Discovery on the Shelves

I'm working on having a sort of modern geek garage sale. This of course means that it has to be online, especially with the difficulty of finding buyers for things like signed first edition science fiction. It feels like I've been going back and forth on whether to use eBay or Amazon forever and I think it's basically coming down to things that I can reasonably value and the things that are so unique that it's really hard to do. The latter are probably better candidates for eBay, IMO. For example I found a book on the shelves yesterday that I thought I'd lost years ago since I just couldn't remember where it had gotten to (Hey, there are lots of books in this house.) and I had lost some books years before due to water damage. It's a 1973 paperback edition of Robert Heinlein's The Puppet Masters. What made this such an interesting find for me back in 1977 at a little used bookstore was the inscription. Yes, it's very good condition for a 40 year old paperback and not only did Heinlein sign it but it's inscribed "To our jolly shipmate, Louise Thayer. Robert & Ginny". It's also noted that it was while he was on the Mariposa on Washington's Birthday in 1974. I may have to sell it but I was still very happy to find that it hadn't been destroyed after all. But lots of luck finding information to help price that one. Then there's the scripts. George R.R. Martin has done things in television before Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season". In fact he produced a pilot for a television show that never got picked up by the networks, Doorways. ABC actually commissioned six scripts for episodes that never were produced. It so happens that I acquired a copy of the script for the pilot and the first episode years ago at a convention's charity auction. George signed both of them Once again, how do you value something like that. I'm still mulling over what kind of reserve to put on them since I do think that eBay is probably the best venue to sell them. But I'm still smiling about finding that book.

Why Frank Herbert's 'Dune' Still Matters : The New Yorker

A New Yorker columnist gives his take on the ongoing relevance of Dune. I find myself curious as to how he defines a "true fandom", which is what he thinks Dune lacks. Is it people in costumes? Is it conventions dedicated to it alone? Many books are extremely popular among science fiction fans that don't have those things and Dune is certainly considered among the absolute best the field has ever produced.

A version of The War of the Worlds you might never have heard of

This is something that too many people, IMHO, don't know about. War of The Worlds- 30th Anniversary is the 30th anniversary release of a great musical project. Richard Burton reading from the H.G. Wells book combined with amazingly talented composers and musicians make for a great treat for the ears and mind.