So we haven't had one of these in a while, and I figured I should mention it so people don't think the project's been abandoned or something. The text is (as near as I can figured it) around 90% in place (though not all of that is "finished" yet), and Adam's technical illustrations are done (and amazing). I won't lie, momentum took a major hit when I decided TLOK-as-a-(non-)TV-show was Dead To Me, and another when the school year started, but CTCS is not on the inactive list. At this point, because of the way the project is structured, even if we were writing the remaining text faster, it probably wouldn't make the thing come out any sooner.

Chapters are out for Outside Perspective Pre-Read with a couple of Phil's non-EPU-familiar online contacts, one of whom is at this moment cheerfully punking the fuck out of my punctuation, sentence structure, and word choices (mostly in the form of treating my deliberate stylistics touches as mistakes). It's a bit like a non-binding version of seventh grade. :)

Owing to an acute shortage of Suspects lately, if anybody seeing this would like to be considered for Inside Perspective Pre-Read, that possibility is at least semi-open (no more than one or two slots). It would of course mean that the Finished Product would be pretty monumentally spoiled for you, so think carefully on it before you volunteer if you've a mind to.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>Owing to an acute shortage of Suspects lately, if anybody seeing this
>would like to be considered for Inside Perspective Pre-Read, that
>possibility is at least semi-open (no more than one or two slots). It
>would of course mean that the Finished Product would be pretty
>monumentally spoiled for you, so think carefully on it before you
>volunteer if you've a mind to.

Argh. I have been waiting literally years for an open call for EPU
prereaders. Of course it has to be issued when I am dealing with:

* buying a new car
* getting my mother into assisted living
* dealing with my wife's impending layoff from her job of 15 years
* and trying to write a new book

All at once.

-- Bob
-------------------
My race is pacifist and does not believe in war. We kill only out of personal spite.

>Argh. I have been waiting literally years for an open call for EPU
>prereaders.

I can't quite tell if this means "Argh, I can't do it" or "Argh, my life just got even more complicated." Sorry to pile on, either way.

By a couple of weird coincidences, my grandparents went into an old folks' home this past summer. Here's the weird coincidence part: I was just finally able to visit them there last week, and after staggering along for years under increasingly improbable management, Dad's employers of 40 years finally went under (again, and likely for the last time) that same day. So I'm kind of on the next boat over on those points (at a slightly greater remove). And I'm on the hook for a bunch of art projects and a 25-page research paper, not a book. But I think the overall OMG OMG ALL THESE PLATES THEY MUST BE KEPT SPINNING tone is probably similar, if that helps in any way.

No new car, though. Alas.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>>Argh. I have been waiting literally years for an open call for EPU
>>prereaders.
>I can't quite tell if this means "Argh, I can't do it" or "Argh, my
>life just got even more complicated." Sorry to pile on, either way.

It's pretty much "Why now, when I don't even have the time to breathe?" And no need to apologize -- it's not your fault my life is playing "how much can we load him with?" right now.

>I think the overall OMG OMG ALL THESE PLATES THEY MUST BE KEPT
>SPINNING tone is probably similar, if that helps in any way.

In a way it does, yes.

>No new car, though. Alas.

Trust me, the payoff is not worth what we're going through to get there.

-- Bob
-------------------
My race is pacifist and does not believe in war. We kill only out of personal spite.

>It's pretty much "Why now, when I don't even have the time to
>breathe?" And no need to apologize -- it's not your fault my
>life is playing "how much can we load him with?" right now.

Well, if things settle down, let me know, and if the situation doesn't get saner for you before CTCS is out of post, I'll keep you in mind for something else later.

For everybody else, it looks like we're pretty well set for right now (having gotten a couple of contacts off-the-board this morning). If things change, I'll post a follow-up. Thanks for your interest & stay tuned!

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>Well, if things settle down, let me know, and if the situation doesn't
>get saner for you before CTCS is out of post, I'll keep you in mind
>for something else later.

Will do. Thank you.

-- Bob
-------------------
My race is pacifist and does not believe in war. We kill only out of personal spite.

Spoilers need bother me. I'm willing to volunteer.

Would just need to know what I'd need to do to help, is all. :)

>Chapters are out for Outside Perspective Pre-Read with a couple of
>Phil's non-EPU-familiar online contacts, one of whom is at this moment
>cheerfully punking the fuck out of my punctuation, sentence
>structure, and word choices (mostly in the form of treating my
>deliberate stylistics touches as mistakes).

Oh, thank god. I'm completely useless at that as a matter of functional criticism. I'm glad somebody else isn't, because now I feel less obscurely guilty.

>Owing to an acute shortage of Suspects lately, if anybody seeing this
>would like to be considered for Inside Perspective Pre-Read, that
>possibility is at least semi-open (no more than one or two slots).

I would like to cheerfully volunteer for this, but I will also say that I entirely and completely understand if you rather my analysis come in the form of a postmortem rather than a pre-read.

-Merc
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