These books will be auctioned this coming Tuesday the 13th at 6pm Pacific time. All books start at $3. Signing up for a Whatnot account with this link gets you $15 free credit to use anytime: whatnot.com/invite/thriftalife
This makes me so happy!!! I love when people just embrace their book love and acquisition with no apologies! Life is too short. Enjoy your passions!!! ❤❤❤
It’s too bad the overhead has gotten so expensive in the 21st century. That’s what’s killing the small bookstores. The days of browsing the stores are about over, and the internet is not the same.
Recently found your channel and with that a newfound interest in reading sci-fi. I have a trip planed for tomorrow to the local sci-fi/fantasy used book store. I’m looking for Dune, Blindsight and Blood music. I live in Sweden, but hopefully they still have some of them.
I've read Dune sixteen times it's amazing. This channel inspired me to buy Blindsight which I'm currently reading now, and my next book purchase will include Blood Music (also because of Matt's recommendation). Basically I'm saying it seems like you and I have similar taste🤣 good luck on your book hunt!
I started following this channel purely because he had blindsight in his top favorites so I figured it must be a good resource for other books I might like. Blindsight is my favorite sci-fi novel and the competition is nowhere close.
What percentage of the books you own do you reckon you've read, mate? I only ask because I collect comics and much of my space upstairs is taken up with comics, probably around 40% of which I've actually had time to consume. I just love buying them and having them. I live alone, so no-one to tell me No! 😅
Are you going to give us a tour of your parent's house? I bought The Thing online about 7 months ago for $45. And the Chad Oliver cover art is Bob Pepper. Also, these don't appear to be the usual fare of beat to hell books. Why's that?
Am I losing my mind or was there a video in which you discussed horror books with someone? I could have sworn I had it on my Watch Later but can't find it anywhere now... maybe I'm just confused
Every book you read and show are so short, I go out of my way to find the longest books I can (mostly fantasy in recent years) and sometimes I wonder how a good sci fi book can cram a spectacular and complex story in such a small package. I have come to the conclusion that I need to get off my ass and read them to find out lol
Tanith Lee fan. Both those books are great but have a YA feel (just a warning if that's not your thing). Utter delightful weirdness. I loved them. Read them as a teenager in the 80s. My dad used to have a pile of SF books from the library next to his reading chair which I would secretly peruse growing up in the 70s and 80s. It's a pleasant shock to see some of those covers and remember my dad keeping them on his TBR pile 45-50 years ago now...
Hey bookpilled I was wondering if you could make a video where you just talk about The Dying Earth for a long time? I just read it and absolutely loved it and I like hearing what you have to say about it.
Thank you for another great video. I want to add that the Best of James Blish has one of my all time favorite Science-Fiction short story, Beep, and the introduction to the story included in the volume can also be very surprising depending on how familiar you are with the golden age of Science-Fiction. I won't spoil either but it's worth checking out.
I'm sure you get too many of these, but I cannot stop myself... I need to know if you are aware of Nick Harkaway's "Gnomon"; a bit hard going here and there, but I found it VERY rewarding. Probably the most literary SciFi I've read in years.
Many many years ago I found Starship, same edition, and Worlds without end by Simak (same cover art but in Spanish, crazy rare, hideous translation) in my grandpa's library, long after he was gone, there were a couple more jewels, including the pretty rare Spanish edition of Forever War, which scarred me equally forever. I also have that very same Slaughterhouse Five. Great haul!
I don't know if I'd call Mick Farren a rock star. More of a music journalist who was the singer of The Deviants, a relatively unsuccessful late 60s counter-culture band which had some notoriety at the time. Their albums later became collectable. Yes, I know you're just taking a shortcut but, y'know, it's info. He's a decent writer, his SF is reasonably good, but I enjoyed his biography of Gene Vincent much more.
Hey man, I'm curious if you've ever read Borne by Jeff Vandermeer. I saw in one of your videos that you read Annihilation and didn't like it as much as others which, fair. I do agree with some of your comments on it but I think if your liked how Vandermeer writes you might like Borne a little more. It's definitely a more cohesive story with stronger emotional themes while still holding his 'weird fiction' style. Just sort of curious what your thoughts on it would be considering the stuff you normally read.
1984: You might enjoy Julia (Sandra Newman). Concrete Island was very good. High Rise and Hothouse. 2 titles I have not been able to find out in the wild. Great books and it was fun to see.
About 13 years ago i managed to get two copies of The Thing each for $3CAD (plus tax). They had about 5 copies in Tramps in Regina, SK. It was very odd there were so many. Same with The Jaws Log and Jaws 2 Making of books. I got a couple of those each too. All great reads.
I got a rare copy of The Thing adaptation and really enjoyed it. I wish they'd reprint it as there are so many who've come to love that great movie! Did you ever get a copy of Frozen Hell, the full novel version of John W. Campbell Jr.'s version of Who Goes There? It's also a strong read.
‘And All the Stars a Stage’ is actually the only Blish I’ve read. Well written but had too many “women issues” for me, found it distracting and off-putting. Also I may meme the shit out of that first five seconds or so, it’s such a mood.
Whatnot is really crappy at notifying the phone about auctions. Unless you announce it on youtube I usually see you had an auction 6 to 24 hours ago. So I appreciate it when you post on youtube you are having an auction. Thanks.
Holy cow! I have about 5 to 6 thousand books in my garage, too! We're renting and we want to buy (in Southern California coastal, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, I'm crying is so fking expensive!!!), but right now I have no room except for maybe 20 books inside the house. Which reminds me, you bought three thousand sci-fi books? I thought I was a compulsive book-buyer with no self control who needs my children's adult supervision not to spend their inheritance in books, but you are almost... godly? In any case, happy readings. May you have the time and the finances to enjoy all of your books.
"The Text of Festival" is referenced by Hawkwind (it's an album title & Lyrics.) I believe they mean it in the post modern Marxist way, which is amazing for such a band, so I wonder what that book's connection is.
Your Slaughterhouse 5 looks to be the film tie in version as it has a still from the movie on the front cover. Barry B Longyear's Manifest Destiny contains 'Enemy Mine' which was loosely adapted into a movie. The Eyes of Heisenberg cover looks like it might be Ian Miller's art. Your Ballards, High Rise, Crash, and Drought, all feature covers by Chris Foss, and are very collectable. Crash is probably the most expensive.
I admire a man who has "3K" books, especially one who keeps those books alive and in circulation. And I really love Colin Wilson -- being full of shit is a big part of his charm -- really!
I also had books - thousands - before realizing, "This is insane." I could never read that many if I spent 24 hours / day. I gave many to the library and now pick one or two a week. But then a new book comes out (Anthony Horowitz, etc) and I have to get it so I manage to squeeze in 3 / week. The more things change...
Not gonna lie, I live on the other side of the world, buying these from you would be difficult (not to mention expensive), I've read a solid chunk of these books already and for oldies like these I tend to buy rather ebooks because my family is alergic to dust, but I watch your stuff just for the absolutely glorious covers and to find some new titles and authors that were never published in Poland. Thank you! The librarian in me is happy :)
I‘ll travel to London in October or November this year to with the goal to improve my collection. I’d be grateful for any recommendations for second-hand book stores with a good SF section. The only store I know from my last excursion 8 years ago is Skoob (which is nice, but more sources are always welcome).
Some weird and wonderful stuff in there. I recently picked up 'In the Footsteps of the Abominable Snowman' by a Czech author I'd never heard of called Josef Nesvadba. It has a pretty funny introduction from Brian Aldiss too. Will likely discuss that in an upcoming video and I know you have an interest in Sasquatch.
Ed Bryant (Timescape book) was a sf and horror short story writer that I remember most from his collaborations with Ellison. He started out at the Clarion workshop then moved to LA where he was homeless until Ellison found him and gave him a place to live until he could get on his feet. He won two Nebulas for short stories, both of which appear to be in the anthology you have.
@@Bookpilled Yeah he's good, especially when it comes to horror. He wasn't Koja good, but he could write a quietly devastating story. His sf was uneven but his story Shark in this anthology is a standout.
I think Mick Farren (like Chrissie Hinde) started as a rock journalist on the New Musical Express. It's a while later that I started to see his name as a rock musician, which came as a surprise. I had all the New Worlds Quarterly paperbacks but stupidly sold them (or gave them to charity). Who knew? I had a nice rejection for a story from Michael Moorcock when he was editing the paperback editions. Would have been cool to have been published there! I envy your collection. I had many of those books, but in UK editions, which were later lost in a flood. PS I had both Concrete Island and Tiger! Tiger! in those editions... and I still have 334 in that edition: great book, beautifully written.
PPS I'm reading Inverted World on your recommendation, loving it. The Wind from Nowhere is probably the best of the early Ballard's, incidentally. I introduced that orange edition of Crash to my rather staid group on an M.A. English course in 1982 - they weren't as impressed as I was. 🤪
“Cliff” Simak, “Norm” Spinrad, “Sam” Delaney.... we’re more than halfway to Cheers I bought Tanith Lee’s Don’t Bite The Sun just the other day. Just so you know, “Bite” is book 1, “Sapphire Wine” is book 2. Man, I covet all that Ballard....
The Eyes of Heisenburg cover is by Ian Miller, you can see it in the head. He did a bunch of LotR art as well as some Gormanghast. The Worm Oroboros, isn't so much a slog, but it is a challenge if thou doth not like to spake the high tongue.
