The 'I'm Not Collecting,' Science Fiction Book Haul (No, REALLY...)

[@thomasp6034]

Good luck on curbing the book collecting! This part made me chuckle: "This is a book I have many copies of already, and why did I buy it? Well..."

[@oldschoolel]

You might just be my favorite KZbinr. I ALWAYS learn so much from watching you. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and book recommendations. I am here in the US and the next opportunity I have, I am visiting your store.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Be aware that 'my store' is NOT a bookshop owned by me, nor am I currently a buyer there, but I am always pleased to meet viewers.

[@oldschoolel]

@@outlawbookselleroriginal Still a huge, grateful fan.

[@capndibs]

My book collection had been rapidly outpacing my reading speed as well as the space I have to keep them so I started tempering my collecting a few months ago. The allure is tough to deny though, I'm grateful to see that I'm not the only one with a tendency to fall off the wagon. Gratefully my location keeps me relatively honest, the nearest bookstore worth a spit is a solid hour drive from me on a good day, but that doesn't mean the occasional thrift shop doesn't bear some fruit. Great video as always.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

That's what the wagons for - sigh! Thanks for the praise!

[@paulcampbell6003]

I picked up that very same paperback edition of _The Time-Lapsed Man_ a year ago! 👍 In good condition only, but that doesn't bother me; as long as a book is a good tight copy with no tears or loose pages I'm happy! 😁 Back in the day - this would be 30 years ago! - I ordered, from Erik Arthur & Ted Ball's _Fantasy Centre_ mail catalogue, first US paperback editions of Martin's _Fevre Dream_ and _The Armageddon Rag._ The following year at the 1995 SF Worldcon in Glasgow (this is one year BEFORE the release of _A Game of Thrones_ ) I attended Martin's _kaffeeklatsch_ chat at the end of which he signed both books. He inscribed them, respectively: _To Paul, Keep your steam up!_ _To Paul, Keep on rockin'!_ Needless to say, I still have them! 🤗

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I met GRRM about ten years ago- he signed my UK 1st hardcover of 'Fevre Dream' and my world first hardcover of 'A Game of Thrones'- which I had to sell a year or so later due to financial need. Shame.

[@CliveSnowden-fx8fp]

Perfect Monday evening viewing. Many thanks, Steve. Catch-up with you in the Club Room later in the week.

[@SciFiScavenger]

I was amused (and highly skeptical) when you said before no more books! Sure! Glad to see incoming books, always a joy. 👍

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

The 'kid in a sweet shop' scenario is a daily work trial for me of course- and for 40 years now! I've done quite well, considering. I was talking to Jules Burt today about upcoming book fairs etc and to be fair, he didn't try and tempt me along.....but next year, it may be back to business as (un)usual. Good to hear from you, Jon!

[@SciFiScavenger]

@outlawbookselleroriginal I can imagine! Been going on a Broderick & De Filippo related buying spree here. Improving my "own" % , if not yet my "read" %.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

@@SciFiScavenger Some of those books are very hard to find now, since most of them only had one printing and many were not published in the UK. Some I bought when they came out and let go. Interestingly, Maurice at Zardoz said to me about 2 years ago how he could always shift 90s SF pbks and some of them for good money and he asked me why and I spoke of the above. My own feeling is that some of those books will never ever be reissued, but there are some great ones in there- and Paul is a great guy.

[@SciFiScavenger]

@outlawbookselleroriginal yes, some I've parked for another day as they are 30, 40 quid or more. In some cases I'll make do with a paperback, can always pursue a hb edition (where there was one) later.

[@chocolatemonk]

Denial is not a just a river in Egypt. . . lol cheers friend and i agree, It is about the seeking

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

We're getting deep now....just like the waters of said river!

[@northof-62]

Fun fact: We had a radio programme here in Norway called 'Jazz & Heavy' They also were on TV in the late 90s

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Sounds cool!

[@reynoldsmathey]

This weekend, I went to our parish garage sale, and I did NOT collect a 2-volume set of The Complete Sherlock Homes (Doubleday) nor did I collect a Complete Works of Shakespeare (better have a magnifying glass) or hardcovers of Skeleton Crew or The Bourne Identity. 🙂

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Well done! I've 'not collected' and enormous number of jazz and heavy metal CDs recently (I think it's been around 25 over the last two weeks). I have these little momentary obsessions that I 'don't collect'. He sniggers childishly....

[@martinkirsch5969]

Very interesting. I'm going to check out that Frankenstein film and that George R.R. Martin novel. I also should read more Moorcock... Bukowski's an interesting writer. The last book I read from him was Hollywood; it's hilarious.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I didn't get on with 'Hollywood', despite its merits- I didn't feel that success suited his style. So I sold my first edition some years back. probably a bad idea.

[@disconnected22]

Based on your mention of him in several videos, I picked up Eric Brown’s “Helix” and put it in the queue.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Let me know how you get on with it/

[@deeebeee1758]

I bet you own more Eric Brown books than Eric Brown's mum at this point, man. I have fond memories of that Frankenstein mini series. Please give us a bit of a review when you've (re)watched it Bukowski was published by Black Sparrow press and they published all of his poetry, like all of it, good, bad indifferent, incomplete, whatever, they put it all out there. It is a bit of a chore sifting through all those pages for the few good poems they contain. The novels and stories are more of a sure bet. You didn't mention Hollywood, which is both autobiographical and also a satire of Hollywood film-making. It's fun. Maybe not your cuppa tea. Good post, sir.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Yes, the Eric Brown thing has been a bit of an obsession lately. I used to own pretty much all of Bukowski's novels and collections in Black Sparrow, some in hardcover which I still have, lovely books. I only mentioned his first four novels as I wasn't impressed by 'Pulp' or 'Hollywood'- although the latter had its moments, I don't think success was a subject he wrote about well. The Chinaski novels are peerless, though, I feel.

[@joshuacottton6985]

I found a Mayflower edition of The Final Progam in an oxfam last month. Must admit i felt very self conscious bringing that cover up to the the till

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I used to have a later variant decades ago and let it go, as I didn't keep dupes then- but I knew I'd rebuy it eventually. The cover is garish beyond words, but it's nothing compared to Savoy's edition of 'the Gas' by Charles Platt....

[@beastrabban5991]

It would be great if you could get the awesome Jim Burns on your channel. He is without doubt one of the very greatest SF illustrators around today. I feel that despite the praise given to contemporary conceptual art, the real artistic innovation is being done by SF illustrators and concept artists.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I'd like to, but I think Jim feels he doesn't really need any more publicity...but we'll see!

[@leakybootpress9699]

Great book haul, Steve. One small correction, the 26 lettered copies of the Martin book "for the press", means they were for the publisher's use not for lucky reviewers... a bit like our Kerosina quarter leather editions.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

That makes sense -I wondered what was going on there- didn't you guys go with 'private distribution' to indicate this?

[@leakybootpress9699]

We did go with a different form of words, but we didn't call Kerosina a "press".

[@AlienBigCat23]

T. Lobsang Rampa 😅 aka Cyril Hoskins, a name I'd almost forgotten.. who has similarities with Emperor Norton II.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

The title of his that used to get me was 'You: Forever'. Sounds like a bad acid rock track from 1968.

[@AlienBigCat23]

@@outlawbookselleroriginal Yes, a bad trip for ego maniacs

[@iantoo3503]

Thanks for another video. I know how hard it is to stop buying books. I went to Brighton yesterday and as well as The Martian Chronicles and a biography of JBS Haldane, I found an interesting looking book called Yesterday's Tomorrows - The Story of Classic British Science Fiction in 100 Books by Mike Ashley. It's published by The British Library, so I'm confident of the quality and at £4.99 it was a quarter of the retail price. I recently finished The Time-Lapsed Man because like you, I used to read Interzone. There's some interesting ideas in here with a distinct Buddhist flavour, but I have to say I found it a bit disappointing and the protagonist of Krash-Bangg Joe and the Pineal-Zen Equation does something I that rubs me up the wrong way. It's similar to what Pohl does in Gateway that I find very hard to tolerate; at least the protagonist of Gateway is trying to redeem himself in the sequel. I have Penumbra on my shelf to read and hope it's better. Thanks again.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I have the Ashley book, it's very good on the obscurities of that era, but then MA has been writing these kind of books since the 1970s so really, really knows his stuff. I didn't like "Krash-Bang..." back in the day.

[@onehandslinger1475]

I just read recently Ham on Rye and even Hollywood, which I also thought to be good, especially that I've seen the film long time ago, so it reads like a history of the making of it. So, I guess, the only Bukowski I didn't read is that crime spoof which I leafed through in a library and I didn't think much of it. I would be interested in a discussion with Malzberg, maybe about the bend at the end of the road and what happened with SF, if anything happened, as I wasn't aware of it at all.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I remember my first reading of 'Ham on Rye' and how I laughed...until I was two thirds of the way in (it was my first sitting and I was set to finish it without stopping) and I came across numerous blank pages (a rareexample of standards slipping at Black Sparrow). I had to wait a week for the replacement so my pleasure was deferred, but the relief was near orgasmic. 'Pulp' also lampoons SF and isn't much cop really. I'd be interested in a discussion with Barry myself, but I don't think we'll ever be in enough proximity, though we have a mutual friend through whom I could maybe organise a zoom interview. If you look through my backlist, you'll find several videos that often tangentially address where it all went wrong...such as 'Why You Like the Science Fiction Books with the Old Covers'....

[@silex9837]

To add to the two Bill Evanses, there is also jazz pianist Gil Evans. Not exactly the same name, but it can be a bit confusing. Thanks for your insights on SF and rock music. Also, jazz music might be obliquely connected to SF New Wave via the cinema of Nouvelle Vague? You're absolutely right about Bukowski: a female friend absolutely adores his poetry.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Yes, couldn't be familiar with Miles without Gil.

[@AJT222-1]

I have the Avon final programme with the funky Harry Douthwaite cover , a prize possession. Douthwaite covers are quite peculiar.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I have the Avon Cornelius Quartet omnibus- I've owned two copies of that one over the years, the world first hardcover, the super-uncommon early 80s hardcover reissue, a Fontana paperback.....and of course every other book in the series, some in a number of variants. Among my favourite books ever.

[@gerrade71278]

I hate that your book hauls are, almost, my favourite Outlaw Book Seller videos to watch.

[@joelstainer65]

Where did you purchase that copy of The Armageddon Rag?

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

As I think I mentioned in the video, Cold Tonnage, the UK's premiere SFF dealer. There are other copies out there, but it's not cheap.

[@joelstainer65]

Thanks. You did mention it but wasnt sure what you said. Good to know!​@outlawbookselleroriginal

[@GoblinOfGygaxinor]

Did George write that after reading LotR while watching Eddie and the Cruisers?

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

You'll have to ask him.....

[@evergreen8509]

not collecting, just a few incidental acquisitions

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I like the sound of that...