Tolkien on the Kindle

[davem]

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

On the other hand, if you are a fan of contemporary authors, you may find that soon(ish), electronic editions are the only, or at least by far the most convenient, way to read some of the writers that you love.

Hmm.... to quote JRRT in OFS -

Long ago Chesterton
truly remarked that, as soon as he heard that anything “had come to stay,” he knew that it would be very soon replaced—indeed regarded as pitiably obsolete and shabby

.

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

I heard a feature on the radio yesterday though that was saying how now the print on demand technology has improved and all books exist digitally books you should always be able to get a hard copy.

The downside of print on demand is no more remaindered bookshops - wherein I have found many wonderful books.

As someone who is in the middle of using Sigil & Calibre to format a friend's ebook for publication on Kindle (& hoping it will all work as it should ) I do like the 'democratic' aspect of ebooks - no trying to find a publisher, getting a decent deal for the author, & waiting months for the thing to be available (& then trying to get the thing onto the shelves, etc).

[Mithalwen]

I got my Carpenter biography remaindered but having had to wait 20 years to get a copy of The road goes ever on and ten ot complete my set of HoME knowing things will be always available at the touch of a button is wonderful. My main caveat about e books (apart from the tactile one) is that it is fine for the things you know you want but I am not sure I will make hte happy discoveries of things I didn't know I wanted to read until I saw them. Anyway early days..the first thing I goe was an interesting article on Tolkien that I never would have had the chance to read otherwise...