When I saw this task, I knew it was perfect for me, because I had recently come into possession of an item that I do not want to own any longer. It is this book:




What? you say. What is wrong with such a nice looking book?

No offense is meant to the author, who from all reports is very awesome in person and smart on Wiscon panels, but I did not much like this book, and the only reason I finished it is because the political science fiction book group I belong to was discussing it at our last meeting. Otherwise, it went against my new rule, Never Finish A Book I Don't Care For. I never used to have this rule, but my schedule is so hectic these days that I just do not have time for bad books. Call me a book snob, but it's true.

Anyway, sadly for this book, it lacked characterization, a plot that made sense (i think the lack of characterization contributed to the plot's lack of sense - i.e. the villain had absolutely no motivation at all to be villainous), and it was full of nitpicky things that bothered me, like bad/contrived cyberpunk talk. Also, the main character kept conveniently forgetting things that I felt she ought to know, as a member of 2075 society, even though she was a pariah.

So, that is more than you need to know about why I did not like this book, resented having to finish it, and was happy for the excuse to get rid of it in a manner that would, in the process, bring me more joy than reading it had.

But you do need to know one more thing about this book, and that is it had religious themes. Namely, that angels, real angels sent from the heavens, were now inhabiting the 2075 version of the internet.

The actual process of getting this book back into a store, and buyable, was easy. I planned to just take it to a used bookstore, write in a price, and put it on the shelf. But I wanted it to be a bit more interesting. So, since the book had religious themes, I decided that what it really needed was Bible quotes interspersed throughout. The Book of Revelations seemed like a good place to get these quotes. Being an atheist, and from a Jewish background, I had never read any of the New Testament (and very little of the old). However, after spending my lunch break today reading the Book of Revelations, I find myself guessing that it would not make any more sense in context of the other books in the Bible. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

I selected a number of quotes that contained interesting words or just had a nice ring to them, wrote them up on post-its, and stuck them in the book on various pages. The selection and placement of quotes had nothing to do with whatever was happening in the book on that page. I do like to think of someone buying this book and trying to find some sort of pattern, though. If they are a Bible scholar of any sort, who knows? They might come up with something.



I borrowed a pencil from the friendly bartender to write in an appropriate price.



Then I walked to the used bookstore, and put it in its spot on the shelf in the science fiction section.



Just for the hell of it, here are all the Revelations quotes I used. I used the King James Version.

1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. [Girt! About the paps! Ahahahaha.]

2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

3:3 I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. [SPUE.]

6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.

10:4 I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. [I find it interesting that God is apparently telling the prophet to keep secrets.]

11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. [Why does it matter that they wear sackcloth?]

14:19 And the angel thrust his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. [The great winepress of the wrath of God! Awesome.]

16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon.

18:16 Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword preceded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.