Now even writers can feel the thrill of obsolescence!

I’ve always been interested in computer-generated text–programs that create surreal yet more or less grammatically correct random texts. My favorite example is [JanusNode][jn], which hasn’t been updated in a couple of years but still runs well under MacOS 10.5; it was output from this program that inspired [this comic strip] [br].

Now a business professor named Philip M. Parker has come up with [a program that writes entire books] [guard], and is happily turning out volumes with titles like [_The 2007-2012 Outlook for Frozen Asparagus in India_] [auk], which can be yours for only £248.95. This apparently represents quite a markup:

>Parker estimates that it costs him about 12p to write a book, with, perhaps, not much difference in quality from what a competent wordsmith or an MBA might produce.

>Nothing but the title need actually exist until somebody orders a copy. At that point, a computer assembles the book’s content and prints up a single copy.

I probably found this via another blog. I’d credit it, if I could remember what it was.

*Update 3/2/08:* I realized this morning that it must have been [Grand Text Auto] [gta].

[jn]:
[br]:
[guard]:

[auk]:

[gta]: