In the latest episode of 8-Bit Show And Tell, Robin takes a curious detour into the world of Commodore 64 scam books. While searching for fresh programming guides, he picks up five newly released titles from Amazon, each claiming to teach beginners how to code on the Commodore 64. They look legit at first glance—modern covers, recent publication dates—but something feels off.
The more Robin reads, the more obvious it becomes: these are not original works. The writing feels stiff, screenshots repeat across titles, and the content is strangely generic. What he’s actually bought are Commodore 64 scam books—cheaply produced, AI-generated copies of real material. These aren’t helpful guides; they’re low-effort cash grabs.
Robin traces the content back to Beginner’s Step-by-Step THEC64 Computer Coding Course by Richard Stals, a legitimate and well-written source. That original book actually teaches. The scam versions? They recycle its structure and wording, while stripping out anything remotely useful. The video highlights these differences with side-by-side comparisons, making it clear which book deserves a place on the shelf—and which belong in the recycling bin.
After realizing he’s been duped, Robin goes after a refund and shares tips on how to spot similar frauds. Anyone buying retro programming books online should probably watch this first, especially if they’re worried about stumbling across more Commodore 64 scam books hiding behind glossy covers.
