I built this tool a year ago but I feel like Mastodon folks would like it
The "Weird Old Book Finder"
Type in a search query, and it'll find one randomly-chosen public-domain book that matches the query -- and present it for immediate reading: https://weird-old-book-finder.glitch.me
Why only one book? To prevent the paradox of choice! Just *start readin'*
Can't promise every book will be weird, but most are
A longer essay on how/why I developed it: https://debugger.medium.com/a-search-engine-that-finds-you-weird-old-books-3a74fbb5f3d4
This was a search for "mastodon"
@clive ohmy god!!!! This is amazing!
@Loukas Wooo!
If you find something cool take a screenshot, alt-text it, and post it!
@clive yes I just did! And coincidentally I just wrote a short story hinging on the same events described in this book from 1772 :)