Another quick Science Fiction Book Club update. Ordered three more books on the 6th which arrived no later than today, and potentially as early as the 9th; I'm afraid I hadn't checked mail in the interim. So that's pretty quick.

I'd also like to show how my new Hollows series book from the SFBC stacks up to my (okay, yes, signed!) copy of The Outlaw Demon Wails, an older Hollows title (yes, the names are atrocious, in stark contrast to the writing in the rest of the book).

First off, the "real" hardback has a much better binding than I remembered, shown above, even better than the Jobs bio I showed last time. Second, the fresh SFBC printing is, as we already knew, much smaller than the "real" book. Thought it'd be worth viewing here quickly.



My purchases this time were two that'll go against the four I have to buy during the year -- one a relatively new release, Umberto Eco's Prague Cemetery, and the other Heinlein's Outward Bound, an omnibus which includes Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, Starship Troopers, and Podkayne of Mars.

I've listened to much of the last one on audio via Overdrive, the app that lets you "check out" digital jive from your library, and have enjoyed it. I just don't drive enough now to finish it, and have been waiting to have a chance to read it. Also wanted to read Starship Troopers at some point, so this one isn't a horrible deal.

I also bagged A Pleasure to Burn by Ray Bradbury. They don't have Fahrenheit 451, but this collection apparently tracks other stories he wrote preparing for 451. I wouldn't've bought this except for their $1.99 third book deal, so I guess they "got me" on that one.

So even with a few obvious mistakes on that list (Brooks, Hamiliton), I'm still decently ahead of a long trip to Amazon.com.

Book Author SFBC Price Shipping by % Amazon Price Shipping Format
Steve Jobs Walter Isaacson 1 2.74 14.99 0 Kindle
Reamde Neal Stephenson 1 2.74 14.99 0 Kindle
Evolutionary Void Peter F. Hamiliton 1 2.74 0.02 3.99 Used hardcover
The High Druid of Shannara Trilogy Terry Brooks 1 2.74
     Jarka Ruus 3.99 Super Saver used paperback or hardcover
     Tanequil 3.64 Super Saver used paperback
     Straken 3.7 Super Saver used paperback
A Perfect Blood Kim Harrison 1 2.74 12.99 0 Kindle
A Pleasure to Burn Ray Bradbury 1.99 0.83 5.88 3.99 used paperback
Prague Cemetery Umberto Eco 16.99 0.83 9.45 0 Kindle
Outward Bound Robert A. Heinlein 14.99 0.83 4.87 3.99 Used SFBC Edition
     Have Spacesuit, Will Travel
     Starship Troopers
     Podkayne of Mars
Total Total
55.16 38.97 16.19 74.52 11.97 86.49


If I lose more than $31 on my last two books, I'm in trouble! I think I can get close there, though. I have purchased two books I didn't really want -- Terry Brooks and Ray Bradbury -- but I hope I'll enjoy them anyhow.

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