problems. I've tried converting into LRF format from there using Calibre, but that doesn't really give me the results I'm looking for either. I also find that I can suffer through some bad formatting if I'm reading nonfiction, but never when I'm reading fiction - it needs to look like a real book or I just don't enjoy it. Some people are really good at this stuff. I'd recommend that you start asking some questions in the Calibre section of Mobileread forums. Keep a lookout for someone named Elfwreck. She hangs out in a few of the forums and is really good with this stuff. She even permitted me to send her a file once that she performed some miracles with. "

11-11-2009, 08:10 AM	#7
ghostyjack Guru Posts: 718 Karma: 1085610 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bristol, England Device: PRS-T1, 1825PT, Galaxy Tab, One X, TF700T, Aura HD, Nexus 7	What I mean by a reflowable PDF is one that can adjust the test displayed per page (reduce it so there is less to see but expands to more pages, much in the same way a web page adjusts if you increase or decrease the size of the browser window) so that it fits the screen of a smaller device, such as an ereader. With a non-reflowable PDF, the text on the page will not change and it will require you to zoom in (if your device has that function) and pan and scroll across the page to view everything. It sounds like from your above post that the PDF was not set up with the ability to reflow, hence the comment on the difficulty in viewing the PDF. BTW I did actually send you a request for a copy on the 4th of November, but I haven't received a copy yet. I'll send a new request.

11-11-2009, 08:43 AM	#9
WT Sharpe Bah, humbug! Posts: 39,072 Karma: 157049943 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.	Hi! I just sent the e-mail . Thanks!!

11-11-2009, 02:26 PM	#12
Stormchild Evangelist Posts: 466 Karma: 878943 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Cornwall UK Device: BeBook 1. BeBook Mini. BeBook Neo and Club. BeBook Live. BeeBook Pure.	I wouldn't hold your breath. Dan has unfortunately had a heart attack. I would think he has other things on his mind at the moment. Get well soon Dan.

11-11-2009, 11:21 PM	#15
danbloom Banned Posts: 135 Karma: 366 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Cyberspace Device: The Bindle: no batteries, hand-cranked pages, mobile, underlineable	Hamish the author tells me from his home in Scotland: "Danny, I did it! The tools for creating e-books are, I have to say, still pretty poor; they haven't advanced much in the ten years since I was first trying to create e-books. But, not happy with all the difficulties involved in trying to cram PDFs through the current batch of readers, I persisted, and, with some help, have found some apps that made it possible to create a proper ePub version of ''Finitude'', which is attached. Most conversion software strips out all the styling and formatting of a novel's text. As someone who not only writes these books but also typesets and publishes them, these are far more than cosmetic considerations to me. (For instance, I use italics to show when someone is thinking as opposed to speaking; when that's removed, the passage no longer makes sense.) By converting the text to HTML, running it through Sigil, then fixing up the metadata in Calibre, I think I've finally managed to create an e-book that preserves my intended formatting but will re-flow on the reader. Unfortunately, Calibre was unable to create e-books in the MOBI and LRF formats, so it looks like I'll just be offering the book in ePub format -- which suits me, since it's a free and open format. Thanks for all the pictures that Mobile readers you of the book on their e-readers cool, , and I hope this version works better. The file is also available at: Free! http://www.hamishmacdonald.com/Finitude.epub ...or as an HTML file if anyone wants to try converting it further (with the proviso that I'd really prefer it wasn't rendered down into raw text): http://www.hamishmacdonald.com/Finitude.html - Hamish MacDonald

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