TransAtlantic Fan Fund Free Ebooks

TransAtlantic Fan Fund Free Ebooks

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Most ebooks other than PDF-only titles were prepared for TAFF by Ansible Editions

96 downloads before release date: 1 June 2026
Last updated 25 May 2026 15:47
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Micromania: The Whole Truth about Home Computers
Charles Platt with David Langford
ISBN 978-1-916508-44-6
Charles Platt’s 1984 book Micromania (known in the USA as The Whole-Truth Home Computer Handbook) examined the current state of the art in home computers, mingling solidly factual and jargon-free explanation with sardonic exposure of industry hype and lampoons of hackers and other “creatures of the computer continuum”. David Langford adapted and slightly expanded the US text for Britain, where it was published by Gollancz in hardback and Sphere in paperback. As stated in an internal warning, this “revived” PDF edition “should be regarded as a snapshot of the past – an exercise in sometimes horrified nostalgia for the computer scene of the early 1980s – a symptom of its time. Apart for minor corrections of typos, small omissions, inconsistencies and so on, the text has not been updated.”
To put it all in context, there’s a new foreword by Platt and a new afterword by Langford.
There is also a printed paperback edition: click here for more.
This PDF edition is officially added to the TAFF library on 1 June 2026. Cover art adapted from the uncredited image on the Gollancz hardback, based on a joke computer game in the text. Internal illustrations by Carl Lundgren. Slightly over 51,000 words.

What the reviewers said (from the Sphere edition):
‘I cannot recommend this book too highly. It is the only computer book I have read in a single sitting... it should be available on the National Health’ – Computer Weekly
‘Knowledgeable, rude, very funny and... written in English rather than computerese. Lots of information and lots of laughs’ – Time Out
‘Read Micromania while you too can still see the funny side of chips, floppy disks and video games...’ – Evening Standard
‘A practical guide for those who really don’t know anything about computers but think they’d like to... a marvellous book’ – Brian Matthew, Radio 2
‘An entertaining sceptical approach... that is also one of the best introductions... that I have come across’ – The Bookseller

TAFF Home • All the Past TAFF Races • Free Ebooks FAQ • All Ebooks • All Covers
Most ebooks other than PDF-only titles were prepared for TAFF by Ansible Editions

The ebook Micromania: The Whole Truth about Home Computers, authored by Charles Platt and David Langford, serves as an examination of the state of the art in home computers. The work successfully blends factual explanations with jargon-free language, incorporating sardonic commentary on industry hype and lampoons directed at hackers and other entities within the computer continuum. David Langford adapted and expanded the original United States text for a British audience, with the book being published in hardback by Gollancz and paperback by Sphere. This specific PDF edition is presented as a snapshot of the computer scene from the early 1980s, intended to evoke a sense of nostalgic reflection regarding that era.

This presentation is noted to be a reflection of its historical context, containing minor omissions and inconsistencies, as it has not been updated since its original publication. The edition includes internal illustrations by Carl Lundgren and cover art derived from a joke computer game featured within the text. Reviewers have highlighted the book's engaging nature, noting that it is knowledgeable, humorous, and written accessibly in English rather than technical jargon. It is praised as an entertaining and skeptical approach that functions effectively as an introduction to computers, offering readers the opportunity to view the humorous side of technology, including discussions on components like chips, floppy disks, and video games. Ultimately, the book is regarded as a marvellous guide for those unfamiliar with computers seeking an entertaining and critical perspective on the subject matter.