Organizing Titles: Sci-fi Books

After multiple moves and seasonal cleaning flings, what remains of my book collection are those with either a high level of re-readability or a personal connection. While some were gifts (my son bought me 10 Billion Days and 100 Billion Nights nearly six Christmases ago), others are titles acquired at different stages in my life (the original Dune series were given to me in a paper bag rescued by a co-worker cleaning her garage--and quickly devoured--during my divorce 17 years ago). It's not just the memories of each book's content, but the nostalgia provided via the tome's acquisition. It's true that even after being read and shelved and re-read, some titles continue to grow.

Remnants of fancies past still present themselves in the forms of duplicate copies of the same title by different publishers. Though this phenomena is occasionally the result of my repurchasing a title because I forget that I had it, or had lent it out when I really needed to read it, most are the product of collecting. Back when used book stores were more plentiful, I would come across editions with interesting covers or alternate forwards and pick them up for a dollar or two. The older I have grown, the less likely I am to do this, though multiple copies of Stranger in a Strange Land reveal that my forgetfulness is still a factor.

Not surprisingly, going back through titles also elicits a few pangs of regret. For example, at one point I had the complete Riverworld series by Philip Jose Farmer, where now only the first, To Your Scattered Bodies Go, remains. Fortunately, lost or misplaced titles are quickly replaced by new once as my affection for Science-Fiction as a literary genre only continues to grow...

Bookshelf Titles

• Asimov, Isaac. Foundation.
• Barlowe, Wayne. Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials.
• Bradbury, Ray. The Illustrated Man.
• Bradbury, Ray. The Martian Chronicles. 
• Burroughs, Edgar Rice. A Princess of Mars.
• Clarke, Arthur C. Childhood’s End.
• Clarke, Arthur C. Rendezvous with Rama.
• Dick, Philip K. Blade Runner (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?).
• Dick, Philip K. Ubik.
• Dick, Philip K. Valis.
• Eisler, Steven. Space Wars: Worlds and Weapons.
• Farmer, Philip Jose. To Your Scattered Bodies Go.
• Heinlein, Robert A. Stranger in a Strange Land. x2
• Herbert, Brian. Dreamer of Dune (Frank Herbert Biography).
• Herbert, Brian and Anderson, Kevin J. Dune: House Atreides.
• Herbert, Brian and Anderson, Kevin J. Dune: House Harkonnen.
• Herbert, Brian and Anderson, Kevin J. Dune: House Corrino.
• Herbert, Brian and Anderson, Kevin J. Dune: The Butlerian Jihad.
• Herbert, Brian and Anderson, Kevin J. Dune: The Machine Crusade.
• Herbert, Frank, Herbert, Brian and Anderson, Kevin J. The Road to Dune.
• Herbert, Frank, Herbert, Brian (Editor). The Notebooks of Frank Herbert’s Dune.
• Herbert, Frank. The Book of Frank Herbert.
• Herbert, Frank. Dune. x3
• Herbert, Frank. Dune Messiah. x3 
• Herbert, Frank. Children of Dune. x3
• Herbert, Frank. God Emperor of Dune. x3
• Herbert, Frank. Heretics of Dune. x2
• Herbert, Frank. Chapterhouse: Dune. x2 
• Herbert, Frank. The Worlds of Frank Herbert.
• Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World.
• Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World Revisited.
• Kirkman, Robert and Bonansinga, Jay. The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor.
• Kirkman, Robert and Bonansinga, Jay. The Walking Dead: Road to Woodbury.
• Le Guin, Ursula K. The Lathe of Heaven.
• Lem, Stanislaw. Solaris.
• Miller Jr., Walter M. A Canticle for Leibowitz.
• Moorcock, Michael. The Final Programme.
• Murakami, Haruki. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.
• Mitsuse, Ryu. Smith, Alexander O. (Translator) 10 Billion Days and 100 Billion Nights.
• VanderMeer, Jeff. Annihilation (Southern Reach Trilogy Book 1). 
• VanderMeer, Jeff. Authority (Southern Reach Trilogy Book 2).

Sci-Friday: The Quotable Dune

It would appear that I am once again late to the party, but better late than never.

While waiting for my stepson to get out of work this afternoon, I turned on the radio to catch the last few minutes of NPR Science Friday. Though I rarely have the opportunity to listen for as long as I'd like to, the news is timely and the stories are often about subjects of which I have little background knowledge. It continues to be exciting to learn new things, and as someone who laments having not paid more attention in high school and college science classes, Science Friday feels like a joyful penance.

The few minutes that I did catch consisted in part of host Ira Flatow reminding the audience that the summer read was going to be concluding next week. Though I have not been part of (nor was I even aware of its existence) the NPR Science Friday Book Club had the past three weeks been focusing on one of my all-time favorites, Frank Herbert's classic Dune.

I immediately regretted having missed the opportunity to follow the conversation, and quickly made a note in my pocket notebook to tune in next week when Ira, Kim Stanley Robinson, Sara Imari Walker, and Annie Minoff wrap up the discussion. At the conclusion of this past Friday's broadcast, Ira also reminded listeners to head to the Sci-Fri Blog and "Record yourself reading your favorite quote from Dune." Upon hearing this prompt, my mind immediately went to the slim volume on my bookshelf picked up at a used bookstore over ten years ago, The Notebooks of Frank Herbert's Dune.

Published in July 1988 by Perigree Trade,
with atmospheric cover by Raquel Jaramillo.

Not really a notebook at all, The Notebooks is a collection of excerpts and lines culled from Herbert's six highly quotable completed novels. Edited by his son, Brian, this 63 page paperback offers quotes in both standard font as well as key "ancient quotes" and "historical documents" from the Dune Universe elegantly illustrated by Raquel Jaramillo.

I've posted previously about the similarities between the modern media phenom that is George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones and Dune. While one series of novels intentionally touches on environmental and social issues, and the other has a stronger predilection with sex and violence (you guess which is which), and series both are chock-full of intriguing characters. Fortunately for the reader, these characters are given numerous memorable lines of dialogue which are easily isolated for use as witty sayings or intellectual-sounding observations by the reader with a sharp memory for such things. (Of course, the same observation could easily be made regarding J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth novels--as evidenced by the myriad twitter feeds that regularly share the author's lines--but that is a post for another time.)

The majority of the memorable lines from the A Song of Fire and Ice novels primarily reflect the characterization and wit (or lack thereof) of the specific characters, most notably Tyrion. (Not surprisingly, Tyrion's lines have also been collected into a single volume!) In contrast, lines from the Dune series have an additional weight given the political perspectives of both the characters and (by extension) the author which they communicate.

After reading through The Notebooks of Frank Herbert's Dune, choosing a single quote would be challenging, given that the books are an embarrassment of riches when it comes to such excerpts, and it would be tough not to go with perhaps the most well know, the Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear:

In preparation for next week's final book club meeting, I'm going to make the effort to catch up with the conversation before Friday at 2 p.m. To do so, I plan to spend time this coming week with my well-worn copy of Hebert's Dune and reading through RebelMouse blog online. Fortunately digital bread crumbs have been left behind so even those, like myself, who are late to the party, can catch up or at the very least make up ground!