www.retrosoftware.co.uk
http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk/forum/

an eBook for the Electron
http://www.retrosoftware.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=868		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  StuartJ [ Mon Nov 25, 2013 9:15 pm ]
Post subject:  an eBook for the Electron
this is an odd one; a few years ago i wrote and self-published a couple of fantasy paperbacks - Aerworuld I and II.

I had the idea in 2012 of making an eBook version of Aerworuld book I for the Electron... i'm not sure in reality if many folks would really want to read an eBook on their Cub monitor but i liked the idea of having an eBook release on an 8-bit platform :D :D :D

As the books were self-published i still own all the rights to them so there would be no issue there with it; also i would want it to be a Freeware download.

Would there be any interest in having it as a release here?

I began work on the eBook in Basic on the Elk in 2012 with some helpful ideas from my thread on the StarDot forum. Work is slow and as-time-allows but i'm getting there!

Stuart :)

ps I can take screenshots of the work in progress if there is any interest.. i could post up the eBook unfinished but im not sure if that would have any value?
Author:  Samwise [ Sun Dec 01, 2013 1:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: an eBook for the Electron
Stuart,

Is eBook the right word for it? I would describe an eBook as a book in electronic form which is compatible across multiple platform and devices. Although, I guess BBC BASIC is portable-ish ...

How exactly are you implementing it? Are you just writing BASIC programs which display text to the screen? So basically something like:

Code:
10 PRINT"Aerworuld I"
20 PRINT'"It was a dark and stormy night ..."
30 PRINT'"Rest of page ..."
40 REPEAT:UNTIL GET A$
...


Or is it more complicated than that?

Also, is it in way interactive (e.g. Choose Your Own Adventure style) or is it straight prose?

I think some screenshots would definitely help. :) I'm sure we can host it, I'm just trying to work out how to pitch it!

Sam.
Author:  StuartJ [ Mon Dec 02, 2013 11:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: an eBook for the Electron
yes, it's an odd one for the Electron! eBook is the closest i could get for a name folks would be able to grab - it literally is an electron book.

The only interaction from the reader is in choosing chapters, advancing pages, that sort of thing. As i said, i'm not even sure if people would want to read a novel on their Electron but i liked the novelty factor!

Here are a few screenshots:

Attachment:
File comment: a loading screen
title.JPG
title.JPG [ 16.15 KiB | Viewed 47 times ]


Attachment:
File comment: Contents page; choose your chapter
contents.JPG
contents.JPG [ 40.72 KiB | Viewed 47 times ]


Attachment:
File comment: A title screen
splash.JPG
splash.JPG [ 24.6 KiB | Viewed 47 times ]


Attachment:
File comment: an example of a text page
page1.JPG
page1.JPG [ 99.37 KiB | Viewed 47 times ]


the book is being written in Basic using one of the PROCedures suggested to me by members on StarDot which allows for text wrap on the screen.
Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/