We would be remiss in our duty if we didn’t point out that the holidays are coming up, and that Crusade – The Complete Series will be out on DVD on Tuesday, and that the latest Star Trek: New Frontier book After The Fall is in stores now, and both make excellent holiday presents for loved ones. And if you buy them by clicking on the links given, you give us the wonderful holiday present of extra money.
We’ll now stop the hard sell and let you get back to the comments threads, before people think this is Mark Evanier’s blog…
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Finsihed After The Falll…awesome !! Incredible ! Loved the time concept (trying not for spoilers here) and loved it. You once again have me waiting for the next book on oins and needles.
Ok not real ones…but still…
Peter, I remember you mentioning this recently, about getting money when we buy from Amazon; how exactly does this work again? You’re saying you make more this way then when I buy it at Midtown Comics? Well, I just purchased a slightly used copy from Amazon for $13.20, or $16.69 with S&H.
I buy just about all my books from Amazon now because I just like a good reading copy of a book, and don’t usually care if it’s a bit worn or something. The main exception was the books I bought at Midtown, because I figured books are not cheaper at Amazon when they first come out, or that S&H offsets any discount, but I see now that After the Fall is cheaper there. So maybe now it’ll be Amazon exclusively for me. Thanks for the heads up. 🙂
In fact, I just ordered two of Vincent Bugliosi’s books a few days ago, one of which was $2.21, and the other was 1 CENT! The S&H alone was more than that, at $3.49 each. I also bought all books this year for the five oldest of the six kids I buy Christmas gifts for, including Road to Perdition, the four Star Wars Clone Wars graphic novels, some manga books, and some sports trivia books.
Sigh…it’s a bad time of year to be me.
Besided the aforementioned Crusade set, the seventh season of Buffy just came out, I still haven’t picked up the fourth Angel volume, and Seinfeld would be awfully nice to have. Oh, and Spider-Man 2.
Then in other realms I’d love to pick up Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and Karaoke Revolution Vol. 3 for the Playstation 2, plus Myst IV for the PC.
Plus some others, I know I’m forgetting something. Why must all the good stuff come out at the same time of year?
Oh yeah…I might want to pick some items up for family/loved ones as well…there’s some kind of religious celebration coming up in which gifts are exchanged…
PAD,
Would you happen to know if there’s a way for me to order through amazon.ca and still have your contribution get to you? I like to see how much I’m paying for something in *real* currency. =)
Help! I somehow missed the previous book, “Stone and Anvil.” When did it come out? How did I not hear about it? I will now have to pick up BOTH books for Christmas. Thanks for the update on the publications.
Jim in Iowa
“Stone and Anvil” is out in paperback now, Jim.
Craig,
Thanks. I will get over to Barnes & Noble today.
James
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
I’m going to suggest that everyone make a point of getting in to their comic book store and clearing out their hold slots this month. If my regular store is any indication, many have taxes and inventory to worry about right away. For many, cash flow is a continuous worry.
I’m also going to suggest that everyone use local book shops as their first option. I know this may be a little rude to the host here, but a world without book stores will be a sad place. Luigi’s slightly used reading copies are probably coming from one of Amazon’s marketplace sellers which could be a small shop or an individual. Books are really a luxury item, true we all think of them as necessities, but they aren’t in the same category as food, lodging and heat. Stores whose business is books need to be supported, more now than ever thanks to the economy. Even if it is the big chains, at least you are buying locally and helping keep that store in your community.
cal
I’m also going to suggest that everyone use local book shops as their first option.
Kinda hard for me when my local shop just told me they are closing December 31. Cedar Rapids is not a huge city, and this was the main place that would hold subs for customers. It will make it harder to get the next issue of Mardrox, Iron Man, etc., if I have to try a local bookstore since no one here really carries current comics on a consistent basis.
So your warning is true. Use your local store or you may lose it.
Jim in Iowa
Well, I did find out today that there is another store in another city that handles subs. I just have to drive a ways to get there. And since they are flooded with the subs from the other store that closed, they can’t even put me on a list until next January at the earliest!
Oh well, PAD’s Madrox and JMS’ Amazing Spider-Man are worth it, so the universe is currently safe as I know it.
Jim in Iowa
I got “After the Fall” a few days ago and have nearly finished the book. It is not one of my very top NF favourites but it is excellent. I enjoyed it a lot so far.
I will already start writing a detailed review at the weekend and am looking forward to it.
About buying books in shops: Amazon UK has the latest Trek books much earlier than local shops. And many local shops don`t sell Star Trek hardcovers at all. What I usually do, I order the Trek books I am mainly looking forward to, especially NF, from Amazon and for the rest, I can wait until these books eventually appear.
I love Crusade. Of course it would have been much better if JMS could have produced it the way he wanted to. I can`t blame him at all that he had enough. I always see these episodes (except the new pilot JMS was forced to make, which is dreadful) with mixed feelings. This could easily have been a new Babylon 5!
Hopefully the box will be successful. Of course I will buy it! And maybe the result will be some Crusade books. At least I can hope 🙂
Well, I did find out today that there is another store in another city that handles subs. I just have to drive a ways to get there. And since they are flooded with the subs from the other store that closed, they can’t even put me on a list until next January at the earliest!
Well, Spud’s Emporium is down in Ottumwa if you’re willing to travel that far every so often. 😉
I haven’t read “After The Fall” yet, but I”m looking forward to it. I’ve managed to read every Simon & Schuster Trek novel so far except
for “Exodus” and “Spirit Walk”. Thanks again, PAD. You’ve raised the standard. New Frontier rocks! Some of the Trek novels are barely readable, but with the Voyager and DS9 relaunches, the SCE series (I’d love to see PAD do one of those) and the Stargazer and IKS Gorkon series (PAD?), there’s some great stuff coming out.:)
Jim in Iowa,
I can recommend the comics shop I go to (Marshaks, 1-970-224-3599) if you want to do mail order. I have to go 45 miles each way since we have no direct mark shop in Cheyenne. I know they ship to customers all over the country.
You should be able to find Amazing on a newstand rack, but Madrox and Fallen Angel will be problems. We haven’t had them at my work yet, anyway.
I hate to say it, but from what I know, that other shop may be making excuses. Marvel now allows advance reorders up to 2 or 3 weeks before the title ships, and most of the other publishers print beyond initial orders enough to handle reorders.
I don’t know when “After the Fall” hit the street, but we got it at my work today, which was through the slowest possible route we use. Baerbel: Have you tried placing a request during the weeks prior to the Trek hardcovers coming out at your local shop? Most book stores over here can place a special order on backorder for up to 6-8 weeks.
Since no one has answered Luigi’s question about the Amazon kickback. I don’t know the amount exactly, but my understanding is it’s possible for websites to set up with Amazon where any customer following a link to Amazon and placing an order, Amazon gives some small amount back to that website the customer linked from.
cal
I never pre-order or back order books in normal book shops: It takes forever and especially in the case of hardcovers, they are much too expensive. I agree that it is important to support local shops but I also have to consider what is economical for me.
I used Amazon.com to get my copy of New Frontier (and put a review there) because they got it to me the fastest (almost two weeks before it was offered as an e-book)
The scene in the throne room left mean nearly in tears from laughing (the entire book was funny, but that one inparticular cause some deep belly laughs.
I was a bit skeptical about the ‘time jump’ but I ended up liking it a lot. I was Happy to see another character from the Starfleet Academy seris, even though she hardly got any ‘screen-time’ or development.
What I did miss in the book was much positive moments in the character’s lives. For instance, we see one couple who has been married for awhile and presumably love each other, but every scene in the book featuring them, they seem a bit hostile to each other. Likewise with Moke, he’s just really negative (I know it can go with being a teenager, but it was foreshadowed in one of those “it’s not going to turn out alright in the end” ways.
I know PAD has more project on the burners than anyone else in the industry, but I was still dissappointed with the ‘to be continued’ ending. (And it was a full novel, but I wouldn’t have minded a longer one…) I wonder too, how the ‘fast forward’ to be caught up with ‘current’ trek will work when the next installment doesn’t come out for another year.
I think I was most happy to see Calhoun and Jellico’s relationship. (and both Xylon’s – both of whom I hope will have their own, untragic, happy endings – and as an aside, I think that’s what attracts me to Star Trek over other sci-fi, in general the stories are happy-ending and hopeful, a nice break from some current realities)
Jim in Iowa – How did you miss a whole novel??? (I will say PAD’s other works seem to get more refrences on this site when compared with NF’s, but still…) Are you up to date yet?
Peter, After the Fall just arrived today, just six days after ordering it, and in great condition. There is some slight bending of the bottom part of the front of the jacket, but then it was a used copy. Not sure I like the CGI cover, with its absence of any Trek elements (save for that ugly sword that CAN’T be the one Mac got when he was twenty), but I can’t wait to read it! 🙂
I understand that JMS is quite upset. The powers that be deleted portions of his commentary criticizing TNT et al for the way they handled the show.