"the book remains clever, heartfelt, and a terrifying vision into aging and human mortality, especially coming from a writer who is roughly my own age... Overall Score: +3"

- Adam Shaftoe, Pageofreviews.com (click to read the full review)

More videos about the book: a music video, a teaser trailer, and the original long fundraising pitch

The Story

I am trying to self publish my first book comrade calculator Quits Smoking. It is a multi-media novel and so I want the first edition of the novel to be published on USB "cigarettes." These USBs will contain the book in various e-reader formats, a seven song soundtrack, videos, and art work.

You could call the novel science fiction because it's set very far in the future. I prefer to call it math fiction, but Ill let you decide. Here is a short synopsis:

comrade calculator is a humanoid female robot built to live indefinitely. The idea at the time was if she could live forever, getting replacement organs as needed, she could one day calculate infinity. Over a hundred years (and one answer) later she is living and working in the museum of the Twentieth Century. After starting her job as part of the Calculation Exhibit, she begins to moonlight in the Smoking Exhibit. My book tells the story of her various attempts to quit smoking.

Read the first two chapters here (here for mobile readers).

The Author

I am a twenty-seven year old English Literature and Math teacher at a local international high-school. I try to find time where ever I can for writing. Ive had a poem published. I also have just recently launched my own website where you can read more of my writing, including the first two chapters of the novel.

This book has been kicking around in my mind for over eight years. I spent two years working part-time tutoring nights so that I could plan and write these eight chapters. Sixty thousand six hundred and sixty eight words later Im ready to go. But as you can see from the synopsis above it is not a normal book. So I feel it can do better than a normal publication. Thats where you come in...

What You Get

A general warning: If we don't reach the goal of 3001 dollars by 10/30 then all you get is your money back in full. No goal= no book. So if you really want your USB and goodies donate and don't wait to tell everyone you know to do the same...

USB Cigarette (13$)-

This USB stick will be custom designed with a cigarette 'look' (and no smoke!). The USB will be preloaded with the book in PDF and various E-reader formats. Beyond the book files, the USB will also contain high-quality image, and video files of all the art work. Also included with be individual MP3 files for each chapter. The reader can choose if and how they want to listen to the soundtrack. Here is the current track-listing:

ch0- video by ?

ch1- a new song by Matt King of ddmmyyyy

ch2- a new song by Freebie

ch3- a new song by Moshe Rozenberg of ddmmyyyy

ch4- a new song by Matthew Doherty

ch5- (three) song(s connected) by the newfound interest in CT.

ch6- a new song by Loom

ch7- a song by Basia Bulat

ch8- a video by Tom Brown

USB T-Shirt (37$ comes with USB)-

The same great design idea as the USB but taken to the next level. It is the opening poem of the book. Here is a very rough mock-up:

Who You're Helping

All of the money you contribute goes towards buying the USBs in bulk, making its contents, and promotion. The base cost is going to be for ordering the USB sticks with the custom cigarette design, as well as launching/promoting/running a website where they will be advertised and sold. The second level of costs go towards creating all of the multimedia that will make the USB great. Your money will go directly towards all of the great artists involved in this project. People like this:

Matthew Doherty- is a photographer, musician, and meter reader. He is taking all of the photographs for the book-cover and chapter 6. He is also recording the soundtrack for chapter 4. He currently lives in Galway Ireland.

Ryan Dodgson- is a graduate of the illustration program at the Ontario College of Art and Design. His illustrations will be on the cover as well as in chapter 6. His illustrations have been published in the New York Times and the Believer. He is currently living and working in Toronto, Ontarioacross from a chocolate factory.

Matthew King- is a mixed media artist and a musician in the Toronto band dd/mm/yyyy.  He will be soundtracking the first chapter of the novel. He will also be designing and printing all posters and t-shirts. Take a first hand look at how good his previous posters have been.

Tom Brown - is a photographer, and a videographer and editor for the University of Westerns television show. He is currently studying at Western in the Media Info and Tech program. He will be making the video-art for chapter 8.

Basia Bulat - is the most lovely human being youll ever meet in this world. She has toured all over the world, released two lovely albums, and played music for the first dance at my wedding. I am unspeakably thrilled that she has agreed to contribute her talents for the seventh chapter of the novel.

LOOM - is this good. She is on tour,  somewhere in the world as we speak while somehow creating/contributing a song for the sixth chapter. Wow.

More artists to come soon...

And you?

I set my fundraising goal for October 30th because I want to get stuff to YOU by the winter holidays.  Depending on your donation, that might not be all youll be receiving in the mail. See the side bar for more info!

Other Ways You Can Help

Even if you cant contribute financially you can still help. Press one of those shiny buttons below to tell all of your friends. Even better, tell them all that you donated (especially if you did!). Join the Facebook group for the latest updates and sneak peaks (and contests?!).

The best way to help? Write some comrade fan fiction. Email that rich crazy uncle. Make a response to my video. Do anything, and I will be grateful for your help. THANK YOU.