Regular readers may recall the odd and colorful saga of BOILERPLATE, a make-pretend mechanical man created by Paul Guinan who ended up being used in a novel by Chris Elliott, who thought the robot was real and in public domain. Elliott was only apprehended when friends of Guinan’s showed up for a signing. Happily all was settled amicably, but news of a Boilerplate coffee table book was apread far and wide. So what ever happened to it? Big Rede Hair’s Anina Bennett writes with an update:
BOILERPLATE AND THE GEARS OF FATE
Publication of the eagerly awaited hardcover book Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel, the saga of a robot invented in 1893, has been postponed until 2008. The delay is due in part to the bankruptcy of distributor Publishers Group West (PGW).
But never fear! The silver lining is that Boilerplate creator Paul Guinan and co-author Anina Bennett will now have time to pour even more creative effort into recounting the robot’s amazing adventures with Teddy Roosevelt, Lawrence of Arabia, and other famous historical figures. The manuscript and images for Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel are nearly complete, and the publishing delay will give the husband-and-wife team an opportunity to polish their work to near perfection.
The Boilerplate web site (www.BigRedHair.com/boilerplate) has already been praised by the press, educators, scientists, bloggers, and readers around the world. The New York Times describes it as “deliciously detailed”–and the book promises to be even tastier.
The pieces I’ve seen of the book look great. I hope he gets to enjoy the success that he deserves.