Machine Man launch
Machine Man launches tomorrow! Which is also my birthday. Yeah, thanks for
noticing. No, no, don’t try to make excuses. It only demeans us both.
Speaking of which: Machine Man! I hope you’re signed up for this spectacular venture into real-time serial fiction. I say “spectacular” because “I wound up writing a 200-page story for eight interested readers” would qualify too, albeit not in the sense I’m hoping for. But either way.
Because the original concept wasn’t self-destructive enough, I decided each Machine Man page will accept your comments. That way, my eight interested readers can not only bankrupt me financially, but also destroy my creative confidence. There’s a very real chance here you may see me totally disintegrate as a human being. And I’ll throw that in for nothing.
P.S. I have to confess: I’ve cheated a little already. I got ahead of myself and built up a little stack of pages, which are now ready to go. It has been fun. There is something very satisfying about a solid, ninety-word scene. I think I like this medium. It’s like a novel with ADHD.
P.P.S. I got a spam email from “Mal Awesome.” That’s the best name I’ve ever heard. Next time I need a character name, I’m trawling my Junk folder.
30 comments
Comments
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Location: Leeds, UK.
Quote: "“Trust Elizabeth to get upset over a donut.”"
Posted: 5916 days ago
Can you let me know what the format the email’s will be in. As I when I get your little news letter, it will not read on my text only fancy web 2.0 email service.
Daniel DiFranco (#243)
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Quote: "Panic Years, a novel, out now."
Posted: 5916 days ago
I want to give you money. I have been harboring guilt for a few years now because I bought "Syrup" and "Jennifer Government" used on Amazon. I'm already subscribed to "Machine Man" and was wondering if I should buy it a few times or just cut you a check. Or, if you would prefer, I can send canned goods since you fear bankruptcy.
Tomorrow will be a good day,
Good day sir.
As for your birthday:
“Well, birthdays are merely symbolic of how another year has gone by and how little we've grown. No matter how desperate we are that someday a better self will emerge, with each flicker of the candles on the cake, we know it's not
to be, that for the rest of our sad, wretched pathetic lives, this is who we are to the bitter end. Inevitably, irrevocably; happy birthday? No such thing.” -Seinfeld
Brittany O. (#1688)
Location: Montana
Quote: "people are kind of overrated "
Posted: 5916 days ago
And your birthday. I hope it is good. You are the only author that I follow faithfully and I didn't even know it was your birthday. BUT I bet that you do not know mine either so we can call it good.
Location: Saukville, Wisconsin
Quote: ""A hamster's like a small camel" - Ben Katz"
Posted: 5916 days ago
I'll celebrate by severing my leg in solidarity!
(Not really. I kind of like my leg.)
And Happy Birthday from Milwaukee!
Location: San Francisco
Quote: "I'm of a mind to makes some mookie."
Posted: 5916 days ago
Looking forward to the first page. Thanks. -s
Location: Sydney
Quote: "vote with your wallet"
Posted: 5916 days ago
Mostly, I'll just be looking for inappropriate use of the word 'Belgium.'
Mark (#2176)
Location: Ohio, USA
Posted: 5916 days ago
Does my internet cord reach clear over to Australia?
Location: Heist, Belgium
Quote: "he reads things"
Posted: 5916 days ago
Happy birthday, too, I'll be sending you an e-mail tomorrow. You know, so you can brag about how many you got without lying :3
Location: Spokane, Washington
Quote: "Corgis are like potato chips"
Posted: 5916 days ago
I will be interesting to see if this is every adopted by other authors.
Sorry I can't send you canned goods, the post all the way to you would be ecologically irresponsible, oh, and spendy! It will have to be cash...
Richard Thomas (#3828)
Location: Chicago, IL USA
Quote: "What does not kill me makes me stronger."
Posted: 5916 days ago
Peace,
Richard
Location: Sydney, Australia
Quote: "Why are the pretty ones always insane?"
Posted: 5916 days ago
Hey yeah, it practically writes itself!
Ted Kern (#3864)
Location: Las Vegas
Quote: "The problem facing the world today is stupidity. I'm not saying to kill the idiots off, just take the safety labels off everything and let the problem fix itself."
Posted: 5916 days ago
Ben Shaw (#1916)
Posted: 5915 days ago
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Quote: "I'm my number one fan!"
Posted: 5915 days ago
Wow, it actually looks like that guy writes A CHAPTER A DAY. I can't even read that fast.
Mats (#1057)
Location: Turku, Finland, Europe, Earth
Quote: ""The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist knows it." James Branch Cabell via Robert Oppenheimer"
Posted: 5915 days ago
Paul (#104)
Location: Connecticut, USA
Quote: ""Don't fight it son. Confess quickly! If you hold out too long you could jeopardize your credit rating. " --Brazil (1985 movie)"
Posted: 5915 days ago
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Quote: "I'm my number one fan!"
Posted: 5915 days ago
towr (#1914)
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 5915 days ago
Zwangzug (#3872)
Location: GMT -6
Quote: "It ain't over till it's over"
Posted: 5915 days ago
Brittany O. (#1688)
Location: Montana
Quote: "people are kind of overrated "
Posted: 5915 days ago
Alexander (#2328)
Location: Maine
Quote: "He who fights monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster, and it you gaze into an abyss for long, the abyss gazes also into you - Friedrich Nietzsche"
Posted: 5914 days ago
And "Mal" could easily be short for Malcolm, which is also a badass name.
Location: Unincorporated Harris County, State of Texas, United States of
Quote: "For Poland!"
Posted: 5914 days ago
Happy birthday from the Republic of Texas!!!
Jeffrey (#2286)
Location: Right here
Quote: "Mathematics is a powerful language. Just look at how mathematicians destroyed the housing market."
Posted: 5914 days ago
Location: the Stygian Empire
Quote: "Flesh is a design flaw."
Posted: 5914 days ago
Location: Morristown, Indiana
Quote: "Why do I blog? Simple, because Max Barry blogs."
Posted: 5911 days ago
CHOCOLATE?
I'm now almost 21, which means I'm starting to make friends with older people and people who have children. I've been hearing many parenting techniques and advice. As a normal college student would, I analyze and try to decipher these words of wisdom in order to pretend like I know everything.
Recently, I heard a parental idea for 'potty training' your child. Basically, every time your child goes to the bathroom, you give them a piece of chocolate. I wonder if this could have a few unintended consequences.
There was a famous dog experiment where a guy taught his dogs to salivate at the ding of a bell. The way he accomplished this was for a few months he gave the dogs a treat every time he dinged the bell. Then one day, he just stopped. The dogs would salivate expecting a treat every time he dinged the bell.
Don't be surprised if your child comes to you at the age of 25 saying, "I don't know why, but every time I go to the bathroom, I salivate."
-adam
Ian (#3882)
Location: Carmel, IN
Posted: 5910 days ago
-Ian
Ian (#3882)
Location: Carmel, IN
Posted: 5910 days ago
There isn't a good way for us as fans to comment on particular pages... would it be too much trouble to make it so that each page can be commented upon individually or make a thread that is officially dedicated to comments fans may have as the serial progresses (kind of what this is but it isn't zoned off as such)? are you intentionally avoiding the potential consequences of this (i.e. overzealous fans focusing in on the nitty gritty or being obnoxious)? Just a thought.
Ralf Heinrich (#1441)
Location: Buehl, Germany
Quote: "What does this button do?"
Posted: 5909 days ago
(I mean how come you are not there, not how come I miss you there. Hr hr.)
- Ralf
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Quote: "I'm my number one fan!"
Posted: 5909 days ago
> each page can be commented upon individually
You can do this! Each page on the web site has a little "Comments" link down the bottom. And you can browse the whole lot here:
http://www.maxbarry.com/machineman/pages.html
I should really make that more obvious.
nick (#3850)
Location: Melbourne
Quote: "Pick me, pick me, I'm ever so smart!"
Posted: 5908 days ago
In addition, I hate you for giving it to me for free, and then threatening to take it away from me at some unspecified point in the future.
It makes me nervous just reading it. Is this the last free one? Will I have to pay for the next one? Do I want to? Can I live without this product and/or service?
So many questions Max. So many questions.
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