The GPF Book FAQ

Questions

• Really? There's a book coming out? You're kidding, right?
• When is the book coming out?
• So what's going to be in the book?
• Is it true there's going to be a special story that will appear only in this book and nowhere else?
• Will any of the strips be in color?
• Is it true some strips had to be left out?
• So which strips didn't make the cut?
• How much will the book cost?
• How can I order the book?
• Can I order the book through my favorite local book store?
• What will the book be called?
• You said the strips have been "digitally remastered." What's that supposed to mean?
• Who's the ugly lookin' dude in that picture to the right? What's he got to do with GPF?
• What are the odds I can get my copy of the book signed?
• When's the book coming out in my native (non-English) language? When will it be available in my country?
• Why should I spend money on a book when I can always read the strip online?
• I saw the "bug hunt" page... when is the second edition coming out?
• So... when's the next book coming out?

Answers

Really? There's a book coming out? You're kidding, right?

Nope! We've really signed a deal with Plan Nine Publishing to print a GPF book. No foolin'. [Top]

When is the book coming out?

It's out right now! Really! So what are you waiting for? Go get it! Alternatively, you can order through Amazon.Com. [Top]

So what's going to be in the book?

The book is a compilation of strips from our first year, starting from November 2, 1998, all the way through October 1999. It includes your favorite strips, including the cast introductions, the "Pookel" saga, "Oklahoma Nick," "Code-A-Holics Anonymous," "Geek Wars," "The Black-Tie Gala," "The Sci-Fi Convention," all the way up through "Nerdvana." There is also be a special story that's in this book and nowhere else. :) [Top]

Is it true there's going to be a special story that will appear only in this book and nowhere else?

That's right! We have a spectacular seven-page, comic book style story written exclusively for this book and it will not appear anywhere else... ever. It's a very unique, very different kind of GPF story (with a little twinge of foreshadowing), and is worth the price of the book alone. So if you don't want to miss this one, I guess you better buy the book. ;) (PS: It's in color, too!) [Top]

Will any of the strips be in color?

Sorry, but no, the strips are not in color. We wanted to keep the cost down so you'd actually want to buy it. :) But the strips are crisp and clear, so hopefully you won't notice. (Besides, with a good box of crayons and a little patience, you can have a color copy all to yourself!) But the special story mentioned above is in color. Promise. [Top]

Is it true some strips had to be left out?

Unfortunately, yes. Do to space limitations, a few weeks worth of strips had to be left out of this book. We've carefully analyzed the stories and dropped only those strips that we felt were absolutely non-essential. Fortunately, we had a little extra space at the end of Book #3, And the Geek shall Inherit the Earth, and most of the dropped strips have been included in that volume. [Top]

So which strips didn't make the cut?

Due to the reasons listed above, the following Year One stories were cut from the first book:

• An early week of miscellaneous strips
• Another week of miscellaneous strips
• Fooker's Speech
• April Fools' Week 1999
• Trudy's Tips for the Truly Evil

Please note, however, that most of these strips have been added back in at the end of Book #3, And the Geek shall Inherit the Earth. [Top]

How much will the book cost?

The book costs US $12.95, not including shipping and handling. This price is the purchase price directly from Plan Nine USA; I don't know if there will be any variations if you try and purchase the book through places like Amazon.Com or your local book store. Of course, we get more money out of the book if you buy it from Plan Nine directly, so guess where we'll send you to get it. :) [Top]

How can I order the book?

All orders can be placed through the Plan Nine web site. They'll be handling all the dirty work, and can ship all over the world. The quickest way to get the book will be to purchase it via credit card, but they'll take checks and PayPal as well. While you're there, buy some of the other great titles they offer!

Technically, you can also order the book through sites such as Amazon.Com, but we won't get as much money out of it, so if you want to support the strip better, buy it from Plan Nine. [Top]

Can I order the book through my favorite local book store?

Eh... technically, yes. You probably won't be able to find the book on the book store's shelves (unless you somehow beg them to carry it), but most book stores can specially order a book for you if you know the ISBN. For those willing to try, the ISBN for the book is 1-929462-04-2.

You can also use this technique to order the book through another online retailer such as Amazon.Com. However, I personally would discourage either of these two practices. Ordering directly from Plan Nine cuts out the "middle man," meaning (a) the book may be cheaper for you, (b) you'll probably get it faster, and (c) we'll get more of the money (where it belongs) instead of Amazon or your book store taking their cut.

Of course, if some valiant, rabid GPF fans manage to rampage their local book stores and demand they carry the book for consumption by the masses, then who am I to stop them? :) [Top]

What will the book be called?

The title of the book is General Protection Fault: Mating Call of the North American Computer Geek. A bit long, but we think it's catchy. [Top]

You said the strips have been "digitally remastered." What's that supposed to mean?

When I first started working with GPF, I was scanning the strips at 300 dpi (dots per inch), finishing, then resizing them for the site. I figured 300 dpi was a good compromise between file size and quality, and would be perfect for printing. Well... I was wrong. 600 dpi is the minimum the publisher would accept, so every single strip had to be reworked. While this process ran me ragged over a period of a few months (AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!), the net result is crisper, clearer strips. In addition, it gave me the opportunity to fix many spelling errors (as well as introduce a bunch more :( ), as well as improving the colors on numerous early strips. All in all, it works out best for all of us. [Top]

Who's the ugly lookin' dude in that picture to the right? What's he got to do with GPF?

I'm not going to reveal everything (you'll have to buy the book to find out <evil grin>), but you can pick up a few hints here. [Top]

What are the odds I can get my copy of the book signed?

It depends on how pretty you are and how much money you have. :) No, seriously, it really depends on whether or not you can actually pin me down to a physical location. The winners of our trivia contest were guaranteed (and received) signed copies, lovingly shipped to them free of charge. I've also made appearances several sci-fi and/or comics conventions, such as Dragon*Con, Comic-Con International, and Technicon, and I'm hoping to make many more con appearances in the future. I suppose if you really, really wanted to, you could track down my house, knock on the door, and ask me to sign it, but then I'd probably get a restraining order against you the next day. If there are ever any significant Jeff-sightings of note, I'll be sure to try and mention them ahead of time, and I'll try to bring pens with me wherever I go. (A good place to check is our Shows & Cons page.) Or, I guess you could ship the book to me with enough cash to ship it back to you (I'm a cheap skate that way). [Top]

When's the book coming out in my native (non-English) language? When will it be available in my country?

Currently, the book is available in any country that accepts shipping from the United States. Plan Nine USA has already shipped thousands of books all over the world, although the shipping has been a tad expensive.

You can always order the book from Amazon.Com or one of its international affiliates. We can't guarantee that all Amazon affiliates will carry the book world wide, or how much their shipping costs will be. Combine that with the fact that we get more money if you buy it direct, and you're probably better off buying from Plan Nine anyway.

>As for translations, we've had an offer or two over the years to translate the books, but they've all fallen through. Thus, the books are only available in U.S. English for the time being. [Top]

Why should I spend money on a book when I can always read the strip online?

Mostly because there may be a time, in the far, distant, dim future when you can't find GPF online. Yes, someday time will catch up with and I'll be gone, or the Internet will transform into something different and incompatible with our format, or aliens from a distant galaxy will wipe out our resources and we'll have no electricity and thus no Web. Either way, a physical, printed copy of GPF will keep the dream alive, where it might pass into oblivion elsewhere. It's also handy to have around, when a 'Net connection isn't available. Want to introduce someone next to you in the doctor's office to GPF, but you can't because your cellular modem on your laptop isn't working? Or you completely forgot your laptop? Show them the book! It's the easy, compact, cost-effective way to get them up-to-speed on the strip without a cable modem. [Top]

I saw the "bug hunt" page... when is the second edition coming out?

It's already out. That's right, the first edition has sold out, and the second printing is already being shipped to customers. And, I'm pleased to announce all the "bugs" from the first edition have been fixed and the book compiles cleanly. :) [Top]

So... when's the next book coming out?

It's already out! General Protection Fault: Gone With the Windows was released in December 2000, and our third book is came out February 2002. For more information, check back on the main book page. [Top]