Free ebook: Mars Girl by Jeff Garrity

jgarrity · 09-10-2008, 01:35 PM

Madam Broshkina graciously posted my new novel Mars Girl in the BBeb/LRF forum (which initially drew me to this site) but I thought I'd provide a link to my site here for those who missed it there. I've included some review excerpts and comments concerning Mars Girl below. It's only available as a free download right now. Mars Girl is my first novel and my goal is to introduce the book to as many people as possible, and get feedback from readers. The book is published under a Creative Commons license. Mars Girl is available in a few formats at my site:

www.marsgirl.us

If you don't find a format that works for you, let me know. And if there's anyone who would like to assist in creating new formats, or point me in the right direction, that would be wonderful. There seems to be a great deal of expertise here.

Would people rather go to my site to get the book, or is it better to post files here?

Jeff

Comments/Reviews:

Mars Girl is fast-paced, insightful, inventive and very, very funny. Its vision of where the mutual dependence of politicians and media producers will end is both hilarious and a little frightening. Put Karl Rove and Groucho Marx in a smoke-filled room, spin well on 24-hour news cycle, and you get Mars Girl. This should be required reading for anyone who watches cable news, votes or is thinking of running for President in 2012.
-Marc J. Sheehan

Mars Girl is reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut's early satire ... [It's] a bizarre, satirical romp that offers a glimpse into the media and politics of a future that is probably nearer than most would like to admit.
-Bill Castanier, City Pulse, Lansing, Michigan

Mars Girl should make us all pay more attention to the threat of media manipulation of our world. Garrity's subtle wit and the fast-paced action make this a most enjoyable read.
-Harry McGee

Kind of like Carl Hiaasen, Vonnegut, and even Dr. Strangelove. It's an incredibly fast paced page turner. I read it in about 7 hours and couldn't get enough. I laughed, I cried, I chewed off all my nails. LOL. I'd like to send copies to all our media stars, producers and publishers of the 24 hour news cycle to shame them.
-Terry Mentgen

Sometimes I wasn't sure where Garrity was coming from during the odd-but-intriguing moments, but the world he creates is believable and the style grows on you. Mars Girl's twists and turns kept me interested and I'm still trying to figure out the ending; if any book I've read recently is ripe for a follow-up, it's this one. I'm curious to see what the author will come up with next.
-Rob Peerman

kacir · 09-10-2008, 02:44 PM

Thank you
I will definitely try out the book.

wallcraft · 09-10-2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgarrity

And if there's anyone who would like to assist in creating new formats, or point me in the right direction, that would be wonderful.

I was going to suggest feedbooks.com, but it is there already, see Feedbooks: Mars Girl.

jgarrity · 09-10-2008, 04:40 PM

You're welcome, Kacir. It's great to find a group of interested readers.

Yes, Mars Girl is available at feedbooks but I had some formatting struggles so I only posted a portion of the book. I need to try again ...

wallcraft · 09-10-2008, 04:48 PM

Feedbooks provides the option of posting your own books, but my impression is that most CC science fiction (say) is made available by the feedbooks team, rather than the author, see Creative Commons Science-Fiction.

jgarrity · 09-10-2008, 05:42 PM

Interesting ... I just posted a comment on the CC Science Fiction page at feedbooks. Maybe they'll add Mars Girl to the list.

Which brings up a question I've wrestled with: is Mars Girl science fiction? Labels don't matter much to me, but I'd rather not be misleading, and agents and publishers almost always ask authors where book stores would shelve the book so despite the constraints of a label, they can be useful. A librarian who read Mars Girl said that if she was going to categorize it (and who better to do that than a librarian?) she would call it "social science fiction." Of course that's not a common category on web sites, at book stores or in libraries so if the librarian is correct, I'm not sure if that takes it out of the science fiction realm and puts it in general fiction or in some other category.

The only negative comment so far at manybooks is from someone who believes that readers would be better off choosing a Jules Verne novel, which for some people is likely to be true (as much as I hate to admit it). Also, I think my valiant effort at amateur book cover design might lead people to believe it's straight science fiction since it features a Flash Gordon-style spaceship. On the other hand, a fair amount of the action takes place on Mars. Maybe that's enough to make it science fiction?!?

jgarrity · 09-10-2008, 05:52 PM

I just read my previous post and it sounds like a homework assignment ... sorry if I got carried away.

JSWolf · 09-10-2008, 06:04 PM

LRF would be quite nice. Also, it would be a lot easier to convert if the HTML had a proper ToC. You'd have to make about 146 links for a proper ToC. I wonder what Book Designer would do with it... I'll have a quick go and see,.

RWood · 09-10-2008, 06:51 PM

We are happy either way you elect to publish your book either at your own site or allowing us to post it here. We can offer support for a number of formats supported by portable reading devices including the old ereader format (once known as PalmDoc) that is now used by some for the iPhone.

Is the book SciFi? Yes. Is Verne better? Verne is of a different time and some of the translations have been poor, very poor. For a hundred years ago he was great.

So welcome to MobileRead (a bit late there, wasn't I) and if there is anything we can do to help, just ask.

basschick · 09-10-2008, 08:33 PM

the cover probably doesn't reflect the book very well, but i find that's true of a lot of ebook covers. thanks for the book - i'll spend some time with it after work

jgarrity · 09-11-2008, 12:41 AM

I'm glad I found mobileread, it's a very welcoming place. Thanks for the offers of help, I really appreciate it.

Today's online version of the NY Times has a link to this forum. Wow, you people have power!

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/s...net/index.html

Now if they'd do a review ...

jgarrity · 09-11-2008, 01:08 AM

JSWolf, there's a LRF file posted by Madam Broshkina here:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28418

I don't have a Sony reader so I don't know if it has a TOC. But you're right, the book's structure (lots of short chapters) means a TOC is a pain. Something I should have thought about a few years ago when I started writing ...

kacir · 09-11-2008, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgarrity

... she would call it "social science fiction." Of course that's not a common category on web sites, at book stores or in libraries so if the librarian is correct, I'm not sure if that takes it out of the science fiction realm and puts it in general fiction or in some other category.

Just find out where one of the SF masterpieces writen by Robert A. Heinlein Straanger in a strange land is categorized. If there is on book that could be called the Great grandfather of all "social science fiction" it is this book.

Madam Broshkina · 09-11-2008, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgarrity

JSWolf, there's a LRF file posted by Madam Broshkina here:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28418

I don't have a Sony reader so I don't know if it has a TOC. But you're right, the book's structure (lots of short chapters) means a TOC is a pain. Something I should have thought about a few years ago when I started writing ...

I made a TOC for the following sections in the book:

Prologue
Day I
Day II
Epilogue

Hadrien · 09-11-2008, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgarrity

You're welcome, Kacir. It's great to find a group of interested readers.

Yes, Mars Girl is available at feedbooks but I had some formatting struggles so I only posted a portion of the book. I need to try again ...

Feel free to PM or e-mail me anytime you'd like. We've improved the publishing feature already and will continue to redesign part of the UI for this feature in the upcoming weeks.

The good thing about Feedbooks aside from the fact that it support ePub/Mobipocket is that we're also a good way to distribute content: directly to the iPhone through Stanza, or to the Kindle using our dedicated guide.
It's also a real ecosystem where users can get recommendations, create list etc... rather than an isolated piece of information.

09-10-2008, 01:35 PM	#1
jgarrity Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 214 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Adobe Reader	Free ebook: Mars Girl by Jeff Garrity Madam Broshkina graciously posted my new novel Mars Girl in the BBeb/LRF forum (which initially drew me to this site) but I thought I'd provide a link to my site here for those who missed it there. I've included some review excerpts and comments concerning Mars Girl below. It's only available as a free download right now. Mars Girl is my first novel and my goal is to introduce the book to as many people as possible, and get feedback from readers. The book is published under a Creative Commons license. Mars Girl is available in a few formats at my site: www.marsgirl.us If you don't find a format that works for you, let me know. And if there's anyone who would like to assist in creating new formats, or point me in the right direction, that would be wonderful. There seems to be a great deal of expertise here. Would people rather go to my site to get the book, or is it better to post files here? Jeff Comments/Reviews: Mars Girl is fast-paced, insightful, inventive and very, very funny. Its vision of where the mutual dependence of politicians and media producers will end is both hilarious and a little frightening. Put Karl Rove and Groucho Marx in a smoke-filled room, spin well on 24-hour news cycle, and you get Mars Girl. This should be required reading for anyone who watches cable news, votes or is thinking of running for President in 2012. -Marc J. Sheehan Mars Girl is reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut's early satire ... [It's] a bizarre, satirical romp that offers a glimpse into the media and politics of a future that is probably nearer than most would like to admit. -Bill Castanier, City Pulse, Lansing, Michigan Mars Girl should make us all pay more attention to the threat of media manipulation of our world. Garrity's subtle wit and the fast-paced action make this a most enjoyable read. -Harry McGee Kind of like Carl Hiaasen, Vonnegut, and even Dr. Strangelove. It's an incredibly fast paced page turner. I read it in about 7 hours and couldn't get enough. I laughed, I cried, I chewed off all my nails. LOL. I'd like to send copies to all our media stars, producers and publishers of the 24 hour news cycle to shame them. -Terry Mentgen Sometimes I wasn't sure where Garrity was coming from during the odd-but-intriguing moments, but the world he creates is believable and the style grows on you. Mars Girl's twists and turns kept me interested and I'm still trying to figure out the ending; if any book I've read recently is ripe for a follow-up, it's this one. I'm curious to see what the author will come up with next. -Rob Peerman Last edited by jgarrity; 09-14-2008 at 01:23 PM. Reason: Reformatted thread title

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09-10-2008, 02:44 PM	#2
kacir Wizard Posts: 3,455 Karma: 10484861 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PocketBook 360, before it was Sony Reader, cassiopeia A-20	Thank you I will definitely try out the book.

09-10-2008, 04:40 PM	#4
jgarrity Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 214 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Adobe Reader	You're welcome, Kacir. It's great to find a group of interested readers. Yes, Mars Girl is available at feedbooks but I had some formatting struggles so I only posted a portion of the book. I need to try again ...

09-10-2008, 04:48 PM	#5
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	Feedbooks provides the option of posting your own books, but my impression is that most CC science fiction (say) is made available by the feedbooks team, rather than the author, see Creative Commons Science-Fiction.

09-10-2008, 05:42 PM	#6
jgarrity Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 214 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Adobe Reader	Interesting ... I just posted a comment on the CC Science Fiction page at feedbooks. Maybe they'll add Mars Girl to the list. Which brings up a question I've wrestled with: is Mars Girl science fiction? Labels don't matter much to me, but I'd rather not be misleading, and agents and publishers almost always ask authors where book stores would shelve the book so despite the constraints of a label, they can be useful. A librarian who read Mars Girl said that if she was going to categorize it (and who better to do that than a librarian?) she would call it "social science fiction." Of course that's not a common category on web sites, at book stores or in libraries so if the librarian is correct, I'm not sure if that takes it out of the science fiction realm and puts it in general fiction or in some other category. The only negative comment so far at manybooks is from someone who believes that readers would be better off choosing a Jules Verne novel, which for some people is likely to be true (as much as I hate to admit it). Also, I think my valiant effort at amateur book cover design might lead people to believe it's straight science fiction since it features a Flash Gordon-style spaceship. On the other hand, a fair amount of the action takes place on Mars. Maybe that's enough to make it science fiction?!?

09-10-2008, 05:52 PM	#7
jgarrity Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 214 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Adobe Reader	I just read my previous post and it sounds like a homework assignment ... sorry if I got carried away.

09-10-2008, 06:04 PM	#8
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 76,395 Karma: 136466962 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	LRF would be quite nice. Also, it would be a lot easier to convert if the HTML had a proper ToC. You'd have to make about 146 links for a proper ToC. I wonder what Book Designer would do with it... I'll have a quick go and see,.

09-10-2008, 06:51 PM	#9
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	We are happy either way you elect to publish your book either at your own site or allowing us to post it here. We can offer support for a number of formats supported by portable reading devices including the old ereader format (once known as PalmDoc) that is now used by some for the iPhone. Is the book SciFi? Yes. Is Verne better? Verne is of a different time and some of the translations have been poor, very poor. For a hundred years ago he was great. So welcome to MobileRead (a bit late there, wasn't I) and if there is anything we can do to help, just ask.

09-10-2008, 08:33 PM	#10
basschick Wizard Posts: 1,096 Karma: 4695691 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	the cover probably doesn't reflect the book very well, but i find that's true of a lot of ebook covers. thanks for the book - i'll spend some time with it after work

09-11-2008, 12:41 AM	#11
jgarrity Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 214 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Adobe Reader	I'm glad I found mobileread, it's a very welcoming place. Thanks for the offers of help, I really appreciate it. Today's online version of the NY Times has a link to this forum. Wow, you people have power! http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/s...net/index.html Now if they'd do a review ...

09-11-2008, 01:08 AM	#12
jgarrity Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 214 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Adobe Reader	JSWolf, there's a LRF file posted by Madam Broshkina here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28418 I don't have a Sony reader so I don't know if it has a TOC. But you're right, the book's structure (lots of short chapters) means a TOC is a pain. Something I should have thought about a few years ago when I started writing ...