Sci-fi paperbacks

[Commander_X]

[...] Seriously, I don't know why people feel the need to pirate books. They're very cheap. [...]

I'd guess the economic aspect is only part of the issue. When you only mention a single or several books, you're right. Things become a little more challenging on this front when you're looking at at least 6 books/cycle, for some of the most appreciated sci-fi works.

The other part is the will (or the opposite) to have a "reader profile" attached to your other bits captured during the intertubes activity. Paying paperbacks with cash or cards was only a financial transaction; it was only a matter of money the book store received, no outside strings attached. With online it's not the same, and privacy must not be overlooked nowadays.

Oh, and there's also the convenience, you get whole bibliographies at once, where, even if you wanted to get through everything, a lifetime is not enough, usually. As a bonus, you get these quickly, without the walk/drive to the local library, and getting on the wait list -- "we don't have any of these available at the moment".

[spud42]

the reason i very rarely buy new books is because here in Australia the paperbacks are anywhere from $20 to $33 each im damned if i will pay $33 for a paperback ! i can get 10 books for that at my second hand bookstore. As also stated everyone wants to write a trilogy at the least then most continue on from there.. do thata $100 to read the trilogy.. not happening.. maybe if i win millions on the lotto i can afford this but with a mortgage and everything else it aint happening.

[Cody]

... here in Australia the paperbacks are anywhere from $20 to $33 each...

Just looking at the back of my 1990 edition of Schrödinger's Cat Trilogy - UK £5.99 Aus $21.95 (recommended). Seems 'twere ever thus.


And yes - everyone wants to write a trilogy (or two, in some cases).

[Cholmondely]

the reason i very rarely buy new books is because here in Australia the paperbacks are anywhere from $20 to $33 each im damned if i will pay $33 for a paperback ! i can get 10 books for that at my second hand bookstore. As also stated everyone wants to write a trilogy at the least then most continue on from there.. do thata $100 to read the trilogy.. not happening.. maybe if i win millions on the lotto i can afford this but with a mortgage and everything else it aint happening.

At that price one presumes that they are air-flown for the eager Australian readers who need them hot from the printing presses - and that on arrival they are lovingly hand-delivered to your front door with a belgian chocolate and a steaming cup of blue mountain coffee...

But the price of second hand books over here has been rising - I was mooching about the centre of London a week ago and popped into Judd books & Skoob. There was virtually nothing at either for less than a tenner. And the selection was feeble. Neither had a dictionary of Hieroglyphics! Even paperback...

[Disembodied]

Book prices in Australia do seem to be a tad high … given digital on-demand printing (and general low-cost short-run printing in general) it would seem to me that there might be a hole in the marketplace there. I know that Ingrams has a digital setup in Australia: maybe more publishers should take advantage of that kind of technology. There is a chicken-and-egg thing, I suppose: book prices in Australia are high because demand is low but demand is low because prices are high …

I'd guess the economic aspect is only part of the issue. When you only mention a single or several books, you're right. Things become a little more challenging on this front when you're looking at at least 6 books/cycle, for some of the most appreciated sci-fi works.

The other part is the will (or the opposite) to have a "reader profile" attached to your other bits captured during the intertubes activity. Paying paperbacks with cash or cards was only a financial transaction; it was only a matter of money the book store received, no outside strings attached. With online it's not the same, and privacy must not be overlooked nowadays.

Oh, and there's also the convenience, you get whole bibliographies at once, where, even if you wanted to get through everything, a lifetime is not enough, usually. As a bonus, you get these quickly, without the walk/drive to the local library, and getting on the wait list -- "we don't have any of these available at the moment".

Is it necessary to have all the books, right now, though? I don't know about you but I can only read one book at a time. And (in Glasgow, at least - and I assume we're not at the bleeding edge, technology-wise) ebooks can be borrowed from libraries online. Until fully automated luxury space communism gets here, if we want something that someone else has produced through their own skill and labour, I think we should pay them for it.

[Cody]

Neither had a dictionary of Hieroglyphics!

A hieroglyphic localisation of Oolite - that'd be something to behold!

[Cholmondely]

Neither had a dictionary of Hieroglyphics!

A hieroglyphic localisation of Oolite - that'd be something to behold!

𓏏
𓂋
𓅓
𓃀 ≈ Trumble (no vowels, no letter "l")
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
𓂧
𓏭
𓆓
𓃀
𓏏 ≈ Digebiti (rough approximation of the pronounciation around Lesser Walsingham)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

There should also be "determinative hieroglyphs" but I'm unsure what the specifics are for "alien" and for "planet"...

Oh! And I'm sure that I need not point out that we have no idea how they pronounced anything, so that the voice-over would be as meaningful as Thargoid jabber.

[Commander_X]

[...] Is it necessary to have all the books, right now, though? [...]

It's not necessary, but it makes sense, because the "distribution" is done as a big bad archive file.

[...] I think we should pay them for it.

I think so, too.

[Cody]

Two arrived this morning, both in very good condition...

And the third dropped on the mat just now. Allen Steele's Coyote Trilogy is complete again, and in a later edition than the one which fell apart. The cover art is actually an improvement, unlike the recent Asimov Foundation Trilogy edition which is not a patch on the Chris Foss artwork.

[Cody]

Splendid! Book Four of the Coyote Trilogy (which I didn't know existed 'til last week) just dropped on my mat.
Sold as "Used - Like New", it's certainly in very good condition, almost mint. I feel a binge read coming on!

[Cody]

It's been good reading Coyote again after twenty years. I was surprised at how much I'd forgotten, and it's still a very good read. Allen Steele creates an interesting alien-inhabited planet, which is actually a large moon orbiting a super-Jupiter. On to the second book!

[Cody]

Splendid! Book Four of the Coyote Trilogy (which I didn't know existed 'til last week) just dropped on my mat.

An excellent tale!

[Cody]

Greg Bear's The Forge of God just dropped onto my doormat. As with the others, it's in excellent condition, and only £3.16 (inc. postage).
I thought it was a good time to re-read a classic apocalyptic novel. The first alien contact line is a cracker!

[spud42]

This, this is the reason i dont read too many new authors. i keep getting reminded of classics and know i read them but have no idea any more of the story. so i have to get them again and re-read them. besides its comfortable re-reading stories you enjoyed. Like a favorite comfy chair and pair of slippers with a nice cup of tea.... Now i have to find The Forge of God to read...lol

On another note i have Robert Jordans Wheel of Time audio books playing in the car at the moment. done the prequal and the first book .Currently half way into book 3. i only got as far as book 7 in paperback. while waiting for book 8 i got distracted and didnt remember till bool 9 came out. by that time i would have had to start from the beginning. now there are 14 books all told! well thats all i have on audio book....

[Cody]

Like a favorite comfy chair and pair of slippers [...] Now i have to find The Forge of God to read...

<chortles> Exactly! You'll be wanting to find the sequel (Anvil of Stars, which I've just ordered) too.