Nantucket Lit

Profile for NantucketLit.com, making the best ebooks on the planet and collectible limited-edition chapbooks. https://nantucketlit.com #pivotfromvideo

I co-maintain the Harlan Ellison Directory with A.T. Gonzalez (npub1qh4…yqsy): https://NDHFilms.com/ellison

Pronouns: He/Him
Website: https://nantucketlit.com
Gemini: gemini://nantucketlit.com
Gopher: gopher://nantucketlit.com

Public Key

npub1jvflqwjgdnsg8r4t5qds0nrpe4zy0ln9hjevkas62dgt8ctzmyqs958etj

NIP-05 Address

nantucketlit_at_mastodon.social@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsfxyls8fyxecyr3646qxc8e3su63z8lejmevktwcd9x59nu93djqgpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsyhea0w

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1jvflqwjgdnsg8r4t5qds0nrpe4zy0ln9hjevkas62dgt8ctzmyqs958etj

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Last Notes

2026-06-07 05:18:10 UTC

Do you do French-to-English translation, or know someone who does? If so, I would like to talk with you. You may DM me or email njb@nantucketlit.com

2026-06-03 21:07:40 UTC

This website is a pretty good ISBN barcode generator. https://simplebarcode.com/isbn/ The output image is high-quality enough for a book cover.
That said, any CLI tools that generate a PNG or SVG from an ISBN would be welcomed. I would imagine it's not a terribly difficult program.

2026-04-21 15:38:41 UTC

In two days, I'll be mailing out the next postcard for First-Class Fiction.
Subscribe, or sign up for a free card, at https://nantucketlit.com/postcards
This postcard's story is Pursuit of Perfection by Javier Baltar, with art by Oponok. Oponok did the cover illustration for my book Through the Lens of Gratitude.
This is the first postcard with original art since the trial postcard Troll Bridge by @npub1t9w…ufju
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/443/422/795/086/181/original/eefa7a70801eeed6.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/443/430/503/038/339/original/06af66f12f84c3d9.jpg

2026-04-14 03:23:24 UTC

Here's a blog post from a Catholic priest, about why they avoid "AI". https://thelampmagazine.com/blog/a-disembodied-gospel
Now here's what I would add: imagine you were religious (or perhaps you are religious). You get up early on Sunday (or Saturday), put on your good clothes, get the kids dressed and fed, get everyone into the car, drive to your place of worship... and then the person up at the pulpit couldn't even be bothered to write their own words! How would you feel about that?

2026-04-02 16:30:03 UTC

#coffee and #gardening people!
I've got a good solid pint of used coffee grounds at this point. I thought I'd try to get them to a community garden as composting. What else could I do with the grounds?

2026-04-01 23:20:50 UTC

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It was a rough ski season here.

2026-03-31 04:58:51 UTC

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It's my little rebellion against the system.

2026-03-30 18:46:53 UTC

Scammer: Now you do have Medicare Parts A and B active?
Me: Yes.
Scammer: Perfect, and how old are you? Like, what's your age?
Me: Yeee-es.
Scammer: What 'yes'?
Me: Yes!
Scammer: I'm asking about your age.
Me: Yes.
Scammer: ... **** yourself. Say 'yes'.
Me: Yeeeesss--
[Scammer hands up]
#YesMan

2026-03-23 16:33:00 UTC

Getting the word out on my writing workshop! Here's a radio promo that's running in central Colorado.
Defy AI: A Free Writing Workshop
Don't let "AI" think for you, learn to think for yourself.
Thursday, March 26, 5 PM - 7 PM
Hub City Senior Center
220 E Ave
Limon, Colorado
Featuring writer Nicholas Bernhard
Presented by the Limon Memorial Library
https://nantucketlit.com/defyai
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/279/427/016/994/717/original/81a09f7142e91649.mp3

2026-03-14 03:00:08 UTC

A preview of the progress on my #AppleII typesetting. The text is from @npub1qh4…yqsy's Galapagos Larvae, shared with their permission. Here, you can see the following features: justified text, mixed case, proportional fonts, smart curly quotes and italic text.
Because of the way the Apple II displays color, white lines on a color TV have a distinct rainbow effect on them. It looks fine on a black-and-white monitor. I'll take a look at my other color options. #NantucketLit #retroComputing
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/225/269/775/447/210/original/2f4f4cffdbf3c4b0.png

2026-03-13 20:47:47 UTC

What does it really cost someone to clear out their voicemail inbox?

2026-02-27 19:02:12 UTC

I am immensely excited to announce my next book: Galapagos Larvae by @npub1qh4…yqsy.
https://nantucketlit.com/galapagos
This macabre monster story was originally published in my Overscan anthology. This new chapbook edition was illustrated by Ty Blyth, and is signed by AT. There will also be an EPUB edition.
I love AT's imagination and twisted humor. He brought a particular flavor to Overscan that really completed the book.
Use the discount code FEDIVERSE for 15% off. Shipping starts on Monday March 2.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/144/126/062/857/380/original/c6aa23001ec556d9.jpg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/144/126/609/205/759/original/3189cd78ffaa51bc.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/144/127/677/737/755/original/99cd80cda71771c1.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/144/128/136/408/028/original/c5c6b66519fdf65a.png

2026-02-17 22:39:01 UTC

It's a tad late, of course, but I have deleted my GitHub account. I've been using Codeberg for a while now, and I've been quite pleased with it.
You can follow my software work at https://codeberg.org/nantucketlit

2026-01-16 06:33:23 UTC

What "slop" means to me.
A friend of mine shared something personal online. I won't use their name until I get their permission.
They have a family member going through a mental health crisis. This crisis has been made much worse by AI. AI validates people's delusions and makes it harder to get help.
When I think of "slop", it's not a mere annoyance. "Slop" is something that has caused a tangible harm in the life of someone I care about. My opinion of AI folly couldn't be any lower.

2026-01-14 05:55:16 UTC

Scott Adams passed away today.
Dilbert played the same role for me that Mad Magazine played for kids in earlier generations: it introduced me to satire, language, and archetypes.
I was very sorry for what Scott Adams became in later years.
For what it's worth, he's the only subject of an article I've written to respond to the article.
When Heroes Fade: https://yellowscene.com/2023/07/06/when-heroes-fade/

2026-01-11 05:28:08 UTC

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I'm the dude configuring Dillo inside of Dillo! Thanks for the article, Adam!
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/874/802/496/324/541/original/cee0a5dc5473bd27.png

2026-01-09 06:24:27 UTC

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One recommendation for centering images in a way that's compatible with Dillo's older CSS handling:
What I'd recommend is nesting the <img> element within a <p> element that has a class for text-align:center. In my experience, this works for the oldest EPUB readers. I would also recommend specifying width and height attributes on the <img> element, making the dimensions will fit for a smaller window.

2026-01-09 06:19:43 UTC

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My preference is still for @npub1h9r…mw3n's readable.css, and I'll tell you why. Amin understands that people don't want to read a line of text that takes up the entire width of a widescreen display. A shorter line, positioned in the center of the window, is much more, well, readable!
Any of the stylesheets in this thread are 1) Good-looking 2) Very lightweight 3) Going to look good in a lightweight browser like Dillo.
@npub1vlt…uhe3

2026-01-09 06:10:16 UTC

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Lastly, I will give a shout-out to the css used by @npub1uzs…gkxp's static site generator for Libreboot.org. No dark mode, but it defaults to dark colors. 2.6K full, 1.6K minified. https://libreboot.org/global.css It looks pretty darn good in Dillo.

2026-01-09 06:02:37 UTC

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Second, check out simple.css by @npub1080…cr2f. Simple.css has the advantage of a smooth aesthetic that's a bit closer to how people think a web page "should" look. Dark mode is built-in. 13.6K full, 9.3K minified. https://simplecss.org/

2026-01-09 05:59:16 UTC

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First off, you should try @npub1h9r…mw3n's readable.css 5.8k full, 4.5k minified. It's never steered me wrong. Dark mode is built-in. https://readable-css.freedomtowrite.org/

2026-01-09 05:56:16 UTC

I've been working to have my HTML ebooks look nice in the Dillo browser (@npub1vlt…uhe3). Dillo is a very fast and lightweight graphical browser with no JS support.
The good news is: you don't need all the UX talent in the world to get your site looking half-decent on Dillo.
Here are a few lightweight stylesheets that will work well for a static (or mostly-static) site... (CONTINUED)

2026-01-01 21:05:51 UTC

New blog post: I am very excited to announce two updates. First, I have a script to parse Shanty markup files into Manuscript Format. The script renders the pages as SVG in your browser, which can be printed or saved to PDF.
Second, I've made updated to the EPUB-generator script. These updates will improve compatibility with older ereaders.
As always, I have blog feeds in RSS, Atom, and JSON feed.
https://nantucketlit.com/blog/2026/01/2026-01-01_updates_to_nantucket_lit.html

2025-12-17 13:58:26 UTC

@npub1vce…4slv @npub1nlv…udqj Today I'm publishing my latest book, Through the Lens of Gratitude. This is a story told through short messages, about the things we're thankful for. It features a foreword by author Rhonda Blackhurst, and cover art by Oponok.
Read it online at https://nantucketlit.com/gratitudebook
No DRM, no AI.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/735/255/053/223/103/original/888b06ec0cdcdc67.jpg

2025-11-13 20:29:06 UTC

https://nantucketlit.com/blog/2025/11/2025-11-13_call_for_submissions_to_overscan.html New blog post: My anthology Overscan has become the #1 book on Nantucket Lit. I am pleased to announce that there will be a second anthology, coming out next July.
I am looking for submissions of new sf and fantasy stories that come from that place "beyond the screen's edge." If you are part of the Fediverse, even better! I am paying for stories.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/544/270/594/698/569/original/3dfb0fb73ef450c2.jpg

2025-11-07 05:07:59 UTC

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Yes, I should be more careful with that. I should use the "copy clean link" option, right?

2025-11-07 02:29:16 UTC

@npub1qh4…yqsy is streaming some #pinball tonight. https://www.youtube.com/live/iQD7nbhF0Uo?si=P22x75xypuqr9tgn He's the boots-on-the-ground reporter for my pinball magazine Quarter Up, and will be at the Houston Arcade Expo next week.

2025-11-02 18:59:08 UTC

Thanks for all the interest in the new issue of Quarter Up. It's currently the second most-popular book on Nantucket Lit.
The next issue will cover #pinball and #arcade games at this month's Houston Arcade Expo.
Check it out at https://nantucketlit.com/quarterup-8
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/481/632/016/599/564/original/74ffc6b96ae4a85d.png

2025-10-22 19:43:23 UTC

Spammer: "Just for qualifying purposes, may I know how old are you?"
Me: "Yes."
Spammer: "How old are you?"
Me: "Yes!"
Spammer: "... [under breath] **** you..."
*hangs up*
#YesMan

2025-10-20 05:04:36 UTC

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Is that the largest market share for Linux in any individual country?

2025-10-03 02:28:03 UTC

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Question, LQF: does it come with a tanto?

2025-09-24 23:07:13 UTC

Today I learned that the payphone at Arapahoe & 30th in Boulder is working again. Not only that, but this phone will accept incoming calls. Incoming calls are somewhat unusual for these later-model payphones. They also have dot-matrix screens and card readers.
It's been added back to my working payphone directory: https://www.ndhfilms.com/other/coloradopayphones.html#arapahoe
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/261/779/234/409/055/original/60a5961ce6dc6a2d.jpg

2025-09-13 06:11:10 UTC

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I've seen at least one weigh-in where one of the boxers stole a kiss.

2025-09-07 22:10:37 UTC

Jim Hall of FreeDOS (@npub1zv3…yrmd) has a very good video up about programming in Applesoft BASIC. https://youtu.be/cxolyi7yUaM?si=_xYMz-0JnqxMooUr

2025-09-01 04:48:50 UTC

There are some books that will nourish your soul. They combine knowledge and imagination to take you somewhere extraordinary. Dinotopia is one of those books. Through his thorough research and remarkable illustrations, James Gurney made me feel like a kid again, in the very best way.
It must be said that this is very much a world-building book, with very little story. I would hope some conflict is introduced in the sequels.
But what a world it builds!
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/127/226/135/941/518/original/c04a442a9bb605da.jpg

2025-09-01 04:41:09 UTC

@npub1zyj…25vl Thank for linking to @npub1umg…qngf's review of my anthology Overscan in the latest Lil' Bits! https://www.adamsdesk.com/posts/little-bits-issue-28/ #lilbits

2025-08-30 02:40:03 UTC

VR, then cryptocurrency, then "AI". Self-driving trucks. Add to this attempts to reinvent concepts like "trains" and "tunnels".
When I was in my web dev class, you had to learn React, but my friend said, "No, Angular is the new thing." By the time the semester ended, they said, "The new thing is Vue."
This is why I stick with HTML/CSS/JS and plain-text as much as possible. I want to make things that won't go out of style in a year, and are simple enough for me to wrap my head around.

2025-08-26 01:51:22 UTC

One of my top thrift store finds has been this IBM Selectric III. I've been told that dark-brown was a rare color. https://pixelfed.social/p/nantucketebooks/865766116467980668

2025-08-25 17:20:14 UTC

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I'd love to talk to you about your book. For DOS-compatible systems, I have a script that produces books in the AMB format. AMB will work all the way down to an IBM 5150, but it's text-only. VEB looks far more robust.
For a VEB, I can imagine adding annotations like a dialup handshake sound. Is that what you were aiming for?

2025-08-19 00:14:16 UTC

Spammer: "So for qualifying purposes may I ask how old are yeee-ooou?"
Me: "Yeah."
Spammer: "What do you mean 'yeah'? How old are you?"
Me: "Yes."
*Spammer hangs up.*
#YesMan

2025-08-16 18:01:30 UTC

People are contributing to Nantucket Lit! This is a 100% free-software project using GNU GPL v3. https://codeberg.org/nantucketlit/nantucketlit If you'd like to support free and open books in a variety of formats, with no DRM and no AI, I would appreciate it.

2025-08-13 21:41:31 UTC

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Something else I must add: I do have mail-order payments as an option. People can purchase my books via check or money order in the mail. I have received orders that way, and will continue to offer it as an option.

2025-08-13 21:40:16 UTC

I'm worried about the "payment processor" situation. I am concerned about the immense influence they wield, and how they are being used as a vise to squeeze out free expression.
I have a low opinion of cryptocurrency: it's volatile and full of scams. That said, would it be worth having Bitcoin as a payment option for books on my site, as an alternative to credit cards?