The BEST SCIENCE FICTION HARDCOVER COLLECTION I've Seen  

Jealousy has a sound - and there was no mistaking it as it escaped my lips. I won't describe it here for reasons of delicacy. How extraordinary to be given the chance to go through a collection like this with two professional's professionals, being a rank ameteur as I am! Thanks much, Stephen (and Bob). You have a gift, OB, for choosing subject matter that is riveting. This was an hour-plus well spent, IMHO. Cheers.

Bob's is what I envision Heaven to be: wall to wall of the greatest science fiction ever written and in pristine condition. Thank you, Steve, for taking us there and as always for sharing your knowledge with us. Cheers!

That 'Anubis Gates' edition is really cool, never seen that before.

Just a note about the Panther hardback, I have a customer with a collection of SF and Fantasy the extends to 14,000 books ( I have been selling him books now for 25years or so) anyway he has 3 panther hardbacks with D/W and a fair number without. I think they are uncommon but were made for the library service, but those with jackets were extra copies that filtered into the open market. Obviously the story of them being rep samples could also be correct but the cost of binding such a small number for such a purpose seems unlikely.

That really is some collection! I know it's crass to talk about money but surely Bob has that collection insured for at least 6 figures...

I'm a fellow Tasmanian living in Scotland. Nice story.

Fantastic collection. So many rarities, and signed editions that makes my complexion turn green. Also, what a wonderful library room. Great video!

Wow!! So great to hear the stories from camera shy Bob. Interesting that the Tiger! Tiger! spine title is printed from the bottom up. Any idea why?

All I can say is wow ! What an awesome collection Bob must be very dedicated to have acquired so many fabulous books. I must tip my hat to the man so many of my favourite authors signed p k d just made me drool lol . Brilliant I enjoyed this so much . I shall be studying this closely again . Thanks bob and OB

Goals. Such a relief to see that copy of The Einstein Intersection. I recently acquired one and was concerned because it was so small, it even has that 1.05 p sticker. I thought it might have been a library bind up or something strange because I am not yet too familiar with U.K. book formatting. Many thanks to Mr. Bob for sharing his treasure, and your commentary was excellent as always. Cheers from the U.S.

Great video Steve, I loved every minute of it. Bob meeting John Christopher was a real highlight. 🙂

I soo miss the Fantasy Centre. Looking back, I did not spend enough time in that shop.

This is quite amazing, and somewhat overwhelming in its astonishing beauty. Thanks for sharing this amazing collection with us. Having heard Bob speak in the background, OS, I think Bob needs to start a book channel here on YT, to both share these lovely books, and the interesting stories that go along with each of them. I mean, he had a great reminiscence to accompany every purchase. I love it. I’d watch a Bob Book Collection vblog faithfully.

Thanks, Steve. A fascinating window into someone else's collection, which in many ways is an alternative world version of my own. I see a few authors on Bob's shelves that I'd never allow onto my own, which is just as it should be, and I'm sure I have authors on my shelves that Bob would never allow onto his shelves. I think Bob and I had the same approach to our early collecting efforts, visit ad many secondhand bookshops ad we could and buy anything which was an SF first edition; that seems to have worked well for both of us. The focus and refinement came later.

Fantastic video, thank you! I'd be interested in learning more about his process of collecting, why he selected certain pieces for inclusion, the role condition plays in his purchases (does he ever buy lower grade copies just to fill a whole), and how he cares for his books (the decision to bag them). Would be wonderful to get more of his insights on these topics.

Wonderful video. Thanks to Bob for sharing. I collect Joan Aiken and was surprised to see so many of her books in an SF collection.

My favourite Zelazny (I have read the first Amber books) was the short story, For a Breath I Tarry.

Those 'A World of Difference' books are surely the true definition of aptness! Two seemingly identical books with two very distinct histories between them. I thought that must have been scripted!

Great video of a truly gorgeous collection. I loved the stories as much as seeing all the books. You have taken me to so many great places so far this year. Dorset. Capri. Wiltshire. Hay-on-Wye. And you interview and talk to such interesting people. Bob, Christopher Priest, M. John Harrison, Emma Newman, etc. Keep up the good work Steve.

Ah, you'll be a further bane to my bank. I just got the Paladin editions of Philip K. Dick's non-genre fiction from your recent discussions, as a big fan I had not really delved into those, other than "Confessions of a Crap Artist". Mr. Bobs collection is amazeballs. And strangely, one of my earliest influences and introduction to PKD was a friend back in the day who was from Hobart, Tasmania! Small world. I think I read his copy of "Divine Invasions", but will now have to go get my own copy! And I'm enjoying reading Chris Beckett's "The Peacock Cloak" on your recommendation too. Keep up the good work, but don't tell my bank manager! 🙂Oooh, and I do also have a signed PKD, one of the volumes of the "Collected Letters", I'll have to see if I can locate it following a recent move!

Always good to see another's collection, although the envy monster, always, rears its ugly head. That demolished man is very nice. You didn't mention Bob's Sarban books, which I saw in the video. "The Sound of His Horn" is a top 5 book (SFF or any other list). I do have the "Crystal World" 1st by Ballard you showed, and I always think the jacket looks rubbed but its just a shitty jacket design, fabulous book though, my favourite Ballard. Overall an extremely impressive Collection. Steve, you would have a heart attack if you thought Bob's shelves were higgledy-piggledy, if you see mine, I have the no sorting at all approach (and I must say I need more shelves and the majority of the books are actually boxed), I find this gives me joy when I see something I wasn't expecting. (yes I know most of my stuff, but its still a nice surprise when I open a box for cataloguing and go "wow I forgot about that"). Among Bob's countless treasures he has a few 'fake pearls' in the form of lots of nice NESFA books on his shelves, for anyone unaware of New England Science Fiction Association fandom, they have produced lots of collected/omnibus reprints of older seminal works in quality hard covers, I highly recommend them. I'm not so hard on the American book club books as you guys. Firstly, for several books, the SFBC were the first actual 1st hardcover. Secondly they released some very nice omnibus volumes, and finally if you don't have the true 1st, they can make a lovely place holder until you do (if you can afford it). I have often said the 1950s Heinlein is my favourite oeuvre. Almost all his works in that decade, from the story collections to the juveniles to the novels, are just great. So I have to disagree with you there Steve. It is a nice Collection of Heinlein that Bob has. In general with regard to collections/collecting. You guys (as well as several friends and acquaintances) got in well before me. My main collecting ran from 1993-2017; when I moved house. Now that I've retired in the last couple of years, the money to buy is just not there, so not much as been added lately. My General philosophy to buying was, firstly buy the Classics, there are reasons these books have their reputations. The seminal reference books of the genre(s) by Pringle, Clute, Nicholls, Barron etc etc (or Steven E. Andrews for example), provided a good backbone. Then or course buy the books and authors you like to read, and finally fill out your collection where you can. I would still say this for anyone wanting to start collecting (or indeed start reading) SF today. Grab a list of the award winners and a good reference book/website (like, perhaps, your own book, Steve, which I don't have btw, maybe one day) and start there. Its of course, understandably, more difficult today to start collecting, as bookshops close, more stuff goes online, books are harder to find and prices skyrocket and finally you get people investing in books as opposed to collecting for the love of the books (esp. in the limited edition field), but ... don't get me started. Hope my comment is not too long or unfocused.

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing the experience!

Wow!

I wonder if you added up how much worth is there, must be included in house insurance It’s sad I only kept my favourite books and then moved to kindle as just didn’t have the shelf space

Bob's collection is truly impressive and parts of me are jealous, but other parts have started to question why we do it. I know this is heresy, especially with Steve's audience, who are probably all collectors in some way, but I have started to think that this urge to possess all these books (or records, or comics) is a little bit insane. I don't really do hardbacks unless I can't get a paperback of an author that interests me. I love British and US a-format paperbacks from the 60s and 70s. With a writer that I admire I get the urge to find everything they have published. But that tends to head off down various rabbit-holes. I like quirky American writers like Avram Davidson, Fritz Leiber and Fredric Brown. I have never really enjoyed R A Lafferty, even though he is often classed in a similar category the these writers. However, his books are hard to find, are extremely attractive to look at and it is very satisfying to get one at below the going price. I will probably never read all of my Laffertys, but they look very nice on my shelf. Bob shows great taste with his collection, but I did see some books which are probably there because they were produced when he was growing up, and because the writers were popular in fandom, or used to hang out with Arthur C Clarke. I'm not being critical, just wondering why we all cling to these things of our youth. I'll bet Bob will never read anything by E C Tubb again. I remember your reaction, Steve, when I was critical of you buying something by Piers Anthony. I think you said that it was just a nostalgia buy. So, I am thinking of starting a branch of Collectors Anonymous. I will be the first member. My name is Allan and I'm a book addict.

Which one you rather have steve i must kno