newcomer@cmu-sei.arpa (05/18/85)
From: Joe.Newcomer@cmu-sei.arpa Is this getting to the right address? Well, I'm back to reading SF-lovers again, after a multiyear hiatus. Some time ago I had an idea, motivated by some elightened self-interest, of maintaining a network directory of bookstores which handle SF. Or does anyone know of such a list already in existence? I may soon be doing some travelling, and given that I may have only a few hours in any one city would like to maximize its effectiveness by hitting the one or two good SF bookstores in that city. I'm sure others might feel the same way. If there is no such list, I will try to maintain one and send periodic updates to SF-lovers via some distribution mechanism negotiated with the editor. The sort of questions I need to know are: Name of store Address Phone No. What categories of material? New SF hardbacks New SF paperbacks New SF periodicals Used SF hardbacks Used SF paperbacks Used SF periodicals Comics Comix Role-playing game materials/publications Mystery Non-U.S. imprints (British, Canadian, Australian) Foreign Language SF General bookstore Discounted new materials? I would also appreciate getting comments: size of stock, timeliness, friendliness of people, willing to mail large purchases, accept check, charge? Interesting features, people, etc. If they are complete turkeys and should be avoided, it might be nice to know but I don't know if that info can be published non-libellously (ed?). (Perhaps a T-rating: 0 = first class folks, do yourself a favor and stop in; 10 = avoid being in the same city as these clowns). General instructions on how to get there (e.g. "2 blocks West of Angel tube stop"; "on Mumble street 2 miles west of downtown Fooburg") Please do not include chains such as Waldenbooks, B. Dalton, Atlantic, etc. If I've missed any categories of interest, feel free to supply them. Send mail directly to Newcomer@cmu-sei. Example: Far-Out Books 331 Fubar Ave. Mumble, PA 15140 (412)555-1212 (2 miles south of RR station, just off Main St.; next to Burger Blight) Used SF, hardback & paperback; New SF discounted 15% list. Standard line of new SF, several hundred used paperbacks. Has lots of British SF lines. D&D supplies. Accepts used SF in trade, 20% of cover price paid. Does mail order. Cash only, or gold ingots. Failed to ship one large order; put it back on shelves by mistake. I probably will maintain names, cities and zipcodes as database items and the rest as prose, at least for now. The number of good stores per city is sufficiently small that linear search is not unreasonable.