I don't normally go for white livery, but those Ursula K Le guin's are beautiful! They remind me of the early eighties perhaps a slight hint of Picador press. Ahh, bygone days. . .
I think the new Best of SF Masterworks spines look so much better than the yellow to white versions. Honestly, the spines of the SF Masterworks have stopped me from collecting the,. Amazing cover art on all of them, but 99% of the time I'm going to be looking at a spine I dislike :D
@@sirnitsalot This is a good lesson for the graphic design departments of book publishers. Spines in a series of books are very, very important to the collectors.
@@vintagesf I like the way you think Richard! But I think the sales department wants to target the people who make quick impulse buys and dispose of books much more often than people who buy one book and keep it in good condition on their shelves for years. Turnover pays the rent don't you know!
I think of them as combined with the GAMWs so that is 198 titles. I have a number of titles in other liveries which I'm not pursuing in the Masterworks. So I think I have approximately 50 to 60 Masterworks not represented in my library. The collecting bug is strong!
Is there a World of Books (WOB) in United States? I think there is and they even may have free shipping. I always go for very good to fine condition as they can be a bit dicey in their ratings.
@@vintagesf it's funny, I have started going with good and acceptable for the very same reason! I hate paying an extra two or three bucks for a better condition book and getting one that's thrashed when it's just as likely I'll get a perfect one under good or acceptable. Of course WoB "acceptable" is never acceptable: they have shipped me bags of garbage and demanded pictures when I requested a refund. Thriftbooks (which services Canada and the UK in the same way that WoB services all three) has much better customer service. Of course it wouldn't surprise me to find out that all of these big warehousing companies might just be different buyer interfaces or facades for the same mega company. Remember these guys are getting their books for pennies on the pound. When goodwill, or Savers, or any of those companies can't sell a book, instead of throwing it in recycling they send it off to these companies. That's kind of why I get so angry when I get shipped garbage at $10 a book instead of $4. (Not that I WANT to buy garbage in the first place, but that is their major source of inventory.)
I'm collecting the black spine editions - really jealous of your copy of Valis. But I'm 75% complete, so getting there. Thanks for the great book haul.
That last 10% to 25% is always the hardest, and sometimes the most expensive. Valis was a World of Books (WOB) pick up for about $5.00. If you check them out my advice is to go with very good to fine copies, check publication dates or ISBN #s because they often display a stock image which may not match.
@@vintagesf ALWAYS A STOCK IMAGE! Not inherently a criminal act, just know that it is NEVER the copy that you are buying, nor should you expect it to be. I'm usually more upset about the shipping bags; When it arrives and you see the scuffed up corner and a rip in the side of the bag, and take out your book and see that the smashed corner and the gouge in the spine correspond to the marks in the bag, you know you may have ordered a good or very good book, but it isn't good or very good anymore!
Terrific video, as always, Richard. I do love these SF Masterworks. I thought you might be interested in a purchase that I just made of Ursula K. LeGuin’s Hainish novels and stories. The Library of America is featuring a two-volume boxed set of what I believe to be the complete Hainish novels and stories. I purchased it new for an absolute steal. I also bought the Library of America volume of LeGuin’s collected poetry.
The only SF Masterwork I own is James Tiptree Jr.'s "Her Smoke Rose Up Forever". It's the only work of her they have in their collection. I wish they would release some of her other books, like "Up the Walls of the World", "The Starry Rift" and "Brightness Falls From the Air" (luckily I found some copies of those works at HPB). I'd even love it if they released a copy of her unpublished Trek story, "Meet Me At Inifinty". I hope to one day buy a copy of "Martian Time Slip" and I think you should start with "Life During Wartime" just for the cover alone.
I have that SFMW copy and a few other Tiptree collections. Future reading project as are so many of the books I've collected. On a good week I read two to three books. I hear Lucius Shepard calling. I also have his debut novel 'Green Eyes' in the Ace Science Fiction Specials series three. Oh, and I also want to mention that HPB has been a good source of vintage SF for me when travelling in the southwest US. Picked up a few hardcover Neal Stephenson's books there.
@@mistymarshall5438 The last one I read was ‘Hidden Wyndham’. I’d be interested in reading biographies of Cordwainer Smith, Ursula K. Le Guin and Walter M. Miller Jr. to name a few. Some could be very dark. A lot of secrets buried in the publishing world.
As it happens, I've just received copies of Shaw's "Land and Overland" trilogy today - unfortunately as it turns out none of the editions match. If I really like the books I may try to track down matching copies - it's the Orbit editions (like your copy of The Fugitive Worlds) that I think are the most attractive. As far as Gollancz's series go, I'm quite fond of the SF Classics one from 1986-7. I have four of the 20 that exist, but quite a lot of them seem to be quite scarce these days.
Those SF Classics are very attractive. Used to have one back in the day. So many of my SF books found their way back to used bookstores in the 80s, 90s and 00s.
When I just had the Aldiss book I was wondering if one print run had somehow been programmed incorrectly for the spine. Just checked, both are from 2017 with an Adam Roberts introduction. Hmmm.
Based upon Privious performance, I have always assumed it was Gollancz's pathological lack of respect for their customer base, balanced against momentary marketing schemes, forgotten as quickly as they are implemented for the same reasons.
Is it wrong to stop 40 seconds in to say that world of books is. . . the worst? Terrible condition and terrible customer service. . . Maybe I should watch the rest of your video
@@vintagesf thriftbooks service is pretty similar. They also ship in a plastic bag, the condition grading is frequently off, however their customer service is excellent. You get an immediate replacement or refund. Sadly in the last 6 months or so the prices have climbed unrealistically high on the sort of books that you and I are looking for. By that I mean 60s and 70s paperbacks that are in bargain bins in most used book stores, or at least bargain-priced. They are being sold at or above the prices from reputable booksellers who have carefully curated nice condition copies. It's frustrating because they used to be a go-to.
The design on the "Best of" series really shows them stepping up their game (I think). The cover illustrations seem more mature, the yellow is an earthier goldenrod, more organic and pleasing than traditional Gollancz yellow, but engendering a similar reaction if you have a number of them up on a shelf. In other words I think they would meet the Outlaw Bookseller Standard (but how can I fully understand that depth of response ? I am but mortal. . . ) @outlawbookselleroriginal
I don't normally go for white livery, but those Ursula K Le guin's are beautiful! They remind me of the early eighties perhaps a slight hint of Picador press. Ahh, bygone days. . .
I think the new Best of SF Masterworks spines look so much better than the yellow to white versions. Honestly, the spines of the SF Masterworks have stopped me from collecting the,. Amazing cover art on all of them, but 99% of the time I'm going to be looking at a spine I dislike :D
@@sirnitsalot This is a good lesson for the graphic design departments of book publishers. Spines in a series of books are very, very important to the collectors.
@@vintagesf I like the way you think Richard! But I think the sales department wants to target the people who make quick impulse buys and dispose of books much more often than people who buy one book and keep it in good condition on their shelves for years.
Turnover pays the rent don't you know!
@@salty-walt True!
Nice haul! Looking forward to getting to more of Le Guin’s stories :)
Thanks Richard, you must be getting close to completing the set of Masterworks now🙂
I think of them as combined with the GAMWs so that is 198 titles. I have a number of titles in other liveries which I'm not pursuing in the Masterworks. So I think I have approximately 50 to 60 Masterworks not represented in my library. The collecting bug is strong!
Nice find on the Philip K. Dick novels. I find those pretty rare to come by.
Is there a World of Books (WOB) in United States? I think there is and they even may have free shipping. I always go for very good to fine condition as they can be a bit dicey in their ratings.
@@vintagesf it's funny, I have started going with good and acceptable for the very same reason! I hate paying an extra two or three bucks for a better condition book and getting one that's thrashed when it's just as likely I'll get a perfect one under good or acceptable. Of course WoB "acceptable" is never acceptable: they have shipped me bags of garbage and demanded pictures when I requested a refund.
Thriftbooks (which services Canada and the UK in the same way that WoB services all three) has much better customer service.
Of course it wouldn't surprise me to find out that all of these big warehousing companies might just be different buyer interfaces or facades for the same mega company.
Remember these guys are getting their books for pennies on the pound. When goodwill, or Savers, or any of those companies can't sell a book, instead of throwing it in recycling they send it off to these companies.
That's kind of why I get so angry when I get shipped garbage at $10 a book instead of $4.
(Not that I WANT to buy garbage in the first place, but that is their major source of inventory.)
Nice haul, Richard. I envy you.
Great haul. You have some nice stories to read when you lie outside, getting a tan. :-)
I'm collecting the black spine editions - really jealous of your copy of Valis. But I'm 75% complete, so getting there. Thanks for the great book haul.
That last 10% to 25% is always the hardest, and sometimes the most expensive. Valis was a World of Books (WOB) pick up for about $5.00. If you check them out my advice is to go with very good to fine copies, check publication dates or ISBN #s because they often display a stock image which may not match.
@@vintagesf ALWAYS A STOCK IMAGE! Not inherently a criminal act, just know that it is NEVER the copy that you are buying, nor should you expect it to be.
I'm usually more upset about the shipping bags;
When it arrives and you see the scuffed up corner and a rip in the side of the bag, and take out your book and see that the smashed corner and the gouge in the spine correspond to the marks in the bag, you know you may have ordered a good or very good book, but it isn't good or very good anymore!
@@salty-walt I second that experience.
Terrific video, as always, Richard. I do love these SF Masterworks. I thought you might be interested in a purchase that I just made of Ursula K. LeGuin’s Hainish novels and stories. The Library of America is featuring a two-volume boxed set of what I believe to be the complete Hainish novels and stories. I purchased it new for an absolute steal. I also bought the Library of America volume of LeGuin’s collected poetry.
Those Library of America books are elegant and comprehensive. Great pick up!
The only SF Masterwork I own is James Tiptree Jr.'s "Her Smoke Rose Up Forever". It's the only work of her they have in their collection. I wish they would release some of her other books, like "Up the Walls of the World", "The Starry Rift" and "Brightness Falls From the Air" (luckily I found some copies of those works at HPB). I'd even love it if they released a copy of her unpublished Trek story, "Meet Me At Inifinty". I hope to one day buy a copy of "Martian Time Slip" and I think you should start with "Life During Wartime" just for the cover alone.
I have that SFMW copy and a few other Tiptree collections. Future reading project as are so many of the books I've collected. On a good week I read two to three books. I hear Lucius Shepard calling. I also have his debut novel 'Green Eyes' in the Ace Science Fiction Specials series three. Oh, and I also want to mention that HPB has been a good source of vintage SF for me when travelling in the southwest US. Picked up a few hardcover Neal Stephenson's books there.
@@vintagesf I also have a copy of Julie Phillips' well-researched biography "James Tiptree Jr: the Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon."
@@mistymarshall5438 That sounds interesting. Have to watch for that one.
@@vintagesf It's puzzles me why there aren't more biographies about famous SF authors.
@@mistymarshall5438 The last one I read was ‘Hidden Wyndham’. I’d be interested in reading biographies of Cordwainer Smith, Ursula K. Le Guin and Walter M. Miller Jr. to name a few. Some could be very dark. A lot of secrets buried in the publishing world.
As it happens, I've just received copies of Shaw's "Land and Overland" trilogy today - unfortunately as it turns out none of the editions match. If I really like the books I may try to track down matching copies - it's the Orbit editions (like your copy of The Fugitive Worlds) that I think are the most attractive. As far as Gollancz's series go, I'm quite fond of the SF Classics one from 1986-7. I have four of the 20 that exist, but quite a lot of them seem to be quite scarce these days.
Those SF Classics are very attractive. Used to have one back in the day. So many of my SF books found their way back to used bookstores in the 80s, 90s and 00s.
My edition of the Strugatsky’s The Doomed City lacks the gradient. Not sure if there is any significance to that variance.
When I just had the Aldiss book I was wondering if one print run had somehow been programmed incorrectly for the spine. Just checked, both are from 2017 with an Adam Roberts introduction. Hmmm.
I have the same copy of Doomed City. . . no idea.
Based upon Privious performance, I have always assumed it was Gollancz's pathological lack of respect for their customer base, balanced against momentary marketing schemes, forgotten as quickly as they are implemented for the same reasons.
Is it wrong to stop 40 seconds in to say that world of books is. . . the worst?
Terrible condition and terrible customer service. . .
Maybe I should watch the rest of your video
@@salty-walt This time it worked out, but the packing of a shipment certainly leaves something to be desired. It is basically a plastic bag.
@@vintagesf thriftbooks service is pretty similar. They also ship in a plastic bag, the condition grading is frequently off, however their customer service is excellent. You get an immediate replacement or refund.
Sadly in the last 6 months or so the prices have climbed unrealistically high on the sort of books that you and I are looking for.
By that I mean 60s and 70s paperbacks that are in bargain bins in most used book stores, or at least bargain-priced.
They are being sold at or above the prices from reputable booksellers who have carefully curated nice condition copies. It's frustrating because they used to be a go-to.
My experience: the book they show you (as a picture of the book) is not always the book you receive. I've even returned wrong editions to them.
@@CasperHulshof See my other comment. ISBN #s may be about the safest way to check their listings.
@@CasperHulshof although it is true of both services, which are you speaking of? WoB or Thriftbooks?
The design on the "Best of" series really shows them stepping up their game (I think). The cover illustrations seem more mature, the yellow is an earthier goldenrod, more organic and pleasing than traditional Gollancz yellow, but engendering a similar reaction if you have a number of them up on a shelf. In other words I think they would meet the Outlaw Bookseller Standard (but how can I fully understand that depth of response ? I am but mortal. . . )
@outlawbookselleroriginal