About Stars | Browse/Order | Events & Links | Site Map
The List
"Favorite Books - The List" by Alice Bentley - Fan Guest of Honor at DucKon 2002
"A couple of weeks ago I was the Fan Guest of Honor at DucKon, a local science fiction convention. Months before they had asked me if, during Opening Ceremonies, I would talk about two or three of my most favorite books. I laughed 'No way could I narrow it down to just three! I bet a hundred would be closer.' 'OK' she said, 'you pick 'em and we'll print out a handout or something.'
Well, while I thought it would be an interesting exercise, the phone rang, people came by and the whole project flew out of my head until the week of the con, when a helpful little email asked if I'd finished that list. Oh, yeah - the list.
With the able assistance of the rest of the staff in remembering which books I'm constantly going on about, we crashed through a list in half an hour. The rules were simple - no author gets more than one book listed, the book has to be one of my favorites, but if the author has many that are faves of mine, I chose the one I thought would be best to start with. I stuck pretty much to SF and Fantasy, did not include any illustrated editions (like graphic novels) or special publications. Everything here was in mass market paperback at one point in its life. They also tend to be at least 10 years old, from the time before I started my shop or had a kid - when I had more time for reading.
Within minutes of finishing I remembered at least a dozen more - but the list was already at the printers, and there's something to be said for answers that come off the top of your head. Perhaps some day I remake the list as the "Carefully Considered Favorites". Or maybe not.
Now, several weeks later, I've started ferreting out which of these are actually still in print, and what it would cost to get one. I've selfishly defined Out of Print to be when a book is not listed with either of the big distributors and is not a publisher I have a direct account with. So special library printings, collectors editions and of course used copies may well be available - but I can't just pick up the phone and have a copy in hand easily."
The List:
Alphabetically by author:
THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams - Del Rey pb, $6.99
(also available in an omnibus with four of the other novels, in Tpb, $18.00)
WATERSHIP DOWN by Richard Adams - Avon pb, $6.99
TAU ZERO by Poul Anderson - Out of Print (OoP), fairly rare
MACROSCOPE by Piers Anthony - OoP, uncommon
PEBBLE IN THE SKY by Isaac Asimov - OoP, uncommon
BLOOD MUSIC by Greg Bear - iBooks pb, $6.99
THE DEMOLISHED MAN by Alfred Bester - Vintage Tpb, $11.00
(also available at the shop: an OOP Penguin UK pb, $5.00)
SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury - Avon pb, $6.99
SHARRA'S EXILE by Marion Zimmer Bradley - DAW pb, $6.99
STARTIDE RISING by David Brin - Bantam Spectra pb, $6.99
MICHAELMAS by Algis Budrys - OoP, rare
CORDELIA'S HONOR by Lois McMaster Bujold - Baen pb, 7.99
(it's an omnibus of Shards of Honor and Barrayar, not a new novel)
WAR FOR THE OAKS by Emma Bull - Orb Tpb, $13.95
DAWN by Octavia Butler - Aspect pb, $6.99
ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card - Tor pb, $6.99
ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll - many editions, cheap to $$$$
THE FADED SUN by C. J. Cherryh - DAW pb, $7.99
(omnibus edition of Kesrith, Shon Jir, Kutath)
A FALL OF MOONDUST by Arthur C. Clarke - OoP, uncommon
MISSION OF GRAVITY by Hal Clement - OoP, uncommon
LITTLE, BIG by John Crowley - Perennial Tpb, $15.95
THE NIGHTINGALE by Kara Dalkey - OoP, rare
NOVA by Samuel Delany - Vintage Tpb, $12.00
MOONHEART by Charles de Lint - TOR Tpb, $14.95
DORSAI! by Gordon Dickson - Tor pb, $5.99
THE MAGIC CASEMENT by Dave Duncan - OoP, common
SO YOU WANT TO BE A WIZARD by Diane Duane - Harcourt pb, $6.50
PAWN OF PROPHECY by David Eddings - Del Rey pb, $6.99
WHEN GRAVITY FAILS by George Alec Effinger - OoP, uncommon
TO YOUR SCATTERED BODIES GO by Philip Jose Farmer - Del Rey Tpb, $12.95
BONE DOLL'S TWIN by Llnn Flewelling - Bantam Spectra pb, $6.99
DRAGON'S EGG by Robert Forward - Del Rey Tpb, $12.00
FOR LOVE OF MOTHER-NOT by Alan Dean Foster - OoP, common
THE MADNESS SEASON by C. S. Friedman - DAW pb, $7.99
DRUID'S BLOOD by Esther M. Friesner - OoP, uncommon
AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman - Harper pb, $7.99
GOOD OMENS by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett - Ace pb, $6.99
LORD DARCY by Randall Garrett - Baen Tpb, $18.00
RATS AND GARGOYLES by Mary Gentle - OoP, common
NEUROMANCER by William Gibson - Ace pb, $6.99
THE PRINCESS BRIDE by William Goldman - Ballantine pb, $6.99
HELM by Stephen Gould - Tor pb, $6.99
TIME OF THE DARK by Barbara Hambly - OoP, common
GUILTY PLEASURES by Laurell K. Hamilton - Ace pb, $5.99
All About Stars | Browse & Order | Events & Links | Site Map