Gene Wolfe - The Book of The New Sun

Its there - looks amazing. Not to be missed. Placed an instant order - no-brainer for me. Signed by Gene Wolfe, Sam Weber and Neil Gaiman. That's a coup.

https://www.foliosociety.com/ca/the-book-of-the-new-sun.html

My goodness, the whole set in one go! Didn't know it'd be a LE set. My wallet is not prepared but it can suffer, especially having just bought the LIber Bestiarum just last week, this is definitely not one to be missed!

Damn. I did not expect this from Folio. Limited edition, the whole set, signed by all. Hadn't factored this into my spending but it's an instant order. There goes my resolution not to buy LEs with the row mark-up, haha.

I’ve never bought an LE before because they’re out of my price range and I generally don’t put value on the things that set them at a higher price, but I so want this! I have the first three books in the EP editions and like them, but they never published the last one! So tempted to take money out of savings and go for it...

Oh man, I love Gene Wolfe but I don't know about these bindings. The spines and the slipcase are great, but the cover illustrations don't make any sense to me. They make me think of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep not the Book of the New Sun. Would still pick it up if it were a standard edition. A $600 LE, not sure...

It looks really nice. I love the red foil on the black spine and the Sam Weber illustrations.

>3 Levin40: I also thought that I didn't buy a LE before the summer sale anymore. On the other hand I just got back from a nice call with FS ordering the book in four installments (I also got the 10% KMAG9 discount).

This actually looks pretty nice...as I am with The Game of Thrones, I'm jealous of those that like these books. They look great.

I was recently out-bid on the Centipede Press LEs of The Book of The New Sun, I dropped out at around $2k (they sold for over $8k in the end!), so for me these new Folio LEs are a bargain (even with the gaudy colours used on the covers that Folio seem to be over-using these days, at least the interior designs and images look great).

Order placed.

>5 MobyRichard: >8 didaho:
I just watched the video with Sam Weber. At about 2:15 he explains his thinking behind the binding colour scheme. Makes sense to me, I think they look great. Slightly mysterious and esoteric as well, much like the books themselves.

>8 didaho:
Yeah, I also thought that a fine signed set of these books would be forever beyond me, given the price and rarity of the CP set and the author's recent passing. Thanks Folio (and Gene Wolfe!) for giving us this opportunity.

>6 c_schelle:
Lucky you. I tried to apply the KMAG9 discount and was told it wasn't applicable to LEs. Which, to be fair to FS, I later noticed it does actually say in the Ts&Cs.

Beyond thrilled to see this, instant buy.

I'm curious about other fans' opinion of the fifth book, The Urth of the New Sun. I know, I know, it is not technically part of the series, but I can't imagine how a reader could comprehend the overall import of the series without it. I have the Ultramarine Press edition of Urth, which is, I think, just the text block of the mass market hardcover clad in quarter leather.

Here's a closer look. The illustrations are stunning. Too bad it's way above my budget.
https://youtu.be/m2sb1Jq1RSI

>9 Levin40:

Don't get me wrong, I love Sam Weber and the cover illustrations aren't bad. It's just that I would assume they were for another work entirely (Blade Runner or Neuromancer specifically), if I didn't know beforehand that it was The Book of the New Sun. I think I would have preferred pure black (fuligin) with the same spine titles. Interior illustrations look great. Wish it were standard edition.

Also, I already have the Centipede Press editions (got them at the published price).

>9 Levin40: I thouth it wouldn't work (it didn't online), but I just asked and they accepted it without a problem. This way I got it for the UK price.

Edit: Afterthought

Ordered. Just when I was congratulating myself on bringing my spending down.

Can't see this hanging around long.

edited for typo

Wow so exciting! I'll be purchasing these tomorrow for sure. This set will not last.

Oh, very, very cool.

This just might cause another Mort-mania kind of rush...

I think I'll wait for the counter to appear... ;)

That is turning into a very expensive month...

Ordered. Damn, Expensive month indeed.

Wow! I am drooling, broke and very lacrymose.

That's a nice set. I don't LOVE the covers but that would not stop me if I didn't already have the Centipede edition. Kudos to them for publishing it. I'll look forward to the reports once it is in people's hands.

I am a sucker for signed LEs, so have ordered.
>1 Neil77: Thanks for the link.

"This remarkable work-a striking Sam Weber binding design-reproduced to perfection-illustrations are fabulous-a pleasing curve to the top and bottom lips-stunning silver mirrored paper-his fantastic images"

"hand-numbered"

Wow, someone has actually penned the numbers! An arts-and-crafts revival!

"Handmade cloth-bound slipcase"

I have never before heard about a bound slipcase, and I suppose that the actual bindings are bound to have been bound by a stunning machine.

Ugh. In the midst of another international move and won't have free cash for months. Hope this lasts.

Do you think they will release a standard edition at some point? It just doesn't make sense to have this collection only as a limited edition.

It's not my cup of tea but I'm pleased that Folio appear to have got this right for fantasy fans, judging from the sound of the comments above.

>24 gmacaree: I hope your move goes smoothly. Whither now?

>25 Kisa_Vorobyaninov: I'd be surprised if they didn't. But then you never know!

>24 gmacaree: For twenty years we had a house in roughly your part of France, Graham: commiserations on leaving, and good wishes for your relocation - I hope you're heading for somewhere as nice.

>26 cronshaw: Not mine either, Russell, like so many recent offerings. I noted the Lavengro acquisition you mentioned on another thread, and why - I react in a similar way to undesirable FS books, sometimes opting for a fine press book, but this time a decent bundle of LEC from the US...

i recently pre ordered Game of Thrones, and now this comes along! i wonder how long until we see a ticker on this one?

my only reservation is that we are talking £100 per book, and having not read them, does the quality tail off over the series?

>25 Kisa_Vorobyaninov: Do you think they will release a standard edition at some point?

I'm doubtful that they will, for two reasons. Firstly, in other recent cases of two editions of the same title (Mort, Cthulu, I Am Legend), both standard edition and LE have been released simultaneously. Secondly. in those cases there was an obvious differentiator between the editions: leather (or 'almost' leather) vs non leather. For BOTNS I'm not sure what they'd do to the standard edition to make it different. If it was just a case of the same books but without the limitation sheet and in a slightly less fancy slipcase for 1/3 the price, then they might have some angry LE buyers to deal with. Then again, I could be completely wrong.

>29 Levin40:

If demand for this LE proves to be strong I can imagine them reissuing this set further down the line, like a couple years, with more skimped features. While this edition isn't exactly the height of Folio's top end treatment, ie no leather or marbled paper, I can see the potential for cheapening it into a more "affordable" edition with perhaps more bland front/back paperboards, single colour printing, no decorative initial letters and cheaper paper.

Or a more cynical take; they already have a standard edition ready but given Wolfe's death was only back in April they're withholding it so it's more easier to tacitly market this LE as Wolfe's last signed series.

>29 Levin40: But then Folio also have a history of publishing standard or fine editions a couple of years or so after a limited edition of the same work, e.g. Rubaiyat, Candide, The Sound and the Fury, The South Polar Times. Any standard edition would obviously lack the signing (a big plus for many collectors it seems), have presumably plain text block edges, perhaps single colour printing and a less 'stunning' slipcase interior.

>26 cronshaw: >27 affle: North London, alas. At least I'll avoid the ROW upcharge on my Folios.

I actually emailed FS and asked...no plans to print a standard edition. I so so want this and can afford it but have never spent this much on a set and have already started on the GOT set...so i’m not sure. Indifferent to the fact that it’s signed but really loved the books and would like a complete set so slowly gravitating towards ordering...

>32 gmacaree:

Just in time to vote again on the Brexit issue. LOL.

>13 c_schelle: I just asked and they accepted it without a problem. This way I got it for the UK price.

I followed this up today. I am told what you encountered was a bug which is now fixed. The code won’t work for anyone else on this or any other LE. A piece of good luck for you!

>26 cronshaw: It's not my cup of tea but I'm pleased that Folio appear to have got this right for fantasy fans, judging from the sound of the comments above.

It’s received something akin to a rapturous response here but I don’t believe the acclaim is universal. My guide on this, and all SF/fantasy issues (for I myself am not an enthusiast) is my wife, an “Analog” subscriber from the early ‘60’s. Anything in those genres I’ve never heard of I consult her before looking anywhere else. When Folio first mooted this in one of their “would you buy it?” questionnaires I mentioned it and her esteemed opinion was along the lines of yeah, well, he’s okay. She enabled me to tick the “no” box.

I’ll continue the story another time (I sense people falling asleep already). I probably now need to explain how come it’s arriving tomorrow …

>30 wongie: potential for cheapening it into a more "affordable" edition with perhaps more bland front/back paperboards,

I can’t be the only one who thinks that would be an enhancement.

>30 wongie: they already have a standard edition ready but given Wolfe's death was only back in April they're withholding it so it's more easier to tacitly market this LE as Wolfe's last signed series.

They won’t be the first to cash in on an author’s death, and this opportunity came almost gift-wrapped. But I do understand, obviously, why this makes the set so much more desirable for many.

>31 cronshaw: Any standard edition would obviously lack the signing (a big plus for many collectors it seems)

Indeed. My suspicion is this was set to be a standard/”fine”/”collector’s” edition (Atlas Shrugged,anyone?) but the author’s demise opened up an enticing possibility and his signature put the cap on the deal. I can’t say I blame them for making the most of it.

>32 gmacaree: At least the fustercluck of Brexit is offering you a great exchange rate. You'll get far more sterling Folio tokens for your Euros than would have been possible three years ago.

Yeah, I did it. After being burned on the LE Mort, I was reluctant to hesitate on this so important work. Not to mention that the Centipede Press set will be forever out of reach. Alas, for the budget. And I think it looks lovely.

Well, that was easy :-)

Wolfe + Weber = Instant purchase.

The signatures were unnecessary: sweet but I would have bought this anyway.

(edited for typo)

>15 Sorion:

There appear to be copies still available ....

Go on.

Go on.

Go on, go on!

>23 stunnedbyfolio:

I'd get in quick before Lola snaps them all up ;-)

As an addendum of sorts to my last few posts, I would like to say that (have I already said this?), I know little of this 'Game of Thrones' of which you speak but its author is quoted as saying that Wolfe uses words we 'can get drunk on'.

I like that: Wolfe's language is beautiful and poetic and moves me.

I also think Sam Weber's illustrations are stark and striking. The clash of colours gives them an emotional charge which seems entirely fitting.

(edited for spelling and more accurate wording)

>35 folio_books: Indeed. My suspicion is this was set to be a standard/”fine”/”collector’s” edition (Atlas Shrugged,anyone?) but the author’s demise opened up an enticing possibility and his signature put the cap on the deal. I can’t say I blame them for making the most of it.

That's a tad cynical and verging on a conspiracy theory. So how would you explain how they got Gene Wolfe to sign 750 limitation pages - one has to assume whilst he was still alive - if it wasn't intended as a limited edition? How do you explain Sam Weber talking about working on his first limited edition, almost certainly also filmed before Wolfe's death? Have Folio ever released a signed standard/collectors edition before?

But as for conspiracy theories, I have one of my own. I made an observation a year or so back that Folio have never, to my knowledge, published an LE with a living author, even if a number of times they've come close (Terry Pratchett, Russell Hoban, Richard Matheson). BOTNS was all set to have been the first one...but again it wasn't to be. If I were a living author whom Folio approached about making an LE I would probably be rather worried...

As for the board illustrations I think you're wrong. They don't take the obvious approach, true, but the more I look at them the more I think there's something rather iconic about them. Can't wait to see them 'in the flesh'.

>42 Levin40:

You make a perfectly reasonable point to which I can think of no immediate response. Cynical? Mea culpa. But I'm not your average conspiracy theorist. The earth is not flat (in fact it's very nearly round) and men from this planet have walked on the moon.

We'll just have to agree to differ on the boards. Two of them are fine. It's the dayglo yellow that makes me bilious. Having received the books about five minutes ago it pains me to say the colour is even more sickly in reality than in the pictures, having a vaguely greenish tinge, though still more yellow than green. I should make clear that I love Sam Weber's work generally and it was one of the main factors leading me to part company with my cash.

>43 folio_books: Still waiting for mine. Apart from the boards, any other impressions? I believe you'll have been amongst the first to see the full scope of Weber's work here.

Re cashing in on Wolfe's death, something else struck me. If they'd really wanted to do this, wouldn't it have made sense to announce this set asap after he passed away and allowed pre-orders a la Game of Thrones? With use of social media and a few ads in the right places they'd probably have sold out the entire run weeks ago. Instead we get....the usual mysterious Folio marketing. They appear on the website out-of-the-blue, no pre-hype, no email (I didn't receive one at least), not even a mention on fb or instagram up to now. If it hadn't been for this group I wouldn't have known of their existence. Not that I'm complaining too much, mind. If I didn't know better I could almost imagine they want members of this group to enjoy 'exclusive access' for a few days.

>43 folio_books:

'It's the dayglo yellow that makes me bilious.'

I seem to recall you mentioning this reaction in the past. Just an emotional response or a degree of synaesthesia?

Fascinating subject and utterly perplexing to those of us, like myself, who don't experience it.

If anyone doesn't know about it, this is a good starting point:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00gpxdm

(one of Vilayanur Ramachandran's Reith Lectures of 2003)

>44 Levin40:

Did Wolfe know the end was coming? He was in his eighties. Maybe he wanted something nice to mark his passing?

>46 Cat_of_Ulthar: Perhaps, and in any case this project must have been in the works for 2-3 years at least. But my comment was in reference to one above which suggested that the FS may have upgraded a standard edition to an LE following his death.

Just got mine, it's a heavy set. Some photos below with Dune as a size comparison, the reverse side of the slipcase (not shown on the site) as well as a top view to show a slight curvature to the case which seems a somewhat unique feature, and some shots of the decorative letters.

Something to note for point of clarification, only the first book, Shadow of the Torturer, contains the signed page.

Externally I think the materials are a bit lacking. No issue with the cover design or use of cloth but personally I would have still been happy shelling an extra 100 or maybe even 2 if they decided to go with black leather for the spines instead of the buckram. Next to Dune I wouldn't have thought they'd be worth the extra £25 per volume or even consider them LEs at all, they're really just fine editions going off the outside.

Internally though is where these volumes excel; page layout looks fantastic with the two colours, the decorative letters are the real stars here, font size and spacing is perfect, no eye squinting needed here. Abbey pure rough also feels great, doesn't feel too thin and smooth like with the Dune's or Cthulhu LE's use of Abbey Wove, and has a smidgen of tactile roughness as per its name. I think this is more a series to be read than simply admired from the outside but again wouldn't hurt had FS decided to embellish a little with leather.

Despite the externals being lacklustre I'm still very happy with this purchase.

>44 Levin40: Apart from the boards, any other impressions? I believe you'll have been amongst the first to see the full scope of Weber's work here ... With use of social media and a few ads in the right places they'd probably have sold out the entire run weeks ago.

First impressions, very favourable. They've got just about everything right, production-wise. My only negative comment about the illustrations is simply there are not enough of them. Two or three are outstandingly superb; the best are up there with the best of Dune. I had doubts about him using a very muted palate but they are entirely dispelled - it works wonderfully. I like the black page edges and the red blocking is a masterstroke. I'm not sure the silver lining to the slipcase was absolutely necessary but they've done it well enough.

As for their marketing well, what I add to what we know already? Everything you say makes considerably more sense but it's not the Folio way, Marketing is just not their strong suit. I believe these will sell quite fast anyway but you're right, it could have been a pre-publication sellout.

>45 Cat_of_Ulthar: It's the dayglo yellow that makes me bilious.' I seem to recall you mentioning this reaction in the past.

Indeed. "Something Wicked This Way Comes". As I said at the time, yellow is actually my favourite colour. But not THIS yellow. It doesn't literally make me vomit, it's just a disgusting shade. Folio do a particularly horrible green, too. If they must they must, only a bit less frequently, please. Until I have evidence to the contrary I'm holding Tom Walker responsible.

>48 wongie: I wouldn't have thought they'd be worth the extra £25 per volume or even consider them LEs at all, they're really just fine editions going off the outside.

Yes, that is my impression too. Not full LE quality.

>48 wongie: Internally though is where these volumes excel; page layout looks fantastic with the two colours, the decorative letters are the real stars here

Thanks for mentioning that. I meant to but forgot. I wasn't expecting much but the effect is superb, adding gravity to the page. Great idea, brilliantly executed.

>48 wongie: Despite the externals being lacklustre I'm still very happy with this purchase.

All I will say is I won't be sending it back. In terms of value for money I'm forcing myself to recognise there are actually four books here. Whether any of them is actually worth £100 is a matter for the prospective buyer's discernment.

I wouldn't presume to inflict my below-average photography on anyone, which makes me appreciate your photos even more. Thanks for sharing them.

Edited to correct attribution.

I am rather embarrassed to admit that I'd not heard of Gene Wolfe or the Book of the New Sun before. However, it sounds as though I've missed out on something that I will thoroughly enjoy and I intend to catch up post-haste when I receive my copy!

The fantastic combination of Sam Weber illustrating and Neil Gaiman introducing (and both, alongside the late Mr Wolfe, providing their signatures) also more than makes up for any misgivings I have with the external appearance.

I took the plunge! Thanks to those who posted their impressions of the books.

Placed an order yesterday. This was actually my first FS order in almost a year so I added in some things I had been holding off on as well. Horblower, Anansi etc. Very excited to get these all in and very pleased with the FS right now and some of the decisions they're making regarding content.

> foliobooks

I am curious to hear the rest of your story as to why you ordered the set if you didn’t know the author and your wife didn’t give an enthusiastic response :)

I took the plunge as well. Thanks for the enablement :)

>54 RRCBS: It's one of the signs of advanced FAD.

I’ll order when I get home today. I’m kind of annoyed with the FS as I didn’t get an email announcing this as I generally do with limited editions. It’s disappointing because I love Wolfe’s work, and I was looking forward to this and I would have been sad to have missed it.

>54 RRCBS: I am curious to hear the rest of your story as to why you ordered the set if you didn’t know the author and your wife didn’t give an enthusiastic response :)
>56 cronshaw: It's one of the signs of advanced FAD.

Thanks for that, Russell. You saved me a long and complicated explanation by going unerringly to the bottom-line answer. That's exactly what it is.

The slightly longer "explanation" is that I did try to read it at some point after my wife's evaluation but I didn't get halfway through the first volume. Less than that, in fact. It was an Audible audiobook and for the first and only time I returned it and got my credit back. Not one for me.

But a Folio LE? That's a different story. If it helps, I can state categorically if it was not an LE and lacked the three signatures (or Wolfe's, anyway) I would not have been tempted.

>57 sviswanathan: I’m kind of annoyed with the FS as I didn’t get an email announcing this as I generally do with limited editions.

Neither did I. Did anyone? The moral of this tale is stay connected to FSD.

What I did get, this morning, was a twelve-page brochure with the relevant details and pictures.

>57 sviswanathan: I’m kind of annoyed with the FS as I didn’t get an email announcing this as I generally do with limited editions.
>58 folio_books: Neither did I. Did anyone? The moral of this tale is stay connected to FSD.

No e-mail here either but I did get the brochure this morning followed about half an hour later by DPD with the books.

>57 sviswanathan: kind of annoyed with the FS as I didn’t get an email announcing this as I generally do with limited editions

Most likely because their server would crash - i don`t know, this will sell out pretty fast when the word gets out - as seen within FSD, and probably came to the conclusion the fairest decision to collectors would be not to be so open about it, they want to reward those that visit their homepage on regular basis also .. the mail will probably come out after some days though if it`s not sold out yet

Like Mort, this is a special case of high demand .. FSD are the place to go anyway for the latest news ..

If they sent out that e-mail all would most likely be nearly gone about now, flying out the window ..

>58 folio_books:
>59 dfmorgan:
>60 Pellias:

Thank you, I don't feel so annoyed now, knowing that an email wasn't sent out. Still, it seems unusual given how man email announcements they do send out...

Hello all. This set, or rather the rumor of its coming, is what brought me to Folio Society. I received a tip that they would be creating a Book of the New Sun less than a month ago and ventured to their site to check things out in anticipation. I picked up a few (ok eight) books in the mean time but was shocked when I saw this set for sale today. I hadn’t expected it so soon. I was even more amazed when I saw that they managed to secure signatures for this set. The Centipede set being limited to only 100 signed copies was torturous. This set being created is truly a dream come true. I had already fallen in love with Weber’s artwork on Dune (one of the eight prior purchases) and feel he was a wonderful choice for this series.

That was an extended introduction. I’m brand new here; brand new to Folio, and super excited to share this experience with other fans such as yourselves.

$50 for shipping is a hard pill to swallow.

>62 HowardEriksonWolfe: Welcome!

>62 HowardEriksonWolfe: Welcome and put your wallet where you cannot find it while browsing FSD!

>58 folio_books: Less than that, in fact. It was an Audible audiobook and for the first and only time I returned it and got my credit back. Not one for me.

It may well turn out not to be for you, but I would urge you to give it another try, this time reading rather than listening. If ever there was a work of fiction not lent to the audiobook format it's probably this one. You'll often find yourself flicking back pages or chapters to work out connections with events which have taken place previously; you'll frequently want to pause in your reading to muse on the relevance of what Wolfe is telling you or just to let his descriptions of the world sink in. And the vocabulary, damn, the vocabulary. You'll find yourself having to look up words, sometimes several times a page, which are obscure to anyone who doesn't possess an advanced knowledge of (amongst other fields) medieval history. This sounds tedious, but in Wolfe's case it somehow isn't: the words he chooses are always relevant and often beautiful; beyond the story itself, I felt my knowledge of English expanding greatly whilst reading. Frankly, I am in awe at Wolfe's command of the language; how anyone could possess such a vocabulary at their fingertips (and this in the pre-internet early 80s) is astounding.

In summary, I can't imagine listening to this book. It has to be read.

>63 Mr.Fox: $50 for shipping is a hard pill to swallow.

Be thankful it's not the other way around - those of us in Europe routinely have to pay $60-$70+ for shipping a single volume from the US. $50 for a heavy set sounds like a bargin.

>63 Mr.Fox:
Meanwhile, in Australia shipping is A$110 (US$77).

>66 Levin40: I can't imagine listening to this book. It has to be read.

As it happens, I took it to bed last night to read Neil Gaiman's introduction, anticipating he may perhaps inspire me to give it another try. Sadly not. Where I halted on my first attempt was at a mention of flaying a woman's leg. I understand from reading various reviews that, had I managed to persevere beyond that point I would have encountered the torture of a child. This is why I can say it's not one for me. I'm way too squeamish for graphic, brutal descriptions of torture, no matter how extensive or beautiful the vocabulary. He clearly has his fans, for whom I am delighted the Folio Society has crafted this lovely book.

Prior to its release I had no intention of buying it, for what I hope are obvious reasons. I was totally unprepared for the LE treatment, never mind the signatures on the limitation page, which made me think again. I concluded that parting company with so much money for a desirable object might also tempt me, eventually, to overcome feelings of revulsion and attempt to read it. And that is now the case. Maybe I shall. Just not yet.

Now being featured on social media - Facebook etc., and the FS home page.
Thanks to scanning by folio_books (Glenn), the New Sun brochure is available for viewing on the FSD wiki here and the Complete List of FS books here.

i am in a quandary now! I was looking to get The Wanderer LE this summer, but now that TBOTNS has been released, i am torn as to whether to get that instead, especially as it would appear to be a fast seller.
whilst i understand they are very different books, and most people wont have received ther copies of TBOTNS yet, can anyone who has both advise as to their preference?

>68 folio_books: Ok, now I get you. Yes, they're dark books in places, as the title of the first volume might suggest. I was in the middle of a read through before the Folio announcement, so it's all quite fresh. Whilst the moments of brutality are not frequent, they do tend to stick in the mind. I think it has something to do with the dispassionate, clinical way in which they're described. Near the start of the second book (minor spoiler ahead....) a particularly brutal execution of an innocent woman takes place, though it's described as being part of an average day's work. Getting into the mindset of such a protagonist isn't easy.

>70 stumc:

It seems to me, if you're interested in the content of TBOTNS, I would jump on it. The Wanderer is one I'm looking at as well, because of its content... But, I would say that TBOTNS will be gone too quick and never reach a sale. Books with collected poetry are much easier to find in fine press format and are in the public domain and always will be cyclical. TBOTNS will never occur again with those signatures and will probably not be released in this format for quite some time.

>72 The_Toad_Revolt_of84: you deserve a medal for enablement, that is just the push i needed!
i know though that i will say thats me done for the year, and then the summer sale will come along, probably with reduced LEs!

>68 folio_books:

I'd argue that there's nothing in the Book of the New Sun that isn't more or less in the Old Testament.
I mean...Elisha (or Elijah?) calling on a bear to maul a group of children? Somebody stabbing another guy
while he's on the toilet (graphically described)? So well within the pale...lol

I live in London and went to Laithwaites at London Bridge earlier today, where Folio has a copy (alongside a number of other limited and regular editions) available for browsing.

I would pretty much echo the sentiments of others who have viewed the books. They are a beautiful set, really attractive in binding, illustration, and paper quality. The Sam Weber illustrations are a highlight, and the set is really intriguing even to someone like me who has no familiarity with the books. With that said, I must admit the price of the books does not seem commensurate with the quality; the set reminds me a lot of other Folio sets of books--His Dark Materials, or the Lord of the Rings--with a few additional luxury touches. The high premium charged for this set seems to me largely linked to the three signatures in the first volume, and the presumed collectability.

With that said, I am very pleased Folio is embarking on projects like this, producing exquisite new editions of contemporary fiction. And though I can't help feeling that for the money these do not bespeak the kind of quality exuded by earlier Folio LEs valued at over £300 (the Chaucer books, for example, or Poems of Thomas Gray), the offering is attractive enough and my FSD advanced enough that I will place an order. From what I have now read about the books I am really intrigued to read them, and will relish the opportunity to do so in such a lovely form. As has been noted, these feel made for luxurious reading more than arm chair appreciation: the size is comfortable to hold, the font and spacing are impeccable, the paper luxurious, and the illustrations and design starkly alluring. I might wish it were £100 less expensive, but it is indeed a lovely set and one which will doubtless prove popular.

>74 MobyRichard: I'd argue that there's nothing in the Book of the New Sun that isn't more or less in the Old Testament.

I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that. I don't like the Old Testament either. And I might as well add I don't have any time for the New, come to that. I'd like to think I'm being consistent in not reading any of the three.

>62 HowardEriksonWolfe: I’m brand new here; brand new to Folio, and super excited to share this experience with other fans such as yourselves.

Welcome to FSD! You join us at an exciting time. Prepare to spend a lot more money on books than you would thought possible. As a newcomer to FSD and to Folio you will have tons of questions. For 90% + you will find answers on the FSD Wiki: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Groups:Folio_Society_Devotees.

Enjoy!

What a great looking set. Love the covers and black page edges in particular.

>74 MobyRichard:

I think a philosophical argument could ensue pretty easily.

1. I would argue reading horrific scenes for pleasure could be more difficult to someone than reading the Old Testament for study, if that's even the case here. The Old Testament is a historical document, meant to describe human existence as the animal would have to acquire lesson. If one is to believe in the philosophy of Christ --- the previous statement does not demean anyone. I mean to simply say, that the action is no longer the gauge and rather the heart is used to establish the path one will need for salvation. The Old Testament goes to great length to establish a useless cycle of human failure, only to admit that if this lesson is not understood, it could continue forever. Which it does and will, and that salvation is impossible under those conditions and therefore, enter Christ.

2. Translation is impossible. Little Child was used in context to 17 year olds, etc... throughout the Old Testament. I'm not excusing anything, and I'm not going to bother putting this into context, but if by graphic description:

"He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” -- And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys."

I would be interested to hear the comparative quote from say, the flaying or Little Child torture. I'm not opposed to reading these things in either scenario, because holy book or not, the value is in the context. I'm saying one may feel dirty...

3. I realize this all could be said in jest, and I may have stirred the religiously zealous Atheist. Not to be confused with an Atheist. But I'm really just angling for the quote.

I came close on day 1 to breaking my "no LE's for me" pledge, as this looks wonderful and seemed reasonably priced. I do admit that my ability to judge that last point isn't strong, as I have no LE experience for comparisons. But I slept on it, and decided that I would pass on it. I also am not familiar with the material, and am looking to retire soon and thus will have a much lower income stream to finance my FAD. If I were a collector rather than a reader I might still take the plunge, as those signatures seem likely to provide profit opportunities. I'm not looking at my books as commercial goods though. I have the first book in the series on request at my local library, and will thus get the Gene Wolfe experience without the FS experience.

>80 coynedj: As a reader rather than a collector, I'd say they are well worth a read. I enjoyed them at college age when I first read them (and was much more into Fantasy/SciFi) and upon my re-reads of the Centipede press editions. I'll be reading them again at some point if the U.S. life expectancy doesn't continue to go down. It's getting close to me now.

>81 jveezer:

I first attempted to read them at college age, but it took me several successive attempts to read the whole set. Ultimately, I was 26 or so when I read the whole series, and then proceeded to devour Urth, Long Sun, and Short Sun (and I pray that Folio publishes all of them). I still dearly love them, though they were a challenge for me to get into initially - like many of the classics I read in school, the challenge was always worthwhile. I became a devotee is Wolfe’s, and last month was a malaise for me. I’m glad to see him honored with this treatment by Folio.

I might be mistaken, but have the FS increased the amount of LEs in recent years?
They seem to be headed towards a future of producing vogue publications in the sci-fi / fantasy genres.

>83 LesMiserables:
Steve, for LE statistics go to http://www.librarything.com/topic/192880

Thanks Warwick.

>79 The_Toad_Revolt_of84:

Oh yeah just a joke. I'm familiar with all the arguments, but I only bring up the Old Testament because Gene Wolfe was a confessed Catholic.

I do understand the concerns about pricing. However, I know Sam Weber is an incredibly expensive illustrator. Though I haven't received my copies of this set yet, I have Folio's Dune which he illustrated. The illustrations for Dune are simply wonderful. Using Weber for The Book of the Sun volumes are, to my mind, an example of how Folio pulled out all the stops on this edition. Neil Gaiman to introduce the edition is another example. And signed by author, introducer and illustrator - unexpected and excellent. Finally, these books are major works of science fiction/fantasy with few peers. Much more than faddish productions. I did not hesitate to jump on this offer, price aside - fair for what you are getting (compare the secondary market for the Centipede Press edition of these books - $6,000 and up). Just don't tell my wife what I have done.

I really love the books and this FS edition, but I feel the prices of FS books have gradually, during the last year or so, gone over my budget.

However I mix up books I like in the cart, I pretty much end up with an average of 80 euro / book.

What was the initial FS motto? I can't find it right now but I'm confident the gist of it does not reflect what has become.

>88 bacchus.:

The initial motto was to produce "editions of the world's great literature, in a format worthy of the contents, at a price within the reach of everyman" (said by Charles Ede, founder), with a similar statement by Gavron: "I do want to bring beautiful books to within the reach of everyone."

^ Thank you.

I'm convinced that, for whatever reason and whether valid or not, the priorities shifted as of late.

What we should really be asking for is a new motto :)

>90 bacchus.:

Oh, I don't know. Looking back at the 1960 prospectus, most Folio books were around £1 - £1.5 when average annual pay was £700. Now typical Folio volumes are more like £35-£50 when average pay is nudging £30,000. Seems to me the books - standard editions at least - are as much within the reach of everyman as they ever were, though their attractiveness to everyman will depend in these multi-media days on how much else he's trying to reach for.

I'm not nearly so sure how well the "world's great literature" part of the old mission statement is holding up. That's emphatically not a dig at these Gene Wolfe volumes: I don't know the author at all, but to my great surprise I'm sorely tempted to a purchase, on the strength of the Folio mailing, what I've read about the work here and elsewhere in the past couple of days, and the way extracts from the prose, as never before for me with this genre, attract rather than repel. All of that, and there's also an excuse which can be quite a potent inducement for me, to wit that if hard times befall and/or the books turn out not to agree with me there seems every prospect of being able to pass them on for at least the purchase price.

^ that was on point.

Indeed, when you put it like that, the standard editions are as much within reach as they were before; it's just that lately I often find myself tempted to purchase the more expensive ones.

Unfortunately, I can't judge on the "world's great literature" part; I can tell most people here are way over my league on that matter :)

As I've noted before in another thread, in the early years of FS the price of their books was at the same level as new books by general publishers. Ede's word meant something.

I know nothing about these books or author and so it is a bit of a steep entry price for experimenting. Nonetheless with the 750 limitation and the 3 signatures and Sam Weber illustrations I’ve ordered fully expecting that should I decide not to keep them a ready secondary market demand will exist so I can at least recoup my money. However, as with most books Folio has introduced me to without prior knowledge I also expect I will find them an unexpected treasure in my collection.

I received my copies yesterday, and sadly there is significant black scuffing on that bright yellow cover of the third volume, which I assume has transferred from the buckram on the back of the fourth volume while inside the slipcase. I'm about to email Folio about that. once again I wish they would use more robust cover materials.

The interiors however are sublime, overall very happy with this purchase.

Ede: "Editions of the world's great literature, in a format worthy of the contents, at a price within the reach of everyman"

Gavron: "I do want to bring beautiful books to within the reach of everyone."

First of this is utopia .. everyone can`t be reached, and worlds great literature is a matter of taste .. and listings .. and fame .. and ..

- -

I can say as much. If FS only sold the oldies but goodies, but yawnies after print run 50+ like Dickens, Shakespeare, and what may for £1 or £1.5 in 2019 i would never in a million years be a FSD this day .. if you want to buy some nice clothings for your husband, and a nice suite for your woman or whatever your taste is, you know these things cost .. it costs money to have style, and not everyone can be Cinderella like beautiful ..

When these slogans were made FS printed a handfull of books a year (at least the Ede one) .. thus i jump forward to present time and agree FS should have a new slogan, fit for our globalised world .. and that will come, first check out the marked, sell more books, see what people want - then make the slogan .. relax and pick your battles, can`t please everyone so don`t try to

Unpredictable is one of FS`s strenghts, so thank you for trying out new things and also give the Gene Wolfes also some recognition. Can probably thank Neil Gaiman, Grr Martin etc for that like it or leave it ..

Looking forward to dive into it

>86 MobyRichard:

Ok... Yeah no arguments, just citing a possibility. I don't argue the morality, unless I'm trying to convince myself. Arguing morality on platitudes of advanced chemicals is pointless, but I was hoping for the cited portion of the Gene Wolfe book.

>95 didaho:

That’s a real shame. I am interested to know what they do - they have been excellent in the past with issues like this and have sent me a new copy without even requesting the old one back. However, I’ve never had an issue with a limited edition before.

My copy arrives on Tuesday - fingers crossed it gets here OK.

>93 Jayked:
But in the early years of FS a new book by a general publisher was a smyth-sewn hardcover bound in cloth or buckram (and in the case of earliest years even printed letterpress) - not a glued paperback of today that starts disintegrating before you even buy it. So to compare apples to apples, I just looked at the 1956 prospectus from FSD wiki. The cheapest Folio of that year was 14/6, the most expensive was 30/-. A random ebay search for a 1956 pengiun paperback reveals that a regular-length novel (Orwell's 1984) was 2/6, and a slim one (Animal Farm) was 2/-. So Folios were about 6 to 15 times more expensive than paperbacks. I see no difference from today.

I say, it's just the man, keeping us down. I think Folio has survived because they have a fantastic product... And if the jagoffs taking my money for stuff I didn't want, would give me an option, I might have 1/4 of Warwick's library by now.

>99 elladan0891:
Hardback to paperback ain't apples to apples. The average price for a new hardback novel in 1956-57 was 15/-. A book such as Low's Autobiography, with illustrations, cost 30/-. Most UK publishers didn't provide cloth covers, but used paper stamped to look like cloth, with some honourable exceptions (Faber, Michael Joseph..) Even ten years after the end of the war, newsprint wasn't up to American standards. Because it's used today for special projects by specialised firms, letterpress is now seen as superior to other forms of printing. When it was the standard, there was a huge variety in quality, from pulp magazines to large-run popular fiction to small publishers such as FS. Folio books were printed and bound better, and illustrated, for a price in the general range of other hardback publications.

>101 Jayked: "Hardback to paperback ain't apples to apples."

I never said that. I said that the price ratio of a 1956 Folio to a 1956 penguin paperback vs price ratio of a modern Folio to a modern penguin paperback is a good apples to apples comparison, and it's a good way to judge affordability, especially as far as everymen go.

My point was that I don't agree with your logical chain:
- old Folios didn't cost much different from books by general publishers
- new Folios are more expensive than regular books by general publishers
- therefore new Folios are not as affordable as the old Folio were

This logic is built on the assumption that books by general publishers then and now are the same, which I don't think is true.

I don't have any British-made hardbacks from the 40s or 50s, so my framework of reference was based on American and Soviet books of the period. Out of a few hundred I have, all are cloth or buckram-bound. If British post-war standards were lower, then it sounds like in the UK Folios provided an even better value as far as hardcovers go than I expected. Still, I suspect that an average post-war British hardback was a better product than an average book printed today.

And nobody's arguing that Folios weren't a better product. We're discussing affordability and all the "being within a reach of everyman" talk. And if speaking affordability, I think Penguin paperbacks are a hard to beat baseline for comparison - both because they're still available and because paperbacks have always been the very epitome of affordability. So again, my point is this: in 1956 an "everyman" had a choice - a Folio book or 6 to 15 Penguins paperbacks. In 2019 an everyman has the same choice. Nothing changed.

So what we have is:
1) as >91 terebinth: showed, decades ago an everyman could buy about the same amount of Folios with his average salary as today
2) in the early years an everyman could buy up to 15 paperbacks with the money required for a single Folio. It's still the case today

Looks like nothing changed to me, and Folios were about as affordable back then as they are now.

>80 coynedj: "...I have no LE experience for comparisons">

I have no plans to buy the set, but it surely doesn't look like real LE quality. On the other hand, it's less than $150 USD per book, so is really in the Fine edition territory. Considering it could be purchased in 4 installments, it's like buying one Fine edition book a month. So I think it could be thought of as a Fine edition featuring very attractive typesetting with special initial letters and two-color printing and an author's signature as a bonus, and as such I think it is reasonably priced.

P.S. Normally I'm not interested in fantasy that I haven't read as a kid, so it's a pass for me.

>103 elladan0891:
I think your assessment is totally correct. I have just received my set (No. 23) and agree it is more like four fine editions than a limited edition, for which I would expect to pay a premium above the standard format FS book.

>103 elladan0891:

I wondered that as well. And for four books to be priced where they like the LEs, I don't think they could've made them much better. I also don't think the general audience for these books would've been happy to pay 1600 USD.

Here are the first UK editions showing the wrap around cover art.


At first I read them for the story. Just trying to follow the surface story is quite difficult and I missed a great deal. There is now a ton of information on the web to help and even a page-by-page analysis on ‘alzabosoup.’


Here are the 6 Centipede press editions.


The folio society edition should arrive this week…
Here are some pages from the Centipede Press Sword of the lictor. including my favorite extra-terrestrial, the salamander.

In the '80s I sought out American trade editions where possible, for their frequent use of acid-free paper and their avoidance generally of embossed paper bindings masquerading as cloth. Must admit I hadn't been conscious that imitation bookcloth went back as far as the 1950s, but checking a few random books from the period I soon found it on titles from Gollancz (1961) and Heinemann (1958).

The comparisons we're trying here really are difficult, with Penguin paperbacks no more a fixed product over the years than trade hardbacks. All else aside, I would guess Penguins in the '40s were about as affordable as new books came, whereas today's Penguin, though inferior in binding to the 1940s-'50s version, sells for several times the price of such competitors as Wordsworth Editions.

I've placed my order for The Book of the New Sun, my first LE since the Fine Press Classics and quite possibly my first Folio purchase since then.

Why is the Centipede Edition typeset ragged-right? Can anyone identify the font used? The more pictures I see from this edition there more I do not like it its typeseting. What is the paper quality?

I love statistics. Here are some new equations:
1957 1 Folio = 6 PBs = 1 HB

2019 1 Folio (low end) = 6 PBs = 2HB (list) = 3HB(actual)
1 Folio (high end) = 12 PBs = 4HB (list) = 6HB(actual)
For my sins I was there in 1957, and I bought all 12 Folio publications as they were published. I paid on receipt, as you could then, by postal order, as I didn't have a bank account, being then in fifth form in high school. I didn't have an allowance from rich parents, but spent an hour six days a week delivering newspapers. I had enough left over to buy the occasional HB and PB, and smoke Sobranie Virginia Straight cut. I seriously doubt that a teenager today could load up on Folio fantasy to the tune of 12 a year on the proceeds of flipping burgers for an hour a day at Macdonalds.

>109 Jayked: I paid on receipt, as you could then, by postal order, as I didn't have a bank account, being then in fifth form in high school.

That's just brilliant. I wonder how many "customers" they have today who are still in high school. I considered myself sophisticated and young to be a member at the tender age of 23. Of course I was married and had bought a house by then, too. And not a rich parent in sight.

>110 folio_books:
In an interview with Elizabeth Howard, Joe Whitlock Blundell mentions that he joined FS in his teens because at his school membership established you as an intellectual -- http://www.bookbindingnow.com/search/label/Joe%20Whitlock%20Blundell. I believe he's mentioned tangentially in Debrett, so perhaps his school was a touch grander than mine or thine, but teenage members there were.

>111 Jayked: perhaps his school was a touch grander than mine or thine, but teenage members there were.

I am heartily glad to know it. Perhaps the mention of Debrett suggests a touch of the aristocracy, if not actually rich.

>111 Jayked: : "he joined FS in his teens because at his school membership established you as an intellectual "

IYI (see Urban Dictionary)

>113 stunnedbyfolio:

'IYI'

New to me so I looked it up.

I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who claim knowledge of things they haven't actuallly studied but, if you are claiming that Joe is an 'idiot' rather than an 'intellectual', I think it would only be fair to offer some evidence.

(I'm not claiming the two are mutually exclusive: there's a famous quote often attributed to Orwell which runs something like: Only an intellectual could believe something so stupid.)

>112 folio_books:

'perhaps his school was a touch grander than mine or thine, but teenage members there were.'

Are you glad to know that Joe was a bit posh (if poor)? Or that teenagers were allowed in?

>114 Cat_of_Ulthar:

It's not about teenagers being "allowed" in. I'm mainly delighted because a boy still at school would know about Folio and would want to join. It would be a few years before their full-page adverts began to appear in the Sunday supplements. He wasn't subsidised and in those days had to commit to buying four books a year. I assure you it was often a struggle for me to afford four in one go. I'm glad I did and I bet Joe is, too.

(You do realise what you quoted was from >111 Jayked: ...)

I had no knowledge of the Folio Society at all when I was in High School (USA) but I was a member of the BOMC. Joined multiple times for the signing bonuses which I still have in my library including the compact OED, complete Dickens and the complete (well actually the first 10 volumes) of The Story of Civilization by William and Ariel Durant.

>109 Jayked: "Here are some new equations"

Sure! To me the new equations show that hardbacks by regular publishers became cheaper. Which in my framework of reference is only logical as their quality has gone down drastically. And in the framework of the UK I certainly trust your statements on quality of books, and so I'd say it means that regular hardbacks became more affordable, while paperback and Folios stayed at their levels.

As far as burger-flipping teenagers go, they certainly can buy a Folio a month should they wish so. McDonald's pays $7 to $10 an hour in the US, average is 8-something, so let's take $8. Then flipping burgers 6 hours a week will get one $48/week, or about $208.56/month - certainly more than enough to get a Folio if desired.

It's actually pretty easy to get stuff as a teenager living with parents - lodging and food are covered, whatever money you manage to make is yours to spend. About 20 years ago, as a freshman in college, I bought myself a pool table, among other things. I went to college close to home, so was still living with my parents. I had weekly food allowance of less than $100 week from my parents, but that was mostly spent on booze and cigarettes. I didn't flip burgers, but I managed to rack up some scholarships, so after covering tuition I had almost a thousand bucks left in my pocket each semester for the first 2 years before the loophole allowing me to keep the extra cash closed. If I encountered Folio books at that time, I would have been a member too.

Just a heads up for the ones still on the fence on this one, the website now states that over half the limitation already has been sold. I suspect that the second-hand price will not calm down for a while after selling out.

For what it's worth, my short review of the Centipede Press edition is the second most viewed post on The Whole Book Experience since I wrote it back in 2011. First is the FS Wind in the Willows LE, third is the FS Letterpress Shakespeare, and fourth is the Arion Press Don Quixote. Although this points maybe to edition desirability more than literary merit, it's lofty company both in terms of what I consider Fine Presses in the company of a Private Press, and also in its neighbors places in the literary canon.

>108 Maverick_: The paper is nice but not handmade and the page layout could be a bit better, as you point out. A couple of reasons, among others that I put Centipede in the Fine Press quality category rather than in the Private Press. Those three other top viewed books would win my vote over TBOFNS in a beauty contest of the book as object and in readability. But I applaud Centipede Press for its catalog that includes Wolfe, Moorcock, and Leiber.

>115 folio_books: 'You do realise what you quoted was from >111 Jayked: Jayked: ...'

Yes, I do: I found your initial reply to Jayked slightly ambiguous, so I requoted the same bit you did in the hope that you could clarify, which you have done, and for which I thank you. Additional information leads to localised reduction of entropy within my brain and thus increased certainty :-)

Admittedly, I could have phrased my own question more carefully.

>120 Cat_of_Ulthar:

Almost exactly what I thought had happened, so much relief to know my own brain is still functioning, at least some of the time. You'll be relieved to know I don't charge extra for added ambiguity.

>95 didaho: Did you receive a reply from FS? I have exactly the same problem, the yellow cloth on the front of the third volume looks grubby and has a dark vertical line, this does seem to be transfer from the black cover of the fourth volume.

>122 xrayman: I also have that problem and just got an answer from FS. They will send me a new set so I can swap the book and send the set with the damaged book back.

>123 c_schelle:

Seems a bit over the top. Why not just send you a replacement for the one faulty book? Even if it was volume one, with the limitation page, a straight volume-for-volume swap would work without incurring large shipping costs. What am I missing?

>124 folio_books:

My assumption is that they already have extra sets (or the material for the full set) ready for exchange. They could just send one volume, but what to do with the other 3? Either that or they have no extra sets and the customer will receive a different limitation number, but the question is the same. What to do with the other 3? Could either waste money storing them or destroy them, which don't seem like great options. But I'm just guessing here.

>124 folio_books: Here is the reasoning from FS:

"Unfortunately, we are unable to just send a single volume from the set - we only have as many books as we do sets, and it is far more likely to get damaged in transit unprotected and on its own. I can send a replacement set out for you, so you can swap the book out, if that would be okay with you.

Usually I wouldn't ask for the imperfect books back your photos would suffice, but given the prestige nature of this project and the massive amounts of hard work that have gone into it, I really want our Production department to see what has been sent out. I'm sorry if this causes any trouble, but I will, of course, be happy to reimburse any postage charges incurred in getting the books back to me."

>126 c_schelle:

Apparently not a horrible guess...:)

>126 c_schelle: I will, of course, be happy to reimburse any postage charges incurred in getting the books back to me."

That makes it less painful and more like the Folio we know. But whichever way, they end up with a faulted set. In the olden days that would probably end up on the Naughty Trolley in the dMR. I wonder what fate has in store for this particular set?

>127 MobyRichard: Definitely not. As there are already three people on this forum with the same damage on the same book it seems they had a serious production problem. I think this set will be available next time they do a sale at Laithwaites or they have to produce some more copies of book three which would be quite costly.

My set arrived today and has the same problem with the black that has apparently rubbed off on the yellow front of the third book. If they would have to replace the entire set I think I'll just keep my set and add this to my long list of reasons to keep my FS standards very low these days. Based on other comments here I wouldn't be surprised if the replacement set has the exact same problem. Also don't want to risk receiving a higher limitation number. Very frustrating. I wish FS would test their materials more thoroughly before using them on their publications, especially the limited editions.

I had a similar problem a couple of years ago with The Tale of Genji -- two sets with the same production fault before a perfect third set. I was told to keep them all, and gave away the two flawed ones to people who wouldn't take advantage. The printer/binder at fault was a prestigious German one, and the flaw was invisible once the books were boxed, so you could hardly blame FS. Because the flaw was inside the back of the second volume, and it's unlikely that I was the only person unlucky enough to have won the jackpot twice, I suspect that there are other owners who will discover it when, if ever, they read to the end of the second volume. Caveat emptor. In addition to spoiling the moment of opening, these incidents leave you with an illogical feeling of guilt over causing so much trouble and expense.

>129 c_schelle: As there are already three people on this forum with the same damage on the same book it seems they had a serious production problem.
>130 Sand_Man: If they would have to replace the entire set I think I'll just keep my set and add this to my long list of reasons to keep my FS standards very low these days.

OTOH there are several people on this forum who have received perfect copies (or haven't thought it worth mentioning the grievous defect reported by others). Very frustrating, I know, to receive a less-than-perfect book from Folio. More so when it's an expensive LE. It takes the shine off what should be a sublime experience.

>131 Jayked: Because the flaw was inside the back of the second volume, and it's unlikely that I was the only person unlucky enough to have won the jackpot twice, I suspect that there are other owners who will discover it when, if ever, they read to the end of the second volume. Caveat emptor.

And of course that sent me scurrying directly to my shelves. I'm relieved to say there are no signs of any defects inside the back of volume two. And also, of course, I checked the back of volume one as well :)

>131 Jayked: In addition to spoiling the moment of opening, these incidents leave you with an illogical feeling of guilt over causing so much trouble and expense.

Yes, I recognise those sentiments. It's happened to me a few times, most noticeably when a particular package went astray and I ended up with three parcels (ie with two replacements). In direct communication with the Customer Services Manager, I could not convince him to accept the extraneous two back, even at my expense, something I feel vaguely guilty about to this day.

>131 Jayked: - I'll be checking my copy when I get home! I always look over the books when they arrive, but you've planted a seed of doubt.

I received my copy today but haven't had the chance to open and review it yet. Hopefully there aren't any issues...

>123 c_schelle: Thanks for the info. I was going to ring FS in the morning to ask if they could replace the affected volume, but now I may just put up with it. Replacing the whole set seems OTT and the replacement may well have the same problem. In effect a piece of yellow cloth is sandwiched between two pieces of black buckram, so I suspect this may not be an uncommon issue.

My third volume also had similar staining but wasn't really that big a deal. I actually got a wet towel and gently scrubbed the staining off, it didn't completely get rid of it all, there's still a small blemish that you can just make out to the centre of the image. Also the towel took out the faintest bit of yellow dye from the cloth so there's a barely noticeable white-ish patch near the top but is imperceptible unless in bright natural sunlight and then only if you know what to look for. It's less noticeable than the original black staining so doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Yes it's an expensive purchase and should be perfect but still getting it replaced seemed to me like such a waste in replacement material and delivery emissions (no matter how small in the grand scheme of things) over such a trivial thing. I'm still 100% happy with this purchase. I guess being a seasoned collector of fine press books (or so I like to think) there comes a point where you've bought so many volumes with unexpected dents, nicks, dings scuffs and stains that you eventually give up always expecting perfection in every volume instead of stressing and wasting time over it. Of course everyone will have their own threshold.

>136 xrayman: I knew about the stain since friday and tried to ignore it, but it came back to my mind twice since then. I gave in this afternoon to my nagging feeling and asked for the replacement. But I just tried what >137 wongie: did to remove the stain and was quite successful. I used a wet Q-Tip and got rid of almost all dark spots. I just wrote FS an E-Mail to cancel the replacement if that is still possible.

>122 xrayman: xrayman I never received a reply for Folio which is surprising, however I did state in my original email that I was not seeking a replacement, as I was overall happy with the purchase, however I was bringing it to their attention as I felt it was a design flaw and not a packaging issue, and sadly it seems from the subsequent messages here that others have the same issue with staining. Here is what my copy looks like upon receipt:

https://i.imgur.com/EYDbrlV.jpg

I will try the trick recommended here to try to remove it myself with some gentle wet rubbing, figures crossed that will resolve it.

I received number 13 of this LE so I guess I was one of the earliest to order, and given the nature of the stories within I am very happy with that number, and have no intention of exchanging that ;-)

>137 wongie: >138 c_schelle: I think I'll ring FS and ask their advice on cleaning the marks, I'd hate to make things worse. Conversely I'd feel bad at having a replacement set sent out, especially if it might have the same problem.
>139 didaho: I did notice from the thread that early purchasers seemed to have received sets with low limitation numbers and wondered if FS were sending them out in numerical order. This would be a welcome break with previous practice.

10: I would argue that Urth of the New Sun is definitely part of the series. It concludes the tale of Severian. The Castle of the Otter is not part of the series. I do wish the FS had at least included the fifth book in the series. That said, I do think any fan of imaginative literature will enjoy these books and the FS edition certainly looks beautiful.

Received number 129 today...not having an LEs I can’t comment on whether it’s up to that level of quality, but I do think I would pay $200 CAD per volume since they are at least fine editions. Like the feel of the cloth covers and love the interior. Don’t care about the signatures but I guess it makes the books unique. Definitely pleased with my purchase.

I received 192 today. I am satisfied with the quality for the price, and I'm quite happy with the set, though as with others, I would have liked to see The Urth of the New Sun included.

My copy has some of the black smudging on the cover of the third book (near the binding). However, on my copy it is minor (to my eye) and I'm not sure I would have noticed it if I hadn't seen this thread. I'll look at again tomorrow and see if it bothers me.

I can find no sign of black smudging on volume 3 of my set. Maybe they sent the good ones to Australia ;-)

I found a little line of black smudge on mine but honestly as others have said if not mentioned I would not have noticed. So no big deal.

I would also echo others comments that it’s is definitely 4 very fine editions that make up one LE. Very impressed with the artwork and type. Love the layout. A real win in my book.

Number 100.

>145 Sorion:

Lucky number !

For a moment I had a wild idea of getting in on this, but then I read the value comment by Warwick, then the production problems above, then the magazine came today and they want ten bucks shy of a $1000.

I'll pass.

Even my copy has no black smudging on volume 3.

I received number 6.

No. 322 just arrived here, with a line of black smudging and a minor dark scrape on the cover of volume 3. I doubt I'll give it another thought, I expect similar marks will appear on most or all sets once the books have been taken out a few times and/or the full package transported, unless anyone cares to protect the front board of the affected volume with chemically stable paper-or-whatever. Probably the FS should have realised the issue would arise. I'm used to living with a multitude of imperfections hence not at all disposed to seek redress over this one, and the overall production is a joy.

Copy #84 here. Light smudging to third book. I wouldn't have noticed it without it being called out. Nicely designed set. The chapter capitals are the highlight for me.

#47 made it here before the weekend -- and I cannot be happier with the set (after missing the Centipede one...). :)

I'm saving a bit on the side to purchase this next month.

Half the limitation sold out in a week, so not sure how good my chances are.

>152 bacchus.:

If you miss your chance there's already one on ebay for near double the price. Bargain!

Over two-thirds sold.

My set arrived yesterday. It’s funny, as though I had admired it in the store, somehow at home it seems a more beautiful publication than I recall. Although I still agree they resemble four ‘fine’ editions, the overall effect taken together strikes me as something quite special. The illustrations and design make the set one of the favourites in my collection; and although the quality of the fiction itself is less the point here (presumably most people will know if it appeals or not before dropping £395 on it), I was not familiar with the work and am really enjoying the prose. It is beautifully written. Moreover, having actually sat down in my living room to read it has made me appreciate all the more the sheer readability of the books; the typeset, size, and design render it a real pleasure to read, and it will be a nice chance to have an LE that feels a little more accessible for casual enjoyment.

My set has the accustomed flaw on the 3rd book, a black streak parallel to the binding as well as a couple of smudges along the top. It is a little frustrating for so expensive a purchase not to be pristine—though this seems to be a common theme based on the comments here, and I would not want to ask for a replacement just to find the replacement potentially has the same issue, which seems likely. And truth be told I don’t know that it would have even bothered me had I not read about it on here first. The books overall are magnificent and I think I shall keep my set rather than asking for a new one. I do feel for the Folio Society in this case however—the books are so impeccably produced, it seems a real shame there is this oversight that is causing customers to want replacements.

In any case, it is a fantastic edition and despite my earlier reservations I would very much recommend it to anyone sitting on the fence.

>154 bookfair_e: In 9 days! This will not last another week, and will gain the Folio Society a cool £300.000 pounds.

I got my set yesterday (no. 57). I have a couple of small black marks and I emailed Folio about them. They said they'd been using a 'soft white eraser' to remove them and sure enough that seemed to 99% work. Book looks fine now and I shan't be returning it. Would have been better to have arrived pristine of course! As for the quality of the set I love the illustrations and the overall quality feels to be a step up from the other Folio set I'm collecting (James Bond). I have a lot of older Folio titles too and this surpasses them. Makes me more interested in some recent Folio's I passed on (Gaiman, Herbert) if this is typical of their current quality.

Low Stock counter now in place - 172 left.

Now 170--I am guessing this book will sell out over the weekend and have placed my order accordingly.

I spoke to FS yesterday regarding how to clean the black marks on the cover of volume 3. They rang back to advise the use of a damp Q-tip and/or a soft white eraser, being British I used a damp cotton bud and then a soft white rubber (citizens of North America may snigger at this point). Results were as follows; the damp cotton bud removed more yellow than black, the soft white rubber was fairly effective particularly at reducing the vertical line.

I have now made a divider to insert between third and fourth volumes to reduce the chance of the problem reoccurring.

I made a jarhead attempt to purchase after reading the comments above. The whole transaction took less than 2 minutes.

I quickly estimated the conversion rates in my head and transferred funds to my card.

I was declined for being roughly 20 euro short.

You win some, you lose some.

Soft white eraser worked like a charm and a sheet of Dura-Lar between volumes three and four should prevent the problem from reoccurring.

>159 podaniel: looks like I'm out of luck. Win some, lose some, I suppose

>161 bacchus.:

Did you try installments?

Received my copy today. I also have some minor black marks on the yellow spine of the third book. However they are minor, I did not attempt to clear them using an eraser. It looks fine as it is. The books quality are fantastic.

I never did. I got the impression this wasn't an option anymore. I'll call them today and ask; thank you for the glimpse of hope!

>19 Niurn:

Alright, number #21 has arrived. Not thrilled by the buckram but i do love a lot the 2-colors printing and the typeset, which is all that should matter.

Glad it will be my last LE for quite a long time, as i have grossly over-spent on a new piano and i have taken an oath of moderation. Pious words, i know ...

> 163

I do not see how you are out of luck--the counter is now at 143. I think there is still plenty of time to secure a copy. Usually the second-hand dealers jump in only when the ticker drops to around 20 or so for a fast-moving LE (ignore this observation for slow moving LEs--see Japan, which has been in the 20s for, what, a year?).

>155 RHalley63: I was not familiar with the work and am really enjoying the prose. It is beautifully written... (I) appreciate all the more the sheer readability of the books; the typeset, size, and design render it a real pleasure to read, and it will be a nice chance to have an LE that feels a little more accessible for casual enjoyment.

May the goddesses you turn into a column of sodium chloride for enabling me. I had thought (and felt slightly smug) that my FAD was under control but I've seemingly missed a pill. You prompted me to read some of Wolfe's prose: it sparkles - wonderful stuff! - quite unlike the charmless prose of other fantasy and sci-fi novels I've tried to read and given up on. Oh dear, how very dear...

>169 cronshaw:

Hello! I would apologise—and yet, I feel good about this as I am confident you will be glad of the purchase. I had exactly the same thought when the mailing from Folio came through my door. I saw the cover and thought ‘Gene Wolfe? Never heard of him. A £395 fantasy/science fiction LE? Thank goodness, my wallet is safe.’ And then I took in the details of the production: the style and design; the collaboration with Sam Weber and Neil Gaiman. This wasn’t quite enough to convince me until I read a sampling of Wolfe’s prose. Like you, I was happily surprised. I do enjoy the occasional science fiction/fantasy, but wouldn’t typically spend so much on an LE of works in these genres. But this was different. The prose is hugely engaging, sparkling with erudition, wit, and a sense of history. It’s good writing, and this set offers a simply wonderful way to enjoy it wrapped in a beautiful package. It is perhaps a slightly decadent way to enjoy a new author, but a fantastic one nonetheless.

And based on how quickly the limitation seems to be selling, I trust it won’t be a bad investment should you read it and decide not to keep it in your collection long term. This is what I told myself when I bought it at least—even knowing full well my books are the last thing I would ever sell. But it’s a consoling thought in theory that it could stand to appreciate (and one I repeatedly told my partner to justify my purchase).

One question: If the sun is barely shining and almost dying, wouldn't it be impossibly cold?

>170 RHalley63: Thank you! I feel better for your feeling good and confident that I shall be glad of the purchase. I'm not averse to slight decadence.

>171 Pellais:

With all other things being equal, yes. However, there could be other factors at play, so, maybe.

>171 Pellais: If the sun is barely shining and almost dying, wouldn't it be impossibly cold?

Given the book is set a million years into the future. I'm guessing evolution will have had time to do its work and the human race will have adapted somewhat along with the rest of the ecosystem.

PS You don't live in Norway, I suppose?

Hmm. Adapted to ice.

No, in Belgium. - ?

>175 Pellais: No, in Belgium. - ?

As a new member (hello!) you are probably unaware that one of our longer-standing members goes by the alias of Pellias. I thought the similarity might have the potential to cause confusion, hence my seeking to clarify. Øyvind lives in Norway.

I don't know how icy the world is supposed to be. I'd have to read the book for that but I can't get past the torture.

>174 folio_books:

I like your optimism, that humans will still be around in a millions years!

For those still undecided (or those who wish to admire and/or observe from a distance), here is a video presentation I made: https://youtu.be/Wmh-n9_k0jM

>178 PontusPresents: Great to see all the images, thank you! It's a shame Folio doesn't show more on their website, but they've always tended to shyness when it comes to displaying the illustrations for their editions online, surprising when specially commissioned illustration is one of the Folio Society's biggest selling points and they generally do it so well.

By the way, does the third image of the second book, The Claw of the Conciliator, contain a cameo of the artist?

>177 treereader: I like your optimism, that humans will still be around in a millions years!

Not my optimism. Blame Gene Wolfe.

Sigh...you folks have talked me into an order. Again. And a LE this time (I only own one other LE, purchased second hand). Your powers are growing stronger...

>178 PontusPresents:

Fabulous video, Pontus. That'll sell a few copies all by itself. I particularly liked your choice of background music which I thought suited the subject matter admirably. Can you give us a clue where we might hear more of it?

>181 wdripp: Your powers are growing stronger...

Resistance, as Douglas Adams will assure you, is futile.

>182 folio_books: Thank you! The music is made by the faithful composer: Adrian von Ziegler! I have song names and a link to his channel in the video description. :-)

>171 Pellais: Welcome brother from another mother, are you like me a servant of the round table? In the manners of Sir Pel(l)ias the (supposedly) gentle knight?

>174 folio_books: I would never have come up with such a intelligent question Glenn. I still think the world is flat ___ !

No big issues with my books #124 .. the small that is on the fourth edition i`ll fix myself

No 4 payment installments until Monday, Folio society dept. that handles the installments is closed... Do you think it will be sold out by Monday?

>185 Comatoes: if the current rate of selling continues, then yes. There are now only 110 copies remaining when there were 170 yesterday according to >159 podaniel:

>186 cronshaw:

I fear you're right, I hate to burn through my credit card, I have other expenses, but I can't let this one go down to 0, guess I will have to forego the installments. This looks like a gorgeous book!

>187 Comatoes: You could always just keep your eye on the counter and if it slows in its descent over the weekend hang on til Monday. Don't let it get too low though!

>188 cronshaw:

LOL, I may have to, it's at 108 now, I'll try to hold out though, I hope providence is in my favor :)

>187 Comatoes:

I haven't used that option yet, but don't they allow payment in instalments if you use Paypal? I remember reading something about that on this forum.

>190 SF-72: I just walked through a checkout with PayPal and that option wasn't available. I seem to recall that at one point you were correct but no longer for sure. Phone lines only.

>184 Pellias: I would never have come up with such a intelligent question Glenn.

Yes, that's what gave me the clue ;)

>183 PontusPresents: I have song names and a link to his channel in the video description

Oh, I must have missed that. And I did go looking. I'll try again later.

>187 Comatoes: I can't let this one go down to 0, guess I will have to forego the installments.

>190 SF-72: don't they allow payment in instalments if you use Paypal?

If you have a PayPal account you can get PayPal credit, which lets you pay in four interest -free instalments, purchases above £99. Go for it!

>183 PontusPresents: I have song names and a link to his channel in the video description. :

Sorry, Pontus, I'm still not seeing the link you mention. Could you post it here or PM me? Thank you.

>193 folio_books:

Scrolling down through the description should reveal it.

https://www.youtube.com/user/AdrianvonZiegler/

Down to 97! For some reason really excited to see this sell so fast!

80. May not make it to Sunday at this rate.

I'm betting it's gone by late afternoon, around 4 or 5, GMT tomorrow.

>194 terebinth:

Thanks, Paul.

74 left now. My guess is that orders will accelerate today when those that have hesitated make up their minds and become afraid to lose out. Probably some "dealers" will place multiple orders too. I bet the edition is sold out by midnight tonight (GMT).

>189 Comatoes: Less than 10% of the limitation left now. Keep a close watch on Providence.

71 left - I'm so glad I grabbed this one... its one that I would really have regretted if I had hesitated.

>200 cronshaw:

Thank you! Bibliophiles don’t let other bibliophiles lose out on great books. I kept thinking about the set all night. I found a way to work it out and used PayPal, made the purchase 35 minutes ago at 66 remaining. Interesting number, lol. Now I can rest, I hope there is no more limited editions I want for awhile...

Down to 59 copies now, and I just today received a little pamphlet production in the mail with the option to send back (allows for installment payments etc). Kind of unfortunate that people will probably be sending this back for a sold out product by the time it arrives.

> 203

I got mine yesterday. They should really send these out sooner for international customers.

>171 Pellais:
>173 treereader:

Many things. Many, many, ... many things.

(For the younglings amongst you, search for Betty Marsden in Round the Horne and you'll get the gag.)

So:

the Earth could spiral in towards the sun;

or the Sun could expand;

or a runaway greenhouse effect could keep us nice and toasty.

Or any one of a million possibilities.

I can't remember if Wolfe ever offers an explanation but I don't know that it matters for the plot. Just enjoy the beauty of a master of language at work :-)

An observation. I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet (and I apologise if they have):

When I picked up volume one to have a good old fondle, I discovered that on page v there is a little red diamond. On page vi there is a little Folio Society colophon. If you hold the page up to the light, the diamond is dead centre of the colophon.

That, if intentional, is a nice touch :-)

And now it's down to 40--going, going . . . .

I'll bet they're wishing they'd priced it a bit higher.

>208 pancarre12:
God I hope not. It’s already overpriced. Received my set and doubt I will ever have regrets about the purchase. But that does not necessarily mean I feel like the set is really an LE or worth $650.

It’s just about time for FOMO panic buying and speculative investors to finish this off.

You may wake up tomorrow to find it has sold out.

Only 27 copies left!

Now 20

>210 bookfair_e:

I'm caressing my CP volumes and staying strong.

Also praying for a standard version.

Wow good for FS. They need huge wins like this.

Is there a free shipping or free book code avail at this time? I see the 10% off doesn't work anymore?

Thank you in advance!

And the "shop now" link does no longer work. I guess that's it.

>206 Cat_of_Ulthar: ... I think i broke there site. lol

somehow I had one in my shopping cart ... then it disappeared. Then it would not let me put one in my cart. Kept refreshing and closing browser ... I then switched browser and it still would not let me add one.

Somehow after 10 minutes of "panic" ... it allowed me to go to my cart and it said I had 6 in there.

haha ...

Then I edited cart to 1 and "updated cart" ... it updated properly ... then I went to checkout ... and it said I still had 3 in there.

what the hell!!!

Finally got my order in ... but it doesn't seem to have adjusted the counter ... it still says 12 avail.

We'll see if my order actually went thru.

Oooops ... spoke too soon ... now it's down to 11

I actually was so on the fence for this one. Cuz I am not a collector or a seller. And I know nothing about this title/author. So I'm not sure of my enjoyment level.

But I assume ... if I don't enjoy ... I can at least get my $$$ back?

But I thought I read FS books don't really get their value back on the secondary market?

Is this true?

I would assume with three signatures and the quick sell out of this ... maybe this one might be an exception to that possible rule of thought?

Either way ... I'm sure I will find enjoyment reading them ... there seems to be quite the following for this title.

Excited to say the least!

>219 thisGuy33: But I thought I read FS books don't really get their value back on the secondary market?
Is this true?

Most don't, but some do appreciate to various degrees, a few routinely selling for multiples of the published prices. This is true for both LEs and standard editions.

maybe this one might be an exception to that possible rule of thought?
It very well might be.

... and then there were 10.

Just purchased mine. PayPal will be helpful to manage payments for this and GOT set pre order.

Looked at my Folio account and the only other purchase this year with them was the sale in January when I picked up some great deals.

Just could not pass this one up!

Seven.

III

One

It suddenly went from one up to two left...

Sold out.

11 days - not bad, but still far slower than the 12h40m that Mort took to sell out.
Now lets see what the secondary prices start at.

What was the price for Mort?

Mort sold in a half day?!! That's crazy. How many was it limited to?

>214 Sorion: Wow good for FS. They need huge wins like this

: Agreed. But not much risk involved with these kind of editions, more than say with facsimilies of medieval manuscripts and illuminated books

>208 pancarre12: I'll bet they're wishing they'd priced it a bit higher

: Yes, and no. Personally i find it at the right price range, and if they demanded more it would sell anyway, but it would not be a popular signal towards their customers in which they might loose out on long term .. greed is like a virus .. have to find the balance

Mort limitation was 500 copies priced at £120.

To find that balance, I recommend that you read another book: Rory Sutherland - Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense

>229 coffeeroaster:
There is a link to the Mort brochure (and most other LE brochures) on the FSD wiki at - https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Groups:Folio_Society_Devotees#Folio_Soci...

>234 wcarter: thanks for the info ... $225 for limited 500 leather bound ... that was a good price.

And I think $595 ($150 per book) is a fair price for this collection of books. Slightly less limited then Mort and not leather ... but a fair price i think.

Sold out without even a marketing email ...

>233 coffeeroaster: I don`t read those kinds of books, not so (highly) relevant for me in how i live my life, and there are so many other books that would please me more. But, sure. Not much (not so proven) ideas makes sense at all, besides what one puts into it. But at one point the thing crashes without that window of balance.

>235 thisGuy33: Although Mort was published in a smaller limitation at £120, I believe The Book of the New Sun could be better value as an LE, if we can talk of value at a purse-wringing £400. The leather binding of Mort was of mediocre quality and the text block was identical to that of the simultaneously issued standard edition Mort (still available from FS). It's notable that Folio never listed the Mort LE on its Limited Editions page, an unusual omission; perhaps FS felt that the quality didn't quite make the cut, and/or that they considered it more a 'limited edition special binding' than a true LE. The Mort LE moreover wasn't itself signed, rather a separate small print was and only by the illustrator. The Book of the New Sun comprises four volumes rather than one; is thrice signed, by the recently deceased author and by Neil Gaiman as introducer, as well as by the illustrator Sam Weber; has original artwork (not available in any other edition) that includes impressive decorative capitals and titling in two-colours; and not forgetting the more substantial cloth-bound slipcase nor its 'stunning' reflective interior which could surely double as sun-bath for a small tropical bonsai in the event of a cooling sun.

Another very fast selling LE was "I Am Legend", but there were only 295 copies at £275. It sold out in 13 days.

>238 cronshaw: The breakdown of all of that makes me wish I had purchased two. Because I do have a feeling this will be an amazing collection of books to add to my shelf and hopefully visit and revisit over the years ... but I wish I would've considered the after market opportunity (as it could have covered some of the cost).

As I've stated many times in posts ... I am not a collector ... but this title does seem to mark off most of the collectors wants.

As for the reflective interior and it's use ... I have only read bits and pieces of reviews on this title ... and only faintly know the sun is indeed cooling.

>240 thisGuy33:
From memory the reflective interior is a reference to Father Inire's mirrors found within the House Absolute. It's therefore both a nice design feature and reference to the text.

It appears to be gone and may have set a record... I do hope if Folio prints an LE history selection, it can sell well enough to compete with sci-fi sales at all. The titles selling quickly might be an indicator of why Joe is fading away? LE's have never been aimed at me, but I've always fancied buying one.

>243 Jayked:
I doubt that Joe is fading away, having a number of interests outside FS. He did however reach official retirement age in 2018. He did pioneer LE Sci-fi sales with Riddley Walker. It hasn't sold out yet, probably because it requires from the reader an investment of time and thought, and a knowledge of English dialect and local geography that most people outside of the UK don't possess.

>231 Pellias: Agreed. But not much risk involved with these kind of editions, more than say with facsimilies of medieval manuscripts and illuminated books

Aye but these types of low risk editions make the more esoteric editions possible in my mind. So it's a win win all around.

Three FS sets on eBay US priced between $875 and $995. The US price was $645 ($595 + $50 shipping).

wonder how it would feel to be such a shameless opportunist. great contribution to society. the best ones have headlines like "OUT OF PRINT - RARE!" …. the unstated part being "rare in part because I inserted myself unnecessarily between yourself and the company to make a buck, rather than attending a real job"

>243 Jayked:

Joe has the greatest job in the world, a job many would retire to do... I can't say with any certainty that he's being run out; but I can say that exciting research projects are a bit different than picking a popular title and commissioning an appropriate team.

>247 The_Toad_Revolt_of84:
He doesn't have the job. His gradual retirement was announced some time ago, by FS and himself.
If anything, Folio has moved towards popular titles -- Game of Thrones? Mort? Wolfe? Their previous criterion was excellence.

>248 Jayked:

I wouldn't call Gene Wolfe popular. More of a cult following. Certainly never a bestseller.

>248 Jayked:

That's kind of what I'm saying. Anyone can tap the eclectic market or pop charts... I think Joe might think he has better things to do.

>246 pancarre12:

Workers of the world, unite!

>245 kdweber: Remarkably, those prices are slightly less absurd than those currently on eBayUK. The first to have listed his copy, while still available from Folio, hiked it from £620 to £790 the minute the limitation sold out. Folio's original UK price was £395. Once a few more are listed and greed becomes impatient, the prices will drop.

>252 cronshaw:

Temporarily.

For those that have this, do paper sides, plain spine, no signatures, no headings and a plain slipcase get this set down to 250? Regular edition coming in two years?

I hope, if they do eventually print a standard edition, that they keep the two color printing and the illustrated first letters of the chapters. Those touches really make Folio’s version a delight. I ended up buying 2 copies because I couldn’t be sure they would eventually print a standard version and I intend to read, re-read, and enjoy these books and couldn’t stand the thought of anything marring my only copy. I figure there will be little to no chance to replace them in the future.

>254 The_Toad_Revolt_of84:
Depends where you are.
Here in Australia. No chance whatsoever.

>256 LesMiserables:

Fair point... Essentially what I'm wondering, is; do those things >254 The_Toad_Revolt_of84: get the price down to 40-50% of the LE?

Given the enablement of this crowd I was sorely tempted by this one but my lack of familiarity with the books, combined with the cost, led me to stand down. But I will add the books to my TBR list (and then probably regret my decision). To those who took the plunge, I hope you all enjoy your books.

>254 The_Toad_Revolt_of84: For a non-LE, seeing that the LE binding is not that special (no leather etc.) cost-wise, I'd expect the page edges, chapter initials, two-tone ink, paper & slipcase quality and book size to be dropped. This way, LE owners can still feel they own a unique book that stands out from the regular edition, whereas customers with less money to spend can still own a simpler edition of the books. If produced as stated above, with a famous author writing the introduction and a more expensive/popular illustrator (I'm guessing here), I'd expect it to be somewhat over Hornblower Saga 2 (say 160-180 gbp ROW).

>259 Fierylunar:

Hornblower is kind of the level I was thinking, thanks. I thought they may keep the size, to reduce their cost of formatting. If they did all else that you said, I see no reason why it can't be slightly more -- I'm sure that the artist isn't cheaper for royalty, etc.

>259 Fierylunar: >260 The_Toad_Revolt_of84:
I'd guess the introducer and illustrator work for one-off payments rather than royalties. Although if the FS release a new version beyond what was originally contracted maybe they need to pay again.

For the reasons I stated in >29 Levin40: above I don't think a standard version is very likely in this case. The only obvious design features to reduce the quality of being the two-tone printing, black page edges and the slipcase. Removing the chapter initials completely and/or reducing the size of the books (10">9 Levin40:"?) would strike me as slightly forced changes made just for the sake of it (they would require more typesetting work, as you say). But let's see.

Congratulations to Folio Society for this success. Congratulations to the members of this group who purchased this set.

I sat on the side lines myself on this one, primarily due to the fact that I alredy had three of the four in EP editions, and have yet to read them. But am very happy for the success of this publication for FS.

Question -- did you guys get shrinkwrapped copies? Kind of upset and wondering if I was sent one which had been rejected by someone else.

Within the brown paper packaging the slipcover was without shrink wrapping. I looked at the first book which had several dark spots on the colored paint from the dark backing of the book adjacent to it. That part could be overlooked, but at the bottom right corner there was a patchy whitish spot which looked to my impatient eyes like a small amount of glue which could be rubbed off with a cloth. So try and rub it off I did.... and found myself rubbing off the paint from the surface of the book over an area covering about 1.5-2 inches. It didn't help that I doubled down on rubbing harder when it initially wasn't working. Turns out the whitish area had simply been an area with sparse paint at the start of it, which I made waaaay worse with my efforts.

Pretty down about it, especially as this was the first book in the set i.e. the signed copy.

Sigh, maybe it will help me to read and enjoy it without worrying about the condition.

Mine was not shrink wrapped

>263 pancarre12:
Not shrink wrapped, but wrapped in heavy brown craft paper.

Thanks.

I put a fluorescent orange 1 x 3in label overtop of it. Looks kind of cool in a severe and artsy way. Out of sight, out of mind.

>266 pancarre12:
Now that your copy is damaged beyond repair, you ought to be grateful that there are dealers who bought copies for resale so that you might be able to acquire a pristine copy.

Hah. Thanks but I'll just read it damaged, rather than spend a grand total of $1700. It's nice but not mortgage-payment nice

Under the brown package there was no shrink wrapping. I do not think I got a rejected copy because I ordered early. I got number 31. The only minor defects where the black spots on the yellow spine of the third book that were reported by other people as well. But they were minor and I did not attempt to clear them with a white rubber as was suggested.

>263 pancarre12:

I can't speak for this edition, but with Mort I received a damaged copy - after it was sold out, naturally, since it did so within half a day. But FS had a few more copies in stock - probably for just such a case - and kindly replaced it. If the damage bothers you enough - and it does sound pretty unpleasant - I would contact them about this and ask if they can replace it.

>263 pancarre12:,>269 Maverick_:

LEs don't have shrink wrapping because they are opened to be signed (sometimes) and numbered.

Thanks for the advice - I emailed them to see if anything's possible. I honestly think the paint softened on a hot truck just before I pulled the books apart to look at them. Maybe in future should let the package sit at room temperature for a few hours before opening.

>271 affle:

"Sound and Fury" LE was shrink wrapped to the best of my recollection.

> 273

So was Mort.

A set on eBay tonight at £950 (and a very reasonable £9.50 for postage, which is actually less than Folio charged).

Top marks for sauce.

>275 red_guy:

This is interesting to watch. It looks like one set sold from California for 950 dollars day before yesterday.

A few hours ago one of the U.K. sellers reduced his price with about 40 pounds.

And then the one you mentioned listed his set at 950 pounds.

Some sellers and some buyers are patient, while some aren't.

I wonder what this set will sell for in one year's time? 300 or 1500 pounds?

Also, if a cheaper trade edition is released, how will that affect the price of this edition? Perhaps not at all?

My GUESS is that a year from now the market price will be between 1500 dollars and 1500 pounds.

Indeed, looks like one sold for $875 and another for $950 the last few days. Interesting to see the action on the secondary market so soon after selling out, but I will never be tempted to sell my set.

I believe the FS Limited Edition that has the greatest increase in price on the secondary market is the 2008 Wind in the Willows LE.
Originally sold for £395, there is a copy in Canada for sale on Abe for £3850 !!!
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=22908437345&searchurl=kn...

>278 wcarter:

A dealer's fantasy, surely ...

From an eBay listing:
"Signed By Gene Wolfe Before He Passed Away In April 2019".

Damn it. I didn't know that he signed the books BEFORE he passed away.

If you think about it, it's not a huge profit margin once fees are factored in.

For a US buyer, the price was $645.00 all-in.

For a sale of $875, between Ebay and Paypal, the seller (unless they have a store) should expect total fees of about 13%, netting them $761.25. It's still a decent profit of $116, but not exorbitant.

>281 chrisrsprague:

Ebay raised the selling fees for books and other media. So the total is more like 14.9 percent unless they are a top seller.
Stores also no longer reduce the selling/final-value fee. Also have to take into account shipping costs, transportation costs, packaging costs, printing costs, insurance costs.

>278 wcarter:

But that copy appears to have either one or two (it's not entirely clear) extra signed original illustrations.

>283 boldface:

There's an original and unique watercolour in this copy of the book. Those alone are quite expensive. Add the book itself and another plate, and that explains the steep price.

received my copy yesterday, and am very happy with it. it doesnt have the wow factor of lets say a Faerie Queene, but is comparable to the Cthulhu in terms of paper quality, if not binding

there is a minor black line on volume 3 where the front cover is fixed to the spine, however nothing major. i did feel a slight tacky nature on the back of the books, perhaps this is what is causing the black marks? could it be the books were packed in a hot location? also not helping i think is the usual folio experience of a very tight slipcase.

i have heard people mention on this forum dura lar paper to protect the books, i have no experience in using this, any tips?

Interesting trend on the secondhand market. Both sets on abebooks seem to have sold, and the two latest eBay listings have higher prices than the two earlier.

And today's post has brought me the latest TLS, with its front cover strapline announcing "Neil Gaiman - the best SF book oif the past fifty years". Within is an edited version of Gaiman's introduction to the Folio edition, "available exclusively from foliosociety.com". Could spell good news for the eBay seller in France who's looking for £1740 for his set, at least once the two on offer at £950 have been snapped up.

Does Neil Gaiman live in France? ;)

>287 terebinth:

Pardon my ignorance, but what is TLS?

This is:
https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/public/neil-gaiman-gene-wolfe-folio-society/

>289 coffeeroaster:

Times Literary Supplement--it's the best weekly literary review in English (and I also subscribe to NYRB (New York Review of Books) which is the best review published in America but is way behind TLS).

That was great praise from Neil Gaiman. It might be time for my third (or is it fourth) re-read of TBOTNS and maybe add The Book of the Long Sun since I haven't read any other Wolfe. But I probably should get through the three huge series I'm (re)reading now and hope I have enough reading time left in this life...

>292 jveezer:

If you want more digestible morsels, I would recommend Best of Gene Wolfe: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Gene-Wolfe-Definitive-Retrospective/dp/076532136X

'Seven American Nights' and 'Fifth Head of Cerebus' especially.

I just tried to list my set for sale on eBay. After spending a couple of hours learning how to sell, taking photos and completing all the necessary information, I was told by eBay that I couldn't start by selling such an expensive item. Apparently, one has to start selling a lot of cheap stuff. Fed up with eBay, I will have to list my set at a local site and hope that some prospective buyer will be able to find it by a Google search whenever it is indexed... As mentioned in another thread - it isn't easy :-)

>294 coffeeroaster:

Easy solution to the eBay problem. List a few inexpensive items you do not want or need on eBay and THEN follow it up by listing the FS books a few weeks later.

Or just start it at five dollars, surely they wouldn't stop you doing that?

I know eBay can be troublesome, but this is more about getting you use to selling. It’s easy to get scammed when you are selling high priced items. In fact scammers look for new accounts just for this purpose. Learn how to sell small stuff first than sell your book. A note to be aware of is that eBay usually sides with the buyer in disputes, just a warning. Protect yourself. When you do sell make sure to send signature only etc. and take pictures of the book in the box you mail in and a picture of the box with the address label before you ship preferably at the post office. Just in case the person says they received a different book.

Good luck

>294 coffeeroaster: I'm a bit confused. Earlier on, you seem to call out resellers (>267 coffeeroaster:, >251 coffeeroaster:) for their callous opportunism and a mere three weeks later your copy goes op on Ebay while you're also preoccupied with resale value (>276 coffeeroaster:). Might I inquire about the reason for selling the book?

>298 Fierylunar:
Coffeeroaster is a new LT member, perhaps only joining to make economic mileage from the knowledge bank of FSDs. Who knows?

>298 Fierylunar:
I don't see those 2 particular posts as calling out resellers. Quite the opposite.

This set has just come up for sale LN on a Swedish used-books site for the equivalent of £1,250 (or nearly 1,600 USD). I find this interesting as the second-hand market for FS books here seems far from huge - though I guess there are enough fantasy and SF enthusiasts about to give the seller a chance.

>299 LesMiserables: my point exactly, though the phrasing left room for an answer to the opposite. The image I have is that he couldn't wait for the book to sell out ASAP to drive up the price and hope for a victimFaddict to bite.

>300 elladan0891: perhaps it was my hope that it might be sarcasm...

>298 Fierylunar:
>300 elladan0891:

Yes, I thought his intentions were obvious, if devious, from the start.

Devious? I bought the set but after reading volume one, decided that it wasn't really my cup of tea. I will not try to sell it right now, though. Seems to risky from what I have read.

I jumped on the band wagon as I continued to read this post and everyone talking about how quickly it was going and how beautiful it was.

Don't judge me ... but do feel free to call me naive ... I knew nothing about this title.

So I quickly did as much research as I could ... while watching the number of available copies dropping quickly.

So I fortunately dove in when there were only 11 left.

I thought ... worse case scenario ... I could make a few bucks on ebay if it wasn't my thing.

Unfortunately for my wallet ... but fortunately for my reading health ... after reading the first few chapters ... I really ... Really am enjoying this.

And the feel of the binding and paper ... as well as the easy to read text ... makes this a clear keep for me.

I don't judge those who buy a few copies to try and make a few bucks to offset the cost of all these very expensive books we all continue to purchase.

To each their own ... that's is what makes this world a wonderful place (for the most part).

:)

Glad you’re enjoying it. Still praying for a fine edition.

>307 TjN1:
Joined today and wants to sell his LE. Not on!! Flagged.

>309 TjN1:
I think the point is that you are in breach of LT TOS.

My apologies about this. Wont happen again. Thanks for letting me know.

>312 wongie: Funny, I checked on the website (for fun, already have a copy) and now it’s not even showing on the Canadian site, not even as sold out.

Hmm, I just checked again after seeing your post and indeed it's now disappeared completely for me too. Something fishy is afoot.

It seems like a case of returned copies being repaired?

Folio has said on twitter they're working on a new edition of this.

As someone who just missed out on the LE, that's great news. Can you provide a link? I don't see that on their timeline.

>316 just_visiting: That's great news! I picked it up on its original May 2019 release, but this is a work that deserves to be more widely available in a nice (but non-limited) hardcover edition.

They said it last week as a reply to someone's question.

Here's a link: https://twitter.com/HokieOATH/status/1242460830496706561

Interesting. I'll be looking forward to seeing the redesign. Hopefully it doesn't look like an obvious downgrade given the materials weren't exceptional to begin with.

>320 just_visiting: That's great to hear for those of us who missed out on the LE.

My guess is that FS will combine books 1 & 2 and books 3 & 4 into two volumes to reduce the cost of binding. Similar to what FS did for the regular edition of The Sound and The Fury.

>323 yanks25111:

Would prefer two volumes to four actually. That's how they were split up in the paperbacks. As long as they don't lose any of the illustrations.

I think buying a standard edition will be an easy yes.

As long as the price and the shipping are reasonable, I'd be mighty tempted.

I hope that FS will also do additions of some of the other related works: The Urth of the New Sun, The Book of the Long Sun, and The Book of the Short Sun.

I would pick this up if they released a new non LE of it. I sold my LE a month ago and would still like to have it in a less expensive edition.

Hope they release it this year.

I wonder if they'll be using Sam Weber's art? It makes sense financially, but would be nice to buy another 2-volume set with a new illustrator.

>330 RATBAG.: It makes sense financially...

So it will happen. (Which is fine by me, as a purchaser of the LE).

I remember FS saying at that time that they has no intention of republishing it. Maybe seeing the overwhelming response they changed their mind.

>327 sviswanathan: Yes! Non-LEs of the entire cycle would be great. And The Fifth Head of Cerberus, while we're at it, which uses a lot of the same themes and imagery, whether or not it's strictly part of the New/Long/Short Sun continuity.

>333 JacobHolt:

They should get the rights to do the 'Very Best of Gene Wolfe.' PS Publishing did an OK edition but his short stories deserve the FS treatment.

I'm guessing many here purchased the LE without having read Gene Wolfe's work previously. Just curious what did folks think and after subsequently reading Book of the New Sun?

>335 davelin: I had heard of Book of the New Sun prior to the LE being released and it was on my TBR anyway. I took the gamble of both purchasing it and actually taking holiday time off work to read it which proved completely worthwhile on both accounts; it has become one of my favourite titles. Despite the length (in totality including Urth) I thoroughly intend to take some time to reread it again (and dig into some of those layers) at some point this year which shouldn't be too difficult now I suppose.

As an aside I am happy Folio will be bringing this out in standard or fine form for other people to enjoy both the text and the artwork which I find very fitting. I hope it does well enough that they decide to bring out Urth of the New Sun and perhaps Castle of the Otter too.

335: I read the books years ago. Some of the finest science fiction writing I have ever read. His mastery of the language is clear. The story avoids most cliches and does not dally into unnecessary sentimentalization. Beautiful atmosphere and a cast of characters that are believable and interesting.
10/10

I actually emailed Folio asking about a future edition a couple of days ago, and Colin responded with :

« I am afraid that there are no plans to republish it in the imminent future. »

Hope it’s a white lie...

>338 Gaenor:

'Imminent' is pretty close and we know they plan years in advance. So he might well have told the truth as in the release won't take place this year, but maybe in a year or two. Considering how well it sold, I'd be surprised if they didn't use the illustrations etc. to publish the books in a cheaper version. They've done that kind of thing before and in some cases not that long after the limited edition sold out.

The LE are four buckram volumes, and i love them. But buckram are a pretty standard FS book material. Meaning it is what the customers have been accustomed to. The thing is how do FS degrade from the buckram LE`s without taking the spark and the uniqueness away from the LE volumes, or away from the LE collectors of what is to be unique and relative expensive items. Why buy LE`s if they are to be mass produced and not so unique any longer soon after.

Same for me, i don`t care. But it is a relevant question to be asked. FS are operating with a LE program, thus it is "dangerous" to start mass producing unique items just for the sake of money making.

If they were to reproduce BOTNS it should be some time in between those two productions not just say, a year in between. Or at least it would best be made a completely different edition? But as said, buckram are pretty standard FS material, how do you degrade from that. Paper sides, and a different illustrator and with completely different colours? Would that still be as attractive?

>340 Pellias: buckram are pretty standard FS material, how do you degrade from that.

A stunning paperback edition? That would be degrading enough. Just kidding.
But I agree. I guess I can understand releasing a downgraded regular edition when the original LE is quite special, like the recent Alice LE. But here? The only LE qualities the set had were limitation - pfff - and signatures. Sure, they can downgrade to quarter buckram with paper sides, but yeah, this affair smells. And I'm sure they won't be commissioning a different illustrator because that means more $$$.

No signatures, no limitation, no two-colour printing throughout, definitely; possibly paper binding and only two volumes instead of four as was mentioned here. There are possibilities. But they'd definitely keep the illustrator, like they did with the other limited editions that were turned into regular ones. They might play around with the illustrations, add some, lose some, something of the sort.

>340 Pellias: My bet is a less elegant presentation of two thick volumes (as already suggested) with thinner paper (just printed in black, no red) and bound with paperboards or full buckram but in a bland all-black binding (cheap way to thematically represent Severian's fuligin cloak). I'd also imagine the slipcase to be less rigid without Terminus Est and the Avern motifs on each side, perhaps just reduced to the title, so externally the SE will lack all cover artwork and be a little more unwieldy.

>343 wongie:

Doubt they'd go so far as to remove all exterior art. They still have to sell the thing.

>340 Pellias: I wonder if they would leave out the chapter initials, which are probably my favorite element of the LE aside from the illustrations.

Alice is a commercial book from the english canon always been in print probably. It would be strange not to mass publish that one, and it`s like :) BOTNS are for the curious, weird and the cool ones. You probably have it, haha.

It`s sad when your favourite book slips away from you just because you were a day to late for the (sale)party or you find out what you missed out on one day in the past which is now sold for hundreds of pounds on e-bay. But that`s the thing with limitations anyway. I hold here something precious which only a selected 749 others have and i would like it to be special. 749 others are more than it sounds like, so if one really wants this edition it would be possible to save up and buy it secondhand, so no excuse there really (time is your friend)

For the others, it has to be something of a significant difference at least, just as you guys tell. Without comparison (At All, naturally) rise and fall of the third reich had a set of four and a book of two thus have a significant layout of difference (only set i could come up with at this moment, and very not relevant, but as designs it is, so have me excused)

I have to say BOTNS as it is are a unique and cool set/design even dressed in buckram, so i have no intention of speaking ill of it, but you all know that. I also bet we all were surprised of the publication, which is not very typical for FS. That said, lovely and all .. it`s still buckram .. quarter bound like the Dickens smaller typo, thinner pages, thicker brick, but still one to cherish.

I hope for those that would want it, will have it, i also repeat `749 others are more than it sounds like, so if one really wants this edition it would be possible to save up and buy it secondhand, so no excuse there really (time is your friend)` - if you are a FS devotee you are quite probably not a stranger to spend on books and if, remember that porridge is always there as your friend in need, and it`s good and nutritious also

>341 elladan0891:

Well, I remember a comment from Jerad at Centipede Press that Sam Weber's work costs $$$$$$$...deservedly so.

Much of the cost probably went to paying Weber and to the copyright holders.

I assume Weber's signature also costs more than usual as well. On top of that Neil Gaiman's signature...

Personally I don't see why signatures are worth so much to collectors. I've seen signatures command 300% over "PC" or contributor unsigned copies which are otherwise identical.

If anyone is looking to sell their limited edition drop me a message! :)

For anyone interested, one copy of the LE is now available on Folio's site...

>349 Dr.Fiddy:

... not any longer.

>349 Dr.Fiddy: Thank you Dr.Fiddy! I saw your message and acted! Makes up for my failure with Lyra’s yesterday…

>351 DMulvee: 😊👍

There are more up also. There is one out of print Pearl Manuscript and Song of Songs up as well as two Kama Sutras.

>351 DMulvee: Makes up for my failure with Lyra’s yesterday…

Was that for the Coraline auction? Me too. Perhaps it's just as well in my case ;)

>354 folio_books: Yes I tried to get Coraline in either the lettered or numbered but failed on both. I’ve decided to skip the standard version.

>355 DMulvee:

I was just looking for the lettered and feeling a bit ambivalent waiting for the results of the lottery. It's way, way more than I've ever paid for a book before. And it's not even a Folio!

>353 assemblyman:

Thanks for the head's up--I just took the Pearl.

>357 podaniel: Congratulations that's great. I'm glad someone here got it.