The second hand bookstore that’s going out of business has now reduced inventory to 75% off. This is like offering catnip to cats. I’ve broken the titles up into 4 loosely related groups. Makes it easier to see them in a picture that way.
First, Joel Rosenberg. I’ve never read any of his books, but years ago a friend recommended them. They look like a lot of fun. Not all of them are Guardians of the Flame series, but most of them are. I think I got the whole set. The other two (D’Shai and Hour of the Octopus) seem to be a blend of fantasy and mystery.
The next group is general fantasy, with an emphasis on sword and sorcery. The Glen Cook is a reading copy. The copy I have is signed. I’m in the process of obtaining more of Kurtz’s Deryni novels. I’m not sure I’ll read all of them, but I’ve heard the earlier ones are good and aren’t as depressing as the later books. The Oron books I’m not too sure about. David C. Smith has written several different S&S series, but I’ve not read any of them. I know nothing about this series. The Hour of the Dragon is, of course, something I’ve got other copies of, but I thought I would grab this one on general principles.
I’ve got the Chad Oliver volumes of Classics of Modern Science Fiction, but, hey, this Chad Oliver. These were originally published when I was in college, although the first few volumes may have come out when I was in high school. It’s been too long to be sure. Not all of the volumes appealed to me at the time (still don’t), so I didn’t try to collect them. I may try to accumulate a set and see if I can get anything for it on ebay. The Leinster I hadn’t seen in this edition. I also love the cover of Medea, although I’ve got a trade paper copy of this one. It’s hard to go wrong with a Freas cover.
The final selection is science fiction. I’ve been eyeing the Mike Shepherd/Moscoe books for a while. (Shepherd and Moscoe are the same person.) I’ve liked pretty much everything I’ve read by Michael Bishop. My reading has been confined to short stories mostly, so I thought I would give his novels a try. Ditto for Robert Thurston. Simak is always worth reading. I’ve got this particular title, but still. Finally, I read some of the shorter pieces that make up The Expediter in high school when they were published in Analog and thought I’d see if they were as good as I remembered.
The store is still open, although some of the best stuff is starting to disappear. (I missed a set of H. Rider Haggard because I waited. Blasted cash flow.) I’m sure I’ll pop in again before too long.
