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Maybe everyone already knows this, but Gibson has posting draft fragments of the novel he's currently writing on his blog.

He blogs infrequently, and the snippets are interspersed with other stuff, but it's worth checking out these, and the entries for the past few months, if you're a Gibson fan, as I am.

Regardless of whether it relates to the new book, his thoughts are usually entertaining.

Cheers!

Jim

Link: http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com/blog/2006_07_01_archive.asp" target="_blank">Blog!

"To answer the original query I think you'll need some sort of dtp/wp package and create a document with an image on each page that you can then turn into a pdf file. You should be able to find some sort of free converter (and dtp/wp) via google or on download.com"

Aha! Do you, by any chance, mean in exactly the fashion I described half an hour ago?

Cheers!

Jim

"Create PDF work books with mutiple pages."

I'm assuming that you're on a PC rather than a Mac ...?

Download a bit of freeware called Win2PDF (I think). It adds an extra printer to your 'Printers' menu that generates a PDF file instead of printing.

Then simply insert your scanned images into a Word (or whatever) document and print using the PDF driver.

Cheers

Jim

"Course if you're a Goth you can just leave the light off, the black-out curtains closed and pretend the room is tidied... who will know?"

I wasn't born a bloody goth, you know! I did have a childhood, doing normal kiddy-stuff.

And strangely, none of the rooms in my house is painted black ...

Cheers!

Jim

"Pffft! We've all promised that. It's a lie, of course..."

Important childhood lesson: it looks like you've tidied up if you just rearrange all your crap into neat piles.

A lesson that has served me well through many different jobs.

Cheers!

Jim

"I think we all need to see a pic of you in your new boots & best goth finery Jim. "

If I can find a camera angle that doesn't show up the beer gut that I'm currently working out twice a day to try and lose, I might just oblige!

Cheers

Jim

"ahem....sad SHORT old goths... "

I'm actually average-ish height at 5'11" ...

Although it was funny when Nightbreed Trev turned up at the printers I was working at to collect some fliers I'd had done. 6'3" without the New Rocks he was wearing.

He certainly made an ... um ... impression.

Cheers!

Jim

"and new rock boots... surely worn only by lost tourists in Camden Town?"

And very sad old goths.

Cheers

Jim

"Thank Tharg I've got no spare money at the moment!"

New Rocks not included, I note, so add on at least another ?100 to complete the outfit!

On the subject of which, I just treated meself to a pair of these bad boys ...

(Although the skull and flame detail are black on mine, rather than silver.)

Cheers!

Jimhttp://www.apside-clothes.com/new%20rock/161/161-rt.jpg">

"To be fair, though, a lot of the criticisms are exactly the same thing: just "it's crap" without any kind of explanation."

Ahem ... mine haven't been. The writing on large chunks of this series has been dreadful, with (to pick just one aspect that's annoyed me) massive over-reliance on Deus Ex Machina resolutions that make little or no sense.

The laziness and/or complacency that this demonstrates borders on contempt for the audience, and has squandered almost all of the massive goodwill I felt towards this series.

Cheers

Jim

[1] Shall we start with the first episode's "Let's mix half a dozen antidotes together in a bucket and miraculously come up with an cure for everything" and work our way forwards?

On second thoughts, I can't be bothered.

[Fiction]

"I'll be joining Paul on the "Fuck RTD" picketline..."

If our worst fears are confirmed, then I, too, will be joining that line.

And I'll be bringing a pick-axe handle with the words "Russell T Davis" carved into it.

"Ahem ... excuse me, Mr Davis ...

"It's called ... Science [THWACK!] Fiction [THWACK!] because it's [THWACK!] Fiction with [THWACK!] science in it! [THWACK!]

"Billie-fiucking-Piper [THWACK!]

"And her fucking mum! [THWACK!]

"Timmy fucking Mallet [1] [THWACK!]

"You [THWACK!] fucking [THWACK!] tosser!" [THWACK!]

Bah! Again!

Jim

[1] Timmmeeeeeeh!

"Oh, and mind the spoilers for next week, please."

My apologies ... I didn't think spoilers mattered when it was a dreadful load of old shite!

But the apology is genuine: sorry, chap!

Cheers

Jim

[upgrade the UNIVERSE!"]

"I thought the episode was pretty cringeworthy in the most part "

Not as bad as the snippet from next week:

"Daleks plus Cybermen ... we could upgrade the UNIVERSE!"

Oh ... Mr Tennant ... would you mind jumping over this shark one more time? I don't think everyone got it the last time ...

Bah!

Jim

"Maelstrom's another space judges story, by Robbie Morrison and Colin MacNeil."

Can't remember much about the story, but I do remember it having some particularly nice b/w artwork by MacNeil.

Cheers

Jim

"which is why I said "

Yes. Yes, you did. Speed reading the thread at work and missed it -- sorry about that.

I'll get me coat.

Jim