For 54 years the Science Fiction Book Club offered a place to purchase inexpensive hardbound editions of some of the best science fiction books out there. They also printed up their own versions of paperbacks in hardbound and even did special editions of books. They also were a place to find graphic novels and other art books.
You've seen their ads, like the one above. If you read a science fiction book you'll probably come across a sheet advertising the above deal stuck in the book. You get the first five books for a dollar and agree to buy so many more in the next year for regular club prices. The regular club prices are still a good deal lower than what you'd find at the local bookstore.
I remember after I got my first job, one of the first things I did was join the SFBC. I couldn't wait. I'd seen their ads and been figuring out which books I wanted. I remember I bought Harlan Ellison's Dangerous Visions and I think Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy. As soon I was able to I remember getting Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter Martian series. At that time the regular club price was $1.98. A deal you couldn't beat. A large chunk of my science fiction library is made up of books I bought from the SFBC.
I can still remember the feeling I had when those books arrived. The size of the box. Back than as a kid we didn't have the disposable income that kids today seem to have. Getting something like this in the mail was a big thing to me. I remember opening it and pulling the books out of that box, it was like Christmas morning. Having books delivered to me.
It's a shame that the Club is closing down. I'm sure there are still a lot of kids (and even adults, I'm still a member) out there that need a place like it to be able to afford to purchase everything they want. The closing seems to be another symptom of the consolidation of publishing companies. The SFBC was owned by Bookspan and was purchased six weeks ago by Bertelsmann.
A shame.
3 comments:
This is a shame. I was a memeber for many years. As you say, it was a great way to begin building a library. I have a number of multi-book compilations.
Some books I got from SFBC include:
The Proteus Operation by James P. Hogan.
The Chronicles of Amber 1&2 by Roger Zelazny.
Guardians of the Flame 1&2 by Joel Rosenberg.
Hitchhiker's Guide by Douglas Adams.
Yeah, I loved those multi volume collections they offered. It was always a great deal. I loved those Amber novels by Zelazny. I might have to go find mine and re-read them.
I'm a member too. I hope they're not closing up shop right away so I can grab some of the 3-in-1's I've been wanting.
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