Archive for the ‘Books’ Category

Mammoth Book of Extreme Science Fiction Comes Out in Poland

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

I chanced across this, which, when translated from the Polish, turns out to be Mike Ashley’s The Mammoth Book of Extreme Science Fiction, which contains my story “Crucifixion Variations.” Foreign rights were mentioned in my last royalty statement, so I’m guessing this was part of that.

I’m not sure if the entirety of the contents are in the translated edition, or just those few stories listed there. If the latter, it’s nice to make the cut. That will be my second piece translated into Polish, after “Notes Toward a Postcyberpunk Manifesto” (or “”Notatki do manifestu postcyberpunkowego”), which has also been translated into Portugease and Italian.

New Lame Excuse Books Catalog Available

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

I just sent out a new Lame Excuse Books catalog filled with interesting science fiction, fantasy, and horror first editions. Once again there’s lots of great stuff, including new books from Joe R. Lansdale, Jay Lake, Henry Kuttner, Charles Stross, Neal Stephenson, a Tim Powers Charnel House book, a signed Roger Zelazny limited edition, a desirable Jack Vance first, and numerous small press books from Subterranean, Haffner, PS Publishing, and Night Shade, among others. Let me know if you’d like me to email you a copy.

The Lame Excuse Books homepage can be found here.

Bruce Sterling Donates Books and Papers to the Ransom Center

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

Including the manuscript for The Difference Engine, among others. I knew he was planning to do this, since he talked about it several years ago when I went over to his house to buy some books from him.

The Penniless Shakespeare Scholar

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

This story of an itinerant Shakespeare scholar with no job and no fixed address, who lived in a succession of homes by the kindness of strangers, is fascinating reading. It also reminds me, ever so slightly, of someone I know…

The History of Science Fiction

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

In visual form.

Not exactly how I would do it, but worth taking a look at…

R. A. Lafferty Estate for Sale?

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

Assuming it’s not a hoax or scam, the estates of R. A. Lafferty is being auctioned off, including the rights to all his novels and short stories, etc. The ad says the current bid is $70,000.

How much is the lafferty estate worth? Artistically, millions. Lafferty was perhaps the greatest, most original writer science fiction (and the world) ever knew. Financially? Harder to say. I have been noticing that his rarest books (Tales of Chicago, etc.) have all but disappeared off the collector’s market, so maybe a Lafferty revival is in the offing.

Maybe some rich fan should buy the estate and work top bring it all back into print. Anyone know if Paul Allen is an R. A. Lafferty fan?

(Hat tip: SF Signal.)

The Vocabulary of Cthulhu

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

A list of the frequency H. P. Lovecraft used certain words in his fiction.

I suggest you check out these hideous, foetid, eldritch, nameless, unutterable words.

Previously Undocumented Abraham Lincoln Book Set Found

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

Here’s a lesson for book collectors: Sometimes, even in popular and well-documented fields of collection, something slips through the cracks. In this case it was a 24 volume set of the collected works of Abraham Lincoln, missed by all previous Lincoln bibliographies, the last volume of which is bound holographic letters by Lincoln and others. So how could all the previous Lincoln bibliographies have missed it?

Perhaps because the entire print run of this edition was limited to 8 copies.

Talk about your impossible holy grails. It makes Nine Princes in Amber look positively common by comparison….

Borders Closing ALL Its Austin Locations

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Borders is closing all three Austin-area stores.

This is a darn shame, but their prices never struck me as competitive with online stores, even for those few items I didn’t buy direct from publishers.

Borders may well be doomed by online sales and electronic books, but some chains can take a long time to die. Until recently there was even a Hastings Records in Round Rock, even though I though they had died out a long time ago…

Borders Files for Bankruptcy, to Close 200 Stores

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

This is probably not good news, any way you slice it.

The list of stores will be coming later this afternoon.

In other news, Lame Excuse Books says there are no plans to close its one non-retail location…