A crying shame

Yesterday I received a book I'd won on eBay. Nothing remarkable about
that, of course, but this was the Pulphouse limited-&-signed hardcover
collection by Damon Knight, _God's Nose_ from 1991. Still nothing
*really* special - not the leatherbound, no original material, and at
300 copies not hideously rare.

But I got it for $1.25. Plus shipping, of course, but that was only
another $3. I was the only bidder.

I mean, that sucks. I should have had to pay $15 for that little
book, not less than a tenth of that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not
complaining that I got a great deal, but this is DAMON KNIGHT we're
talking about here, the author of one of the most famous stories in
the field, the editor of the ORBIT series, an unsurpassed critic,
founder of SFWA, and originator of the Milford Writers' Conferences,
which mutated into the Clarion workshops.

Why was I the only bidder? Why wasn't the minimum bid higher? Why
did I luck out so egregiously? Is Damon Knight *really* forgotten
already, only a few years after his death?

I should have had to fight for this one.

Is Damon Knight *really* forgotten
already, only a few years after his death?
"Bud Webster" wrote in message

Who the hell is Daman Knight?

"Bud Webster" wrote in message
...
Yesterday I received a book I'd won on eBay. Nothing remarkable about
that, of course, but this was the Pulphouse limited-&-signed hardcover
collection by Damon Knight, _God's Nose_ from 1991. Still nothing
*really* special - not the leatherbound, no original material, and at
300 copies not hideously rare.

But I got it for $1.25. Plus shipping, of course, but that was only
another $3. I was the only bidder.

I mean, that sucks. I should have had to pay $15 for that little
book, not less than a tenth of that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not
complaining that I got a great deal, but this is DAMON KNIGHT we're
talking about here, the author of one of the most famous stories in
the field, the editor of the ORBIT series, an unsurpassed critic,
founder of SFWA, and originator of the Milford Writers' Conferences,
which mutated into the Clarion workshops.

Why was I the only bidder? Why wasn't the minimum bid higher? Why
did I luck out so egregiously? Is Damon Knight *really* forgotten
already, only a few years after his death?

I should have had to fight for this one.

Merely proof that science fiction will never be collectible.

"fvndoc" wrote in message
...

"Bud Webster" wrote in message
...
Yesterday I received a book I'd won on eBay. Nothing remarkable about
that, of course, but this was the Pulphouse limited-&-signed hardcover
collection by Damon Knight, _God's Nose_ from 1991. Still nothing
*really* special - not the leatherbound, no original material, and at
300 copies not hideously rare.

But I got it for $1.25. Plus shipping, of course, but that was only
another $3. I was the only bidder.

I mean, that sucks. I should have had to pay $15 for that little
book, not less than a tenth of that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not
complaining that I got a great deal, but this is DAMON KNIGHT we're
talking about here, the author of one of the most famous stories in
the field, the editor of the ORBIT series, an unsurpassed critic,
founder of SFWA, and originator of the Milford Writers' Conferences,
which mutated into the Clarion workshops.

Why was I the only bidder? Why wasn't the minimum bid higher? Why
did I luck out so egregiously? Is Damon Knight *really* forgotten
already, only a few years after his death?

I should have had to fight for this one.

Merely proof that science fiction will never be collectible.


No. Bud Webster already is a collector of science fiction, along
with many other people.

As he has mentioned many times on this NewsGroup.

Unless that is, you want to call all these people liars

This is merely proof that not all science fiction is sufficiently
collectible to bring high prices on eBay.

And that not all science fiction collectors have the same
priorities.

And this from the person who came out with the brilliant if
totally specious insight not so long ago, that simply because people
collect "rocks" - as some people apparently do, that doesn't
necessarily make "rocks" valuable.

"fvndoc" wrote in message
...


Fact is that some people collect rocks and last time I checked
rocks were free.

And yet here you're now arguing, that because "rocks" are going so
cheaply they're clearly not "collectable.


It never really seems to get any better with you, does it eh?

The same old rubbish, insults and non-sequiters, year in, and
year out.


michael adams

....

"michael adams" wrote in message
...

"fvndoc" wrote in message
...

"Bud Webster" wrote in message
...
Yesterday I received a book I'd won on eBay. Nothing remarkable about
that, of course, but this was the Pulphouse limited-&-signed hardcover
collection by Damon Knight, _God's Nose_ from 1991. Still nothing
*really* special - not the leatherbound, no original material, and at
300 copies not hideously rare.

But I got it for $1.25. Plus shipping, of course, but that was only
another $3. I was the only bidder.

I mean, that sucks. I should have had to pay $15 for that little
book, not less than a tenth of that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not
complaining that I got a great deal, but this is DAMON KNIGHT we're
talking about here, the author of one of the most famous stories in
the field, the editor of the ORBIT series, an unsurpassed critic,
founder of SFWA, and originator of the Milford Writers' Conferences,
which mutated into the Clarion workshops.

Why was I the only bidder? Why wasn't the minimum bid higher? Why
did I luck out so egregiously? Is Damon Knight *really* forgotten
already, only a few years after his death?

I should have had to fight for this one.

Merely proof that science fiction will never be collectible.


No. Bud Webster already is a collector of science fiction, along
with many other people.

As he has mentioned many times on this NewsGroup.

Unless that is, you want to call all these people liars

This is merely proof that not all science fiction is sufficiently
collectible to bring high prices on eBay.

And that not all science fiction collectors have the same
priorities.

And this from the person who came out with the brilliant if
totally specious insight not so long ago, that simply because people
collect "rocks" - as some people apparently do, that doesn't
necessarily make "rocks" valuable.

"fvndoc" wrote in message
...


Fact is that some people collect rocks and last time I checked
rocks were free.

And yet here you're now arguing, that because "rocks" are going so
cheaply they're clearly not "collectable.


It never really seems to get any better with you, does it eh?

The same old rubbish, insults and non-sequiters, year in, and
year out.


michael adams


I was being sarcastic. Probably I should have demarcated that somehow for
the imbeciles in the audience such as yourself. But then that would have
defeated the purpose,* wouldn't it, mullethead.

* http://tinyurl.com/horr7

"fvndoc" wrote in message
...

"michael adams" wrote in message
...

"fvndoc" wrote in message
...

"Bud Webster" wrote in message
...
Yesterday I received a book I'd won on eBay. Nothing remarkable
about
that, of course, but this was the Pulphouse limited-&-signed
hardcover
collection by Damon Knight, _God's Nose_ from 1991. Still nothing
*really* special - not the leatherbound, no original material, and at
300 copies not hideously rare.

But I got it for $1.25. Plus shipping, of course, but that was only
another $3. I was the only bidder.

I mean, that sucks. I should have had to pay $15 for that little
book, not less than a tenth of that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not
complaining that I got a great deal, but this is DAMON KNIGHT we're
talking about here, the author of one of the most famous stories in
the field, the editor of the ORBIT series, an unsurpassed critic,
founder of SFWA, and originator of the Milford Writers' Conferences,
which mutated into the Clarion workshops.

Why was I the only bidder? Why wasn't the minimum bid higher? Why
did I luck out so egregiously? Is Damon Knight *really* forgotten
already, only a few years after his death?

I should have had to fight for this one.

Merely proof that science fiction will never be collectible.


No. Bud Webster already is a collector of science fiction, along
with many other people.

As he has mentioned many times on this NewsGroup.

Unless that is, you want to call all these people liars

This is merely proof that not all science fiction is sufficiently
collectible to bring high prices on eBay.

And that not all science fiction collectors have the same
priorities.

And this from the person who came out with the brilliant if
totally specious insight not so long ago, that simply because people
collect "rocks" - as some people apparently do, that doesn't
necessarily make "rocks" valuable.

"fvndoc" wrote in message
...


Fact is that some people collect rocks and last time I checked
rocks were free.

And yet here you're now arguing, that because "rocks" are going so
cheaply they're clearly not "collectable.


It never really seems to get any better with you, does it eh?

The same old rubbish, insults and non-sequiters, year in, and
year out.


michael adams


I was being sarcastic.


snipped rest of explanation


At your own expense then, presumably.





michael adams

....

Bud Webster wrote:
Yesterday I received a book I'd won on eBay. Nothing remarkable about
that, of course, but this was the Pulphouse limited-&-signed hardcover
collection by Damon Knight, _God's Nose_ from 1991. Still nothing
*really* special - not the leatherbound, no original material, and at
300 copies not hideously rare.

Why was I the only bidder? Why wasn't the minimum bid higher? Why
did I luck out so egregiously? Is Damon Knight *really* forgotten
already, only a few years after his death?

1. Because Pulphouse put out enormous reams of books in their brief,
unwise heyday. (The chapter on them in Chalker & Ownings is a good
cautionary tale of how not to run a small press publisher.) Anyone who
just wanted to read the book could pick up the trade paperback edition,
which is very cheap indeed.
2. Everyone who really wanted a copy has had a chance to pick one up in
th last 15 years or so since it's been published. There are still
plenty of copies on bookfinder, starting at $17.50.
3. In general, Knight doesn't seem to be heavily collected. He never
really wrote a novel as well-respected as his best short stories.

Lawrence Person
Lame Excuse Books
Stock available online at www.tomfolio.com (searched by
www.bookfinder.com), or at:
http://home.austin.rr.com/lperson/lame.html

On 15 May 2006 05:50:16 -0700, wrote:


1. Because Pulphouse put out enormous reams of books in their brief,
unwise heyday. (The chapter on them in Chalker & Ownings is a good
cautionary tale of how not to run a small press publisher.) Anyone who
just wanted to read the book could pick up the trade paperback edition,
which is very cheap indeed.
2. Everyone who really wanted a copy has had a chance to pick one up in
th last 15 years or so since it's been published. There are still
plenty of copies on bookfinder, starting at $17.50.
3. In general, Knight doesn't seem to be heavily collected. He never
really wrote a novel as well-respected as his best short stories.

All of which I knew; I guess I was just decrying the state, is all.
It's still a shame.

fvndoc wrote:
"michael adams" wrote in message
...

"fvndoc" wrote in message
...

"Bud Webster" wrote in message
...
Yesterday I received a book I'd won on eBay. Nothing remarkable about
that, of course, but this was the Pulphouse limited-&-signed hardcover
collection by Damon Knight, _God's Nose_ from 1991. Still nothing
*really* special - not the leatherbound, no original material, and at
300 copies not hideously rare.

But I got it for $1.25. Plus shipping, of course, but that was only
another $3. I was the only bidder.

I mean, that sucks. I should have had to pay $15 for that little
book, not less than a tenth of that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not
complaining that I got a great deal, but this is DAMON KNIGHT we're
talking about here, the author of one of the most famous stories in
the field, the editor of the ORBIT series, an unsurpassed critic,
founder of SFWA, and originator of the Milford Writers' Conferences,
which mutated into the Clarion workshops.

Why was I the only bidder? Why wasn't the minimum bid higher? Why
did I luck out so egregiously? Is Damon Knight *really* forgotten
already, only a few years after his death?

I should have had to fight for this one.

Merely proof that science fiction will never be collectible.


No. Bud Webster already is a collector of science fiction, along
with many other people.

As he has mentioned many times on this NewsGroup.

Unless that is, you want to call all these people liars

This is merely proof that not all science fiction is sufficiently
collectible to bring high prices on eBay.

And that not all science fiction collectors have the same
priorities.

And this from the person who came out with the brilliant if
totally specious insight not so long ago, that simply because people
collect "rocks" - as some people apparently do, that doesn't
necessarily make "rocks" valuable.

"fvndoc" wrote in message
...


Fact is that some people collect rocks and last time I checked
rocks were free.

And yet here you're now arguing, that because "rocks" are going so
cheaply they're clearly not "collectable.


It never really seems to get any better with you, does it eh?

The same old rubbish, insults and non-sequiters, year in, and
year out.


michael adams


I was being sarcastic

Bascially, you were being the trolling
pest you always are, Fundoc. I have
explained all this for others in the group
before, but some people did not get it,
so here goes again. Let's put it in
simple terms for those who
did not grasp it previously:

Most newsgroup trolls have a
particular schtick they favor. Fundoc's
routine involves his posting his pestiferous
nonsense in groups where (at least
SOME) fairly intelligent people hang
out. Of course, his trolls and flames
are very low quality, and -- as I have
have observed more than once --
are so trite and dull that they might
have been spit out by some sort of
low-grade "flame software." He belongs
in a group like alt.flame, but he knows
he would not stand out there; he would
simply be another pathetic pest that
on one paid attention to. Fundoc
hangs out in groups like misc.writing
and this book collecting forum where
his lowbrow, scurillious comments
stand out for their lack of originality
and taste. He's a pathetic sap, that's
the best that might be said of him.

Fundoc does not write, but he loves
to POST. In fact despite his
thousands of annoyance postings,
I have yet to see evidence that he
knows how to compose a decent
paragraph. When it comes to writing,
Fundoc is a vile wimp of the lowliest
order.

Face it, then. You are not going
to cure whatever malady it is which
seems to have corroded Fundoc's thought
processes -- if they ever existed in
the first place. You are not going
to shame him for his habit of using
respectable forums for his litter box.
Fundoc is far beneath shame. You
might as well be trying to shame a
blowfly or a midge. Essentially,
he is just one of the insect pests
in the newgroup woodwork. Sad.

{Memo from the upstairs office.}

.. Probably I should have demarcated that somehow for
the imbeciles in the audience such as yourself. But then that would have
defeated the purpose,* wouldn't it, mullethead.

* http://tinyurl.com/horr7

Correction: Before Fundoc typo-pounces
me again, I should point out that I made
a typo in "scurrilous" (when I was
referring to Fundoc's rubbish).

[Memo from the upstairs office.]