Post with spreadsheets for SF, Best of SF and Golden Age Masterworks vintagesf.ca/2024/06/20/sf-masterworks-updated-spreadsheet-pdf-and-xl/ Vintage SF website www.vintagesf.ca Reading Through the SF Masterworks playlist ua-cam.com/play/PLFtI0ilG7FLq3_lE8yPhoUmgcBp1AqU4N.html
I actually hadn't noticed that this livery was just for the Best of books, I thought it was just a new edition of the whole range. Learn something new every day!
Thanks for this video, Richard, and for your spreadsheets. It’s not clear to me why these are the “best of,” but I do find the series to be visually quite stunning.
Thank you again for your work cataloging! I like the artwork and aesthetic of the series. It doesn't seem like most of these are out of print but I don't know. . .. The only books I haven't seen for sale or that are unfamiliar is Sarah Canary and The Word for World is Forest so they seem nice but needed?
Okay, as an SF and Fantasy connoisseur, artist, poet and writer, I'd say it was an arbitrary selection. It could easily have been replaced by another collection that included I Robot, The Big Time, Rendezvous with Rama, Left Hand of Darkness, Lord of Light, Ringworld, Tower of Glass, Stranger in Strange Land, and so on...
@@ericchristen2623 They already published four of the books you mentioned in the regular SFMW. If they add another twenty titles to “The Best of …” does it further water down the arbitrary feeling to this line?
Once again I am thankful and impressed with your spreadsheet. Going through the trouble to collect this information. I really like the idea of an elite line within the line. Looking at what they chose, I am going to hold to my idea that Gollancz does not care about organization, and does not care about what you, their customers want. The only thing premium about this selection is that it shows more forethought and unity. Not actual discernment or organization mind you. . . I like the feel of the illustrations with the covers, but I feel they are very uneven. And some of them even show he clearly has not read the book. Others are really clever, or beautifully striking. Since you raise the question, I had to look at it a whole new way: what were the editorial decisions that would land a book in this line? Could Silverberg write a "series intro" describing the mathematics used? No? Then it's just another cash grab / pilot program/ beta test of what the masterworks will slowly transform into. Don't trust 'em kids.
"Is it needed?" I would argue that it is needed by two groups. First, the collectors: it gives them a chance to put a set of uniformly liveried books on the shelf. Second, Victor Gollancz: it gives the publisher another lucrative stream of income. Win/win?
@@paulcooper3611 I guess a 21 book collection seems doable as an entry into SF. Brings to mind how many copies of a book are in a collector’s library. I certainly have a number of doubles. I can think of at least one triple, ‘The Day of the Triffids’.
@@vintagesf I know what you mean. I have culled my collection but I still have three copies of the Barry Hughart's "Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox" trilogy, "Bridge of Birds", "The Story of the Stone", and "Eight Skilled Gentlemen", two in bags, and one to reread periodically. I don't know if you are familiar with them, but they are humerus faux-Chines fantasy books which had a great effect on me and my wife. She named her van Number Ten Ox. Even if fantasy is not your thing, you might want to take a look at them.
It's definitely targeted at a younger audience, this minimalist, cartoony, stylised artwork is very in and tbh it helped attract me. I've read elsewhere that older, veteran sci fi readers hate the new art work, and prefer previous designs, but as a younger reader when I see the previous ones they look dated and tacky. This is the difference in generations. You have to remember that to stick out in current book stores like Waterstones the artwork needs to be catchy but also catchy in the modern sense. If it's helping younger people to get initially attracted to these books then I really can't see the harm done. I was particularly attracted to the concurring theme of a bold circle in each design. Gives it that 'collectors' feel to it.
@@AlienBigCat23 This brings to mind my opinion about the best liveries. I haven’t shown any white hardcover editions from 2001 because I don’t own any. I think they may be the best looking variation of the SF Masterworks. Then followed by the black spines, the GAMWs, the yellow to white gradient spines and lastly the mustard spines. Your thoughts?
Post with spreadsheets for SF, Best of SF and Golden Age Masterworks
vintagesf.ca/2024/06/20/sf-masterworks-updated-spreadsheet-pdf-and-xl/
Vintage SF website
www.vintagesf.ca
Reading Through the SF Masterworks playlist
ua-cam.com/play/PLFtI0ilG7FLq3_lE8yPhoUmgcBp1AqU4N.html
I like the design of this series much more than the standard masterworks edition.
Well said!
I actually hadn't noticed that this livery was just for the Best of books, I thought it was just a new edition of the whole range. Learn something new every day!
Thanks for this video, Richard, and for your spreadsheets. It’s not clear to me why these are the “best of,” but I do find the series to be visually quite stunning.
Thank you for this! 😊 📚
Thank you again for your work cataloging! I like the artwork and aesthetic of the series. It doesn't seem like most of these are out of print but I don't know. . .. The only books I haven't seen for sale or that are unfamiliar is Sarah Canary and The Word for World is Forest so they seem nice but needed?
I wish there were more of those red hardcovers. They are gorgeous!
Okay, as an SF and Fantasy connoisseur, artist, poet and writer, I'd say it was an arbitrary selection. It could easily have been replaced by another collection that included I Robot, The Big Time, Rendezvous with Rama, Left Hand of Darkness, Lord of Light, Ringworld, Tower of Glass, Stranger in Strange Land, and so on...
@@ericchristen2623 They already published four of the books you mentioned in the regular SFMW. If they add another twenty titles to “The Best of …” does it further water down the arbitrary feeling to this line?
Good video Richard and really like that cover for Sarah Canary.
Once again I am thankful and impressed with your spreadsheet. Going through the trouble to collect this information.
I really like the idea of an elite line within the line. Looking at what they chose, I am going to hold to my idea that Gollancz does not care about organization, and does not care about what you, their customers want. The only thing premium about this selection is that it shows more forethought and unity. Not actual discernment or organization mind you. . .
I like the feel of the illustrations with the covers, but I feel they are very uneven. And some of them even show he clearly has not read the book. Others are really clever, or beautifully striking.
Since you raise the question, I had to look at it a whole new way: what were the editorial decisions that would land a book in this line? Could Silverberg write a "series intro" describing the mathematics used?
No? Then it's just another cash grab / pilot program/ beta test of what the masterworks will slowly transform into.
Don't trust 'em kids.
"Is it needed?" I would argue that it is needed by two groups. First, the collectors: it gives them a chance to put a set of uniformly liveried books on the shelf. Second, Victor Gollancz: it gives the publisher another lucrative stream of income. Win/win?
@@paulcooper3611 I guess a 21 book collection seems doable as an entry into SF. Brings to mind how many copies of a book are in a collector’s library. I certainly have a number of doubles. I can think of at least one triple, ‘The Day of the Triffids’.
@@vintagesf I know what you mean. I have culled my collection but I still have three copies of the Barry Hughart's "Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox" trilogy, "Bridge of Birds", "The Story of the Stone", and "Eight Skilled Gentlemen", two in bags, and one to reread periodically. I don't know if you are familiar with them, but they are humerus faux-Chines fantasy books which had a great effect on me and my wife. She named her van Number Ten Ox. Even if fantasy is not your thing, you might want to take a look at them.
It's definitely targeted at a younger audience, this minimalist, cartoony, stylised artwork is very in and tbh it helped attract me. I've read elsewhere that older, veteran sci fi readers hate the new art work, and prefer previous designs, but as a younger reader when I see the previous ones they look dated and tacky. This is the difference in generations. You have to remember that to stick out in current book stores like Waterstones the artwork needs to be catchy but also catchy in the modern sense. If it's helping younger people to get initially attracted to these books then I really can't see the harm done.
I was particularly attracted to the concurring theme of a bold circle in each design. Gives it that 'collectors' feel to it.
@@Fwobbed They certainly do stand out in the bookstore. Great point.
I hate to be a bringdown, but I hate the mustard yellow covers.. colour is a vibrational frequency, after all
@@AlienBigCat23 This brings to mind my opinion about the best liveries. I haven’t shown any white hardcover editions from 2001 because I don’t own any. I think they may be the best looking variation of the SF Masterworks. Then followed by the black spines, the GAMWs, the yellow to white gradient spines and lastly the mustard spines. Your thoughts?
I'm really not a fan of those illustrations