Bookshelf Travelling for Insane Times Again
Posted in Memes, Other fiction, Science Fiction at 12:00 on 13 September 2020
And so, back to the beginning of Bookshelf Travelling for Insane Times, which started with Judith at Reader in the Wilderness but is now hosted by Katrina at Pining for the West.
These books sit on the very top of that bookcase I featured in the first of these posts, above the shelves that contain all my (read) Scottish books.
They’re here because they fit into the space – at least in the case of the three “What If…” books, What If?, More What If? and What If America? – anthologies of Altered History stories – and Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America. Then there is Pat Barker’s Regeneration trilogy, Colin Greenland’s excellent Finding Helen, a Paul Torday, Joseph O’Neill’s Netherland and Marina Lewycka’s A Short History Of Tractors In Ukrainian, non-SF works by SF writers Brian Aldiss and Norman Spinrad, Robert Standish’s Elephant Walk and three books by Erich Maria Remarque including the incomparable All Quiet on the Western Front.
If I were filing my books thoroughly systematically these would all have to be moved.
Tags: Altered History, Alternate History, Alternative History, Bookshelf Travelling, Bookshelf Travelling For Insane Times, Brian Aldiss, Colin Greenland, Joseph OâNeill, Marina Lewycka, Norman Spinrad, Pat Barker, Paul Torday, Philip Roth, Robert Standish
Constance
14 September 2020 at 14:51
I like shelves dictated by size as much as shelves that are dictated by author! In fact, sometimes it doesn’t make sense to “use up” a tall shelf on small books.
I only have read the Regeneration books and All Quiet on the Western Front but I meant to read Netherland and obviously it is not too late. By the way, the reason the author interview is included is to offer “value add” to the paperback edition. Publishers are hoping you will buy the paperback even if you already own or read the hardcover. It is really only the obsessive fan who does this. When possible, publishers like to include a chapter of the author’s next book and try to schedule the paperback of book 1 to pub a month or so before the hardcover of book 2. Some authors are very cooperative about these publishing schedules but for some the quality of their work seems to decline as they are pressured to crank their books out regardless of inspiration.
I see you are also a Jo Walton fan. I have only read a few of her books but enough that I went to a reading to meet her in person a couple years ago, which was fun.
jackdeighton
14 September 2020 at 20:00
Constance,
Thanks for looking in and taking the time to comment.
Yes it often makes sense to house books by size. I would usually prefer to do it alphabetically, though, and within an author’s works chronologically in order of publishing, but with short story collections always shelved after novels.
Netherland is worth reading.
As to the extra pages, I’m only ever going to buy one edition of a book. I can’t see they add any value at all.
However, they do make the book look bigger than it is – so, of course, do unusually large print and wide margins – and take up more space on the shelf! A chapter from the author’s next book is especially offensive in this regard. I’m not going to read that unless I’ve got the whole of it in front of me.
I’ve heard Jo Walton do readings and she seemed very personable.