An SFF kind of day

Good morning bookies! Stand by for news.

*** For as long as I can remember now, Tor Books has been churning out great SFF, unmatched in the minds of most who are paid to consider such things. To me, only Baen has put out a product that matches Tor in consistent quality. Certainly Locus magazine agrees with me, since they have voted Tor as best publisher for the last century or so.

With the triumph of the lefter (is that a word?) side in the recent US elections, it would seem that readers loyal to a publishing house that has traditionally maintained a Libertarian bent would become even more loyal, while those who like the new government would look elsewhere. The long-term effects on the genre will be interesting.

Tor Books- SFF with a Libertarian streak

*** Continuing with the days SFF theme, the question is being raised whether SFF is dying. Okay, to be technical, my particular acronym of SFF doesn't apply, since the second 'F' stands for Fantasy and that seems to be flourishing. So, then, let's re-state our question to ask is SF dying? Could be. But I doubt it. The idea that using future fiction and science to tell a story could end, after it's been a literary device for centuries, seems unlikely at best. It may change radically, perhaps into something that we barely recognize, but end? I don't think so. But here's the article that inspired the question. I've left the original link up because linking to the article doesn't seem to work. You can dig it up this way, though.

Is Science Fiction dying?

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026821.500-scifi-special-is-science-fiction-dying.html

*** 88 years old, hobbled, but still getting into all sorts of new things, that's Ray Bradbury for you. I've had the pleasure of meeting him twice and corresponding with him, a gentleman's gentlemen, and not in a Jeeves sort of way. Quite an extraordinary human being. He's this month's Turner Classic Movies guest host. So what did he pick? Something he worked on? Nah.

"The Phantom of the Opera", the silent 1925 version
"The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
"Rebecca"
"Citizen Kane"

*** Mario Puzo has been dead for some while now, but that doesn't stop him from publishing new books. Six Graves to Munich will be published next year. Written a year before The Godfather, it features Nazis torturing people, always a good sell.

*** George R.R. Martin's seminal fantasy novel A Game of Thrones will be coming soon to HBO. Such a sprawling book seems like a hard task for a network to produce, but if they do it right it could be quite spectacular. Your friendly neighborhood bookseller just sold a copy of this and the price is still quite affordable on nice copies. If you're a collector, however, you might want to think about moving on a copy before prices go too high. Keep watching this blog to see if I let go of my personal copy.

A Game of Thrones to HBO

And, lastly, a bookselling note: Last month I finally outgrew my current digs and made the very hard decision to start selling off my personal collection of rare and autographed mysteries. I'm being pretty ruthless about it and the prices are below market, because once I make a decision that's it, I've decided. I'm keeping a few favorite series but am selling some stuff you might not think that I would. Since billthebookguy.com is not yet operational, check out my stuff (and get a discount not available elsewhere) at:

Billthebookguy at Biblio.com