This Is How You Die: Stories of the Inscrutable, Infallible, Inescapable Machine of Death

Registered by futurecat of Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on 8/11/2013
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
This book is in the wild! This Book is Currently in the Wild!
4 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by futurecat from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Sunday, August 11, 2013
I loved Machine of Death, so couldn't resist getting this one, and especially getting it in physical form so I can bookcross it.

As with Machine of Death, a vast collection of stories linked only by the common premise: a machine exists which, given a blood sample, will tell you how you will die. Not when, just how. And the how can be a bit tricky to interpret - does "OLD AGE" mean you'll live a long life, or just that you'll be run over tomorrow by a senile driver?

From this simple premise, the authors have gone off in wild and wonderful directions - many of them even wilder and more wonderful than in the first book. While many of the stories in Machine of Death spent a lot of time explaining what the machine was and the effect it had on society, in this book all that was mostly assumed, freeing the authors to explore different aspects and different story forms (from a "helpful" government manual for children to one of the most skilfully-done choose your own adventure stories I've ever seen). And the genres cover everything from tear-jerker to full-on horror, to fantasy (I loved the story about the discontented orc!), plus of course a good dose of straight science fiction.

And of course, a bonus for bookcrossers, the very first story in the collection is by our very own 'Nathan.

Definitely readable on its own if you haven't read Machine of Death yet, but I think even better if you have.

^ ^
00
=+=
v

P.S. I'm planning on a little bookring, so if you're interested, let me know.

Journal Entry 2 by futurecat at Queenstown, Otago New Zealand on Friday, October 18, 2013

Released 10 yrs ago (10/18/2013 UTC) at Queenstown, Otago New Zealand

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Given to sherlockfan.

Happy bookcrossing to the finder!

^ ^
00
=+=
v

P.S. If you live in the Christchurch area, you might like to join us at our monthly bookcrossing meetups. For details, see the BCNZ Yahoo Group.

Journal Entry 3 by Sherlockfan at Queenstown, Otago New Zealand on Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Thanks for taking this to Queenstown, Futurecat. Did you get any other interest for a bookring -that isn't mentioned here.
Will be a while before I get to it what with two books per month for the two real life bookclubs I'm in and rushing to complete the 666 challenge this one might have to wait a bit. But it does look interesting.

Journal Entry 4 by Sherlockfan at Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Tuesday, October 14, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed the first story in this book but as I read further on I became more uncomfortable with the genre and realized the book was not for me.
I'm taking it to Wellington BC Meet-up this evening. If there are not enough members present for there to be a taker for it I'll take it home again and look for someone with it on their wish list as it should go to a book-crosser to keep faith with FC.

Journal Entry 5 by Sherlockfan at Chicago Bar in Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand on Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Released 9 yrs ago (10/14/2014 UTC) at Chicago Bar in Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Happy reading.

Journal Entry 6 by fee19 at Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand on Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Picked up at Chicago Bar on 14/10/14 at the BC meetup.

Journal Entry 7 by fee19 at Paraparaumu, Wellington Province New Zealand on Friday, October 13, 2017
Taken to Stewart Island to release at the Unconvention.

Journal Entry 8 by futurecat at Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Saw this book on the table at the Stewart Island uncon, and recognised it as having formerly passed through my hands. As nobody else seemed interested in taking it (I think everyone had already filled their bags to capacity), I nabbed it to take to Bordeux.

Though I might have to re-read it first... :-)

^ ^
00
=+=
v

Journal Entry 9 by futurecat at Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Thursday, December 28, 2017
Enough time had passed since I last read this that I'd forgotten a lot of the stories, so it was well worth reading again.

Journal Entry 10 by futurecat at Bookcrossing Convention Bordeaux 2018 in Bordeaux, Aquitaine France on Saturday, April 21, 2018

Released 5 yrs ago (4/20/2018 UTC) at Bookcrossing Convention Bordeaux 2018 in Bordeaux, Aquitaine France

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Happy bookcrossing to the finder!

Want to meet other Bookcrossers? A small but active group of Christchurch Bookcrossers meet once a month for lunch and to exchange books. If you'd like to join us, check out the Conventions and Meetings Forum for details.

^ ^
00
=+=
v

Journal Entry 11 by k-j-h at Bordeaux, Aquitaine France on Saturday, April 21, 2018
Picked up from the table at the Bordeaux convention. I’d read the first Machine of Death (and have a copy of the rpg somewhere) but hadn’t found this second book anywhere.

Have already started reading it, though I don’t quite think it will be finished in time for the release walk.

Journal Entry 12 by k-j-h at Jasper Hotel in Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia on Friday, June 8, 2018

Released 5 yrs ago (6/9/2018 UTC) at Jasper Hotel in Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

To be left on the book swap table at Continuum14

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.