You may recall I reviewed the downloadable TriAtlas star atlas here some time ago

https://www.habitablezone.com/?prosc_taxopt=global%3A&s=triatlas

The atlases are available as free pdf files, but they are now available as paper charts. There are severe limitations to using these charts (see my review), they are highly cluttered with a great deal of information, so it is almost impossible to use them in most areas of the sky without enlargement. This is fine at the desk, but impractical in the field. I suppose you could put the pdfs on a laptop and simply blow them up to see detail in cluttered areas of interest, but that would destroy your night vision. They are black stars on a white background.

But I collect star atlases, and as this is the ULTIMATE one, I had to have it for my bookshelf. I keep a powerful magnifier and a bright reading lamp next to it. And I can always bring up the appropriate pdf on the computer if I want to zoom in on some busy area of interest.

The publisher of the paper version is lulu.com, and it comes in two volumes, N and S hemispheres, in sturdy paperback ring binders. The charts are reproduced at 1 degree/inch scale as individual 8 1/2 X 11 sheets — 571 of them, printed on both sides! There is no title page, no text, no table of contents, just a one page index map, which is practically useless. Its just charts. Still, I find the combination of a proper book AND the pdf files on my computer make a powerful tool for exploring the galaxy from my man cave.

The publisher is an interesting concept in its own right. Its a sort of vanity press, and you send them your book in electronic form, and if someone wants to read a hard copy, Lulu will print it out on the spot and ship it to them. No warehouse, no inventory hassles, its all on a server somewhere. The whole place probably consists of a desk,
a printer, a binder and computer. Zero overhead.

At first I was leery of this, star charts, like the universe, are mostly empty space, and the most valuable details are usually tiny. I was afraid the reproduction would be sloppy, and there would be missing faint stars, “jaggies” in the line work and other reproduction flaws and scanning artifacts. But this material was beautifully reproduced, and comparison with some of the most crowded areas of my downloaded versions tells me nothing was left out. The scanning resolution was much higher than what is required for straight text, and the imagery is sharp, clear and beautiful (even if you need a jeweler’s loupe to see it). I was told the authors select the reproduction specs and proof their own work.

Lulu seems like a good place to pick up items that are out of print, or small editions and vanity items. This is good news not just for readers, but authors too. The customer service guy was knowledgeable and cooperative and he even gave me a handsome discount over the phone. Delivery and shipping was up to industry standards.

If you’re the kind of guy who prefers hard copy to a cold screen, or if you can’t get any publishers interested in that SF novel you’ve spent years on, maybe this type of publishing is for you. I don’t doubt there are others besides Lulu, but this is the first time I’ve come across the concept and I like it.