SF Masterwork series continued...

[Werthead]

I think Gollancz's sole ambition with the Masterworks series (both SF and Fantasy) is to put 'classic' books out there which are out of print. For books per author, there are certain authors who have produced a lot of classic books (Dick and Clarke are definitely in that category, though Dick is defintely going too OTT here) and there are some who have only produced one or two (like say Keith Roberts). I don't think the goal is to give coverage to lesser-known books, since by virtue of being classics they wouldn't be lesser-known in the first place (though some are fairly obscure now, after being huge back in their day).

I think that rights issues are playing a part here, however. I think there have been issues with getting the UK rights to Heinlein books (Heinlein's work has been out of print in the UK for a long, long time), which is why he is very under-represented, whilst HaperCollins Voyager seem to be pointblank refusing to do any deals for their authors, hence the lack of Asimov or Kim Stanley Robinson in the SF list or Tolkien in the Fantasy list. There's also issues with both Voyager and Penguin doing their own 'classics' lists and not letting Gollancz replicating books on their list (Penguin have been publishing several of Ballard's SF novels on their list, for example).

Obviously, for whatever reason, the rights to Dick's books are very easy to come by and it's simpler for Gollancz to negotiate them than some other authors.

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by Werthead

I think Gollancz's sole ambition with the Masterworks series (both SF and Fantasy) is to put 'classic' books out there which are out of print. For books per author, there are certain authors who have produced a lot of classic books (Dick and Clarke are definitely in that category, though Dick is defintely going too OTT here) and there are some who have only produced one or two (like say Keith Roberts). I don't think the goal is to give coverage to lesser-known books, since by virtue of being classics they wouldn't be lesser-known in the first place (though some are fairly obscure now, after being huge back in their day).

Note: I did not say "lesser-known books", but "less famous writers"; i.e., writers in the field who may have produced lasting classics but where the writers themselves do not have the "name recognition" of a Heinlein, Herbert, Asimov, or Clarke. And, certainly, this seems to fit with the release of several of the titles on the list, where the book itself is considered by many of the pundits in the field to be a classic or highly influential, etc., but which is not known that well to people outside the sff community, or who are recently come to the field. Certainly, for one example, Russ's The Female Man had quite an impact, has been frequently reprinted (at least here in the States; I don't know about the UK), and is a title which continues to crop up as among the genuine classics to emerge from the New Wave era (deservedly so, in my opinion).

[GOLLUM]

At the end of the day as long as VG is overall promoting quality work within the Genre I'm happy with that, whether there are so-called over representations or not. I would much prefer to see that situation than have many well known and considered classics not see the light of a new dawn or not be brought back into the public domain as effectively as VG appear to have done so. Three cheers to VG I say for having the initiative to publish said works at an affordable price and to see them distributed to mainstream bookstores, so that they may be rediscovered by both contemporary and future generations. I for one would not have had as broad an education in Genre fiction if the VG Masterwork series had never been published. In some ways they are what got me interested and more importantly aware of the older classics and in becoming more of a student of the Genres associated with Speculative fiction. In fact, the whole concept of actively seeking out so-called lesser known classics has since led me into the field of "World Literature"; especially translations of non-English classics that predominantly contain a fantastic element, for which I will be forever grateful.

[iansales]

Certainly available rights play a part in what appears in the list - that's why Dune is a hardback: Gollancz don't have the paperback rights. The many PKDs are down to the fact that Malcolm Edwards is a huge fan of his writing. Heinlein, I suspect, appears less often because he's not held in as high regard. The same is possibly true for Asimov (for all that I think Foundation rubbish, I can't deny that others hold it in high esteem :-)). From what I remember, Asimov was published by a number of imprints in the UK back in the 1980s.

[AE35Unit]

Ah so thats why there's so many PKDs-favouritism! Typical.
Now forgive me if I seem dumb here but is the masterworks only available in paperback,as thats how I always seem to come across them

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by AE35Unit

Ah so thats why there's so many PKDs-favouritism! Typical.
Now forgive me if I seem dumb here but is the masterworks only available in paperback,as thats how I always see them.

The majority of the main SF Masterwork series up until now has been in PB but they've recently started to publish them in HB.

I think they did a run some time back of 10 seperate titles that may have been in HB?

[GOLLUM]

OH Yeh...and the Fantasy Masterwork are all in PB..at least my set is up until they ceased production of New Titles/series.....very sad but true.

[AE35Unit]

Its high time they put out a Horror Masterworks. I think we discussed that a while ago...

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by AE35Unit

Its high time they put out a Horror Masterworks. I think we discussed that a while ago...

Indeed...Here's the link:Horror Masterworks Series...

It was a very interesting discussion being had over there from what I recall.

[iansales]

There was a series of ten hardback Masterworks, which included some titles Gollancz didn't have paperback rights to - such as Dune or The Left Hand of Darkness.

[AE35Unit]

Originally Posted by iansales

There was a series of ten hardback Masterworks, which included some titles Gollancz didn't have paperback rights to - such as Dune or The Left Hand of Darkness.

Hmm I'll pass on those two....

[Fried Egg]

The ten hardbacks in the SF masterworks series:

I 	Dune 				Frank Herbert 		1965 
II 	The Left Hand of Darkness 	Ursula K. Le Guin 	1969
III 	The Man in the High Castle 	Philip K. Dick 		1962
IV 	The Stars My Destination 	Alfred Bester 		1956
V 	A Canticle for Leibowitz 	Walter M. Miller, Jr. 	1960
VI 	Childhood's End 		Arthur C. Clarke 	1953
VII 	The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress 	Robert A. Heinlein 	1966
VIII 	Ringworld 			Larry Niven 		1970
IX 	The Forever War 		Joe Haldeman 		1974
X 	The Day of the Triffids 	John Wyndham 		1951

[AE35Unit]

IV     The Stars My Destination             Alfred Bester          1956
VI     Childhood's End                      Arthur C. Clarke       1953
VII    The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress         Robert A. Heinlein     1966
VIII   Ringworld                            Larry Niven            1970
IX     The Forever War                      Joe Haldeman           1974
X      The Day of the Triffids              John Wyndham           1951

I'll take these please
(I dont know why the formating messed up!)

[GOLLUM]

Four of those you selected are already part of the Masterwork main series line and I think the other 2 (Clarke and Wyndham) slated for republication.

[iansales]

I, III and VII have been republished in the paperback series as unjacketed hardbacks. And IV, VIII and IX were in the paperback series as paperbacks.