Massive Vintage SF Book Haul | Part 3

[@Seven-Planets-Sci-Fi-Tuber]

I've never seen so many SF books pass before my eyes before as I have with these three videos. I am dazed and my brain is whirring! I think I need to catch up with some of these authors. Don't dismiss Allen Steele to quickly. His books are fun to read. I need to get more from him. Have a well deserved rest when you're done!

[@sciencefictionreads]

Thanks! I shall hold on to the the Allen Steele! I'm finally done sorting stuff for the most part so I can indeed rest now!

[@SciFiScavenger]

Epic! You looked a bit punch drunk by the end there, I know how you feel! So many of Harry's books are in pristone condition, really nice to add them to yours. Great find! 👍

[@sciencefictionreads]

It was definitely overwhelming at first! Mostly sorted now between storage and the shelves. I think i could do without a bookhaul for awhile, not counting the various books i haven't yet shown that I've bought recently lol.

[@dansmith3085]

Michael Flynn is definitely worth a look. He passed away just a few weeks ago. Don't skip over the John M. ford either.

[@sciencefictionreads]

Both are new to me authors. I'll be sure to check them out eventually!

[@mugen008]

Yet another jealousy-inducing haul, haha! When HARLIE Was One, 16:40, is a solid Science Fiction Read that you may want to add to your TBR list. It's about an AI's fight to stay "alive" and one of the first, back in 1972, to use the term "virus."

[@sciencefictionreads]

Sounds awesome! I'm holding on to it!

[@holydissolution85]

Nice...really nice...so much good stuff !!

[@vintagesf]

Got to get back into Jack McDevitt. Used to like him in the 1990s. Can't remember a specific novel but your copy of The Engines of God looked very familiar. Also remember reading Steven Gould, in particular Jumper and Robert Sawyer. Sawyer was a great self promoter. Stopped by Winnipeg libraries quite often. I do recommend Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin. Coming of age story with a strong female protagonist. Enjoy your haul!!!

[@sciencefictionreads]

The synopsis for some of the Robert Sawyer books I've acquired here sound like some wild Hard SF/Space Opera/philosophical and religious themes. I'm quite excited to get to him. I'm listening to a talk he did last year, on KZbin at the moment while I continue to sort through these books. And I actually have read Rite of Passage, years ago. I don't remember much but it pops up in my memory from time to time. I know I enjoyed it when I read it and will no doubt re-read it eventually.

[@sethball2475]

You did hold up some stuff I have never read, and can't comment on...but on the other hand, if this third wave from the Haul represents some stuff you left to the end because it seemed least impressive, well, there are a few interesting books to talk about: I've only read one of those Michael Flynn books - The Wreck of the River of Stars - but I recommend making time for it. Maybe a good one for fans of Arthur C. Clarke, or Robert L. Forward (I think of this one and Saturn Rukh by Forward as similarly compelling), or maybe even Cherry's Downbelow Station. I also think you would like Coyote, by Allen Steele. I didn't continue with the series, but that's normal for me and not an indicator of how much I liked a book; I'm generally not good for the long haul, as a series spins out beyond its expiry date. What I do recall from Coyote is a cracking good "colonize a planet" book. I think both it and the Michael Flynn book lean towards Hard SF, if that helps. Topper, and Martians, Go Home flashed by pretty quick. Both are humorous and quite popular; one a Fantasy, the other SF. I love Fredric Brown, but I'm not going to go on and on again about how much I prefer his Crime & Mystery output over his Science Fiction. I liked Martians, Go Home, but didn't love it - and I don't think it's for you. It's so quick, though - I mean, if you gave it a shot it would not take long; I just wouldn't want you to think it's the only sort of thing you would get from Fredric Brown. As for Topper, by Thorne Smith...it's one of his better books, as far as I'm concerned, and the last one I read by him - sort of faded away now, but it got filmed ages ago and went up in popularity. I've never found Thorne Smith that amusing, but this is a much-loved Humorous Fantasist. Overall, I was most happy with Turnabout (body-swap Fantasy), and Rain in the Doorway (um, just general craziness gets loose Fantasy), but will say I did not take to a very popular one, The Night Life of the Gods (gods come back and cavort in a museum/Nights at the Museum-ish Fantasy). Topper was one I found well after reading all the Thorne Smith that had appeared on a "100 Best" Fantasy Books list, and though I was pretty much done with Thorne Smith by that time, Topper was so popular and so rare to happen upon in Used bookstores, that I bought it and read it. It is a ghost story, but charming, breezy - if you haven't bumped into Turnabout or Rain in the Doorway, then Topper is about as good as those, if you want to be able to say "I've read Thorne Smith!". Anyway, his books are scarce these days, versus how many fans he has - so that might sell for a decent buck, if you go that route. Randall Garrett: I had read his Ganadalara Cycle books (co-written with his wife, who finished things up after he passed away), and had heard that the Lord Darcy stuff was worth a look too, and so read a paperback called Lord Darcy, which I think collects material from a few of the books you held up. I had a good time - but I like occult detective stuff when it's done well. I forget how humorous the stories actually get, but Randall Garrett is also a neglected but respected writer who, if you happen across used editions by him, keeping one is not a bad idea. I mean, you did like Nifft the Lean; I'm not saying Randall Garrett is exactly like reading Nifft the Lean, but, maybe five and a half degrees of separation...? Also Recommended: Oath of Fealty The Mote in God's Eye To Say Nothing of the Dog The Sirens of Titan Venus Plus X Terraplane I was bored with Declare (while others love this book), and certainly would never try and get you to any Powers first other than my favourite book by anyone, The Anubis Gates (The Drawing of the Dark is very good, though). An East Wind Coming by Arthur Byron Cover was also not my thing; I was bored, when I was not repelled. Gorgon Child taught me that I probably should have read Streetlethal first; it was okay.

[@Seven-Planets-Sci-Fi-Tuber]

Very informative comment. Thank you!

[@sciencefictionreads]

I'll definitely check out Flynn if your comparing his book to Clarke and Forward! Same goes for the Allen Steele as I love a story regarding colonizing an alien world. As for Thorne Smith and Randall Garrett, they are both completely new names to me. I'll hold on to those as well. The Mote in God's Eye is one of the first three SF books I ever bought, a few years before I really even got into reading SF. I have no memory of how I came about it or what compelled me to order a used copy online. I still haven't read it despite all the Niven I've read and enjoyed but will certainly get to it. And Anubis Gates! It was kind of an awkward haul at various times as so much of it was new or unfamiliar to me that I had very little to say. I'm always thankful for people like yourself who manage to fill in a lot of blanks for me and provide much useful information and suggestions.

[@willp2877]

Some of those Resnick books look kinda entertaining! A little off topic but have you read any of Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga? Seems like its maybe up your alley, so was just wondering! I was thinking about getting into the series next year.

[@sciencefictionreads]

After looking them all up I'm actually only interested in about half of the Resnicks. A lot of what he writes has a humor aspect to it which I just don't care for. But also, the majority of his stuff takes place in a massive future history. So its fun to read references in one book to events from another. I haven't read any of Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga yet because I never see her stuff in the wild! It does sound like my kind of thing though.

[@willp2877]

@@sciencefictionreadson the bright side, that helps you thin out the bunch even more! Same here. I never find them. I would assume they'd be easier to find but they're not! So i was considering an ebay lot. Haha. Thanks for responding, good to know! I, also, am not a big fan of humour in my SF so Im right there with you, with the exception of Kurt Vonnegut. I just like his voice. Sirens of Titan is a great book, in my opinion! I saw that in there. Lovely storytelling, character arches. He uses SF as more of a mechanism to tell his story but its SF nonetheless.

[@OXyShow]

Well im at work and Reading The Best of L. Sprague De Camp, gonna watch after work

[@sciencefictionreads]

Let me know how the L. Sprague De Camp collection is! Im currently reading the best of C.L Moore and the best of Stanley G. Weinbaum.

[@OXyShow]

@@sciencefictionreads its The Del Rey, told You o got 11 of them 😀 im half way in the book, some are good but hes a funny Writer, funny SF and that is not really my type, gonna text after i finsih it 🖖

[@OXyShow]

@@sciencefictionreads 5/10 A lot of SF comedy, not very good, tries to be funny very forced. 2-3 stories were memorable but otherwise nothing to make me feel something special. I was curious about the dinosaur stories he is known for, I was disappointed.

[@OXyShow]

Have you think to sell the extra books in a bundle? I up to buy some if could bunde them, im from Romania and its only worth it for me to buy bundles because international shipping is killing

[@sciencefictionreads]

I haven't decided yet what I'm doing with a lot of the extra stuff. I'll have to let you know. Maybe!

[@OXyShow]

@@sciencefictionreads please, i would love to buy in bundle, its very Hard to get vintage SF in Romania