Kindling

I have just finished reading Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles and now I'm in need of a new book, or rather ebook. I have several candidates in mind including three biographies and four specific fiction books. Then again, I am in the mood for some historical or political non- fiction. Then again, maybe Conn Iggulden has published the third instalment of his War of the Roses series by now. As you can see, thanks to Amazon, the list is nigh-on endless.

In the days before I got my Kindle fire I used to go down the library regularly and get a non- fiction book about whatever I was into at the time and a fiction book. Now I might seem a bit anorak-ish but I used to work my way through the alphabet to discover new writers. If my last fiction book's author began with 'C' I would scour the 'D' section till I found something interesting. This probably sounds a bit daft but I discovered the likes of Martin Amis, Wiliam Boyd and Terry Pratchett this way amongst others, authors I might not have picked up otherwise. There was a large collection in the library and this made selection easier but the number of ebooks seem almost infinite, and therein lies the problem. How do you choose?

The problem with ebooks is that many of them are bloody awful. At least with actual books you had a professional publisher who had to put money into the venture and this acted like a kind of quality control. Now people can self-publish so you have to pick your way through the weeds to find anything decent. Amazon doesn't care if it sells or not because it doesn't cost them anything. It's like those times when you would rent a likely looking DVD from the shop, take it home and realise in the first ten minutes the film was going to be awful but you keep watching hoping it will pick up. It never does and it's hugely disappointing.

Another phenomenon I have noticed sneaking in is the 'companion book' or 'after-read.' A short while ago I finished reading The Martian (as in the film). As I flicked over the last page no less than five recommended books popped up. At least three of which appeared to be extended book reviews written by either A level students or pretentious English teachers to tell me all about what I had just read. None of which were from the original author or claimed to have any further insights apart from their own interpretation. One claimed to explain the science in the book, no doubt using Google and Wikipedia as information sources. Even if it had been written by a bone-fide NASA scientist it would be as interesting as reading a washing machine manual. I just makes me want to scream 'stop cashing in and blood-sucking off of other authors by peddling your own puerile shit off the back of their success. Go and do your own work, you're not an author you're a leach.' I might been over reacting a little though. ' That reminds me, I've been meaning to read George Orwell's 'Road to Wigan Pier' for years, now there's a guy who would know what I'm talking about.