Top Ten Books Missing as eBooks

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

I am puzzled by the attack on Ursula Le Guin, a writer whom I admire very much for her work, and for her wisdom and compassion. If you read her blog, which is a series of thoughtful essays that I recommend to anyone who cares about the state of the world, you would have come across the essay numbered 19, written earlier this year, about Google.

In it she states that Google has taken some of her work and made digital copies without her agreement. If an author of her standing is treated with such a lack of respect, it is hardly surprising that she may not wish to rush into having her work turned into digital editions.

You can find her blog at:

http://www.ursulakleguin.com/Blog2011.html#New

I admire LeGuin and her writing tremendously (One of the best short stories written -> http://harelbarzilai.org/words/omelas.txt ) but that does not mean she is not wrong about some things. I too disagree somewhat with the approach Google took to digitizing books, but also understand the desire/need to digitize and save orphaned books. I'll read that essay, but I think she may, like others in the industry clinging to the past instead of embracing the future.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Why will it never be released as an eBook?

Except for a few notable authors, there does not seem to be a large demand for republishing most Westerns electronically.
Apache

[Pinecone]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'd suggest that you buy from Waterstones (the largest British ePub bookstore) in ePub format, and convert to Mobi (www.waterstones.com). You can't buy eBooks from Amazon UK as a "visitor" - you have to move your account from the US to the UK site, and I think it's a one-way move.



Do you have a title or author? I'll check for you.

Actually I am a Sony person, so epub is fine. But also use Calibre and Alf so format is not a huge deal.

Thank you.

They all have "633 Squadron" in the title, by Frederick Smith.

Thanks.

I could open a new Amazon account.

[Pinecone]

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

You can't buy from any of the UK types unless you are in the UK, including Waterstones.

As I said, I will be in London next week. And I transit LHR often enough to buy books while waiting between flights.

[Blue Tyson]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

I am puzzled by the attack on Ursula Le Guin, a writer whom I admire very much for her work, and for her wisdom and compassion. If you read her blog, which is a series of thoughtful essays that I recommend to anyone who cares about the state of the world, you would have come across the essay numbered 19, written earlier this year, about Google.

In it she states that Google has taken some of her work and made digital copies without her agreement. If an author of her standing is treated with such a lack of respect, it is hardly surprising that she may not wish to rush into having her work turned into digital editions.

You can find her blog at:

http://www.ursulakleguin.com/Blog2011.html#New

It doesn't matter whether she is nice to puppies or not. It is still weird that an author wants to deliberately reduce their readership. Feminists talk about the suppression of female writing - and here is one of their leading lights doing it to herself. 'You girls can't have my books because Google was mean to me'? Weak.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

Actually I am a Sony person, so epub is fine. But also use Calibre and Alf so format is not a huge deal.

Thank you.

They all have "633 Squadron" in the title, by Frederick Smith.

Thanks.

I could open a new Amazon account.

There doesn't appear to be anything available with that title, I'm afraid.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

It doesn't matter whether she is nice to puppies or not. It is still weird that an author wants to deliberately reduce their readership. Feminists talk abou the suppression of female writing - and here is one of their leading lights doing it to herself. 'You girls can't have my books because Google was mean to me'? Weak.

I haven't read the article -- it won't load for me for some bizarre reason -- but this is, of course, a problem when Great Thinkers let their personal vendettas interfere with their actual message. The obvious example being Bradbury who felt that the best way to disseminate knowledge to the masses was to... not license his IP as ebooks because the internet was a fad and kids needed to get off his damn lawn. Or something.

'Course, they're ebooks NOW, so he smelled the money, I'm guessing. But, yeah, it's danged annoying when Great Thinkers decide that their message is somewhat less important than their hurt feelings.

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Some more that I would throw in are
E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman series (classic space opera)
Some of Fredrick Forsyth's books (Day of the Jackel is out, but Dogs of War and Odessa File are not)
Alistair MacLean (Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra, Where Eagles Dare and a bunch of others)

E.E.Smith died in 1965. That will make his works P.D. in life + 50 countries in 2016. 4+ years....

Hemmingway goes P.D. in Life +50 in January.

[Bookpossum]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

I haven't read the article -- it won't load for me for some bizarre reason -- but this is, of course, a problem when Great Thinkers let their personal vendettas interfere with their actual message. The obvious example being Bradbury who felt that the best way to disseminate knowledge to the masses was to... not license his IP as ebooks because the internet was a fad and kids needed to get off his damn lawn. Or something.

'Course, they're ebooks NOW, so he smelled the money, I'm guessing. But, yeah, it's danged annoying when Great Thinkers decide that their message is somewhat less important than their hurt feelings.

Well, I have been googling and I haven't been able to find an article by Ursula Le Guin stating that she will not allow her books to be digitised. I'm not saying she hasn't said it - I'm just interested to read what she actually wrote on this subject. I know that several of her more recent books are available on Kobo, so presumably this is about her earlier books.

Thanks if anyone can let me know where to find this.

[Pulpmeister]

Google is well-known for helping itself to copyright material without permission. A very reputable motor racing historian was astounded to discover an entire book of his, along with all its equally copyright illustrations, in full in Google Books.

Google claimed they had permission of the Publisher of the printed book. But the print publisher only had print rights - the author alone had digital rights.

Authors are right to insist that their own copyright material is published on their own terms. Which includes royalties.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

Well, I have been googling and I haven't been able to find an article by Ursula Le Guin stating that she will not allow her books to be digitised. I'm not saying she hasn't said it - I'm just interested to read what she actually wrote on this subject. I know that several of her more recent books are available on Kobo, so presumably this is about her earlier books.

Thanks if anyone can let me know where to find this.

This essay was about the Google Abandoned Books project that was attacked by the Authors Guild...

[Pinecone]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There doesn't appear to be anything available with that title, I'm afraid.

Thanks for checking.

I have two as ebooks, and just picked up 4 pbooks from Amazon. The last 4 only seem to be available as hardbacks. Even though the last one was written in 2007.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by Pulpmeister

Google is well-known for helping itself to copyright material without permission. A very reputable motor racing historian was astounded to discover an entire book of his, along with all its equally copyright illustrations, in full in Google Books.

Google claimed they had permission of the Publisher of the printed book. But the print publisher only had print rights - the author alone had digital rights.

Authors are right to insist that their own copyright material is published on their own terms. Which includes royalties.

None of which is germane to the point that -- I think -- is being discussed. To wit, if an author is cheesed off at Google for cutting and scanning their work into an archive that has NOTHING to do with publishing an ebook version on Amazon and B&N.

There's this bizarre idea among some people that The Internet is a hive-mind and that if, say, ICanHasCheezburger.com offends you in some way, then you're going to boycott Amazon.uk because That'll Teach 'Em.

Of course, I do not know if Le Guin has actually done this. But I understand that someone else in this thread seems to be saying she's done this. And if so, then it's a silly decision.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

I am puzzled by the attack on Ursula Le Guin, a writer whom I admire very much for her work, and for her wisdom and compassion. If you read her blog, which is a series of thoughtful essays that I recommend to anyone who cares about the state of the world, you would have come across the essay numbered 19, written earlier this year, about Google.

In it she states that Google has taken some of her work and made digital copies without her agreement. If an author of her standing is treated with such a lack of respect, it is hardly surprising that she may not wish to rush into having her work turned into digital editions.

You can find her blog at:

http://www.ursulakleguin.com/Blog2011.html#New

OK, so I was finally able to get to this, via google. (My god, what a badly designed blog. You can't permalink to any of the posts, at least not that I can see. PLEASE, FAMOUS AUTHORS, HIRE DECENT TECH PEOPLE.)

Yes, she does say that Google has pirated her works, but that blog entry #19 appears to have nothing whatsoever to do with her stance on ebooks. So it was the quoted poster who (apparently) decided to make the jump between Google Isn't Respecting Me to So I'll Take My Ball And Go Home. +1 for Le Guin?

It's a muddled article, though. She fully admits the problems inherent in The Mickey Mouse act and wants "Congress" to act (not sure how this will help other countries, but I guess it has to start somewhere), but she's still upset about Google trying to archive and preserve orphaned works.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, just trying to help you. You said you wanted these ebooks; they are available. It's not difficult to buy books that aren't officially available in your country; people outside the US have had to do so for a long time.

I know, I was joking with you. The frowny face was for the fact that it's not available in the US rather than you saying that it's available in the UK. I appreciate you reporting what's available on that side of the pond.