Re: Why I Don't Read SF Much Anymore (fwd)

Forwarded message:
> Date: Thu, 21 Nov 1996 00:14:49 -0800
> From: "Timothy C. May" <tcmay@got.net>
> Subject: Re: Why I Don't Read SF Much Anymore
> 

[among other things]

> 
> - Vernor Vinge, "True Names," obviously, "The Peace War," "Marooned in Real
> Time," "A Fire Upon the Deep," and his collections of short stories (incl.
> "The Ungoverned").
> 
> (Caveat: I've been invited to do a chapter for Vinge's forthcoming "True
> Names" book, containing essays about computers and society, and, of course,
> his novella of the same name. So I may be biased.)
> 

Is this the St. Martin's Press "True Names" edition that was listed in 
amazon.com? At one time, it was going to be released August or Sept. of this
year.

I have to mention that the owner of Dreamhaven Books here in Minneapolis
complained to me last year that he has a "truckload" of remaindered copies
of "Peace War". They still have a bunch--every time I've been in there, 
there's a hardbound "Peace War" on display with a price tag of $1.00.
Buying a copy of "True Names" right now is about as easy as buying an
original Dead Sea Scroll--but if anybody wants a cheap copy of "Peace War",
look up Dreamhaven in Minneapolis.

--C.G.

At 8:19 AM -0600 11/21/96, Charles Gimon wrote:

>> - Vernor Vinge, "True Names," obviously, "The Peace War," "Marooned in Real
>> Time," "A Fire Upon the Deep," and his collections of short stories (incl.
>> "The Ungoverned").
>>
>> (Caveat: I've been invited to do a chapter for Vinge's forthcoming "True
>> Names" book, containing essays about computers and society, and, of course,
>> his novella of the same name. So I may be biased.)
>>
>
>Is this the St. Martin's Press "True Names" edition that was listed in
>amazon.com? At one time, it was going to be released August or Sept. of this
>year.

Yes. It has been delayed 'til next summer.

>I have to mention that the owner of Dreamhaven Books here in Minneapolis
>complained to me last year that he has a "truckload" of remaindered copies
>of "Peace War". They still have a bunch--every time I've been in there,
>there's a hardbound "Peace War" on display with a price tag of $1.00.
>Buying a copy of "True Names" right now is about as easy as buying an
>original Dead Sea Scroll--but if anybody wants a cheap copy of "Peace War",
>look up Dreamhaven in Minneapolis.

An artifact of the pulp age. Publishers try to estimate demand, then
publish that many copies. Usually they guess wrong. Hence, remainders. And
recycling into more pulp.

--Tim May


Just say "No" to "Big Brother Inside"
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1,257,787-1 | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."