Fiction Accumulation Syndrome

[basic.syntax]

If it was 'just glued' as is, I worry that it might always open to that spot. Or, glue seeps in and it doesn't open evenly on that page. But, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I think to do it right, the cloth strip needs to be peeled off the broken sections, and a fresh one applied all at once, so that it's the same adhesive material and amount, evenly applied. (Which also leads to delicate work reattaching or replacing endpapers and hard covers.)

[Fel]

If it was 'just glued' as is, I worry that it might always open to that spot. Or, glue seeps in and it doesn't open evenly on that page. But, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I think to do it right, the cloth strip needs to be peeled off the broken sections, and a fresh one applied all at once, so that it's the same adhesive material and amount, evenly applied. (Which also leads to delicate work reattaching or replacing endpapers and hard covers.)

Well... yeah; but the library does those cheap fixes on their books all the time. It all depends on how much damage done to the book you're willing to tolerate (cover will likely need to be razored off), and how "pretty" you want it to look. The way I saw this fixed usually applied a new cloth strip over the old and ended with a small thin line of glue where the binding broke (basically, the two pages were slightly glued together and you could notice it if you looked for it.)

Getting it professionally repaired would be insane though; you COULD, technically, just even use duct tape to fix it with the main problem being that you now can see the silver tape on the spine... but getting it done professionally would be if you really did have a first edition.

[NovaSilisko]

The cover and spine are fine, the only damage is what's shown in the photo. My guess for repairing it would be as simple as extracting the pages, replacing the piece of cloth, and re-attaching them. Probably not a good idea to try it myself, though.

[Flymetothemun]

Probably not a good idea to try it myself, though.

In the eternal words of Jeremy Clarkson...

But yeah, probably best to take it to the library or a book binding/printing place. It's a stretch, but maybe the place where they print the local newspaper might be able to help you, if you know where it is and live close by.

[Lohan2008]

11 books? Unless yr collection takes up a full wall; it is not "officially" an addiction

Rendezvous with Rama, cheaper to buy another one. Google search for book repears in your area.

[KerbMav]

I recently made the decision to sort out my apartment - you never thought 20m² could hold that much stuff you actually never used - or would use/read again for that matter, because there is so much new stuff to read/watch/listen!

Anyone interested in a whole bunch of Star Trek pocketbooks?

[basic.syntax]

Anyone interested in a whole bunch of Star Trek pocketbooks?

LoL. I used to pick up every new issue when it came out, they now occupy several boxes because I don't have the display space any more. My interest waned as the numbers approached 80, and cover prices left 'casual purchase' territory, and entered 'lunch money.' It saddens me to go to a used book store, and see them by their dozens, in the bargain bin.

I would pick up novelizations of episodes or movies, looking for extra scenes and tidbits. The worst for me was "Unification" - the Next Generation novelization of a two episode story. I was thinking the huge story of attempting to mend fences between the Romulans and Vulcans could contain subplots and political intrigues that couldn't be filmed for time. It had SPOCK in it, for goodness' sake. Sadly, the novel version was a complete waste. It was a blow-by-blow retelling of what was broadcast.

[Red Iron Crown]

There's a strange paradox at play: The more I read the longer my list of things to read becomes.

[moogoob]

That's where most of my best sci-fi finds come from. I've found lots such as Arthur C. Clarke (including 2001, 2010 and... whatever the third one is called) as well as some bad but fun schlock that I love like the Doom novelizations and L. Ron Hubbard's insane Mission Earth series.

[Cydonian Monk]

I have this problem times a hundred. Or a thousand. Comes from being both a life-long sci-fi/techlit fan (I quite literally cut my teeth on Alan Dean Foster's Star Trek "StarLog" books) and from having a couple friends that are (or have been) active writers and "in the scene."

Ebooks were a Really. Big. Deal. to me because it meant I could stop moving a half ton of old science fiction around every time I changed houses/apartments. I kept my favorites (have even repurchased a few such as Neuromancer and Childhood's End), gave away old things that were in the "meh" or "blech" categories, and have since primarilly only bought electronically. I still buy physical copies of the things my friends write and the things I really, really like (sometimes two copies - such as with The Martian - one to keep and one to give away).

The other big deal with eBooks is I can read anything anywhere without being judged by my book's cover. Not so much an issue here in Houston, but where I grew up walking around with the wrong book could get you threatened, beaten, ostracized, or worse. At the very least you'd become the recipient of a long lecture about the evils of fiction....

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

Last time I went to the library (last week) I got 13 books. I have finished 6 of them. People say I'm crazy. I don't hear them, I'm reading. Included in those was The martian by Ray Bradbury.

[H2O.]

There's a strange paradox at play: The more I read the longer my list of things to read becomes.

Yes, yes, I observed the same phenomenon. Yet I whatever I do, books are stacking up. As of today, if I buy a book, the waiting list for me to read it is 2 years (I did the math ).

[Herr Rictus Bingo]

I have a "buy book addiction" I can"t get enough of them, today I have 185 books (in french we say livre de poche) in my collection including some old books and i'm pretty proud of them Last week i bought 3 books, I'm in the mood to read some Jule Verne's story.

The mysterious Island there're pretty old now (40 or 50 years) but I love those editions you see on the cover there's a real photography and an engraving on it. I find the effect so lovely I want to purchase all of them !

And Robur the Conqueror

I even made a nautilus book mark

An idea, show us our collection ?

[NovaSilisko]

Just have received Starquake. I don't know where Dragon's Egg is. In any case, I'm currently reading The Mote In God's Eye, so hopefully Dragon's Egg gets here before I'm done with that.

Gorgeous art.

Edited May 19, 2015 by NovaSilisko

[NovaSilisko]

My collection has now grown by 8. Not really science fiction accumulation, but... I couldn't resist after seeing a copy of Pyramids by Terry Pratchett at a dollar store for only 3 dollars (less than what I usually pay for stuff on Abe!). It has a mediocre reissue cover, but oh well.

Then, later, my grandmother told me I could have any books I wanted from her shelves (apparently all of the books I picked out used to be my mother's?), and so Slaughterhouse Five, A Clockwork Orange, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Lord of the Flies, Thunderball, Walden, and The Andromeda Strain (which, tragically, has lost its cover... I might have it re-bound, someday, along with Rama whenever that happens I guess)

(yay low-light photography)

[Red Iron Crown]

The odds of someone else posting eight books and I've read them all must be astronomical. Those are some good reads, NovaSilisko, if you haven't read them yet.

[NovaSilisko]

The odds of someone else posting eight books and I've read them all must be astronomical. Those are some good reads, NovaSilisko, if you haven't read them yet.

It'll probably be a while. I'm still on Mote at present, and have one hell of a backlog now. I'm also running out of room on my shelf...

[Jonboy]

My collection has now grown by 8. Not really science fiction accumulation, but... I couldn't resist after seeing a copy of Pyramids by Terry Pratchett at a dollar store for only 3 dollars (less than what I usually pay for stuff on Abe!). It has a mediocre reissue cover, but oh well.

Then, later, my grandmother told me I could have any books I wanted from her shelves (apparently all of the books I picked out used to be my mother's?), and so Slaughterhouse Five, A Clockwork Orange, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Lord of the Flies, Thunderball, Walden, and The Andromeda Strain (which, tragically, has lost its cover... I might have it re-bound, someday, along with Rama whenever that happens I guess)

http://i.imgur.com/XOgRgbH.jpg

(yay low-light photography)

I've read all these but Pyramids, some great reads here. Slaughterhouse-Five stuck with me the most.

"So it goes..."

[Flymetothemun]

It'll probably be a while. I'm still on Mote at present, and have one hell of a backlog now. I'm also running out of room on my shelf...

Heh, I remember when I used to have free shelving space. Now I have to stack them up and pound the ones that are stored on the shelf back on the shelf.

[NovaSilisko]

Going Postal by Pratchett arrived. I was expecting a little paperback in decent shape. And what did I get instead?

Holy mother of mercy. It's huge!

edit: I've renamed the therad, now more just about book collecting in general!

Edited May 21, 2015 by NovaSilisko

[justidutch]

Last night I started reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Started around 11 pm, as reading helps me fall asleep. Couldn't stop. Too good. Finally around 4:30 am, 2/3 through the book I called it quits.

I hate my brain.

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

Last night I started reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Started around 11 pm, as reading helps me fall asleep. Couldn't stop. Too good. Finally around 4:30 am, 2/3 through the book I called it quits.

I hate my brain.

How many times has something like this happened to me? Far to many to count.

[Randazzo]

In the space of a week, I acquired two complete sets:

• The Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction
  
• The complete Odd Thomas series
  

That was shortly before I started playing KSP...

I'm not expecting to make any progress reading these in the near future.

[NovaSilisko]

So, I've consolidated my purchased books, the books from my grandmother's, and the books laying around the house that interested me. Not pictured: Mote In God's Eye (being read), The War Of The Worlds (can't find it)

[basic.syntax]

Resisting urge to post shelf pictures, it's Nova's thread

Your copy of Stranger in a Strange Land looks like a heavy-duty library edition.