The Writing of D. F. Lovett

Blog Posts Written by D. F. Lovett

Enjoy regular thoughts and ideas, in web-log form, from D. F. Lovett. 

Your Guide to The Lunatic’s Guide to Earth

Back in 2017, I announced what I thought would be my next book. I was fairly certain that the next thing I would be self-publishing would be The Lunatic’s Guide to Earth, a novel set in the same universe as The Moonborn. 

I had not yet realized, at this point, that Top 10 Games You Can Play in Your Head, By Yourself (Second Edition) would be published before The Lunatic’s Guide to Earth. In 2017, T10GYCPIYHBY was still just a stack of games books that my friend Sam and I had found at a yard sale. 

But here we are, in the summer of 2019, and it’s official: The Lunatic’s Guide to Earth exists. Or, at least, some of it does. 

Here is the cover.

Here is the cover.

What I didn’t announce in 2017—and didn’t know until 2019—was that, instead of releasing The Lunatic’s Guide to Earth as one novel in its entirety, I am releasing it as a serial novel, in e-book installments. 

As of today, the first two books of The Lunatic’s Guide to Earth are available. They are:

Each is only available through Kindle, as of now. 

Now, a few questions and answers, for those who need more info:

Is this a sequel or prequel to The Moonborn?

No. Neither. But it is set in the same universe. What one might call the Lunatic Literary Universe or Moonborn Literary Universe or Moonborn Extended Universe. 

Do I need to have read The Moonborn before reading this?

Nope! The two books are probably best understood as companions to one another. 

Is there any connection between this and the works of J. Theophrastus Bartholomew?

Well, ever since Sam and I discovered Games You Can Play in Your Head, By Yourself, I’ve found a lot of my imagination affected by the works of JTB. I definitely played “Space” while working on both The Moonborn and The Lunatic’s Guide to Earth. Does that mean there’s an official connection? I don’t know. Maybe

Why is it only released via e-book?

At the moment, I’m releasing it as e-book because I don’t think the individual sections justify their own paperbacks. Each is around 40 pages, which would be a rather slim and inefficient piece of fiction. However, it makes for an appropriate (and affordable) e-book. I also like giving people the option to sample my writing for 99 cents before deciding they want too much more of it.

Will it eventually be a paper book?

Absolutely. Once the entire thing is released. 

I see that you are still releasing books via Amazon. How do you feel about Amazon’s status as a growing monopolistic behemoth that threatens family businesses? What do you think of their treatment of their employees? And can you believe some of the more recent, increasingly frightening stories about the company’s sinister machinations and ambitions? 

That’s a much larger conversation. Let’s just say that, like a lot of creators who release their work via Amazon—whether books, film, or television—I have mixed feelings on the subject. 

Was the publication of this timed with the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing?

Of course. 

How do I buy these books?

Just mosey on over to this place

Anything else cool happening?

Oh yeah. The Moonborn is free from 7/20/19 until 7/24/19. 

Is that it?

Sure. For now. Although stay tuned. The third installment of The Lunatic’s Guide to Earth will be out before you know it.

David Lovett