It's good to see GMB get more and more comfortable in front of the camera and reveal to us his immense worth as an informed reader/collector. 100% genuine and warm episode, its why i keep coming back. Mucho thanks to the two of you.
You'd really like Graham, he would afford you endless amusement- he actually went to Treforest Poly to do his degree and started there a year before I left home!
Stephen your comment about Gollancz spending all their money on "crap" is spot on! Great to see Graham again, I really enjoy these grumpy old men episodes. Cheers!
We ramble on in a sometimes inspired way.....I was saying to Graham today that many people who love reading simply don't have friends who they can talk to about reading, something we've both taken for granted to a degree due to our respective careers in bookselling.
my whole life, it seems to me, has been a search to find other folks to geek out with about science fiction. i've not had too much success. but this yt channel helps give me that fix i need! ;)
I really enjoyed the chat! I made a pilgrimage to Michael G. Coney-land, aka Vancouver Island, back in September and found a few books there. I also saw quite a few Storm Constantine books; maybe I should have picked them up! I'm looking forward to the next chat.
☹ I ventured into Forbidden Planet this evening and it was miserable. No Ballard at all, and even their SF Masterworks bay - one bay! - was half empty. The place was packed, but heaven knows what they were buying; YA fantasy and games-related stuff, I expect. They had a Star Wars section that covered an entire wall. I used to be able to pick up some nice avant garde stuff in there, back in the day. When I got back to Hackney, my local inde bookshop had a far better selection of classic SF in one bay than the whole of Forbidden Planet.
Yes, FPis a waste of space. I was offered the manager's job at FP Bristol three times in as many months back in 2009- I didn't take it as the money was no good and the hours plus commute would have meant permanent exhaustion and no life. So I suggested they took my mate Tim on. He revived their book sales by putting in real SF with edge but after a few years thy fell out. That's the way the market has gone now- and the success of 'Star Wars' and the dumbing down of Genre SF since then hasn't helped- the late 1980s Space Opera renaissance was a big part of that too, pandering to what people 'thought SF should be'- the 1930s model. Sickening, sad, true.
Really enjoyed this. I got a copy of Moon King after hearing the chat about Queen of clouds. Im enjoying it so far. Would be really interested in some guidance on Scottish SF if you have the time/inclination. Cheers.
Hey Barrie, that's an interesting question - pre-eminent these days is ken MacLeod: I'd really recommend 'The Human Front', 'The Execution Channel' and 'The Restoration Game' in particular.
yay, for grumpy old men! it's always a treat to hear from graham. thanks as always for putting so many new (to me!) writers on my radar. will be looking for frost, reamy, and especially williamson on this side of the pond. i hope they don't prove too difficult to find and that prices won't be astronomical. i know, i know but this grumpy old man can still dream, right? cheers
I thought what Graham said towards the beginning of the video about rereading a book and not liking it as much as when he read it when he was younger was interesting and important. In my opinion you can't judge a book or any work of art properly unless you are exposed to it more than once. Of course you can say whether you like it or not, that's just giving an honest opinion, but nobody should claim a book is a masterpiece, for example, unless they've reread it properly. Truly great works of art are timeless and they speak to different generations because they have no flaws and I suppose they speak an eternal truth. Having said that, hehe, I could be wrong. I usually am !
I think you make a great point- I have re-read my favourite works many times and close attention to the work reveals its worth, I feel. Also, you change over time and your perspective alters- books you enjoyed can lose their shine, others grow.
Great vid. But I need your expertise on something: I recently purchased a copy of the Jonathan Cape Atrocity Exhibition, lucky me...and the top of the pages are colored red. Why is this and what is it called? I know you mentioned it once, something about the publisher having an in house copy...any wisdom is much appreciated. Thanks, -D.
A stain-toned text block like this on old Cape books means one of two things (1) it was the publisher's file copy or (2) that it was stock that took some time to sell through from the warehouse and as a result Cape had those copies stained. Now, it's unlikely that your copy was the file copy, as when I bought my file copies, they were in a huge lot of Cape file copies I bought at a bookshop in Hay On Wye in the very early 90s and they were all additionally stamped 'file copy' on the endpapers: 'Atrocity' was the most expensive and I had to leave it, which enabled me to buy the remaining 5 Ballards there with my remaining budget. Obviously, someone bought that copy, but it would be stamped 'file copy'. In 1987, I bought my copy of Amis' 'The Alteration' new- it was still in print (originally issued circa 1976, I think) ten years later. So I'd say yr 'Atrocity' falls into the latter category. I have some UK paperbacks which are stained this way and they are file copies too- quite uncommon.
Thank you, do watch more here. The guy I mentioned is called Jon Del Aroz I think....he is self-published and seems to write what look like routine space operas and contemporary Steampunk (which isn't the real thing as far as I'm concerned, the only stuff that matters that way is 70s and 80s) but he does make very good points about the mess the SFWA has become and how nepotistic and identity politics obsessed the current mainstream of SF publishing and fandom has become.
Agreed. I wouldn't buy any of his books, but he is very good at puncturing the egos of the identity-obsessed, authoritarian blue-hairs who appear to run things in the US. His coverage of the Con in Glasgow recently was hilarious.
@@carltaylor6452 Yeah. Broadly, I agree with most of his points. I'm all for diversity and people's rights, but 'woke stuff' is basically ruining SF- and culture in general. I find myself glad that Baen still exist, even though their stuff generally isn't to my taste. SF above all else should be willing to accommodate 'dangerous' and/or 'transgressive' ideas that don't fit the orthodox consensus.
It's good to see GMB get more and more comfortable in front of the camera and reveal to us his immense worth as an informed reader/collector. 100% genuine and warm episode, its why i keep coming back. Mucho thanks to the two of you.
Glad you liked it!
So, so great to have Graham return!!
Yes, it was good to see him today, despite knowing him for around 37 years, I still marvel at his book collection....
Welcome back Graham! We missed you.
The Brayster is back 'in da house' as some people apparently say....
The world needs a higher percentage of Grahams in it…
You'd really like Graham, he would afford you endless amusement- he actually went to Treforest Poly to do his degree and started there a year before I left home!
Fantastic. What a fun video. See you both tomorrow in the Club Room.
The much anticipated return of Graham!
There is a certain Star Quality to this rather ragged presentations....thanks Matt!
Stephen your comment about Gollancz spending all their money on "crap" is spot on! Great to see Graham again, I really enjoy these grumpy old men episodes. Cheers!
Cheers Rick, we're hoping to do one again soon- and we shall continue to be grumpy!
Yes! Graham is back!! It's been far too long. I love watching the two of you talking about books.
We ramble on in a sometimes inspired way.....I was saying to Graham today that many people who love reading simply don't have friends who they can talk to about reading, something we've both taken for granted to a degree due to our respective careers in bookselling.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal Very true. I wish I had more people to talk about books with.
my whole life, it seems to me, has been a search to find other folks to geek out with about science fiction. i've not had too much success. but this yt channel helps give me that fix i need! ;)
I really enjoyed the chat! I made a pilgrimage to Michael G. Coney-land, aka Vancouver Island, back in September and found a few books there. I also saw quite a few Storm Constantine books; maybe I should have picked them up! I'm looking forward to the next chat.
Graham is a huge Storm apologist. I have to say when we met her, she was charming. Died very young, incredibly sad and wrong.
Great to see Graham back! I love this video series, (grumpy SF history/critique is a GOOD thing) 😊
We hope to do another episode before too long.
☹ I ventured into Forbidden Planet this evening and it was miserable. No Ballard at all, and even their SF Masterworks bay - one bay! - was half empty. The place was packed, but heaven knows what they were buying; YA fantasy and games-related stuff, I expect. They had a Star Wars section that covered an entire wall. I used to be able to pick up some nice avant garde stuff in there, back in the day. When I got back to Hackney, my local inde bookshop had a far better selection of classic SF in one bay than the whole of Forbidden Planet.
Yes, FPis a waste of space. I was offered the manager's job at FP Bristol three times in as many months back in 2009- I didn't take it as the money was no good and the hours plus commute would have meant permanent exhaustion and no life. So I suggested they took my mate Tim on. He revived their book sales by putting in real SF with edge but after a few years thy fell out. That's the way the market has gone now- and the success of 'Star Wars' and the dumbing down of Genre SF since then hasn't helped- the late 1980s Space Opera renaissance was a big part of that too, pandering to what people 'thought SF should be'- the 1930s model. Sickening, sad, true.
ooh been looking forward to this one! Better than flipping Oasis getting back together, that's for sure.
Thanks. Being an obsessive, I kept saying "But are they really getting back together? What's the full lineup?" Not that I gave a toss, really...
Really enjoyed this. I got a copy of Moon King after hearing the chat about Queen of clouds. Im enjoying it so far.
Would be really interested in some guidance on Scottish SF if you have the time/inclination. Cheers.
Hey Barrie, that's an interesting question - pre-eminent these days is ken MacLeod: I'd really recommend 'The Human Front', 'The Execution Channel' and 'The Restoration Game' in particular.
@outlawbookselleroriginal I will definitely check those out, much appreciated - Cheers!
yay, for grumpy old men! it's always a treat to hear from graham. thanks as always for putting so many new (to me!) writers on my radar. will be looking for frost, reamy, and especially williamson on this side of the pond. i hope they don't prove too difficult to find and that prices won't be astronomical. i know, i know but this grumpy old man can still dream, right? cheers
Our absolute pleasure!
I thought what Graham said towards the beginning of the video about rereading a book and not liking it as much as when he read it when he was younger was interesting and important. In my opinion you can't judge a book or any work of art properly unless you are exposed to it more than once. Of course you can say whether you like it or not, that's just giving an honest opinion, but nobody should claim a book is a masterpiece, for example, unless they've reread it properly. Truly great works of art are timeless and they speak to different generations because they have no flaws and I suppose they speak an eternal truth. Having said that, hehe, I could be wrong. I usually am !
I think you make a great point- I have re-read my favourite works many times and close attention to the work reveals its worth, I feel. Also, you change over time and your perspective alters- books you enjoyed can lose their shine, others grow.
wow! another grumpy episode!
I am massive fan base.
Aren't we all!
Great vid.
But I need your expertise on something: I recently purchased a copy of the Jonathan Cape Atrocity Exhibition, lucky me...and the top of the pages are colored red. Why is this and what is it called? I know you mentioned it once, something about the publisher having an in house copy...any wisdom is much appreciated. Thanks, -D.
A stain-toned text block like this on old Cape books means one of two things (1) it was the publisher's file copy or (2) that it was stock that took some time to sell through from the warehouse and as a result Cape had those copies stained. Now, it's unlikely that your copy was the file copy, as when I bought my file copies, they were in a huge lot of Cape file copies I bought at a bookshop in Hay On Wye in the very early 90s and they were all additionally stamped 'file copy' on the endpapers: 'Atrocity' was the most expensive and I had to leave it, which enabled me to buy the remaining 5 Ballards there with my remaining budget. Obviously, someone bought that copy, but it would be stamped 'file copy'. In 1987, I bought my copy of Amis' 'The Alteration' new- it was still in print (originally issued circa 1976, I think) ten years later. So I'd say yr 'Atrocity' falls into the latter category. I have some UK paperbacks which are stained this way and they are file copies too- quite uncommon.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal superb answer. Thanks!
Thanks for the video, very enjoyable. Any chance of a link or name for the channel with the conservative guy who posts every day? 🙂
Thank you, do watch more here. The guy I mentioned is called Jon Del Aroz I think....he is self-published and seems to write what look like routine space operas and contemporary Steampunk (which isn't the real thing as far as I'm concerned, the only stuff that matters that way is 70s and 80s) but he does make very good points about the mess the SFWA has become and how nepotistic and identity politics obsessed the current mainstream of SF publishing and fandom has become.
Agreed. I wouldn't buy any of his books, but he is very good at puncturing the egos of the identity-obsessed, authoritarian blue-hairs who appear to run things in the US. His coverage of the Con in Glasgow recently was hilarious.
@@carltaylor6452 Yeah. Broadly, I agree with most of his points. I'm all for diversity and people's rights, but 'woke stuff' is basically ruining SF- and culture in general. I find myself glad that Baen still exist, even though their stuff generally isn't to my taste. SF above all else should be willing to accommodate 'dangerous' and/or 'transgressive' ideas that don't fit the orthodox consensus.