I'm an author. It pains me on occasion, but there it is. I'd been working on this task for ages - the editing, the recording, the signal degradation to get the perfectly right tone to the recordings. Perfectly right to me, that is. I take comfort in slight voice modification techniques, so I'll occasionally get just a little out of hand.

For this, well, I've been off SF0 for the better part of three years, checking in only occasionally. Dear cats and kittens, too much stuff on the plate. Now, however, I've finally got the time to add it back to my task list, finalize a bunch of edits, and jam the individual tracks through the editor for a single-file giving with a last bit of mastering.

It's a soapbox moment of sorts, too. I hold that digital media one has should be digital media one can share - I'm tremendously anti-DRM, and I think Baen Books has the right idea both on their DRM free material, and their free library. More readers doesn't hurt - sharing books you'd share in physical form isn't theft if you do it digitally, thanks - and I keep finding that folks who've read my stuff come back to purchase it.

I write poetry, among other things, and it's a niche market. That people show up out of the blue is almost purely because they found my work somewhere else, or someone handed them some. Not because they saw it online in a store where they couldn't browse it.

For this, though? A gift is a gift. I'm absolutely serious. No, "If you like it, buy it." Guilt trips aren't good in any environment, and on a task like this, I suggest: "If you like it, awesome!" And, as long as you're not selling it or making things from it, do what you like. Derivative works and collaborations rock too, and I generally give permission, but I prefer to be asked first and share the profit if it's sold.

Giving stuff to strangers is easier digitally - people frankly freak me the heck out - and you, well, you're people. This allows me to give something to folks without actually having to go out in public. And I know, it's not actually as bad for me as all that - some people have far more serious issues with public than I - but I like the option, so I'm taking it.

(Imagine a redacted incorrect cover here, and then look below for the correct one)

Gift of an audiobook, re-mastered, since the last variant ended up not sounding right to me, can be grabbed here: Scattered Resistance V5 - Inluminal (SF0 Edition).

And, over the course of submitting the proof, I've dropped about a day re-doing not just the mastering, but the track mix (spacing between tracks of each poem) and generally going insane in a fun way. I'll add to the proof as I give the audio book to folks who aren't online as well, but I'm pretty darn happy with how this worked out.

Oh for the love of cats. I got the wrong cover and title uploaded. Attempt #2...