Comments on: Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell

By: Jesso

Jesso — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:01:08 +0000

Okay, I’ve listened to these books several times now, and I love them dearly, but there’s just one thing that drives me a little bonkers: mass versus volume. I just listened to Pip talking about a mass of mushrooms versus a mass of gems, as if they would take up the same amount of space. I work for an importer, and we fill containers by volume, so hearing him talk about filling containers by mass makes me twitch. Mass X of freeze-dried mushrooms is going to have a much lower density than the same mass X of gems, so it will take up a lot more space. If it takes X mass of gems to fill a container, then it will take less than X amount of mass of mushrooms. If you use the same mass of mushrooms, you’ll run out of space!

I’m assuming, of course, that the containers are standard sizes, in order to be swapped out indeterminately. Is there something I’m missing that makes this work? It bugs me every time I listen to them go on about mass

By: Nathan

Nathan — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:47:36 +0000

Thanks, Dave.

We have that Coast Guard past in common

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 02:24:30 +0000

I just finished all of your books. I have done quite a bit of reading in my life and I must say that you are very talented.
I commute each day from the coast of maine to the capital and your work has made it something to look forward to. Trader Tales
has made me miss my other life in the Coast Guard as well as the many shipmates I met along the way. I would hope that everyone would donate for these wonderful stories, well done Mr. Lowell!

By: Nathan

Nathan — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:14:00 +0000

Yeah, Travis. I understand.

Nothing ever happens. Silly book, really.

Go figure.

By: Travis

Travis — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:51:31 +0000

A well narrated, but exceedingly boring book about flea-markets in space. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, but it never did

By: Peak

Peak — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 02:12:50 +0000

WOW!! I downloaded these stories a while back and have finally found time to listen. They are fantastic! (I have finished Quarter Share and Half Share, and I will finish Full Share tonight. I’m looking forward to Double Share, Captain’s Share and Owner’s Share. My wife thinks I have developed insomnia, but it’s worth the loss of sleep.) I find myself thinking in terms of what “Spacers” endure on a daily basis, and I want to be one of them when they reach their next destination. Level 2 on an orbiter sounds like my kind of place!!!

By: Patrick Scaffido

Patrick Scaffido — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:02:31 +0000

This is the book that brought me to podiobooks. Quirky awesome characters that I’m scared won’t stick around for the sequels, great reading, I’ve enjoyed every chapter so far.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:56:29 +0000

Thanks, James. I have had a lot of fun bringing the stories to life.

By: James

James — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:19:25 +0000

I’m listening to episode 14 now and Nathan….wow. When you had Diane do her souther accent. I thought it was Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg come to speak with me.

Nice job….I’m loving the story and the reading.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 11:19:13 +0000

For some reason, Akismet has decided I’m a spammer. I must have left too many comments or something.

By: Fox

Fox — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 01:06:29 +0000

Aww, no answers?

By: Nathan

Nathan — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 00:11:26 +0000

Questions and Answers:

How come in the first half of the series, the idea of using sludge to grow mushrooms never kicked off? With how profitable the galley had become, you think the Captain would of been pleased to at least try the idea. Even if in small scale.

It took more volume than the ship had available and added mass to the hull. We’ll see sludge again, tho.

Will we ever see a book detailing the adventure of Ish going through The Academy? I know he drifted away from his old shipmates and that some of his time was mentioned in the books following Full Share, but for those of us curious, do you ever plan to release something that details even just a half year to full year of Ishmael’s time there?

Only if I can think of a story better than Bedtime for Bonzo, Back to School, or Warrior’s Apprentice.

Will we ever see any kind of trading in any of your other books like we saw in Quarter and Half Share? Those where some of my favorite parts (not including the other less scrupulous events) in the early books and yearned for them in the later ones. Owner’s Share was close, but it was less luck and more speed and timing.

I’m not sure. This idea of business as conflict still has a lot of potential. We’ll see.

What would the tailor (I can’t spell his name worth beans) that gave Ish his sexy sounding jeans, shirts, and jacket think of the man he has become in Owner’s Share? What would he give him to wear???

Henri Roubaille would be completely unsurprised. I think — a linen suit.

Will we ever read/listen about a new character and his or her adventure on the Lois? Perhaps before a majority of the current characters at the beginning of Quarter Share start working there?

The Lois is near and dear to me. I don’t know. I do want to tell the story of the original Lois McKendrick who lead the labor movement. I’m also toying with a series of backstory novels for each of the main players .. Alys Giggone, William Maxwell, Leland von Ickles, etc. It might also be fun to explore the worlds of Alicia Alvarez and Cassandra Harrison.

It’s too soon to say right now.

Did I miss any?

By: Nathan

Nathan — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 00:00:38 +0000

Not even close to being the longest, but thanks!

I’m trying to post an answer, but WP is having issues with me.

By: Fox

Fox — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:14:10 +0000

My god, that looks to be the longest comment you’ve ever gotten 0,0

By: Fox

Fox — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:12:51 +0000

I’m putting this hear for those who can’t decide to download this or not.

Hey Nathan, thanks for writing this amazing series. I recently just finished Quarter Share. Again. For the eighth or ninth time (I’ve lost count). I started back when Full Share was just getting its last couple of episodes. Your writing and how you… read, no, /live/ your characters is just so unbelievably enthralling that I am not sure if i have the adequate education in the English language to be able to properly describe it.

And that is coming from a girl who scored nearly perfect on the English ACT section and has read more books, old and new, that she’s lost count. /ego :3

I love how there is no need for action to make the series enrapturing. How real and friendly and loving and lovable and awesome and believable and funny and genuine and and and. Every time I re-listen to this series I fall in love with Ish and all the other characters through out the books. I feel for our hero when he emotionally suffers in Half Share. And I cried at the end of Owner’s Share. Hard. I still get teary eyed when I think about it.

I love being amazed at how well the co-op does despite the large number of times I’ve gone through this series. Or how I end up on the edge of my seat as things get really interesting with the crew not being in immediate danger at the beginning of Full Share. Or etc.

There is so much in these books that I can not show just how much I love this series. Personally, for me, it has earned a seat in my top ten list of book related materials. It sits up there next to the complete collection of Sherlock ‘Hemlock’ Holmes. Ishmael is just as real and mind-blowing Holmes (some may not think of this as a compliment or agree with me on the realness of Holmes).

There is just to much to be able to praise, but I want to praise as much as I can and still get away with this post not being larger then the entire collection of Encyclopedia Galactica. So I guess I’ll stop while I still have fingers.

I do have a couple questions for you :3

Will we ever read/listen about a new character and his or her adventure on the Lois? Perhaps before a majority of the current characters at the beginning of Quarter Share start working there? This thought /just/ popped into my mind and I personally think it would be cool. To say the least :3

It’s just past 0200 my time and I’m having trouble remembering all that I wanted to write. There is quite a bit more, but I just can’t recall it. Oh well. I’ll comment more when my brain has some time to sleep.

Thanks Nathan for the awesome joy that has been listening to you. I can’t wait to start all over again with the series some time in the future.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 09:45:41 +0000

Thanks, Cliff.

There’s more on the way

By: Cliff

Cliff — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:41:28 +0000

I first found this series when I was looking for more books for my kindle. I got the first three and enjoyed them very much. I decided I wanted to finish the series and downloaded the remaining three books from here. I couldn’t stop listening to them. I have downloaded all of them and plan to listen to them again. I throughly enjoy the series and hope to see more from Nathan. He tells a great story and is very easy to listen to.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Thu, 19 May 2011 03:35:22 +0000

Very enjoyable story with a likable main character. The story moves quickly and held my interest. Good narration by the author. I’ve already finished Half Share and Quarter Share.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 02:58:28 +0000

I loved this story! I instantly felt connected to the main character and had a need to know what would happen to him next. I think the author did a great job narrating it also. I am really glad my brother recommended it to me.
Now, on to Half Share.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:37:54 +0000

Thank YOU, Mat.