Highlights and Lowlights - May 2023

I used do this every two months, but when the JanFeb 2023
post got too long for my tastes, I did March all by itself. Same
with April, and now May, so I guess it makes more sense to
post these whenever I’ve read “enough”, whatever that is.

I think there are no spoilers, not even minor ones. If something
does seem spoiler-ish, it happens early in the book in question
and is front-and-center.

Books are listed in reverse chronological order from how I read them,
using a very primitive rating system:
“+” are good, and more “+” are better
“-“ are not good, and more “-“ are worse

I’m happy to answer questions about anything on the list.

Highlight - Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II

Lowlight - The Exotic Enchanter

Here’s a quick summary of what’s more in-depth below:
( +++ ) Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II - ed. by Asimov (this book is part 1 of 2)
( ++ ) Necessity’s Child - Lee & Miller [Liaden - 16th written per https://sharonleewriter.com/correct-reading-order/ ]
( +++ ) Cast in Fury - Sagara [Elantra #4]
( ++ ) Showboat World - Vance [Big Planet #2]
( +++ ) The Cloud Roads - Wells [Raksura #1]
( ++ - ) Between the Strokes of Night - Sheffield
( + - ) The Exotic Enchanter - de Camp & Stasheff [4 stories in the Harold Shea universe]

Now Reading:
Long work - Oath of Fealty - Moon [Paksenarrion #6, or maybe #4, or Paladin’s Legacy #1]
Collection - Father Brown Crime Stories - G.K. Chesterton

==========================================May 2023
( ++++ ) Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II - ed. by Asimov (this is part 1 of 2 - I read part 2 long ago)
Stories are listed here: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?33349
Excellent - What a group of stories:
Two Vance (The Dragon Masters and The Last Castle),
and one each by
Anderson (No Truce with Kings),
Dickson (Soldier, Ask Not),
Ellison (“Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman), and
Niven (Neutron Star).
These were all re-reads for me, and re-read them I did.

( ++ ) Necessity’s Child - Lee & Miller [Liaden - 16th written per https://sharonleewriter.com/correct-reading-order/ , and the 17th I’ve read]
Good, but a little below the (high level) norm for this series/universe. This judgment may be particular to me, as after 2-3 books focused on young Theo Waitley, this one focuses on even-younger Syl Vor yos’Galan, and I was hoping for more of the older Korvals. This one also seems to lack some levity or lighter moments - I wouldn’t say it’s dark by any stretch, but it is pretty consistently on task and serious. This book also introduces us to the Kompani.

( +++ ) Cast in Fury - Sagara [Elantra #4]
Very good! This one picks up immediately after #3, and is mainly focused on Leontine issues with a side helping of Dragon issues. Otherwise, this is similar (in a good way) to the first 3 - Kaylin matures a little more, we learn a little more, the characters get a little deeper/more fleshed out. The subplot involving the playwright felt a bit forced. Definitely looking forward to reading the next one.

( ++ ) Showboat World - Vance [Big Planet #2]
NOTE: This book has this alternate mouthful of a title: The Magnificent Showboats of the Lower Vissel River, Lune XXIII South, Big Planet. (In fact, this is the title of my book.)
Good Vance, but not exceptional Vance. This one follows the trials and tribulations of Apollon Zamp, the owner/operator of a showboat that travels up and down the Vissel River- taking on passengers and performing shows at various ports. Zamp unwittingly gets tangled up in a showboat competition in farflung Marmune, way up river.

( +++ ) The Cloud Roads - Wells [Raksura #1]
Very good! The protagonist (Moon) is a very interesting character in a very interesting world. Orphaned and abandoned, Moon doesn’t even know what species he is - certainly none of the several he has encountered on his restless travels. A Raksura discovers him, and the rest of the tale goes from there.

( ++ - ) Between the Strokes of Night - Sheffield
Good! Very interesting science and mysteries, mostly centering on different rates of the passage of time. Minor quibbles include that the young protagonists (19 yrs old) are occasionally annoying, and — in the context of the story — it made no sense to me that there was so often a lack of time to make important decisions. Really interesting ideas.

( + - - ) The Exotic Enchanter - de Camp & Stasheff [4 stories in the Harold Shea universe]
The stories are listed here: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?39348
Not so good overall. If I’m reading isfdb correctly, this anthology has 4 of the last 5 stories ever written in the Harold Shea universe. (Not in this volume is the very last one, written by Lawrence Watt-Evans.) One of the 4 is good (by Tom Wham), one is just okay (by de Camp himself - one of his very last original stories), and the other two just didn’t work for me.

Now Reading:
Long work - Oath of Fealty - Moon [Paksenarrion #6, or maybe #4, or Paladin’s Legacy #1]
Collection - Father Brown Crime Stories - G.K. Chesterton

Tony

In article <0d8d173c-d43e-4b09-a7a8-952e2b0485ccn@googlegroups.com>,
Tony Nance <tonynance17@gmail.com> wrote:
>Highlights and Lowlights - May 2023

Dang I need to get some reviews out.

Thanks for these!

>
>May 2023
>( ++++ ) Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II - ed. by Asimov (this is
>part 1 of 2 - I read part 2 long ago)
>Stories are listed here: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?33349
>Excellent - What a group of stories:
>Two Vance (The Dragon Masters and The Last Castle),
>and one each by
>Anderson (No Truce with Kings),
>Dickson (Soldier, Ask Not),
>Ellison (“Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman), and
>Niven (Neutron Star).
>These were all re-reads for me, and re-read them I did.
>

Classic stuff, plus I always loved the Asimov interstitials and never
skipped over them.

It's hard to imagine anyone dropping standalones like the Vance nowdays.
There would be dozens of followups (which I'm not against, esp for DM).

>( ++ ) Necessity’s Child - Lee & Miller [Liaden - 16th written per
>https://sharonleewriter.com/correct-reading-order/ , and the 17th I’ve
>read]
>Good, but a little below the (high level) norm for this series/universe.
>This judgment may be particular to me, as after 2-3 books focused on
>young Theo Waitley, this one focuses on even-younger Syl Vor
>yos’Galan, and I was hoping for more of the older Korvals. This one
>also seems to lack some levity or lighter moments - I wouldn’t say
>it’s dark by any stretch, but it is pretty consistently on task and
>serious. This book also introduces us to the Kompani.
>

I'm not loving the Kompani (although it's interesting that fate
seems to be pulling strings to put Surebleak at the center of the
universe). I'm way behind on my Liaden reading, need to get back.

>( +++ ) Cast in Fury - Sagara [Elantra #4]
>Very good! This one picks up immediately after #3, and is mainly focused
>on Leontine issues with a side helping of Dragon issues. Otherwise, this
>is similar (in a good way) to the first 3 - Kaylin matures a little
>more, we learn a little more, the characters get a little deeper/more
>fleshed out. The subplot involving the playwright felt a bit forced.
>Definitely looking forward to reading the next one.

Also way behind on these. I sort of burned out a few years back when I
lost my kindle (left it on the roof of the car!) and had to buy a nook
and a tranche of books on an emergency basis. Kaylin is the most important
private of the guards in history..

>
>( ++ ) Showboat World - Vance [Big Planet #2]
>NOTE: This book has this alternate mouthful of a title: The Magnificent
>Showboats of the Lower Vissel River, Lune XXIII South, Big Planet. (In
>fact, this is the title of my book.)
>Good Vance, but not exceptional Vance. This one follows the trials and
>tribulations of Apollon Zamp, the owner/operator of a showboat that
>travels up and down the Vissel River- taking on passengers and
>performing shows at various ports. Zamp unwittingly gets tangled up in a
>showboat competition in farflung Marmune, way up river.

Don't remember a whole lot about this, but Vance revisited the concept
of an itinerant, ship-based troupe in _Space Opera_.

--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

On Monday, June 5, 2023 at 1:50:25 AM UTC-4, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
> In article <0d8d173c-d43e-4b09...@googlegroups.com>,
> Tony Nance <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >Highlights and Lowlights - May 2023
> Dang I need to get some reviews out.
>
> Thanks for these!
>

And thanks for yours!

> It's hard to imagine anyone dropping standalones like the Vance nowdays.
> There would be dozens of followups (which I'm not against, esp for DM).
> >( ++ ) Necessity’s Child - Lee & Miller [Liaden - 16th written per
> >https://sharonleewriter.com/correct-reading-order/ , and the 17th I’ve
> >read]
> >Good, but a little below the (high level) norm for this series/universe.
> >This judgment may be particular to me, as after 2-3 books focused on
> >young Theo Waitley, this one focuses on even-younger Syl Vor
> >yos’Galan, and I was hoping for more of the older Korvals. This one
> >also seems to lack some levity or lighter moments - I wouldn’t say
> >it’s dark by any stretch, but it is pretty consistently on task and
> >serious. This book also introduces us to the Kompani.
> >
>
> I'm not loving the Kompani (although it's interesting that fate
> seems to be pulling strings to put Surebleak at the center of the
> universe). I'm way behind on my Liaden reading, need to get back.
>

I also didn't warm up to the Kompani, but I suppose
that could change in future volumes.

> >( +++ ) Cast in Fury - Sagara [Elantra #4]
> >Very good! This one picks up immediately after #3, and is mainly focused
> >on Leontine issues with a side helping of Dragon issues. Otherwise, this
> >is similar (in a good way) to the first 3 - Kaylin matures a little
> >more, we learn a little more, the characters get a little deeper/more
> >fleshed out. The subplot involving the playwright felt a bit forced.
> >Definitely looking forward to reading the next one.
>
> Also way behind on these. I sort of burned out a few years back when I
> lost my kindle (left it on the roof of the car!) and had to buy a nook
> and a tranche of books on an emergency basis.

I could definitely see that happening, and I'm trying not to read too
many of these too frequently.

> >
> >( ++ ) Showboat World - Vance [Big Planet #2]
> >NOTE: This book has this alternate mouthful of a title: The Magnificent
> >Showboats of the Lower Vissel River, Lune XXIII South, Big Planet. (In
> >fact, this is the title of my book.)
> >Good Vance, but not exceptional Vance. This one follows the trials and
> >tribulations of Apollon Zamp, the owner/operator of a showboat that
> >travels up and down the Vissel River- taking on passengers and
> >performing shows at various ports. Zamp unwittingly gets tangled up in a
> >showboat competition in farflung Marmune, way up river.
>
> Don't remember a whole lot about this, but Vance revisited the concept
> of an itinerant, ship-based troupe in _Space Opera_.
>

Interesting - That's one of the few of his I haven't read.
- Tony

On Sun, 4 Jun 2023 17:43:31 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
<tonynance17@gmail.com> wrote:

>May 2023
>( ++++ ) Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II - ed. by Asimov (this is part=
> 1 of 2 - I read part 2 long ago)
>Stories are listed here: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?33349

Nitpick - don't you mean part 2 of 2? The hardcover edition I found
at a library sale several years ago has volumes I and II bundled
together.

-- Bob

Bice wrote:
> On Sun, 4 Jun 2023 17:43:31 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >May 2023
> >( ++++ ) Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II - ed. by Asimov (this is part=
> > 1 of 2 - I read part 2 long ago)
> >Stories are listed here: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?33349
> Nitpick - don't you mean part 2 of 2? The hardcover edition I found
> at a library sale several years ago has volumes I and II bundled
> together.

It may be a paperback that could not hold the full contents of the hardback Volume II. As I remember, even the hardback didn't hold the full contents, as Asimov had inadvertently left out one of the winners, to be latter collected in Volume III.

--
-Jack

On Monday, June 5, 2023 at 8:14:30 AM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
> On Sun, 4 Jun 2023 17:43:31 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >May 2023
> >( ++++ ) Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II - ed. by Asimov (this is part> > 1 of 2 - I read part 2 long ago)
> >Stories are listed here: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?33349
> Nitpick - don't you mean part 2 of 2? The hardcover edition I found
> at a library sale several years ago has volumes I and II bundled
> together.
>

Hm. I don't think so - at least, not if I understand what you're saying.
I have two separate books titled Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume 2
and More Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume II and I think together
they would make The Hugo Winners Volume 2.

This may help one or both of us: I have the latter two books listed at
https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/se.cgi?arg=stories+from+the+hugo+winners&type=Fiction+Titles

Tony

On Monday, June 5, 2023 at 9:52:31 PM UTC-4, Tony Nance wrote:
> On Monday, June 5, 2023 at 8:14:30 AM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
> > On Sun, 4 Jun 2023 17:43:31 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
> > <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > >May 2023
> > >( ++++ ) Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II - ed. by Asimov (this is part=
> > > 1 of 2 - I read part 2 long ago)
> > >Stories are listed here: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?33349
> > Nitpick - don't you mean part 2 of 2? The hardcover edition I found
> > at a library sale several years ago has volumes I and II bundled
> > together.
> >
> Hm. I don't think so - at least, not if I understand what you're saying.
> I have two separate books titled Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume 2
> and More Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume II and I think together
> they would make The Hugo Winners Volume 2.
>
> This may help one or both of us: I have the latter two books listed at
> https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/se.cgi?arg=stories+from+the+hugo+winners&type=Fiction+Titles
>

And at the specific isfdb page for "More Stories..."
( https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?22839 )
it says:
"This book comprises the second half of The Hugo Winners, Volume II"

Just to make it more confusing, I read part 2 ("More Stories...")
many years before I found & read part 1.

Tony

On Mon, 5 Jun 2023 18:52:29 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
<tonynance17@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Monday, June 5, 2023 at 8:14:30=E2=80=AFAM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
>> On Sun, 4 Jun 2023 17:43:31 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance=20
>> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:=20
>>=20
>> >May 2023
>> >( ++++ ) Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II - ed. by Asimov (this is p=
>art=3D
>> > 1 of 2 - I read part 2 long ago)=20
>> >Stories are listed here: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?33349
>>
>> Nitpick - don't you mean part 2 of 2? The hardcover edition I found=20
>> at a library sale several years ago has volumes I and II bundled=20
>> together.=20
>
>Hm. I don't think so - at least, not if I understand what you're saying.
>I have two separate books titled Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume 2
>and More Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume II and I think together
>they would make The Hugo Winners Volume 2.=20
>
>This may help one or both of us: I have the latter two books listed at=20
>https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/se.cgi?arg=3Dstories+from+the+hugo+winners&ty=
>pe=3DFiction+Titles

Ah, OK, I didn't realize Vol II had been published in two halves.

I was thinking of this one:

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?41821

which combines all of Vol I and all of Vol II in to one big hardcover.
The pages in my copy are so thin it's hard to read because you can see
the print on the back of each page as you try to read the other side.

-- Bob

On Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 7:51:55 AM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
> On Mon, 5 Jun 2023 18:52:29 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >On Monday, June 5, 2023 at 8:14:30=E2=80=AFAM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
> >> On Sun, 4 Jun 2023 17:43:31 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance=20
> >> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:=20
> >>=20
> >> >May 2023
> >> >( ++++ ) Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II - ed. by Asimov (this is p=
> >art=3D
> >> > 1 of 2 - I read part 2 long ago)=20
> >> >Stories are listed here: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?33349
> >>
> >> Nitpick - don't you mean part 2 of 2? The hardcover edition I found=20
> >> at a library sale several years ago has volumes I and II bundled=20
> >> together.=20
> >
> >Hm. I don't think so - at least, not if I understand what you're saying.
> >I have two separate books titled Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume 2
> >and More Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume II and I think together
> >they would make The Hugo Winners Volume 2.=20
> >
> >This may help one or both of us: I have the latter two books listed at=20
> >https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/se.cgi?arg=3Dstories+from+the+hugo+winners&ty=
> >pe=3DFiction+Titles
>
> Ah, OK, I didn't realize Vol II had been published in two halves.
>
> I was thinking of this one:
>
> https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?41821
>
> which combines all of Vol I and all of Vol II in to one big hardcover.

Yeah, definitely - I've never seen that one, though I have
the similar ones for Vols 1,3,4,5.

> The pages in my copy are so thin it's hard to read because you can see
> the print on the back of each page as you try to read the other side.
>

Interesting! My two halves are about 320 pages each, but I don't
know what publishing a 640 book was like in the early 70s.

Tony

In article <ce77043a-7934-4290-ad02-168889ee69f6n@googlegroups.com>,
Tony Nance <tonynance17@gmail.com> wrote:
>On Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 7:51:55 AM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
>> On Mon, 5 Jun 2023 18:52:29 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
>> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> >On Monday, June 5, 2023 at 8:14:30=E2=80=AFAM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
>> >> On Sun, 4 Jun 2023 17:43:31 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance=20
>> >> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:=20
>> >>=20
>> >> >May 2023
>> >> >( ++++ ) Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II - ed. by Asimov
>(this is p=
>> >art=3D
>> >> > 1 of 2 - I read part 2 long ago)=20
>> >> >Stories are listed here: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?33349
>> >>
>> >> Nitpick - don't you mean part 2 of 2? The hardcover edition I found=20
>> >> at a library sale several years ago has volumes I and II bundled=20
>> >> together.=20
>> >
>> >Hm. I don't think so - at least, not if I understand what you're saying.
>> >I have two separate books titled Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume 2
>> >and More Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume II and I think together
>> >they would make The Hugo Winners Volume 2.=20
>> >
>> >This may help one or both of us: I have the latter two books listed at=20
>>
>>https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/se.cgi?arg=3Dstories+from+the+hugo+winners&ty=
>
>> >pe=3DFiction+Titles
>>
>> Ah, OK, I didn't realize Vol II had been published in two halves.
>>
>> I was thinking of this one:
>>
>> https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?41821
>>
>> which combines all of Vol I and all of Vol II in to one big hardcover.
>
>Yeah, definitely - I've never seen that one, though I have
>the similar ones for Vols 1,3,4,5.
>
>> The pages in my copy are so thin it's hard to read because you can see
>> the print on the back of each page as you try to read the other side.
>>
>
>Interesting! My two halves are about 320 pages each, but I don't
>know what publishing a 640 book was like in the early 70s.

SFBC offered V1 and V2 as a two-in-one omnibus in the 1970s. It was
a great deal.

--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

On Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 10:04:57 AM UTC-4, James Nicoll wrote:
> In article <ce77043a-7934-4290...@googlegroups.com>,
> Tony Nance <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >On Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 7:51:55 AM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
> >> On Mon, 5 Jun 2023 18:52:29 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
> >> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> >On Monday, June 5, 2023 at 8:14:30=E2=80=AFAM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
> >> >> On Sun, 4 Jun 2023 17:43:31 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance=20
> >> >> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:=20
> >> >>=20
> >> >> >May 2023
> >> >> >( ++++ ) Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II - ed. by Asimov
> >(this is p=
> >> >art=3D
> >> >> > 1 of 2 - I read part 2 long ago)=20
> >> >> >Stories are listed here: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?33349
> >> >>
> >> >> Nitpick - don't you mean part 2 of 2? The hardcover edition I found=20
> >> >> at a library sale several years ago has volumes I and II bundled=20
> >> >> together.=20
> >> >
> >> >Hm. I don't think so - at least, not if I understand what you're saying.
> >> >I have two separate books titled Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume 2
> >> >and More Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume II and I think together
> >> >they would make The Hugo Winners Volume 2.=20
> >> >
> >> >This may help one or both of us: I have the latter two books listed at=20
> >>
> >>https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/se.cgi?arg=3Dstories+from+the+hugo+winners&ty=
> >
> >> >pe=3DFiction+Titles
> >>
> >> Ah, OK, I didn't realize Vol II had been published in two halves.
> >>
> >> I was thinking of this one:
> >>
> >> https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?41821
> >>
> >> which combines all of Vol I and all of Vol II in to one big hardcover.
> >
> >Yeah, definitely - I've never seen that one, though I have
> >the similar ones for Vols 1,3,4,5.
> >
> >> The pages in my copy are so thin it's hard to read because you can see
> >> the print on the back of each page as you try to read the other side.
> >>
> >
> >Interesting! My two halves are about 320 pages each, but I don't
> >know what publishing a 640 book was like in the early 70s.
>
> SFBC offered V1 and V2 as a two-in-one omnibus in the 1970s. It was
> a great deal.
>

Holy cow - that would have been awesome.
- Tony

On Tue, 6 Jun 2023 14:04:54 -0000 (UTC), jdnicoll@panix.com (James
Nicoll) wrote:

>In article <ce77043a-7934-4290-ad02-168889ee69f6n@googlegroups.com>,
>Tony Nance <tonynance17@gmail.com> wrote:
>>On Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 7:51:55 AM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
>>> On Mon, 5 Jun 2023 18:52:29 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
>>> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> >On Monday, June 5, 2023 at 8:14:30=E2=80=AFAM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
>>> >> On Sun, 4 Jun 2023 17:43:31 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance=20
>>> >> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:=20
>>> >>=20
>>> >> >May 2023
>>> >> >( ++++ ) Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II - ed. by Asimov
>>(this is p=
>>> >art=3D
>>> >> > 1 of 2 - I read part 2 long ago)=20
>>> >> >Stories are listed here: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?33349
>>> >>
>>> >> Nitpick - don't you mean part 2 of 2? The hardcover edition I found=20
>>> >> at a library sale several years ago has volumes I and II bundled=20
>>> >> together.=20
>>> >
>>> >Hm. I don't think so - at least, not if I understand what you're saying.
>>> >I have two separate books titled Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume 2
>>> >and More Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume II and I think together
>>> >they would make The Hugo Winners Volume 2.=20
>>> >
>>> >This may help one or both of us: I have the latter two books listed at=20
>>>
>>>https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/se.cgi?arg=3Dstories+from+the+hugo+winners&ty>>
>>> >pe=3DFiction+Titles
>>>
>>> Ah, OK, I didn't realize Vol II had been published in two halves.
>>>
>>> I was thinking of this one:
>>>
>>> https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?41821
>>>
>>> which combines all of Vol I and all of Vol II in to one big hardcover.
>>
>>Yeah, definitely - I've never seen that one, though I have
>>the similar ones for Vols 1,3,4,5.
>>
>>> The pages in my copy are so thin it's hard to read because you can see
>>> the print on the back of each page as you try to read the other side.
>>>
>>
>>Interesting! My two halves are about 320 pages each, but I don't
>>know what publishing a 640 book was like in the early 70s.
>
>SFBC offered V1 and V2 as a two-in-one omnibus in the 1970s. It was
>a great deal.

Many SFBC omnibuses were great deals.

But time marched on, and things changed.
--
"In this connexion, unquestionably the most significant
development was the disintegration, under Christian
influence, of classical conceptions of the family and
of family right."

On Tue, 6 Jun 2023 08:46:03 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
<tonynance17@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 10:04:57=E2=80=AFAM UTC-4, James Nicoll wrote:
>>
>> SFBC offered V1 and V2 as a two-in-one omnibus in the 1970s. It was
>> a great deal.
>>
>
>Holy cow - that would have been awesome.

Yeah, that's the one I've been talking about that I found at a library
sale several years ago. It's 849 pages (I just checked).

-- Bob

On Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 3:05:44 PM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
> On Tue, 6 Jun 2023 08:46:03 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >On Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 10:04:57=E2=80=AFAM UTC-4, James Nicoll wrote:
> >>
> >> SFBC offered V1 and V2 as a two-in-one omnibus in the 1970s. It was
> >> a great deal.
> >>
> >
> >Holy cow - that would have been awesome.
> Yeah, that's the one I've been talking about that I found at a library
> sale several years ago. It's 849 pages (I just checked).
>

Ha! No wonder the pages were as thin as you described.
But what a book!
- Tony

In article <e61c7ea1-76e5-4906-826b-0134f37fff9en@googlegroups.com>,
Tony Nance <tonynance17@gmail.com> wrote:
>On Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 10:04:57 AM UTC-4, James Nicoll wrote:
>> In article <ce77043a-7934-4290...@googlegroups.com>,
>> Tony Nance <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >On Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 7:51:55 AM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
>> >> On Mon, 5 Jun 2023 18:52:29 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
>> >> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >On Monday, June 5, 2023 at 8:14:30=E2=80=AFAM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
>> >> >> On Sun, 4 Jun 2023 17:43:31 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance=20
>> >> >> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:=20
>> >> >>=20
>> >> >> >May 2023
>> >> >> >( ++++ ) Stories from The Hugo Winners Vol II - ed. by Asimov
>> >(this is p=
>> >> >art=3D
>> >> >> > 1 of 2 - I read part 2 long ago)=20
>> >> >> >Stories are listed here: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?33349
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Nitpick - don't you mean part 2 of 2? The hardcover edition I found=20
>> >> >> at a library sale several years ago has volumes I and II bundled=20
>> >> >> together.=20
>> >> >
>> >> >Hm. I don't think so - at least, not if I understand what you're saying.
>> >> >I have two separate books titled Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume 2
>> >> >and More Stories from the Hugo Winners, Volume II and I think together
>> >> >they would make The Hugo Winners Volume 2.=20
>> >> >
>> >> >This may help one or both of us: I have the latter two books
>listed at=20
>> >>
>>
>>>https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/se.cgi?arg=3Dstories+from+the+hugo+winners&ty=
>
>> >
>> >> >pe=3DFiction+Titles
>> >>
>> >> Ah, OK, I didn't realize Vol II had been published in two halves.
>> >>
>> >> I was thinking of this one:
>> >>
>> >> https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?41821
>> >>
>> >> which combines all of Vol I and all of Vol II in to one big hardcover.
>> >
>> >Yeah, definitely - I've never seen that one, though I have
>> >the similar ones for Vols 1,3,4,5.
>> >
>> >> The pages in my copy are so thin it's hard to read because you can see
>> >> the print on the back of each page as you try to read the other side.
>> >>
>> >
>> >Interesting! My two halves are about 320 pages each, but I don't
>> >know what publishing a 640 book was like in the early 70s.
>>
>> SFBC offered V1 and V2 as a two-in-one omnibus in the 1970s. It was
>> a great deal.
>>
>
>Holy cow - that would have been awesome.
>- Tony

It was. Huge shift in what won Hugos in the 1950s and in the 1960s,
though.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

On Tue, 6 Jun 2023 14:40:32 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
<tonynance17@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 3:05:44?PM UTC-4, Bice wrote:
>> On Tue, 6 Jun 2023 08:46:03 -0700 (PDT), Tony Nance
>> <tonyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >On Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 10:04:57=E2=80=AFAM UTC-4, James Nicoll wrote:
>> >>
>> >> SFBC offered V1 and V2 as a two-in-one omnibus in the 1970s. It was
>> >> a great deal.
>> >>
>> >
>> >Holy cow - that would have been awesome.
>> Yeah, that's the one I've been talking about that I found at a library
>> sale several years ago. It's 849 pages (I just checked).
>>
>
>Ha! No wonder the pages were as thin as you described.
>But what a book!

Classic SFBC (also MG and other Doubleday book clubs, BTW):

thin pages
narrow margins
reasonable prices (by the standards of the 50s/60s)

This eventually changed.
--
"In this connexion, unquestionably the most significant
development was the disintegration, under Christian
influence, of classical conceptions of the family and
of family right."