Re: (ReacTor) The Science Fiction Book Club Will Be Greatly Missed

On 2025-01-28, William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:

Chris Buckley wrote:

On 2025-01-28, William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:

James Nicoll wrote:

The Science Fiction Book Club Will Be Greatly Missed
>
If reports are true, and I did not simply misunderstand, we bid a fond
farewell to an SF institution.
>
https://reactormag.com/the-science-fiction-book-club-will-be-greatly-missed/
>

When I joined, the offer was Boucher's two volume "Treasury of Science
Fiction" for a dime.  A much better deal than that first offer.
>
Being keenly aware of the value of the Canadian dollar, I sent them
eleven cents.  I'm sure that gave someone a chuckle at the office.
>
But I was then a member for about twenty years.
William Hyde

 
I took advantage of the same offer! SFBC definitely had a large impact on
my science fiction reading and buying.  I was only a member for 6 years or
so; I had to drop it when I went off to college. I had no money

>
>
I went to university here in Toronto, so saved on living expenses.  I
couldn't have afforded to go elsewhere, but then I didn't want to.
>
>
  - failing to

disapprove of their monthly pair of selections (as I was wont to do) would
eat up at least a quarter of my available money.

>
I did go away for the MSc, and this did happen to me.  But fortunately
the MSc was funded so I could afford the occasional unwanted book.  Many
of which turned out to be wanted after all.
>
As for the unwanted ones, well at least when I express my disdain for
them it is from an informed basis.  Painfully informed because I read
everything I bought.
Silver linings.
William Hyde

Looking at my Favorites bookcase, I see at least 2 SFBC that I'm sure
were unwanted at the time (_Five Fates_ and _Chocky_) and I wouldn't
be surprised if there was another one or two among the other 8 SFBC
there.  A nice source.

The other big attraction for me was the omnibuses, where the SFBC
would package 3-4 older books of a series together for not much more
than the price of the regular selection.  I got introduced to Pern and
the Stainless Steel Rat that way (along with a number of more forgettable
authors like Chalker.)

Chris