We consider the July release of Borg Like Me to be a soft launch, designed to fulfill all of Kickstarter backer rewards and to work out all of the bugs for fulfillment. Now that all of that is sorted out and fall is upon us, it’s time to launch this baby with as much powder as we can pack into the motor tubes. Here is the release that’s going out to the press.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept 2, 2014–Sparks of Fire Press is excited to announce the release of Borg Like Me & Other Tales of Art, Eros, and Embedded Systems, a best-of collection and “poor man’s memoir” from cyberculture pioneer and maker movement midwife, Gareth Branwyn. This heavily-illustrated, beautifully-produced book chronicles Branwyn’s personal and professional journey, from his coming of age in a commune, to his involvement in the 90s “zine scene” (desktop published small mags), to his tenure at such influential cyber arts/culture rags as Mondo 2000, bOING bOING, Wired, and his eight years at MAKE, spearheading the growing maker movement.
Previously published material is woven throughout with Branwyn’s unabashedly honest commentary, personal anecdotes, and original essays. Read about the smart-druggies behind Mondo 2000, impersonating Billy Idol in cyberspace (for Billy Idol), the making of the iconic early 90s hypermedia book, Beyond Cyberpunk! (hailed by MacWeek as “revolutionary”), and essays on the growth of the maker movement and Gareth’s elected “maker saints.”
Borg Like Me does not shy away from the personal dimensions of the author’s life during his 30 years of working in the new media trenches. Read about Gareth’s loves, loses, his struggles with a life-long, debilitating arthritic disease, and how he’s becoming a genuine cyborg in his intense desire to remain human.
Borg Like Me was crowdfunded (via a successful 2013 Kickstarter campaign), self-published, and is being printed on demand. Nearly two dozen noted artists contributed existing and original drawings, photos, and sculptural objects to illustrate the book. These contributors range from comic book well-knowns Shannon Wheeler, Danny Hellman, and John Bergin, to fine artists Terri Weifenbach and James Huckenpahler, to iconic found-object artists Jeremy Mayer, Greg Brotheron, and Nemo Gould. Even Mark Frauenfelder (Boing Boing founder and former editor at Wired and MAKE) contributed artwork (as well as the book’s touching foreword). The book contains 33 illustrations in all.
Borg Like Me is a smart, personal, and passionate trip along the bleeding edges of art, technology, and culture at the turn of the 21st century.
For more information:
703-615-7341, press@sparksoffirepress.com, sparksoffirepress.com
Borg Like Me & Other Tales of Art, Eros, and Embedded Systems
Gareth Branwyn
List Price: $29.95
Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: Sparks of Fire Press (Sept 2, 2014)
ISBN-10: 0692233237
ISBN-13: 978-0692233238
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
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Mind Bone: Gareth Branwyn's Blog 