Comments on: Your Weekend Goodie: Free Metatropolis Story

By: Jeff S.

Jeff S. — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:07:44 +0000

Wow, free story. I just downloaded it to my Itunes and will drop it on to my Ipod shortly so I can listen to it in my van pool on the way to work. (no, I’m not driving this week)

I’m sure that this free taste will make me buy the whole thing when it’s available. Ah, the various addictions that are made by the “first one is free” marketing ploy. In my case, libraries were my first, now websites. Who knows where it will end… 8D

By: mensley

mensley — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:58:53 +0000

Alas, thanks for the answer. Guess I’ll work on experimenting with audio to text conversion.

It’s a cool project, i must say. My own idiosyncrasies aside.

By: John Scalzi

John Scalzi — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:49:26 +0000

mensley:

Our focus is on the audio book.

By: mensley

mensley — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:47:27 +0000

John,

You probably don’t know, but I don’t know who else to ask… are you aware of any effort to make this available in dead-tree format?

The whole package looks stunning, and I *adore* every author involved, but I happen to be one of those weird people who can’t listen to audiobooks. I’ve tried, many times, but they just irritate the crap out of me. My own problem, yes, but I’d love to read these stories and I’d love to support the authors.

I’m pondering buying the audiobook and running it through voice to text software, but would rather buy an official print version should that be in the pipeline.

And by the way, I run Linux, but also have a windows partition for things that Linux doesn’t do. Two of them, in fact, as older versions of windows have their uses as well. I love Linux, but whiney Linux users piss me off and they give the O/S a bad name.

By: Chris Sullins

Chris Sullins — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:10:21 +0000

After you sign up on the site and download the file, it shows up in your “Library” on Audible. There is a streaming link there that currently doesn’t work (in VLC, Winamp or Windows Media Player on Vista). If they could be convinced to fix that, it would likely be listenable on Linux. If it’s just my computer, then it would likely already be listenable. Someone should look into that, if they’re annoyed enough to complain. (I would submit the help ticket myself, except that I’m just willing enough to sign up for a new web site and download the annoying one-off software required to listen to it. And I’m not currently booted into Linux.)

I’ll listen to the story when I have 2:15 hours free…. (I am torn between a general dislike of audio books and an entirely platonic love of Jay Lake.)

By: John Scalzi

John Scalzi — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 03:57:29 +0000

Groovy. I’ve heard the whole thing and he does a great job.

By: Emily

Emily — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:42:52 +0000

Oh wow. I normally don’t buy audio books (my local library has a good collection), but this I might have to splurge on. Two of my favorite BSG actors-McClure and Juliani-reading two of my favorite authors.

From the sample, it sounds like Juliani does a fantastic job with your story, John. What’s it like, hearing another’s voice reading your words?

By: Fiona

Fiona — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 20:41:48 +0000

Cool Stuff & Free Stuff.

By: Phiala

Phiala — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:33:24 +0000

John wrote: “Kvetching about no Linux support is perfectly cromulent. It’s what Linux folks do, from time to time.”

Well, of course. That’s the only reason any of us use Linux- so that we can complain about how we’re ignored by large companies like Audible.com

That, and so you have an excuse to use words like “cromulent”.

By: John Scalzi

John Scalzi — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:16:05 +0000

Thanks, Steve. I appreciate that.