By Sound Alone
A free and open-source novel
with cargo submarines.
Also a pigeon.
The back-of-the-book blurb:
In a slightly skewed-off timeline of mid-20th-century Earth, the surface of the ocean has become a contested place. International shipping is forced undersea, carried out by subs fitted for transporting cargo. Captain Sylvia Percy and her small crew run one such boat, the "Prospect". They fight a daily battle to keep their rusting submarine from dropping into the depths. It's just another grimy job until they find themselves pursued by a military sub driven by some inexplicable violent purpose. To survive, the crew of the Prospect push the machine that is their home to the very edge of its capabilities, while still trying to make their delivery on time.
- Note: the book is heavy with profanity (they're sailors you know). If swearing bothers you, BSA is probably not the book for you.
- Want a taste-test? Read a "preview"
- (800 words/~3 min read)
- Not an excerpt or summary, but a series of slices to give you a feel for the book. (Does it begin with "In a world…"? Sure does!)
Read the book:
E-book versions (complete book, open-source, free and non-commercial):
- html: Read it as one really long webpage
- pdf: Download a nicely-formatted pdf version
- E-book versions:
- epub file (one-click download)
- Should work with all e-readers and e-reader software that are not Amazon Kindle
- mobi file (one-click download)
- To load on your Amazon Kindle
- Kobo: Free e-book on Kobo (ISBN: 1230007379680)
- Amazon: Free e-book for Kindle (ASIN: B0CTKT5YMC)
- B&N: Free e-book for Nook
- Google: Free e-book on Google Play
- Gutenberg: Free pdf
- epub file (one-click download)
- Royal Road: Currently being released in ~2k bites
Paper:
- (I don't get any money from these paper books, so the only reason to buy them is if you prefer paper. I'm perfectly satisfied if you enjoy the free e-book version.)
- you can buy a paper version of the complete book from Barnes & Noble print-on-demand: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/by-sound-alone-mark-torrey/1144572566 (ISBN: 9798855697933)
- ($12 + shipping — the minimum B&N would let me charge.)
- Available on paper from Amazon as well: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVBKFQ78
- ($15 + shipping. Slightly smaller/fatter format, and I think Amazon delivers much more quickly.)
- You desperately want to read it on paper, but can't afford $12? Contact me and tell me why you want to read it. I'll buy you a copy.
Audiobook:
- Audio version in the works!
More information:
A complete novel: 118k+ words, 380+ pages. The content is entirely free, released under a Creative Commons open-content non-commercial license. I encourage you to download and share the e-book files. (For a paper version you have to buy it from one of our coporate overlords. Sorry. I still encourage you to share the paper books though.)
What's it like?
Fundamentally, it's a mashup of 1970s trucker culture and 1960s submarine movies. In broader terms, it's kind of a well-stirred slurry of Patrick O'Brian, Road Warrior, Deadliest Catch, Das Boot, Smokey and the Bandit, Motörhead, and Bikini Kill.
It is undoubtedly speculative fiction — but not science fiction. The story is driven by heavily-researched realistic mid-century submarine mechanics, and framed by the confined spaces and dangerous operations that have always been at the heart of good submarine tales. The speculative fiction part takes our protagonist submarines from an underwater docking bay for the transshipping of cargo, to a city built on pylons out over the ocean, to a garbage gyre of ghost ships.
What more specific genre that it might belong to beyond "speculative fiction" is a little fuzzy, maybe "grimepunk" if that's a thing?
But rest assured, whatever genre it is, it is also a page-turner full of exciting submarine action! (At least after you get past the first few pages.)
Tell me even more
- FAQ: (Much) more info.
- Submarine diagrams: Standalone reference diagrams pdf of the protagonist submarines in the novel.
- About the author (I promise you will be disappointed.)
- 3 things to do if you enjoyed the book
"Source code" for the novel:
- source code (it's just markdown)
- (Only useful if you want to make your own edits, or get into the nitty-gritty of how the book came together for some reason. Or, if you want to compile your own pdf/e-book version with custom formatting or something.)
