Finally, a video that combines two of the biggest obsessions this time of year:
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Tis The Season
December 25th, 2017Shoegazer Sunday: Stellarscope’s “Silent Night”
December 24th, 2017Last year this time I threw Stellarscope’s version of “Silent Night,” and I liked it so much I decided to turn it into one of those “holiday traditions” you hear so much about.
Merry Christmas!
Library Additions: Two Dan Simmons Lord John Press Books
December 22nd, 2017Lord John Press was an odd press, ranging from small-run SF first editions by Ray Bradbury, Ursula K. Le Guin and Stephen King to books by John Updike and Gerald R. Ford.
The two Dan Simmons books listed here (of four they did total) were the right author with the wrong titles at the wrong time at the wrong price points and the wrong print runs. Simmons was a hot writer at the time, but these books came after his “miracle year” duo of Carrion Comfort and Hyperion, were not nearly as well-regarded, were post-first limiteds (they didn’t beat the Putnam edition out) at high price points (starting at $125 and going up to $800) in too large a print run for too many states (500 quarter-leather, 250 half-leather, and 26-lettered copies in full leather). And they both came out the same year. They’re nice, but not so awesome as to inspire bibliolust in casual collectors. When I saw those price points and print runs, I went “Gonna pass,” and a lot of other collectors evidently said the same, as these limiteds have littered bookdealer inventories ever since.
I do like and collect Simmons, and I always thought I would pick them up when they got cheap enough. That finally happened.
I also have Entropy’s Bed at Midnight and Summer Sketches, his other two Lord John Press books.
lawrenceperson.com: Now With Added https
December 20th, 2017I finally got off my lazy butt and got an SSL certificate for this blog.
So the official address is now https://www.lawrenceperson.com (note the new all important “s” after “http”).
FYI, my SSL certificate was free through WordPress and the Bluehost folks made the change for me.
Update your bookmarks accordingly, since Google and Firefox are starting to get all pissy about http connections (not that I really blame them).
Random Microsoft Word Linking Tip
December 20th, 2017Having problems with links not going to the Heading you linked to in Microsoft Word?
Here’s a random tip that may help.
Do not put slashes in your headers (“Sales/Marketing”). The header will appear just fine, but links may not work properly. Mine were jumping back to the title page for no apparent reason.
The solution is to:
- Remove the slash from the header (“Sales and Marketing”)
- Cut the text with the defective link
- Paste Special as unformatted text, and
- Add the link again to the corrected header.
It should work now.
I’m using Microsoft Word for Mac Version 15.37. Can’t say what other versions the bug may affect.
Library Addition: Signed First of Brain Aldiss’ Billion Year Spree
December 18th, 2017This is one of those books I thought I already had, but didn’t.
Aldiss, Brain W. Billion Year Spree. Wiedenfield & Nicolson, 1978. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a touch of edgewear at bottom front. Non-fiction history of science fiction. Signed by Aldiss. Bought from Cold Tonnage Books for £12 plus shipping.
Shoegazer Sunday: Blankenberge’s “Somewhere Between”
December 17th, 2017We did some Blankenberge back in February, so here’s another shot off their new album Radiogaze.
Shoegazer Sunday: Tashaki Miyaki’s “Girls on T.V.”
December 10th, 2017Despite the name, this Shoegaze outfit hails from Los Angeles. Hope you like practical lights and glowing, superimposed lyrics.
“Directed by James Franco.” Really?
Library Additons: Two Signed Lettered Hardbacks of Postscripts
December 6th, 2017In addition to having stories there, I used to have a subsciption to the signed hardback version of Postscripts magazine Back In The Day. Now I pick up individual issues to round out my collection when I find them cheap. Like these two, which I bought for $25 each from Camelot Books:
Unlike my contributor copy of Postscripts 24/25: The New And Perfect Man, these lettered copies did not come in a traycase, and indeed are not readily distinguishable from the regular signed/numbered editions
I now have signed, numbered copies of all of Postscripts 1-19, 24/25, and 30/31. Which means I’m missing 20/21, 22/23, 26/27, 28/29, 32/33, 34/35, and 36/37.
Sad News: Bill Crider Enters Hospice Care
December 5th, 2017Well this plain sucks. Bill Crider’s cancer has stopped responding to treatment:
Things could change, but I suspect this will be my final post on the blog. I met with some doctors at M. D. Anderson today, and they suggested that I enter hospice care. A few weeks, a few months is about all I have left. The blog has been a tremendous source of pleasure to me over the years, and I’ve made a lot of friends here. My only regret is that I have several unreviewed books, including Lawrence Block’ fine new anthology, Alive in Shape and Color, and Max Allan Collins’ latest collaboration with Mickey Spillane, The Last Stand, which is a collection of two novellas, “A Bullet for Satisfaction,” an early Spillane manuscript with an interesting history, and “The Last Stand,” the last thing that Spillane completed. It saddens me to think of all the great books by many writers that I’ll never read. But I’ve had a great life, and my readers have been a big part of it. Much love to you all.
Bill is a prince among men, a fixture at Texas science fiction conventions, and beloved by all. He will be deeply missed…
