lynnef@teklabs.UUCP (07/18/83)
Does anyone out there have any recommendations about the SF Book Club?
Please *mail* all responses to me. I am primarily interested in
fantasy-type science fiction.
Lynne Fitzsimmons
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ARPAnet: lynnef.tek@rand-relaylynnef@teklabs.UUCP (07/27/83)
Thank you everyone who responded to my query about the SFBC! However,
my mailbox is filling up, and I have enough opinions to make my decision,
so no more recommendations please!
--
Lynne Fitzsimmons
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ARPAnet: lynnef.tek@rand-relay@RUTGERS.ARPA:FIRTH@TL-20B.ARPA (02/03/85)
From: FIRTH@TL-20B.ARPA Here is a response from a satisfied customer. I joined the SFBC about 18 months ago, and since then have bought not quite one book per month. The books are of usual "club edition" quality - hard bound, fairly inexpensive, pages sometimes irregular &c. However, the average cost, including shipping &c, was about $6 per book, which I consider a reasonable price for something that is definitely more durable and more pleasant than a pb. The printing has always been clear and legible. If you just get the "5 books for $1" or whatever, and then take only the minimum required number of books, you have a tremendous bargain. I could have filled my quota just with Helliconia Summer The Crucible of Time Code of the Lifemaker Moreta Heechee Rendezvous to name just five really good books from SFBC. As you've gathered, I like the old-fashioned "hard" science fiction. But the catalogue also contains a good deal of sword & sorcery, fantasy, valuable reprints, and much else. In my opinion, the SFBC is well worth joining. Robert Firth -------
@RUTGERS.ARPA:callaghan%pseudo.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (02/04/85)
From: callaghan%pseudo.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Gaylene Callaghan DTN:523-4523) I've been in the book club twice now. Overall my reaction to their selection is an old fashioned "raspberry"! They have a few oldies but goodies, alot of current (last two or three years), and VERY few new ones. Also, the new ones are never available till after they make it to the bookstores. In other words, go for the freebies when you sign-up, but get out ASAP. What we need is good old fashioned competition in the sci-fi bookclub market!! Gaylene
tlh@akgua.UUCP (T.L. Harris [Tom]) (02/05/85)
...
I've been a member of the Si-Fi book club for over ten years.
They don't get the new titles right away, but their selection
of all titles is quite good. They usually have the better
books eventually. I can wait! Additionally, their prices have
always been reasonable.
If you want new titles immediately, you will get no bargins.
If you can wait, this is not a bad deal! My collection is
probably up to 300 books now, and I'm still backlogged on
reading.
--
...
From the Pond of the Phrog
akgua!AT**3lazeldes@wlcrjs.UUCP (Leah A Zeldes) (02/08/85)
When the SF Book Club's editions cost $1.49 and paperbacks were $1.98, it was a good deal. Now that they've raised their prices so much, it isn't worth what you pay for those cheap editions. Better to save your money for the hardcover, or buy a paperback reading copy. -- Leah A Zeldes ...ihnp4!wlcrjs!lazeldes
wfi@unc.UUCP (William F. Ingogly) (02/09/85)
> I've been in the book club twice now. > Overall my reaction to their selection is an old fashioned "raspberry"! > They have a few oldies but goodies, alot of current (last two or three years), > and VERY few new ones. Also, the new ones are never available till after they > make it to the bookstores. > In other words, go for the freebies when you sign-up, but get out ASAP. > > What we need is good old fashioned competition in the sci-fi bookclub market!! I have to agree. I belonged to the book club briefly back in the early '60s, and joined again about 2-3 years ago. I've purchased very few books since rejoining, and recently got a form letter asking why I hadn't purchased any books recently, and did I still want to be on their mailing list? Typical recent offerings include every Stephen King book ever written, Star Trek and Star Wars novelizations, a fictional account of a Third World War by a retired military officer, and (as the above writer points out) VERY few hot new titles. The quality of the books themselves is mediocre: cheap paper, inexpensive binding, many typos in the text. I've decided to buy titles I'm interested in at my local bookstore in quality hardcover editions, and hang the SF Book Club membership. I can't really recommend this book club to anyone.
jim@randvax.UUCP (Jim Gillogly) (02/11/85)
----
I disagree with the suggestion that one should join, get the freebies and
get out. My copy of "Limits" arrived before Crown Books got it, and
"Moreta" was only shortly after. Both were well before the paperbacks,
which is really what you should be comparing with. For $6-8 or so, you
get a nice durable copy. For some books this is important - I've gone
through 3 or 4 copies of "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress", and 3 of the
Tolkien series in paperback. If you do much re-reading, hardback is
a boon. Of course, I've ordered some sight-unseen that have gotten
to the next library book sale, but because of the (typically non-spoiler)
blurb in the circular SFBC sends, I have a better chance of getting a
re-readable book than wandering in and plucking SF paperbacks from an
author I don't know.
So I say it's worth it ... pick the opinion you want!
--
Jim Gillogly
{decvax, vortex}!randvax!jim
jim@rand-unix.arpaknight@nmtvax.UUCP (02/19/85)
I, too, like the SF Book Club a lot. I've been with them for over 15 years now, and have no complaints except, possibly, for the paucity of selections available in their monthly blurbs. However, I've found that you can go to the teasers they send for new members and order books from there on your monthly chits and win with no complaints from them. Another point: they are the type of club that requires you to send an announcement back saying "nay" on the monthly selections to not get them. A friend of mine said "I'm too lazy/absentminded to keep up with this" and asked them to change him to a mode where he could order at his leisure (he still received the monthly notices.) They immediately, with no hassle what- soever, changed him to that mode - and the announcements he received were the same as mine. All in all, I second the recommendation for them. A breath of fresh air in the (in my opinion, lest I get flamed) sordid world of clubs of various ilks. Bob "Yngvi is a louse!"
nairb@ihlpg.UUCP (b. enke) (02/20/85)
> I have to agree. I belonged to the book club briefly back in the early > '60s, and joined again about 2-3 years ago. I've purchased very few > books since rejoining, and recently got a form letter asking why I > hadn't purchased any books recently, and did I still want to be on > their mailing list? > > Typical recent offerings include every Stephen King book ever written, > Star Trek and Star Wars novelizations, a fictional account of a Third > World War by a retired military officer, and (as the above writer > points out) VERY few hot new titles. The quality of the books > themselves is mediocre: cheap paper, inexpensive binding, many typos > in the text. I've decided to buy titles I'm interested in at my local > bookstore in quality hardcover editions, and hang the SF Book Club > membership. I can't really recommend this book club to anyone. *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE, KLINGON SCUM *** Although I am not totally satisfied with this book club, I still have to completely disagree with about everything you've stated. I also joined about 2-3 years ago, but I've purchased a lot of books and have been completely satisfied with them. As far as Stephen King, Star Trek, Star Wars, and WWIII are concerned, you forgot Dune and the Hitchhiker series. All of these books are heavily demanded right now, so isn't it just common business sense to offer what the public wants? I just can't believe what you stated about the quality of the books. I haven't purchased a single book yet that I have thought was cheaply produced. In fact, I've bought several from major bookstores that were much more cheaply made. Not many typos either. As far as hot new titles is concerned, they do offer MANY, but not as many as you could find in a bookstore. What dissatisfies me is their billing policies. They made a couple of mistakes on my account, and they occasionally sent me books that I didn't order (they did take them right back, though, minus postage). I guess that overall, I would recommend the club. My membership has expired, and I plan to rejoin. -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > It's a poor atom-blaster that won't point both ways : Salvor Hardin. President, T.A.S (Tribble Adoption Society)
keen@inuxd.UUCP (D Keen) (02/20/85)
<Is this really here, or is it only your imagination?> Count this as another positive vote for the SFBC. I have belonged for more than 20 years or 150-175 books depending on ones viewpoint. Granted that I was much happier paying $1.49 per book than the current rate, it is still a bargain if one is fairly heavily addicted to reading and owning science fiction and/or fantasy. It provides a needed niche for those books that one wants to keep for long periods without serious deterioration, but that do not qualify for full hardback purchase price. This assumes that one has some limit to your budget and that you are in the 75+ per year book purchase range. Concerning quality of choice, I agree that the probability of acquiring an excellent original published work from the club is much smaller than it was 10 years ago, but I think this is inevitable given the current higher acceptance from the regular publishing houses of the SF&F genre. I also do not find significantly lower physical or typesetting quality in the book club editions than normal editions; maybe I have been lucky. Finally, upon request, the club will allow you to change to an order only relationship; that is, you will only be sent books which you have requested, rather than all books which you did not reject. This can save a lot of hassle. Good reading Don Keen AT&T-CP (Any relationship between AT&T and science fiction is purely coincidental as is any relationship between my views and theirs.)
davis@hplabs.UUCP (Jim Davis) (02/25/85)
> I've been in the book club twice now. > Overall my reaction to their selection is an old fashioned "raspberry"! > They have a few oldies but goodies, alot of current (last two or three years), > and VERY few new ones. Also, the new ones are never available till after they > make it to the bookstores. > In other words, go for the freebies when you sign-up, but get out ASAP. > > What we need is good old fashioned competition in the sci-fi bookclub market!! I find that it is okay though not great to be in the Book Club. In fact I am often in it twice. I keep one membership for continuity, and join a second one everytime I have built up a list of books that I think are worth having. The ones that I simply "have to have" I get with the "continuity membership". The SF Book Club in the long term certainly stinks relative to the costs for a new member. But it sure seems worth belonging to. (Right now I'm only in once, I haven't built up enough that I want to re-rejoin. (If they ever objected; I think that that would be the end of my 8 year associations with them.) The books are comperable to some bookstore quality. (In fact, they are often identical.) However, the prices have been going up, though they are still ~< 1/2 of bookstore prices on the identical book. -- ---------------------------------- Jim Davis (James W Davis) Email: {any_of_the_biggies} !hplabs!davis Arpa: davis%hp-labs@csnet-relay ----------------------------------
davis@hplabs.UUCP (Jim Davis) (02/25/85)
> Finally, upon request, the club will allow you to change to an > order only relationship; that is, you will only be sent books > which you have requested, rather than all books which you did > not reject. This can save a lot of hassle. > Don Keen Are you sure; have you done this? When I tried that they said no way. If you actually did get converted into a positive acknowledgement basis, please send a copy of the correspondence you used to that end. I would like to do the same. Perhaps they have changed their position in the last two years. -- ---------------------------------- Jim Davis (James W Davis) Email: {any_of_the_biggies} !hplabs!davis Arpa: davis%hp-labs@csnet-relay ----------------------------------
ijk@hou5e.UUCP (Ihor Kinal) (02/28/85)
I disagree. I just rejoined for the nth time, where n is approximately 10. I'm an avid reader, and go thru several books a month. I've been waiting for the latest Pohl Heechee book to come out, and when the Book club did, I rejoined. You get 5 books for a buck plus shipping; (total is $6.00); plus you have to buy 4 more in a year. (Say average cost is $7.00). In other words, you pay about $34.00 for 9 books, which is about the price of a paperback edition. Furthermore, I have yet to see the Pohl book in paperback. Note: I don't intend to stay in longer than necessary; after 4 books I just dropout. If you buy more than one book at a time, you sometimes save on shipping. Also, you can occasionally get specials not otherwise available, (such as the Dragon Rider's trilog) which work out as a better deal. Or on occasion, the book club may offer 6 books for a dollar. Also, once in the past, they sent me a special offer to rejoin; it seemed slightly better than the average deal. Ihor Kinal (I haven't read EVERYTHING in Scinece Fiction, but I'm trying). hou5e!ijk
nessus@mit-eddie.UUCP (Doug Alan) (06/16/85)
["Golden Void, he speaks to me -- denying my reality..."]
A while ago someone said that if you asked the Science Fiction Book Club
they would put you on a system where you don't receive any books unless
you specifically ask for them. I tried this, but they refused to do it!
How do I get them to put me on this system?
-Doug Alan
nessus@mit-eddie.UUCP {or ARPA}ecl@mtgzz.UUCP (e.c.leeper) (08/26/85)
Comments on The Science Fiction Book Club
An article by Evelyn C. Leeper
Recently, Ellen Asher of the Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club (SFBC)
came to speak at NJSFS (the New Jersey Science Fiction Society). Some of
her comments were fairly interesting, so I will relay them as I remember
them.
The SFBC is one of seven Doubleday book clubs (Asher said she likes to
think of it as one sucker on the book club tentacle of the Doubleday
octopus). It is the largest of their specialty clubs (they also have a
military history club and the Mystery Guild, for example). I don't recall
if it's larger than their Literary Guild, though. The seven clubs have a
membership totaling over one million, and since the mailing list that the
SFBC sells (which includes expired members) is about 250,000, one can
conclude that the SFBC itself has about 200,000 members. (The actual
figures are secret, apparently.)
There was a lot of discussion about the books that are selected. There
are several considerations. The books are printed "letter-press" rather
than offset, so that books relying on strange typographies or complicated
interior illustrations have little chance of being chosen (alternate
selections can be printer offset in special cases, but the main selections
cannot be). Most are issued as hardcovers, though they occasionally issue a
trade paperback. (There is a new LeGuin--I've forgotten the title--that
will be a trade paperback, slip-cased with cassette.) Because of the
"negative option" method used (see below), and because so many of the
members are minors, the main selections usually do not include "adult"
(sexual) material. Doubleday has no desire to get hauled into court for
sending unsolicited sexual material to minors.
Several of us (including me) decried the swing from science fiction to
fantasy that we see the SFBC taking. There appear to be several reasons for
this. One, fantasy sells (according to Asher, and she should know). Two,
there is a lot more fantasy available than there used to be. (Look in you
local Waldenbooks or B. Dalton if you don't believe this.) Three, and this
is my observation based on an extended conversation, Asher likes fantasy
better than science fiction, and Arthurian/high fantasy better than dark
fantasy (including horror, but also works by such authors as Glen Cook and
Stephen Brust). While she buys the obligatory science fiction (no one would
dream of not offering the latest Asimov or Niven), she tends to go for the
new fantasy authors more than the new science fiction authors. This is, of
course, somewhat self-fulfilling. As more fantasy is offered, people who
prefer fantasy join the SFBC because they can get more of what they want,
while people who prefer science fiction leave (or are dropped) because they
can't find what they want. (If a member hasn't bought a book in a year,
they are sent a letter asking them to return an enclosed card if they wish
to remain a member. This way the SFBC doesn't keep spending postage on
people who never buy anything.)
Someone asked about how well the book club editions hold up over time.
Asher replied that they are printed on acid-free paper, so should last
reasonably well. This provoked a stir of surprise, since Gregg Press and
Bluejay Books have been promoting their books as being superior to most
because of the acid-free paper. Why doesn't the SFBC mention this in their
advertising? Asher said that every time this was suggested, the powers that
be at Doubleday insisted that no one would understand what that meant, so it
didn't pay to advertise it. If enough people wrote the SFBC and asked them
to switch to acid-free paper, they might realize that we *do* know what the
stuff is!
There has been some discussion about the "negative option" method that
the SFBC uses (if you don't reply otherwise, you automatically get the main
selections). People have claimed that there is some way to get on a
"positive option" list, where you don't have to reply each month. When I
asked about this, the response was that there was such a list, but it is
reserved for people who have some good reason to be on it. Most of the
people on the list, for example, are overseas, where the cost of postage and
handling is high enough that the SFBC felt that the default sending of the
selections wouldn't be fair (not to mention the problems of getting the
cards back to the SFBC back in time to have them not send the selections, if
negative option were in effect). I suspect that people who travel a good
deal (the military, etc.) could also be put on the list.
No one talked about the cost of postage and handling. Evryone knows
it's high; everyone knows there's not much that can be done about it.
Evelyn C. Leeper
...ihnp4!mtgzz!ecl