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Date Posted: 06:43:22 12/20/23 Wed
Author: AusNick
Author Host/IP: 49.198.15.179
Subject: New Smoke City - Volume 002 (Test Re-Issue) RELEASED!

Folks,

Feels like I've been here before.

Because I have.

Okay, here's the thing. There has been somewhat of an explosion of AI-generated art over on SFK of late, and though I prefer Human-created art, some of the AI stuff is actually decent, evocative even, and I started thinking, maybe I could use some of it, if it's legal to do so. And I thought, well, the older volumes of NSC could do with a refresh, to bring them up to standard with the more current volumes, and maybe use the 'art' on other library items going forward. If it's legal to do so.

So, knowing I've already re-issued Volume 01, which I might revisit, I dunno, maybe, probably, that's what I've been doing for the last almost 4 hours. Reformatting text and rebuilding took forever. All the early volumes have 20 stories in them. Why I didn't go with 10 per volume, I have no idea, hell, if I go ahead with a do-over, I might actually do that, before I find and inventive and non-messy way of self-deletion. Okay, only joking on that, but imma think it.

Anyway, there are a few changes, the most obvious one being the front cover. I've omitted most of the text to give the image more room to breathe, the original volume image was smaller, so that's why the original text was there. I've also called this volume New Smoke City - Volume 002, since we're into triple-figure volume numbers. On the inside, I've brought up the text size to conform with current volumes, which allowed me to correct a few formatting issues that weren't visible in the original. The trade-off there is an increased page count. This may drive some of the page counts of more hefty volumes over 500 pages, which is kind of why I'm thinking of dropping the story count to 10 per volume, if I go ahead. I've also tweaked the odd bit of punctuation that jumped out at me. One thing I did neglect to do, was include the git repo link, I should have done that, and didn't.

If I do go with a complete rebuild, it's going to throw the Volume numbers way out of whack, as well as a lot of stuff in the SFFR volumes, so I dunno. And in this instance, this Volume 002 will become Volume 003 and 004, good thing it's a test release.

So here we are.

New Smoke City - Volume 002
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/r9zab7z510s7y7vo68tdh/New-Smoke-City-Volume-002-NLL.pdf?rlkey=n2qj1zlakyvge1a3pjbqgzr2g&dl=0
https://app.box.com/s/qs98vihr21ziit7z0610t4oskrbagjn7

For comparison, here are the links to the original volume…

New Smoke City - Volume 02
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tzr072tupmg3rhz/New%20Smoke%20City%20-%20Volume%2002%28NLL%29.pdf?dl=0
https://app.box.com/s/n5tmof9uidl78u444o7oha2yjjhgwzv7

So if anyone wants to do a side-by-side comparison, go for it. I'd like feedback on this if anyone cares to give any, especially on the legality of using AI-generated images on the front covers. I actually still have plenty of Human-created art for future volumes, and I'll run out of volumes before I run out of art.

One unexpected thing to happen, is to do with the file size, it actually dropped for the test re-issue compared with the original. The original is 3.8MB, the re-issue is 2.1, despite having pretty much the same body of text. Dunno how that happened.

Anyway, I'm going to shut up with this typing, and go to bed, I'm knackered, and I have an early start again today.

Oh, Christmas is nearly upon us. Saint AusNick will drop a present under the smouldering remains of the Noble Leaf Library Christmas Tree, but I have been warned, and so I warn you, it may not be everyone's cup of tea.

I'm out.

Nick

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