XKCD Author's Unpublished Book Remains a Best-Seller For 5 Months

destinyland writes Tuesday is the official release date for the newest book from the geeky cartoonist behind XKCD — yet it's already become one of Amazon's best-selling books. Thanks to a hefty pre-order discount, one blogger notes that it's appeared on Amazon's list of hardcover best-sellers since the book was first announced in March, and this weekend it remains in the top 10. Randall Munroe recently announced personal appearances beginning this week throughout the U.S. (including Cambridge, New York, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area) — as well as a Google Hangout on Friday, September 12. Just two weeks ago he was also awarded the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story — and now many of his appearances are already sold out.

Ummm....

[Savage-Rabbit]

Just thought I'd express my opinion that Randall Munroe is a genius. The amount of work he puts into some of his comics [xkcd.com] really makes him unique.

Unrecognized command. Type "help" for assistance.
guest@xkcd:/$ help
That would be cheating!

Pure UNIX!

Such a really genuine nice guy.

[popoutman]

I've had the pleasure to meet Randall for a few days during one of his very rare conference visits, where he was the keynote speaker at our university computer society's computing conference. As I was one of the group organising the conference we had drinks with him and his wife back at the hotel, and chatted until the wee hours. He's a genuine nice guy, and he is someone that intensely protects the privacy of his private life and those close to him, from the weirdness that internet fame can bring.

He did find it really refreshing to be able to go on a proper touristy roadtrip a few days after the conference was over to see a few of the prettier places in the nearby area and to see those from a local's perspective instead of the standard stereotypical locations, where his wife (who is a really lovely lady and someone I've kept up some contact with since) was able to pursue some of her interests. All this without people fawning over him or being weird around him. I got the impression that the more his internet fame grows, the harder it is for him to lead a normal life and that is something that I hope he is able to work with as the years go by.

I think it's really cool that he is being recognised for his hard work, and he does work hard that's for sure.

Re:Ummm....

[wonkey_monkey]

You missed this bit:

No I didn't. It's funny (to me) not solely because I know what SQL injection is, since there's nothing inherently funny (to me) about SQL injection. It's the setting, the "characters" (such as they are), the conversation. "Little Bobby Tables, we call him," for example, is (to me) an amusingly colloquial interjection in itself, ironic in what would probably otherwise be a dry analysis of SQL injection, as is her stereotypically mom-like admonishment.

Just don't expect everyone to agree with you.

I don't. That's why I don't go around saying "this isn't funny" as if it's an objective fact and getting all uppity because other people like things I don't*.

-

*except for Jersey Shore, because that is just shit.