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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!unc!wfi
From: wfi@unc.UUCP (William F. Ingogly)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: SCIENCE FICTION BOOK CLUB
Message-ID: <27@unc.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 9-Feb-85 14:09:15 EST
Article-I.D.: unc.27
Posted: Sat Feb  9 14:09:15 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 18-Feb-85 06:14:59 EST
References: <512@topaz.ARPA>
Organization: CS Dept., U. of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill
Lines: 23

> I've been in the book club twice now.
> Overall my reaction to their selection is an old fashioned "raspberry"!
> They have a few oldies but goodies, alot of current (last two or three years),
> and VERY few new ones. Also, the new ones are never available till after they
> make it to the bookstores. 
> In other words, go for the freebies when you sign-up, but get out ASAP.
> 
> What we need is good old fashioned competition in the sci-fi bookclub market!!

I have to agree. I belonged to the book club briefly back in the early
'60s, and joined again about 2-3 years ago. I've purchased very few
books since rejoining, and recently got a form letter asking why I
hadn't purchased any books recently, and did I still want to be on
their mailing list?  

Typical recent offerings include every Stephen King book ever written,
Star Trek and Star Wars novelizations, a fictional account of a Third
World War by a retired military officer, and (as the above writer
points out) VERY few hot new titles. The quality of the books
themselves is mediocre: cheap paper, inexpensive binding, many typos
in the text. I've decided to buy titles I'm interested in at my local
bookstore in quality hardcover editions, and hang the SF Book Club
membership. I can't really recommend this book club to anyone.