The Reading Vent & Rant Thread

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Hitch

The bottom line is, as it always is, money. 99% of trade publishing ebooks are done in India, and the Indian firms (and yes, this isn't rumor or speculation) hire off the street and train by rote, period. It's the way of it.

The bookmakers get paid and they're happy but they have zero troubleshooting skills because they rarely understand what they are actually DOING, or why they are doing it. Whaddya expect for $0.99/hour?

Hitch

No wonder most eBooks are so poorly made. I would never work for such a pittance. But even still, I'd do a much better job.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

No wonder most eBooks are so poorly made. I would never work for such a pittance. But even still, I'd do a much better job.

You couldn't where you live, unless you slept in the subway or cardboard box and raided fastfood dumpsters for food. I expect the "living wage" is also higher than your local "minimum wage".

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Quoth

You couldn't where you live, unless you slept in the subway or cardboard box and raided fastfood dumpsters for food. I expect the "living wage" is also higher than your local "minimum wage".

The minimum wage is $15. The minimum living wage for 1 adult with no kids is $21.35.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The minimum wage is $15. The minimum living wage for 1 adult with no kids is $21.35.

Please don't. You know what I mean. If you're unwilling to answer a question, then don't answer it.

[Quoth]

My bad!

[Deskisamess]

My daughter and her professional spouse both work 40 & 60 hours per week. Daughter makes $17.50, spouse makes $28 (salary not hourly so no overtime) and they have a tough time paying their bills because rent is so high. Their landlord just upped their rent to $1,800 a month, so they are moving to a $1,100 per month place.

Groceries, utilities, medical insurance, insurance, and gas eat up the rest, now they will deal with local income tax as well due to the move. Rentals are tough to come by, and so very expensive. Hardly any were available as they were looking, and all were in the $1,700-$2,200 range, for basic 2 bedroom duplexes.

[Renate]

$2000 for a studio is in some places an attractive price.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Groceries, utilities, medical insurance, insurance, and gas eat up the rest, now they will deal with local income tax as well due to the move. Rentals are tough to come by, and so very expensive. Hardly any were available as they were looking, and all were in the $1,700-$2,200 range, for basic 2 bedroom duplexes.

In this area, a 2 bedroom apartment averages $4,380 Cdn per month. There weren't many 2 bedroom duplex listings for greater Vancouver but the cheapest one was $4,950 Cdn per month, The other 4 listings were from $8,500 to $11,500 per month.

For those looking to purchase, a 1 bedroom with den and 1 bath condo apartment was listed at $2,199,000 Cdn. Convenient to SkyTrain and transit.

I suspect people here would kill for rentals in the range you think of as expensive.

[issybird]

Back on topic, please.

[HLS]

Originally Posted by issybird

Please don't. You know what I mean. If you're unwilling to answer a question, then don't answer it.

I don't see a question being asked?

[HLS]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I only have very fuzzy memories (the book honestly gave me a headache), but Dune had a somewhat-vague Butlerian Jihad to explain the lack of computers.

I love the Dune books but I think 10,000 years is a long time. You can make computers that are not sentient and travel the galaxy without the Spice. but then again it's only a book.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by HLS

...and travel the galaxy without the Spice. but then again it's only a book.

I always wondered how they got to Arrakis to discover the Spice in the first place. But I'm sure that was answered in some follow-up work.

Dune was good enough for me. I didn't feel a need to read the follow-ups and instead have read other Frank Herbert novels. I sure don't begrudge him continuing his most popular property and may try at least the next two.

Those other continuations though, I never see myself picking those up.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by HLS

I love the Dune books but I think 10,000 years is a long time. You can make computers that are not sentient and travel the galaxy without the Spice. but then again it's only a book.

Possibly you can't make sentient computers at all, ever.

We've no idea how to travel the stars other than a spinning Generation ship (possibly 2 or 3 rotating on a tether).

But it's a book and far more Fantasy than SF. I thought the 1st good and went downhill fast. I read a few others by him, some not too bad and more like SF. Not that I at all dislike Fantasy, Sometimes boxing a book into a strictly defined genre isn't fair to it.
What sort of story is Riders of the Purple Sage? Is it "really" a Western?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Dune was good enough for me. I didn't feel a need to read the follow-ups and instead have read other Frank Herbert novels. I sure don't begrudge him continuing his most popular property and may try at least the next two.

Arguable if Frank Herbert is continuing his most popular property given that he passed away in 1986. The continuations are mostly collaborations between his son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson.

As far as I know, six of the Dune books—Dune (1965), Dune Messiah (1969), Children of Dune (1976), God Emperor of Dune (1981), Heretics of Dune (1984) and Chapterhouse: Dune (1985)—were written by Frank Herbert. The remainder of the books were co-authored by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson based on notes that Frank Herbert had made and that were found a decade after his death.

A humorous aspect about the original Dune novel is that it was published by Chilton which was and is best known for the Chilton auto repair manuals.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Arguable if Frank Herbert is continuing his most popular property given that he passed away in 1986.

Ghostwriting.