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Thursday, 15 February 2007
EXPENSIVE SF & F genre books
Mood:  incredulous
Now Playing: The Venture Brothers
Topic: Literary Survey

AbeBooks' sends me a genre related email list every once in a while.  I was amused at this recent topic.  Here are the top prices paid for SF & F books in 2006.

* Book images are not of those that actually sold.

1. 1984

George Orwell

First edition, first impression of this 1949 dystopian classic. There were two versions of the dustjacket issued, one green and one red. There is no priority between them. Copies in this condition are deeply uncommon. The jacket has a nick or two at the odd corner and a trace of rub but is one of the best copies. Sold for $8,258.40

2. (tied) Neuromancer (2), Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive

William Gibson


Three first edition Gollancz hard covers and one Ace paperback of Neuromancer. The Gollancz copies are in fine, unread condition in fine unclipped dust jackets, and all are signed by Gibson. Sold for $7,500

2. (tied) The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

Stephen King

First edition. One of 500 numbered copies signed by King and artist Michael Whelan. This copy, #97, sold for $7,500

 

4. (tied) I, Robot

Issac Asimov

A very fine copy with a very fine dust jacket of this 1950s collection of short stories. Review slip laid in. Sold for $4,500

 

4. (tied) The Healer's War

Elizabeth Scarborough

Signed original manuscript with corrections by the author and notations by the copy editor. The 1989 Nebula award winner for best novel, this draft was written in the third person. The author abandoned this method of writing when she found that it removed her too far from her characters. The later drafts are all written in first person. Sold for $4,500

6. Brave New World

Aldous Huxley

Very good to near fine example of this 1932 dystopian novel. The true first edition, preceding the American in original yellow cloth with blue gilt-lettered spine label. Sold for $4,025

7. The Ship That Sailed to Mars

William Timlin

First edition of this 1923 novel about a group of dwarves and elves who join together to build a ship and go to Mars. Includes forty-eight mounted color plates and forty-eight mounted pages of calligraphy-like printed text, both by Timlin, on gray background paper. Sold for $3,995

8. Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang

Kate Wilhelm

Near fine original manuscript package of this 1976 Hugo award winning novel. Contains: Original ribbon copy and carbon-copy typescript, final draft, setting copy. Signed with a few corrections in authors hand. Also containing file folder with maps, charts, diagrams, rewritten section and correspondence, all pertaining to the novel. Sold for $3,975

 

9. Brave New World

Aldous Huxley

First edition. Limited issue; one of 324 numbered and signed copies. Sold for $3,250

10. The Hobbit

J.R.R. Tolkien

This second impression published 1937, same year as the first. It is important for the addition of the 4 color illustrations by the author. This is the first and only early UK edition published with four of Tolkien's color illustrations. One of only 1877 copies of the original 2300 that survived the bombing of London in November 1940. Sold for $3,000

No huge surprises here; except for the Kate Wilhelm and Elizabeth Scarborough.  I well recall the buzz created when THE DARK TOWER was new; those limited edition copies were snapped up quickly and they only rarely resurface.  The other books on the list are a mixed bag; I'd never pay that much for 1st ed. Gibson, but that's me.  I just don't want it that badly.


Posted by mrnizz at 2:13 PM EST
Updated: Thursday, 15 February 2007 2:18 PM EST
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Wednesday, 6 September 2006

I gave Turtledove another chance
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: Quartato Gelatto
Topic: Book Review

Harry Turtledove does a very solid job with alternative history fiction.  My only problem with his work is that he gets roped into these obscenely long series with hundreds of characters and meandering plots that go nowhere.   Such is not the case with AGENT OF BYZANTIUM (a series of short stories that usually gets sold in a collection), which I have praised elsewhere.  Such is also not the case with a new line of "juveniles" for lack of a better term, focusing on a company that has invented alternative reality travel (CROSSTIME TRAFFIC), and sends its agents out to the other timelines to peacefully trade without interfering.  In both of the novels I read, the plot centered on the natives finding out about Crosstime Traffic and the trouble it causes.  The first one I read was CURIOUS NOTIONS, about a father son team that set up a "curiousity shop" in an America that got invaded by Imperial Germany.  Clearly, Turtledove is trying to recreate a style very similar to the early (1950s era) Heinlein novels, a la HAVE SPACESUIT, WILL TRAVEL.  And that's okay by me.  Curious Notions was a good read, not at all spectacular, with the central conceit of Crosstime Traffic and German-Conquered America being the most interesting elements of the plot.  The good points are that the novel will be very accessible to younger readers-- and there just isn't a lot of good juvenile SF being written these days, so more power to him!

The second novel in the series that I read, IN HIGH PLACES, shows a maturing plot line and more interesting characters.  In this installment, the central characters are traders with a timeline that had been decimated by the Black Plague to such an extent that Europe was almost depopulated.  Therefore, Islam has taken root almost all over Southern Europe.  The Christian kingdoms remaining have a strange form of dual Christianity, featuring a "younger brother" to Christ named Henri.  Turtledove explores what might happen when someone without the ethical standards of Crosstime Traffic gets their hands on the technology to move between timelines and seeks to use it to their own ends, for profit.  I think this is a great improvement and adds much to the series.  I will keep my eyes open for the other installments in this series, GUNPOWDER EMPIRE and THE DISUNITED STATES OF AMERICA.


Posted by mrnizz at 11:21 AM EDT
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Friday, 31 March 2006
Essential Ellison
Mood:  cheeky
Now Playing: White Stripes SEVEN NATION ARMY
Topic: Focus on Author
"In honor of my recent purchase of ESSENTIAL ELLISON, a gigantic tome-like collection of almost every short story the celebrated author has ever written, I got to talking about him online, and the inevitable Harlan at Conventions" stories cropped up. Which led to the following blatant ripoff of a SNL sketch, so with apologies both to SNL and Harlan, here's a left handed tribute.

Long term fans of Saturday Night Live will recognize the origin of this sketch easily.

SCENE: a typical airport watering hole. Several businessmen are clustered around the bar swapping stories. They all appear to be tipsy.

First Friend of Ellison: Harlan Ellison is a son of a bitch! Do you fellas know Harlan Ellison?

Second Friend of Ellison: Hell yeah, I know Harlan Ellison! He's a big fella, goes about 6'4", 280. He loves his Scotch!

Third Friend of Ellison: He does! He's a hell of a science fiction writer!

Fourth Friend of Ellison: To Harlan Ellison! Again, Dangerous Visions is the best damned Sci Fi book ever!

Together: Harlan Ellison!!

Third Friend of Ellison: Did you know Harlan Ellison is the godfather of my son?

Fourth Friend of Ellison: Harlan Ellison?

First Friend of Ellison: He's a big fella!

Second Friend of Ellison: Oh yeah, he's a big guy! Goes about 6'7", 385.

Third Friend of Ellison: Well, anyway.. he shows up at the church in his golf pants, caked in mud. Well, ol' Harlan Ellison pushes the priest aside and says, "I'll baptize that piece of calimari!" Then he pours Scotch all over my baby son and says, "There! You're baptized!"

Fourth Friend of Ellison: And your son is blind to this day!

First Friend of Ellison: Yeah, he makes brooms somewhere in Georgia, doesn't he?

Third Friend of Ellison: I have no idea. [ pause ] To Harlan Ellison!

Together: Harlan Ellison!!

Second Friend of Ellison: Did I ever tell you about the time Harlan Ellison sold me into slavery?

First Friend of Ellison: Well, if you're talking about Harlan Ellison, I believe it!

Second Friend of Ellison: Oh, yeah! He puts me on a ship to Thailand, right? And I'm chained to a pipe. Meanwhile, ol' Ellison, he's back in the States siring three beautiful children with my wife!

First Friend of Ellison: I hate Harlan Ellison.. but I respect him!

Guy At Bar: Are you talking about Harlan Ellison? I know Harlan Ellison!

First Friend of Ellison: Then let me buy you a round!

Third Friend of Ellison: Hey, easy, Hank, easy.. To Harlan Ellison!

Together: Harlan Ellison!!

Fourth Friend of Ellison: Did I ever tell you about the time Harlan Ellison showed up at my daughter's wedding? You know my daughter, she's a beautiful girl.

First Friend of Ellison: I tell you, I'd like to have sex with her!

Fourth Friend of Ellison: Well, Ellison shows up.. and you know he's a big fella.

Third Friend of Ellison: Goes about 7'8", 530.

Fourth Friend of Ellison: Well, he's standing right between me and my daughter at the ceremony. He's got no right to be there, but he's drunk and he's Ellison! Well, long story short: the priest accidentally marries me and Ellison!
[ the guys laugh ] Off! Off! Off! We spend the weekend in the Poconos - he loves me like I've never been loved before!

Second Friend of Ellison: Best damn science fiction writer! in the universe!

Together: Harlan Ellison!!

Third Friend of Ellison: You know how Ellison served three tours in 'Nam?

Fourth Friend of Ellison: Uh-huh!

Third Friend of Ellison: Well, I'm in Corpus Christi on business a month ago, and I had this eight-foot tall Asian waiter.. which made me a little curious, so I asked him his name, and sure enough it's Ho Tran Ellison!

First Friend of Ellison: To Harlan Jay Ellison!

Second Friend of Ellison: Oh, yeah!

Fourth Friend of Ellison: Hey, you ever go camping with Ellison?

Third Friend of Ellison: Many times.

First Friend of Ellison: I went to WORLDCON with Ellison, his wife, and his daughter Debbie!

Third Friend of Ellison: Debbie Ellison?

First Friend of Ellison: Debbie Ellison. She's 7-years-old, goes about 3'5", 55 pounds. So, I'm in the Con Suite with Harlan Ellison and an annoying fan! Well, Ellison, he grabs the fan by the ears, looks at it and says, "I'm Harlan Ellison! Say it!" Then he squeezes the fan in such a way that a sound comes out of its mouth - "HarlanEllison!" It wasn't exactly it, but it was pretty good for a fan!

Third Friend of Ellison: That's Harlan Ellison!


Together: Harlan Ellison!!

Fourth Friend of Ellison: I once saw him eat a whole live chicken.

First Friend of Ellison: His favorite movie is "One on One" with Robby Benson.

Fourth Friend of Ellison: Harlan Ellison once gave me a videotape of him having sex with my wife, and it was the most beautiful damn thing I ever saw!


Second Friend of Ellison: I have that tape!


Guy At Bar: [ turning around ] So do I!

Third Friend of Ellison: To Harlan Ellison! A ten-foot-tall, two-ton son of a bitch who could eat a hammer and take a shotgun blast standing!

Together: Harlan Ellison!!


Posted by mrnizz at 10:54 AM EST
Updated: Friday, 31 March 2006 10:58 AM EST
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Tuesday, 28 March 2006
Followed up by Stanislaw Lem
Mood:  sad
Now Playing: The Funeral Dirge
It's not a good year for edgy science fiction writers. Repost from the main Singulairty blog:

Stanislaw Lem is dead





The author of SOLARIS, PIRX THE PILOT,and THE CYBERIAD has passed away. Stanislaw Lem, a Polish writer whose brand of science fiction was what I would describe as "humanist", has died. Apparently of natural causses.


WARSAW, Poland Mar 27, 2006 (AP)— Stanislaw Lem, a popular science fiction writer whose novel "Solaris" was filmed twice, died Monday in his native Poland, his secretary said. He was 84.

Lem died in Krakow, Wojciech Zemek told The Associated Press. Zemek did not give other details or the cause of death, citing only Lem's advanced age.

Lem was one of the most popular science fiction authors of recent decades to write in a language other than English, and his works were translated from Polish into more than 40 other languages. His books have sold 27 million copies.

His best-known work, "Solaris," was adapted into films by Andrei Tarkovsky in 1972 and by Steven Soderbergh in 2002. The latter starred George Clooney and Natascha McElhone.

His first important novel, "Hospital of the Transfiguration," was censored by communist authorities for eight years before its release in 1956 amid a thaw following the death of Josef Stalin.

Lem's other works include "The Invincible," "The Cyberiad," "His Master's Voice," "The Star Diaries," "The Futurological Congress" and "Tales of Prix the Pilot."


Copyright, 2006 ABC News

Even though Lem's fiction had died down to a trickle in the 90s and nothing in the early years of the millenium, I will still miss him. His contribution to fiction (and not just science fiction) added a unique and quirky voice to the tumult.

I'm getting to be of the age when a lot of the early influences in my life, literary and otherwise, are joining the choir celestial. It's a sad phase, but I don't want this blog to be a neverending series of obits with me making sad faces. Lem lived a life worthy of celebration.

Salut, Stanislaus

Posted by mrnizz at 1:33 PM EST
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Monday, 6 March 2006
OCTAVIA BUTLER is gone
Mood:  sad
Now Playing: A funeral dirge
Topic: Focus on Author

With great sadness, we should mourn the passing of Octavia Butler at the untimely age of 58 last week. She was a great talent, a writer of great SF stories that focused on the human side, rather than oh-gee-whiz stuff. She shall be missed.

A lot was made about the color of Ms. Butler's skin when she was first published. I'll say this about that; she was just a great writer of stories. Her characters and stories were color-blind.

My favorite books by Octavia are CLAYS' ARK and WILD SEED. I admit, I had lost touch with her stuff in recent years, but plan to go back and reread some of it some day soon.

Here's the obituary, copyright the SEATTLE TIMES:

Octavia Butler, prominent science fiction author, dies at 58

By GENE JOHNSON

The Associated Press

SEATTLE – Octavia E. Butler, the first black woman to gain national prominence as a science fiction writer, died after falling and striking her head on the cobbled walkway outside her home, a close friend said Sunday. She was 58.

Butler was found outside her home in the north Seattle suburb of Lake Forest Park on Friday. She had suffered from high blood pressure and heart trouble and could only take a few steps without stopping for breath, said Leslie Howle, who knew Butler for two decades and works at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle.

Butler's work wasn't preoccupied with robots and ray guns, Howle said, but used the genre's artistic freedom to explore race, poverty, politics, religion and human nature.

"She stands alone for what she did," Howle said. "She was such a beacon and a light in that way."

Fellow Seattle-based science fiction authors Greg Bear and Vonda McIntyre said they were stunned by the news and called it a tremendous loss.

"People came the world around to talk to her," Bear said. "She was sweet. She was smart. She knew science fiction and how to work with it."

Butler began writing at age 10, and told Howle she embraced science fiction after seeing a schlocky B-movie called "Devil Girl from Mars" and thinking, "I can write a better story than that." In 1970, she took a bus from her hometown of Pasadena, Calif., to East Lansing, Mich., to attend a fantasy writers workshop.

Her first novel, "Kindred," came out in 1979. It concerned a black woman who travels back in time to the South to save a white man. She went on to write about a dozen books, plus numerous essays and short stories. Her most recent work, "Fledgling," an examination of the "Dracula" legend, was published last fall.

She won numerous awards, and most notably in 1995 became the first science fiction writer granted a "genius" award from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which paid $295,000 over five years. She served on the board of the Science Fiction Museum.

Peter Heck, a science fiction and mystery writer in Chestertown, Md., said Butler was recognized for tackling difficult and controversial issues, such as slavery.

"She was considered a cut above both in the quality of her writing and her imaginative audacity," Heck said. "She was willing to take uncomfortable ideas and pursue them further than a lot of other people would have been willing to."

Heck's wife, Jane Jewell, executive director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, called Butler one of the first and definitely the most prominent black woman science fiction writer, but said she would have been a major writer of science fiction no matter her race or her gender.

"She is a world-class science fiction writer in her own right," Jewell said. "She was one of the first and one of the best to discuss gender and race in science fiction."

Butler described herself as a happy hermit, and never married. Though she could be very private, Bear said, she had taken classes to improve her public speaking and in recent years seemed more outgoing.

"Mostly she just loved sitting down and writing," he said. "For being a black female growing up in Los Angeles in the '60s, she was attracted to science fiction for the same reasons I was: It liberated her. She had a far-ranging imagination, and she was a treasure in our community."



Copyright ? 2006 The Seattle Times Company

Posted by mrnizz at 10:29 AM EST
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Monday, 13 February 2006
THE DRIVE IN, a graphic novel by Joe Lansdale
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: with myself
Topic: Book Review

As you might have figured out from reading this book blog, I'm an unabashed fan of Joe Lansdale, the best damn shitkicking author to emerge from East Texas. I didn't post a review of THE DRIVE IN (the book) here because, frankly, I've been flooding the blog with Lansdale stuff. I did read it, and frankly thought it was one of his best (certainly his creepiest) story ever.

Unfortunately, the graphic novel based upon the story (and fairly faithfully; the story is retold in almost exact detail, just more visually and less verbose) published by Avatar comics, failed to inspire me. The drawings (aside from the cover and a couple of inserts, almost entirely black and white line drawings) are too damned intricate and the lack of color washes most of the story away.

It's a pity; I wanted to like this one because I liked its parent novel quite a bit. I can't fault the guys at Avatar for the idea, which is stellar; DRIVE IN was a spectacularly visual mindfuck of a book. However, I do fault them for execution. The art was poor to mediocre at best. The story was topnotch, but Lansdale gave them a big hand with that one.

Good effort, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Posted by mrnizz at 3:37 PM EST
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Thursday, 9 February 2006
WHO MURDERED CHAUCER? by Terry Jones
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: Django Reinhardt's Greatest Hits
Topic: Book Review
Most of us remember Terry Jones as "the Nude Man" from Monty Python's Flying Circus, or "King Pellinore" from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, or Brian's obnoxious mum in "The Life of Brian". So it's hard to grasp that that same Terry Jones who used to dress in drag and make silly faces on TV is really quite a gifted and clever author, and a learned fellow to boot. I had some prior experience with Jones' kid's fiction: ERIK THE VIKING, NICOBOBINUS, and one of his history books: CHAUCER'S KNIGHT: A MEDIEVAL MERCENARY, so I knew what he was about.

Jones' book works on the central premise: Geoffrey Chaucer, court poet of the unfortunate Richard II of English History, was a famous man, perhaps the liteary voice of his age (though I personally think Jean Froissart could have given him a run for his money). His work was famous in his lifetime, a literary feat almost unheard of in an age where books were copied by hand. When he disappears from history, he was neither young nor terribly old by the standards of the day; and no mention is made of this celebrated individual's passing by fair means or foul.

How, then, did Chaucer die? Jones' opinion is that he was murdered, that much is clear from the title. The reasons why are a mystery and Jones can only produce enlighted guesses as to motive. If you are reading this novel merely for another period-piece mystery, you will be disappointed. There is no costumed villain. However, it is a great history book for all of that; Jones has a wondeful literary style that describes the period in everyday langauge that makes for a fun read.

Not so much a murder mystery as a survey of the middle of fourteenth century English society, WHO MURDERED CHAUCER? is a bright, fun engaging book. I loved it.

Posted by mrnizz at 12:56 PM EST
Updated: Thursday, 9 February 2006 12:58 PM EST
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ALTERNATIVE GENERALS III: By Harry Turtledove
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: Django Reinhardt's Greatest Hits
There's a guy in my office that is one of the most rabid Harry Turtledove fans I know; he reads virtually anything HT writes in the novel line (except the blatant fantasy stuff). I am not like that guy. I enjoyed Turtledove's early work (especially AGENT OF BYZANTIUM) but I don't feel like his talents lay in the area of the larger novel. Turtledove can write a wickedly good alt-history short story with a twist ending at the drop of a hat, and he can edit compendiums of similar material. His novels tend to be overly long, hugely repeitive and so complex each one requires a glossary appendix.

So I was pleased to find a SHORT STORY COLLECTION at the local library recently. Alternative Generals III is supposed to be another one of those "what if we switched out some key individuals and reran key events in history?" collections. Very few of the stories in practice focus on different or alternative generals.. they just depict "what if" alternatives.

Stories:

A.M. Dellamonica A Key to the Illuminated Heretic
James Fiscus The Road to Endless Sleep
William Sanders Not Fade Away
John Mina I Shall Return
Harry Turtledove Shock and Awe
Brad Linaweaver A Good Bag
Mike Resnick The Burning Spear at Twilight
Roland Green "It Isn't Every Day of the Week"
Judith Tarr Measureless to Man
Lillian Stewart Carl Over the Sea from Skye
Esther Friesner First, Catch Your Elephant
Lee Allred East of Appomattox
Chris Bunch Murdering Uncle Ho

Of these, I liked Resnick's Burning Spear at Twilight (depicting a passive resistance Jomo Kenyatta) Esther Friesner's send up of the Invasion of Italy by Hannibal, and Lee Allred's powerful East of Appomatox, where a victorious Confederacy is all of a sudden considered declasse...

In sum, a good collection of mediocre to excellent short stories with some bright spots.


Posted by mrnizz at 12:16 PM EST
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Tuesday, 11 October 2005
Never too late for the SANDMAN
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: the dozens
Topic: Focus on Author


(crossposted from Another Point of Singularity, because it fits here)

I missed out on the "Sandman Craze" when the popular comic book series was being published from 1989 to 1990-whatever. I never took to "Goth stuph" when I was younger; I suspect I was too old for serious Goth lifestyle changes, and had been through that phase before it was even called "Goth". Since so many Goth-wannabees were aping "Dream" (the titular character of the series) in style and dress, I kind of turned my nose up at it. Big mistake, as it turns out. I deprived myself of a very good read for a long time.



The other night, I was in the library over at Pohick, and noticed that A) they are carrying graphic novels; and B) they have almost every one of the Sandman books.

Now, that's a cool thing. Because I find spending 14.95 plus on a graphic novel trade cover just little bit much, considering 9 out of 10 of them get recycled to a used book store or library book drive. I think my only "keepers" have been KINGDOM COME, THE WATCHMEN, BATMAN: YEAR ONE, THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, MAUS, DAREDEVIL: GANG WAR, and BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE). So I don't "do comics" like I used to. Being able to check them out of a library is a big bonus. Among Pohick's graphic novel collection (which is, alas, mostly Manga), is almost all of the Sandman milieu that saw print.

I currently have out on loan A Game of You (a sort of Alice through the Looking Glass meets Steven King's Dark Tower series), Fables and Reflections (all short stories with different graphic artists. My favorite so far), Dream Country and the Kindly Ones (both not read yet, but that is a fault soon remedied). I also picked up A Season of Mists at a garage sale some time back and posted good things about it in my book blog.

What can I say (further) that hasn't already been said, in gushing detail?

I'm impressed that writers that I respect and admire, such as Gene Wolfe, Harlan Ellison and Samuel Delaney find this series so awe-inspiring that they all have written, intricate, thoughtful introductions (my favorite so far is Wolfe's, but I love his writing). The story line appears to have a connecting thread througout (concerning "Dream's" unusual family), but it really doesn't matter that much. Each book stands and falls on its own. I particularly like the way Gaiman adroitly weaves characters and pieces of myth into his storyline; each story is like a subdued trivia test as I read and recognize this or that clever literary reference.

So I like them. I like them quite a bit.

What's the lesson for today, kids? Just because an item is the darling of the culture vultures, DOESN'T neccesarily mean that it sucks.

Posted by mrnizz at 2:27 PM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 11 October 2005 3:21 PM EDT
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Wednesday, 5 October 2005
TWO ROMANS
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Nothing
Topic: Literary Survey

Hail, Caesar



My two favorite historical mystery writers, John Maddox Roberts and Steven Saylor, have released new series novels almost simultaneously, and that's great news indeed!

Roberts' "Roman Detective" is Decius Metellius, a Roman senator that lives right about the time of the end of the Roman Republic and advent of Julius Caesar. He is patrician, from an old and noble family, and a struggling politiician. The series is called "SPQR" (For the Senate and People of Rome), and the latest volume is THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATES. I'm almost done with it, and have been enjoying it immensely. This is a nautical adventure where the thirtyish Decius is sent to Cyprus to unravel a mystery involving pirates, an exiled general, and the young princess Cleopatra.

The other "Roman Detective" is Gordianus the Finder, a creation of Steven Saylor. Gordianus is a plebian Roman citizen of good if undistinguished family who is a "finder" (analogous to private eye) to various important Roman citizens, including some of the lights of the era: Caesar, Pompey, Cicero, Catiline, Cato, and many other important historical figures routinely show up in his stories. His latest, A GLADIATOR ONLY DIES ONCE, is a collection of short stories, some of which I have seen compiled elsewhere (in Historical Whodunits, for example), but it is good to see them all in one volume like this. I'm about halfway through this, and all of the stories (including the ones I've read before) have been uniformly good, some better than others.



Needless to say, since I already said it, I like the authors quite a bit, and can't say which I prefer. My recommendation is to check them both out of the library as fast as possible, like I did, before some other selfish bastid gets in front of you.



Posted by mrnizz at 4:46 PM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 11 October 2005 2:21 PM EDT
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