Fast paced and interestingThe small prequel to Mr Penumbra's 24 hour bookstore was fast paced and as usual had bits of the code and computers humming along in the background. Not sure if it can be read as a standalone book. The bicycle trip through the tunnel with Penumbra and Corvina racing to find the craft of fortune was fantastic but then this book was about the ability to entertain certain absurd ideas. There could've been more character development with something to show why Ajax choses to...

I loved Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, so when I saw this I just had to have it! It tells some of the back story behind Mr. Penumbra and how he came to end up in San Francisco. The only bad thing about it is that it's far too short! I'm ready for a full-length addition to the story of Mo and his mysterious band of cipher-breakers!

I quite enjoyed this rather small introduction to Ajax Penumbra. I am still undeniably in love with Robin Sloan’s writing style. His relationship with words is absolutely magical. And the love and appreciation for books… it creates such a special, and rather singular, atmosphere. I honestly wish there were more pages...I think Mr. Penumbra deserved more time and space. Then again, his name is Penumbra...

A fun little short that's perfect for fans of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore.

I didn't know this was a thing. I received a second copy of the wonderful Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore as part if the Nervous Breakdown's Book Club and was a little disappointed until I found this slim little volume included as part of the selection. It turns out it was also signed by the author. I sat down this morning and read this little prequel in about an hour, and I was immediately drawn back into the world of Penumbra. It was a lot of fun and brought to mind how much fun I had reading...

I wish there was so much more to this book...!

It's funny how we decide what's important to us. I had resigned myself to the idea that maybe it would be okay if I don't meet my personal goal of reading 5 owned books each month (two physical, two ebook, plus one more of either category).Only to get about halfway through my work day and decide NO I MUST MEET THIS GOAL. And I'd forgotten I'd put this on my Kindle home screen for consideration and it's short, so here we are!As you can see by my rating, it worked out for me! It reminded me of why...

Fun! Just what the doctor ordered and free on Hoopla with a perfect narrator.

Having read 'Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore' quite some time ago, this novella acts as the back story for its main character. Given the year, the story takes place shortly after the famous SF 'Summer of Love' complete with its coffee houses, oddballs and independent bookstores. Once Ajax becomes aware of the Techeon, a Nostradamus sort of book, he learns it had been stowed in an ocean going library that sunk in SF Bay. Sent to search for it by his employer, he sets out for the City by the Bay....

this was fine. maybe if i had read it closer to when i read the book itself, i would have appreciated it more. it's cute, but i hadn't felt any real urgency to gain readerly access to brief origin story-episodes in the life of young penumbra, so this didn't answer any big burning questions or make me cry "thank goodness i know that now!" i would gladly read a full-length prequel or sequel, and maybe this was just testing the waters - putting out e-feelers to see if there would be interest in con...

This is a quick back story to Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. It's a light, fun, and imaginative read. I'm glad to know more about how Ajax came to be Mr. Penumbra. Of course, I found Cortiva to be just as endearingly irritating as well. Once again, like I felt after reading the larger book, I am aching for a visit to the City now. (San Francisco for those in the know.)

It has been a long time since I read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, and I'd forgotten how much I love escaping into the world that Robin Sloan has created. It made me both want to re-read 24hr bookstore and wish that he would write a new book.

A lovely little glimpse into the awesome Ajax Penumbra's life and how he ends up in San Francisco. I could have had more of this, but it was just lovely all the same. And to have the same narrator for this as well - that was just icing on the cake.

3 starsThis is actually the prequel to Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. However when I read that book I was unaware of this book and that is because this book was not yet written. Therefore I did not rush to read this. Cute little diddy with a couple nice twists and turns. Nice little short story about a college student, Ajax Penumbra, invited to work for Galvanic College's library as an Apprentice Acquisition Officer. His first assignment is to find the book Techne Tycheon. An invaluable book w...

That was a fun novella. I’m sure it would have been better if I’d read the novel it’s related to first, but I didn’t manage my library holds very well and this came up first. Cute story about finding a book, with some hippies and early computer science thrown in.

It is a blessing to acquaint books that we immediately love as all-time favourites. It was very special to experience this phenomenon recently, on August 22, 2016 in my adulthood. I sped through the “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore” quest in one day. I waited three years to indulge in the prequel by the very talented Robin Sloan. The closing of the year 2019 was unfortunately, nearing the conclusion of my dear Mother’s life. It was a heart-wrenching time, with the need to be soothed by finally

A prequel to Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, Ajax Penumbra 1969 explores the life of Mr. Penumbra of the 24 Hour Bookstore. Ajax Penumbra is offered a job in Galvanic College's library, where he is expected to hunt out old surviving books for their collection. His first assignment is to discover what happened to Techne Tycheon, a book of prophecy. His quest takes him to San Francisco, where he encounters the mysterious bookshop to which he would later devote his life, the redoubtable Marcus Co...

This shortstory is a lot nicer to read than the follow up "Mr. Penumbra's 24 hour book shop". I don't think it is amazing, but a fun adventure - kind of more plausible than the other one and the main character is an interesting, curious and persistent person. Robin Sloane should definitely stay within the boundaries of short stories.

I read it straight after the book and really enjoyed it. It was a bit hard to get into at the beginning but I really liked it and it’s definitely a great addition to the story!

I really enjoyed Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore but this prequel was lacking. It's more of a short story than a full book so by the time I started getting into the storyline it ended.