SF Masterwork series continued...

[Fried Egg]

Welcome to the forum Stephen.

Are you sure "Star Maker" has been re-issued in the new design? I don't recall ever seeing it on the shelves. As far as I knew, only the first ten of the original paperback series has been re-issued along with a couple from the original hardback series (such as "Childhood's End" and "The Man in the High Castle").

[stephen42]

It definitely exists, I was going to post a picture of it on my shelf but I need to have 15 posts before I can add pictures. Onwards and upwards!

I also can't post links either but if you go to orionbooks.co.uk and search for Star Maker it's there.

[Fried Egg]

Do you mean this:



This is the ebook edition but the only paper back edition I see (on Orion's website) is with the original Masterworks design.

[stephen42]

No not that one, I'll just have to keep posting until I get to 15 posts then I can show you.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the release of Fall of Hyperion, I finished Hyperion a few days ago and really enjoyed it and now i'm reading I am Legend.

[Fried Egg]

Originally Posted by stephen42

No not that one, I'll just have to keep posting until I get to 15 posts then I can show you.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the release of Fall of Hyperion, I finished Hyperion a few days ago and really enjoyed it and now i'm reading I am Legend.

Have you read many other books from the series? What do you think of it generally?

[stephen42]

I have read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Star Maker and Hyperion and I am reading I am Legend so far. I've enjoyed them but I found Star Maker to be very boring in some parts.

I also have The Forever War, The Affirmation, The Prestige, Dhalgren and Helliconia but I haven't started those. I tend to buy too many books when I still have lots left to read and unfortunately I'm a slow reader too.

[Fried Egg]

I know what you mean, my ability to buy books vastly outstrips my ability to read them...

[stephen42]

I still have loads of non-masterworks books that I still need to read too. After I am finished with I am Legend I might take a break from the Masterworks series and start the Song of Ice and Fire series.

[misguided_fool]

Hi guys,

Just registered and am new to this site. Just about to have a good look around and noticed this thread.

I've recently become obsessed with the SF masterworks collection. Hope its ok to add to this thread.

Got approx 70+ of them at the moment and enjoyed the majority of them.

Managed to pick up most of them for peanuts or at a reasonable price for a new copy.

I have one question for someone, if anyone can answer:

Why are Mission of Gravity & Case of Conscience so expensive ? I can only find them online for silly amounts of cash. Is there a reason for this ?

I managed to pick them up last week - so I'm very happy. Just hope I can keep going and get the rest of the ones I want.

[Fried Egg]

Originally Posted by misguided_fool

Hi guys,

Just registered and am new to this site. Just about to have a good look around and noticed this thread.

Hi, and welcome to the forums.

I have one question for someone, if anyone can answer:

Why are Mission of Gravity & Case of Conscience so expensive ? I can only find them online for silly amounts of cash. Is there a reason for this ?

I presume you mean for the the SF Masterwork editions because other second hand editions of these books are usually very cheap.

I don't really know however, and can only assume that fewer copies of these were printed when they were published...

[Fried Egg]

Hmmm...I've noticed some new additions to the upcomming publications, including "The Gods Themselves" by Isaac Asimov (14 Mar 2013) which, I must say, is a good choice. About time they included something by Asimov and if you're only going to include one of his books, that must surely be it.

And also, to reddress the balance for lack of Philip K Dick in the series, they're going to include "The Game-Players of Titan" (14 Feb 2013). Okay, I've not read this one but surely...was 14 titles not enough for one author?

Also, "Engine Summer" by John Crowley (10 Jan 2013).

[Connavar]

I had bought Karl Capek's 'R.U.R.' and 'War With The Newts' mentally as impulse buy when i was in the bookstore last week. I stopped myself with reason of too many unread books at home or book broke right now. I assumed that author was american with european roots, reading SF classics by a european author that isnt anglo-saxon is very appealing to me. I also enjoy reading good plays alot.

[J-Sun]

Originally Posted by Fried Egg

Hmmm...I've noticed some new additions to the upcomming publications, including "The Gods Themselves" by Isaac Asimov (14 Mar 2013) which, I must say, is a good choice. About time they included something by Asimov and if you're only going to include one of his books, that must surely be it.

You could make a case for I, Robot/The Complete Robot and, while part of a series, The Caves of Steel could work, and then there's The End of Eternity. But The Gods Themselves is an excellent choice I wouldn't actually argue with.

And also, to reddress the balance for lack of Philip K Dick in the series, they're going to include "The Game-Players of Titan" (14 Feb 2013). Okay, I've not read this one but surely...was 14 titles not enough for one author?

Good on them - people have ignored or slighted Dick for too long. (Seriously, I actually kind of liked Game-Players but it's distinctly minor and kind of degrades a "Masterwork" series even if it didn't further imbalance the series.)

[clovis-man]

Originally Posted by Connavar

I had bought Karl Capek's 'R.U.R.' and 'War With The Newts' mentally as impulse buy when i was in the bookstore last week. I stopped myself with reason of too many unread books at home or book broke right now. I assumed that author was american with european roots, reading SF classics by a european author that isnt anglo-saxon is very appealing to me. I also enjoy reading good plays alot.

A couple of real classics, Conn. I first read them when I was about your age. I won't go into how long ago that was.

[Randy M.]

Originally Posted by Connavar

I had bought Karl Capek's 'R.U.R.' and 'War With The Newts' mentally as impulse buy when i was in the bookstore last week. I stopped myself with reason of too many unread books at home or book broke right now. I assumed that author was american with european roots, reading SF classics by a european author that isnt anglo-saxon is very appealing to me. I also enjoy reading good plays alot.

I had older editions of those on my shelf for years and finally read both last year. I was sorry I waited. The play is a bit dated, but still quite readable. The novel is terrific and I'm sorry I waited so long to finally read it -- the satire still holds true, and the ending of the novel I found chilling.


Randy M.