New Folio LE – The Complete Short Stories – Philip K. Dick – 4 Volumes £495 – Limitation 750

https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/the-complete-short-stories.html

Just up this morning.

>1 folio_books: Hmmm... interesting. As someone who collects a lot of limited editions are you thinking about purchasing? At $750 usd it seems very steep for what you get but I'm sure it will sell out within a day or two.

An instant buy! With the two reservations that six illustrations per volume is a bit stingy, and also that the box will be a pain, although no different to a solander box I suppose. I like the La Boca design and all those neons, which I'm sure will be popular here :)

I just don't get the Folio Society any more. Gaudy and moonbeam stuff here.
Yes, I do like Philip K Dick's writing but this is far removed from the Folio Society of even 10-15 years ago.
4 Volumes, and they can't even scrape up one for the 250th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott.

Wow - spectacular. And with a price to match.

Use caution. I checked it out and immediately had a seizure upon seeing it. Soon we will see bindings with LED lights installed.

This is INCREDIBLY cool imo. Not sure I'm going to buy it, but if Folio are going to lean into science fiction, I think this is the sort of thing they ought to be doing

As a Philip K Dick lover I would have been all over this. But I really don’t like those gaudy, bright neon covers. It’s too much to take. Have to agree with the comment of Les Mis above. Sometimes the FS tries too hard to be trendy.

Well yes, it looks spectacular, if you like that sort of gaudy thing.

>2 Joshbooks1: As someone who collects a lot of limited editions are you thinking about purchasing?

I hesitated for a few minutes while I looked at the video. I really, really don't like the box. I think the set will prove popular, though, so I've bought it and it'll be delivered tomorrow.

Just seen it. I am sure it will sell out but it looks like a really ugly design to me. Colours are really neon and very distracting. Not my cup of tea at all. But I am sure there are others who feel the opposite. What's the chances it sells out before The Three Musketeers though?

Nice. The icons kind of look like PlayStation controller's icons.

Edit: So these signs are called Zener cards. It make sense now.

I had a swimsuit, wetsuit, scuba tank (neon pink), skis (pink again) and surfboard exactly these colors in the 80s. Still, they were in the garage...

Edit to say I love pk dick but I will pass. However, I am happy about good sci fi being published. But, wow this is bright.

Actually, I'm happy about this release. My wallet needed a break.

I actually think this is really cool! For me personally, I have the LOA Dick and love his works and unsure whether I need something more. I like well made books and these are cool, but prefer his novels.

I can understand the criticisms about garish neon colours but I think it suits a retro sci fi classic look and appreciate the effort of including 24 different artists to capture different moods and styles. I can’t afford dropping a grand aud on this but I’m sure this will sell out and be worth a pretty penny before too long.

>8 Quicksilver66:

Good to know you're still around, David

Never mind, It may be that Charles van Sandwyk is hard at work on a rabbit-skin bound limited edition of Redgauntlet at this very moment, and then everyone will be happy.

Thanks affle. Still alive and kicking and buying Folio books. I need to get back into the habit of posting here.

>19 red_guy: lol I’m actually midway through a reread of Redgauntlet!

>16 RRCBS: Do LOA do the stories? I bought some of the their novels, and was looking out for them. No need now I suppose, but it is nice that they might be working towards the complete oeuvre.
> 17 I think this is the same price as the Book of the New Sun LE in the UK at least. That sold out in a week, and was much more of a niche series, I would have thought. Maybe Events have pushed the relative price for these things further up ...
> I agree. Some sort of slipcase would have been preferable.
>22 red_guy: And is it a good one? I have tried with Scott so many times, and never succeeded - and I speak as someone who cheerfully romped through Mrs Radcliffe, which heaven knows should be preparation enough for the long haul - I know Scott bestrides 19th century culture in a way that is impossible to overstate. Still, as with Ebenezer Le Page, this wonderfully enabling group has persuaded me to attempt one last push via the nice Folio Waverley. If I don't make it this time, I will give up.

>22 red_guy:

Sadly, the LOA volumes do not cover the short stories, which is a shame.

>22 red_guy: bah, I must be losing it! I thought they did the stories, now might need this even though it’s so expensive!

>22 red_guy: Book of the New Sun was signed by author, introducer (Neil Gaiman), as well as artist. That was the reason it was so popular - I regret not buying it, despite having the opportunity. This one is just an okay looking edition for me, but does not have any extra juice that would make it worthwhile for this price. And need to keep up with the bloody tight Suntup numbered schedule anyway...

They decided Ubik wasn't enough and turned it all the way up, haha.

Giving this serious consideration.

I like some of the elements of this design, such as the dash pattern on the spine. Many of the interior illustrations are striking as well (of the small previews, “Colony” is particularly impressive).

The color palette is what it is. I wouldn’t want it on my shelf (in terms of visuals), but I see the intent, and it almost works. Just add a Florida condo with all white Italian furniture and the look would be close to complete. If any release should have eschewed the old fashioned font Folio circle brand logo on the spine, surely it was this one though. I find that conceptual style mismatch more distracting than the neon.

Not for me, but pretty cool - I think the 'more is more' design works for the author.

>27 abysswalker:

I really, really, really don't understand the insistence on the new one-size-fits-all colophon. Previously matching the element to the overall design not only made for a more cohesive look but was a nice creative touch sometimes. Forcing the default on everything is bizarre as you'd only do that, I think, if you're trying to reinforce a brand image for advertisement. But why do that when the only people that will see this are already your customers in that they've got the books on their shelves. Or are they relying on Instagram photo recognition? Either way, again, I dislike it a lot.

Ugh !

>27 abysswalker: exactly. Agree illustrations seem great. Sigh.

I think it looks great! And who is Walter Scott? I haven’t come across his fantasy/sci-fi yet, maybe the FS will publish him soon.

>29 adriano77: I totally agree. If your entire schtick is the individuality of the books you publish, why slap that shouty thing on them all. It used to be a mark of ingenuity how the ID changed with the design of the book, but that seems to have been abandoned.

>22 red_guy: this wonderfully enabling group has persuaded me to attempt one last push via the nice Folio Waverley. If I don't make it this time, I will give up.

Coincidentally I had the same thought about a year ago. Setting my jaw purposefully I started on Waverley. Again. About a third of the way through, and still waiting for something to happen, I gave up. Again; but for the last time.

Bring on 2500 pages of Philip K. The time will flash by in comparison.

I like the garish look, I find it's rather fitting tough I guess one needs to take amphetamines to get the full experience when handling them. I agree wholeheartedly with >27 abysswalker: about the logo, while I can somewhat understand new management's rationale to solidify Folio's brand identity by sticking to a one logo in this case especially the overall design greatly suffers from it.

Definitely one I'll keep an eye one and pick up if it sells well but not an instabuy for me as I've only read two Dick books; Highcastle which was ok and Ubik which was very enjoyable but I don't think I yet have a good grasp on whether I might enjoy his other works. Plus with Centipede's Dune still to come out I'll need to keep an eye on my budget though when you break it down £4.19 per story doesn't sound too bad.

>32 U_238: Historical genre author, I believe...

>29 adriano77:
Agreed, that uniform colophon does not fit especially a LE like this, where it should be in line with the design.

Doesn't do it for me, but that is more to do with expensive LEs in general. I do like PKD, and he is definitely one of the finer writers of SF. But whilst I like good quality books, I am first and foremost a reader rather than a collector. I can get a lot of books for £500. 20-25 LoA editions, for example, bound in cloth, Smith-sewn, and with acid-free paper, each with c.1000 pages. So if SF is your thing, for this price you could have 5 volumes of Le Guin, 4 volumes of Vonnegut, 3 volumes of PDK (including 13 novels), the recent Octavia Butler edition and the upcoming Ray Bradbury edition, and still have another 10 LoA volumes to choose from.

If and when this is available as an SE, I might be more interested. But for now, I will stick with my Kindle editions and hope for an LoA version to come out at 5% of the price.

Unique and therefore desirable. Purchased!

FYI Subterranean Press released the complete short stories in five volumes a while back. I've managed to pick up the first three trade versions secondhand for less than $30.00 each, if I remember correctly. Not quite to FS limited edition standards but collectible nonetheless. https://subterraneanpress.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=philp+k+dick

>38 Conte_Mosca: You explain well why I have never bought an LE, and won't buy this one. The number of high quality books one could substitute for a single LE at the same cost is simply too high. That said, I like the bold design (and join in the general lack of enthusiasm regarding the colophon). I'll wait for a standard edition, as I did with The Book of the New Sun.

I am a huge fan of PKD and have been trying to find a copy of The Man in the High Castle for quite some time now without spending vastly over the odds on it...and then this comes along.

It is most certainly garish, but it also goes with PKDs style and I think many PKD fans will be happy with how it looks. I personally would have preferred something a bit more muted, but I have still ordered.

I’m a bit conflicted with this one.

I’m not sure I want to spend $1100+ (CAD, with shipping) on a set like this, when I’m not that familiar with the author (loved Electric Sheep, not so much A Scanner Darkly).

And I’m also not an eBay reseller. If I was it’d mitigate the risk of buying the set, as I anticipate it will sell for a pretty penny on the secondary market (like all FS out of print science fiction books).

But I’m extremely curious about the stories and the production values of the set are not that bad imo.

Decisions, decisions...

The way the site keeps crashing when I attempt to check out is a pretty good indicator that this one will sell out quickly, I think.

The colour choice. Yikes.

>44 ChampagneSVP: That's why I stopped weighing the decision and ordered.

As much as I didn't intend on spending anymore on books for a while I also wasn't expecting a set like this. I rue missing out on the Book of the New Sun LE when I had the chance to buy it but I hadn't read them at the time (was in the middle of doing so for the first time). So, I bought the SE for that one last month. But if I had the chance again I'd go with the LE given the production value of the SE.

I'd rather not miss out here and concede to purchasing a sub-standard SE. Plus, I love PKD's work so I can finally splurge on a set that suits my tastes without hesitation. Well, I wavered for a little on that price tag but bit on it in the end.

>27 abysswalker: I join the chorus of those frustrated with the uniform colophon. I know it is trivial, but I cannot overstate how much this drives me crazy. t is particularly jarring with a book design such as this one. I feel sorry for those who spend time developing a unique design of a book only to be forced to use that colophon because somebody at Folio can't let go of something they were told in a Marketing 101 course.

I had some transactions trouble, felt a minor panic, fixed that, and ordered.

- Cyberpunk style (hence the colors) - fits

>38 Conte_Mosca: I’m the same...I think this is really cool and congrats to those who buy it. For me, LEs are not my thing. I buy too many books to make LEs a regular purchase and don’t really derive any pleasure from owning a limited edition. I really wanted the Tristram Shandy when it came out and can afford it, but still waver on whether, for me, it’s worth it. For reading experience, I would probably stick with my Everyman’s Library copy anyway so what’s the point.

I can't help but think: if this weren't an LE, but was a standard 4-volume set, how much would it have sold for? Perhaps £200, £250 at a push. I'm not really seeing anything in the production that says this will be a next-level quality product, and it isn't signed. So it looks like marketing this as an LE is a purely cynical exercise in limiting the quantity to create artificial scarcity. I don't often buy LEs, but when I do it's because I want to buy a substantially better book.

An advantage of being temporarily blinded by a website image is that one can't gasp any further at the obscenity of the price tag.

>50 ubiquitousuk: I suppose we’ll see the answer to that question if/when they publish a standard edition. I imagine they can downgrade the paper, remove the coloured page edges, use a standard slipcase, use single colour printing, less elaborate binding, no ribbon markers.

All of those downgrades are relatively straightforward, in my mind, for a standard edition.

And not to forget printing it in China, with quality control issues (I’m not sure where this is printed, to be clear).

>52 U_238: “ I’m not sure where this is printed, to be clear.”

LEGO, Vicenza, Italy according to the limitation page.

Going to undergo heavy heart surgery next month, this kind of LE offer is one of those things that could make more sufferable my leaving of this world.

We had been used to LEs which made us dream and made our mouths water. This one is really too... (words lacking) for me.

>54 Pepys: Wishing you all the very best for your surgery next month, Pepys. You're too cherished by us for us to be able to contemplate your leaving, so just concentrate on a steady post-op recovery. You never know, the FS may produce a classic quality LE later this year :)

I wouldn't place this one on the nursery floor. Might have a hard time locating it.

Certainly didn't take long for me to become enabled and buy myself a copy. So far all of Folios sci fi LEs have had a better track record of holding their value on the second hand market compared to their classic titles should I change my mind about holding onto it.

>52 U_238: As >53 BionicJim: mentions this was printed in Italy but where LEs are concerned I think Folio still print all their LEs in Europe so we can rest assured that will remain the case, at least for now.

>50 ubiquitousuk: In addition to what >52 U_238: mentions I'd also imagine with the average Folio now at 39.99 I wouldn't put it beyond them splitting it into 8 books bringing a complete standard edition set to 320ish which actually works out more than your 200-250 range.

>57 wongie: I seriously doubt they'd contemplate splitting this into 8 volumes for the standard edition, there'd only be three illustrations per book.

>58 cronshaw: there'd only be three illustrations per book

I don't think many would argue against the view that Folio are becoming increasingly stingy with their illustrations. It's a shame, because I like those that I've seen so far in the Dick set.

Thanks for the responses regarding it being printed by LEGO in Italy. So yep, I imagine a standard edition is going to be made in China.

>58 cronshaw: I wouldn't put it beneath them considering Sharpe's Tiger which was 39.99 only had 3 black and white images (4 if you count the frontispiece) so 3 colour images is already an improvement over Sharpe's Tiger and repurposing the front cover designs of each Dick volume into their respective frontispieces would then bring it technically to 4 illustrations per book.

I need sunglasses to look at the book covers.

London, Paris, Rome, Cleveland

Ulysses, Don Quixote, Moby-Dick, The Complete Short Stories of Philip K. Dick.

Mornington Crescent.

>22 red_guy: Can I ask why the lament for the lack of a Walter Scott LE when there are complaints it is a literal struggle to read some of this work after multiple attempts over many years? Who would be interested in that after such an endorsement?

It's a genuine question.

In the U.S., the total price including shipping and tax is $882.24 (at least in Texas). This better sell out quickly (I remember buying the Rabelais right away thinking that such a quality product would fly off the shelves--wrong again).

>66 podaniel: if people are still willing to pay $250 for an average to above average Man in the High Castle and >$600 for Foundation Trilogy one can only imagine with this.

For the sake of comparison here, how much did the Book of the New Sun LE cost, also four volumes limited to 750 copies, but signed by Gene Wolfe, introducer Neil Gaiman, and illustrator Sam Weber? The FSD wiki list of Limited Editions indicates £295 but I don't believe that's correct.

By deducting what could have been a series of fine editions, I can confidently summarize this is the most expensive FS slipcase ever :P An interesting set nonetheless. It definitely grabbed my attention!

>68 cronshaw: The original LE was 395 according to my emails.

Wow. I can sort of see what they were trying to do, but it doesn't work for me, and the colophon totally ruins the effect on the spine.

I have some of the nice Subterranean Press editions (the complete stories in 5 volumes). Some volumes are scarce on the secondary market, but worth a look for those in search of an alternative.

I would consider purchasing this as a standard edition, if one is released in the future and the price is decent.

>70 wongie: thanks, I thought so. Thus £100 less than this LE of the same limitation (750), yet BotNS had more or less the same amount of specially commissioned art (remembering all those intricate decorative capitals, different for each chapter even when the same letter of the alphabet appeared again, as well as the two-page spreads) plus - significantly - three valuable signatures for collectors. I'm unsurprised a private company seeks to maximally squeeze collectors' purses, but I'd have hoped to have seen more specially commissioned artwork than a mere six illustrations per volume to justify such a price hike.

>71 wdripp: I agree the colophon on the spine jars badly with the otherwise cool sci-fi look.

Ooh! The future is bright!

Ordered.

But, when I hold it in the flesh, as it were, will it still have that same thrill of confusion, that space cadet glow?

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=pink+floyd+in+the+flesh&atb=v90-1&iax=videos&a...

.

>72 cronshaw:

'BotNS had more or less the same amount of specially commissioned art (remembering all those intricate decorative capitals, different for each chapter even when the same letter of the alphabet appeared again, as well as the two-page spreads) plus - significantly - three valuable signatures for collectors.'

I see your point but that work employed one artist whereas this has every illustration done by a different person. How does that affect Folio's bargaining power?

Love it. I love the colors. Yes I am slightly ashamed by that but I do!

Whether or not I purchase this is another matter. $745 is quite a lot of money. Quite a lot. This will likely sell well on the secondary market once it has sold out which I would expect to happen sooner rather then later.

I will probably pass on this as I plan to purchase the centipede Dune and the St James 1984 this year. Can't have it all!

>38 Conte_Mosca:
Describes my feelings exactly.

I find watching releases of FS limited editions more and more akin to some sort of out of body experience - just so surreal.

It is certainly unique but one that I am priced out at $1100 CAD yikes.

this box set features a dizzying array of elements

No kidding! Would need to put on sunglasses to take this bad boy out.

>65 U_238: Can I ask why the lament for the lack of a Walter Scott LE when there are complaints it is a literal struggle to read some of this work after multiple attempts over many years? Who would be interested in that after such an endorsement?

Whyever should it discourage anyone? We're that various. I wouldn't too much mind six months' confinement somewhere with only the Waverley Novels for company, but, from the few pages I've ever obliged myself to read of Asimov, Philip K. Dick et al., if those were the only literary fare my dungeon afforded I think my spirits would be better maintained by getting to know its spiders.

I gotta admit I cringed when I saw the IG photo. If I was more into Dick I might have reacted differently...

>64 folio_books: Amazing comment! Feel it may have gone over some people's heads (especially any of our non UK friends)

>79 DanGoddard98: Amazing comment! Feel it may have gone over some people's heads (especially any of our non UK friends)

Why thank you! I was pretty sure it would, even before I posted it :)

>77 terebinth: As much as it may surprise some, it appears the FS is into printing books they feel will sell. “If you were stuck in a dungeon with absolutely nothing else to do but read this book - would you?” seems rather antithetical to that.

>63 L.Bloom: Hey, I used to live in Cleveland! It's actually a pretty nice city.

>80 folio_books: I admit I was scratching my head when I saw it and had to google it and I am only across the pond in Ireland :)

I think this is a fantastic looking set. I like Dick perfectly well, but not enough to get it. I think the design suits the writing/stories perfectly though. And I like when Folio make interesting choices. They don't always suit my personal taste, but better that than Easton Press, for instance.

As for a Walter Scott side discussion, I find it strange people want him. I also find him pretty much impossible to read, and my understanding is that he's one of those authors who's fallen from grace and barely even considered part of the canon any more. Sort of a reverse Melville, if you will.

>83 assemblyman:

I think you need to be English and of a certain age to get it.

There are some amazing people on this forum, but... for whatever reason, it seems like this forum (and really only this forum in my experience) has people that are "book shaming" others. Why? people should be allowed to read more than just "the classics" and furthermore, I don't see how people can complain that the Folio Society "is losing its way and not publishing so-called great works" (NB: people have said this for at least a decade, pretty sure longer actually) when they just published a beautiful limited edition of Herodotus. Anyway, I salute the FS for publishing this absolutely amazing 4-volume set of a truly legendary and highly regarded and influential writer!

ps You know this set will sell out and will be 2-4 times the cost on the secondary market!

>84 Jason461:
As for a Walter Scott side discussion, I find it strange people want him. I also find him pretty much impossible to read, and my understanding is that he's one of those authors who's fallen from grace and barely even considered part of the canon any more. Sort of a reverse Melville, if you will.

Well, I was reading him as a younger teenager, so he can't be that difficult! Something 'barely even considered part of the canon' never stopped the FS in the past - that was part of their appeal. I think the point was, and it was one person saying it, that given we've reached his 250th anniversary, it's rather sad that they've moved so far that there's no sign of them marking it. It's early days yet though, but I'm not holding my breath.

Actually, personally, I'm not that bothered - on fiction at least, the FS and I have moved so far apart now that I don't expect to be buying anything from them in the foreseeable future and nowadays look elsewhere or into their back catalogue for succour! That's not to say I wouldn't be interested in Dick - I would, but not at £500 for a set of cloth bound, stingily illustrated volumes, where the highlights apparently include ribbon markers (10p each?), pretty coloured 'designer' paper liners, a 'soft close' box lid and the fact that the limitation numbers are 'hand-written'. The books themselves are barely mentioned or shown.

>86 astropi:
There are some amazing people on this forum, but... for whatever reason, it seems like this forum (and really only this forum in my experience) has people that are "book shaming" others.
Where is that happening? I don't think anybody has said anything other than they enjoy/appreciate Philip K Dick. There was one individual who, in a one line throw-away reference to a personal crusade, regretted that they've not yet published any Scott (and equally said that they liked Dick's writing), but, other than that, the commentary has been more about the price and the product itself.

ps You know this set will sell out and will be 2-4 times the cost on the secondary market!
Yes, that seems to be more and more important nowadays. It marks one of the bigger changes in why people appear to buy FS books, especially limited editions.

>85 folio_books:

I'm in my 30s and Welsh and I got it, but then I grew up with ISIHAC as my dad is a big fan. I have found that Mornington Crescent lends itself very well to being played on internet forums, perhaps we could have a game thread if it weren't deemed too OT (and provided of course that we could settle on a rule variation) ;)

Back on topic - I love it and put my order in earlier today. I think it's the first time I've ever ordered an LE on the day of release but I knew I'd regret it if I missed this one and I can see it selling fast. The only aspect I'm not overly keen on is the box, but that's mainly because I'd rather have those spines on display with the colours popping on the shelf. Given all the recent LEs that have come in slipcases, it's mildly frustrating!

Edit: Actually, the box being the only aspect I'm not keen on isn't strictly true - totally agree with the general consensus about the ill-fitting colophons (though I suppose that criticism could also apply to other releases, not just this one). But hey, maybe this is where the box comes in handy - the books could just be displayed standing in the lower half of the box, thus hiding the colophons while still letting the top half of the books pop ;)

I’d much rather pay 495 pounds which would convert to around 900aud instead they price it at 1150 aud that mark up is frankly absurd. Folio say they take into account the conversion rate each year and align it but doesn’t seem to be the case. I understand there is a premium for marketing and selling to other side of the world but we also have to pay huge shipping costs too so it’s a hard pill to swallow.

>87 Willoyd: Yours is the most accurate take I've seen. I haven't seen anyone get attacked for their taste. The product has been the focus of the criticism here. It seems like this LE was born in a board room full of marketing executives. It is a flaccid effort at a stiff price.

>90 L.Bloom: Honestly I’ve seen many more people here saying they like the product/design than the contrary.

The price is definitely stiff though !

>91 Nerevarine: I agree but the criticism has only been aimed at the product and price point. The overwhelming sentiment appears to be positive.

>90 L.Bloom:

Agree 100%
$750US is equivalent to 10 ubiks. I would love a pkd collection with nice illustrations like these. But I don’t want yellow screaming at me from the shelf and at such a high price I can’t justify it. I don’t resell my books so market appreciation is not a factor for me.

I will look forward to the summer collection.

>63 L.Bloom:
It’s been a long time since I took a standardized achievement test and was forced to choose relationships in a list, but I probably would’ve chosen B) Dublin, Madrid, Boston, Los Angeles

>63 L.Bloom: >94 BionicJim:

I pick Tampa

>85 folio_books: To be fair I am only 23, but I agree that I'm something of an exception to that rule.

>88 agitationalporcelain: I'm going to have to keep an eye out for opportunities in other forums now!

I truly envy those of you can afford this sort of thing. I love the look of the set but way out of my budget. Enjoy it, those of you who pick up a copy!

>87 Willoyd: Your ongoing enthusiasm for more Walter Scott titles has caused him to be bumped up on my TBR list every time you bring him up on this forum. He’s my next read with a Folio Rob Roy on the way.

Nothing exceeds like excess.

>87 Willoyd: "That's not to say I wouldn't be interested in Dick - I would, but not at £500 for a set of cloth bound, stingily illustrated volumes, where the highlights apparently include ribbon markers (10p each?), pretty coloured 'designer' paper liners, a 'soft close' box lid and the fact that the limitation numbers are 'hand-written'. The books themselves are barely mentioned or shown."

There are 18 photos on the product page. What exactly do you mean the books are barely mentioned or shown?

Also, I hope this news isn't distressing to you, but those features you are mocking from the PKD listing are very much in line with the Herodotus LE (the one you said was the first one to tempt you in quite a while, so clearly it didn't bother you so much then). To wit, copied from the Herodotus LE product page:

Limited to 750 hand-numbered copies
Ribbon marker
11½" x 8"
Presented in a cloth-covered slipcase blocked with a design by Nick Hayes
Slipcase lining printed with a design by Nick Hayes

Honestly think these look beautiful! So tempted but I’ve bought a lot of books lately...wish I knew if there were plans for a standard edition.

Also not understanding all the hate on Sir Walter Scott...and who cares if someone wants a SWS LE? I personally don’t because I found other editions of his works I like and I would only buy an LE to fill a gap in my collection.

>101 RRCBS: I would be surprised if they didn't release a standard edition of these books in the future. That being said, they'll probably be made with paper boards, have two-volumes instead of four, and have a standard slipcase. Considering the issues with the BoTNS SE, some folks might prefer to go with the LE in this case. These are quite expensive, though. Especially if you don't live in the UK.

I will probably pass on this one. I haven’t read Philip K. Dick’s short stories so it makes for a rather expensive way to read them for the first time. I’m not opposed to the neon treatment considering the subject matter, but the overall production values seem low for the price—no signatures, bound in cloth, artificial limitation, etc., etc. I also fully agree about the colophon. Sadly, Joe Blundell era LEs may be a thing of the past. The question now becomes, do I hop on this marketing-fueled train, experimenting on a book that I could probably resell at cost (or even profit) if I don’t like it, or do I sit contentedly on my wallet and let the buying frenzy pass me by.

>102 adamsw216: I’m waiting for my third BOTNS...first had some major issues, second just minor so I just asked them if the boards are just prone to scuffing (which doesn’t bother me much so I would have just kept it) in which case I would have just kept it to save them the money and time but they just sent a third replacement so we’ll see. I actually downgraded from the LE with no regrets.

Still, love the cloth bindings on these...

>103 mnmcdwl: Forgive my ignorance, but artificial limitation as opposed to what?

>89 Charon49:
£495 converts to A$910. Shipping is A$150 and understandable as shipping for 15,000km. is more expensive than a few hundred kilometres within the UK. Then add 10% GST to both book price and shipping (I believe books are VAT exempt in the UK) and you have A$1166. Aussies are being charged A$1300 for the book and delivery.
The A$134 difference is not terrible, but still significant.

>105 RRCBS: While I suppose that all limitations are somewhat artificial, sometimes production values truly limit how many copies can be produced, be that the number of times the poor author can sign his or her name, the labor intensive process of hand binding, or the blocks wearing out (especially for linocut illustrations). For this particular book, none of the above apply. They could produce ten thousand copies if they wished, but obviously market conditions, rather than limitations created through the production process, are what make this limitation artificial.

>107 mnmcdwl: The LEC printed 1,500 copies of books often with woodcut illustrations, and linocut is similar, so I don’t see the integrity of the source illustration to be a contribution to the limitation. This is assuming they’re letterpress printing an illustration from the actual block or linocut, and none of the FS books are printed this way. It’s much more likely they create an image from the block or cut, then digitally recreate it from there on.

But also, what do you mean hand binding is a labourious process and contributes to a limited number of books being produced? Surely the bookbinders are employed all year long, and are likely almost indifferent to what they’re working on?

Regarding the author’s signature, I find that odd as well.

To be honest, like other examples in this thread, I feel these issues are being fabricated simply because the book is not aligned to the taste of some people.

>106 wcarter:

Very valid points and I did forget about the inclusive gst charge which does bump it up quite a bit.

The one thing that could limit the number of copies is the fact that the cover images are silk screened where the screens for printing the images will only last so long before the image degrades. If they were actually silkscreened by hand (which I have no idea), this would certainly add to the cost.

I do agree that they missed the boat by not having the contributing artists sign a signature sheet.

I was on the fence with the design and colours, but the more I examined them, the more I appreciated what they did. I would have preferred more of an approach with what they did with Starship Troopers though (foil text with an inlaid image on a slipcase), but I can see what they were after.

I only just read two short stories by this author for the first time today and liked the stories which prompted me to order the set.

Once I get the set, I will have a better idea on if the production value was worth the price. I, like others, could hope/wait for a standard edition in the future, which would shock me if Folio Society decided not to do, but I suspect it would be a much lower quality set like what they did with the Gene Wolf standard edition (where I keep hearing about production issues)

>8 Quicksilver66:

I mean...trendy for 1967 maybe...lol.

A bit tacky for my taste, just not my cup of tea; I'll keep some money in the bank.

I really wish this was a standard edition. I would have bought it this morning. Have to say that I really don’t like the box covering all the volumes. Anyway, I wish everyone that buys the LE enjoys it. I’m jealous. Maybe they will consider a cheaper version and reprint Man in the High Castle in the future.

I would buy this in heart beat if it were half the price. PKD had such unique ideas! But Folio knows that SciFi fans will fork out mountains of cash.

The colophon issue is becoming a problem now, especially after they destroyed the symmetry of the Dune LE.

>91 Nerevarine: Also, great username.

>103 mnmcdwl: Joe Blundell era LEs are (were?) one of main reasons I shop at FS. These new ones are not bad per se (the garishness may be appropriate for the subject matter), but they are certainly not worth the price being asked when one considers the quality of the materials involved. I believe the main reason this set is SO expensive is because so many different artists are involved. I would rather have had a single artist and half or 2/3 of the price.

I do hope they return to more restrained LEs with higher quality materials at some point, but it would seem that they are rather taking their cues from Easton Press. The cover/spine design for the recent Three Musketeers was ghastly.

In point of fact, there is absolutely nothing about this edition that makes it seem like an LE besides the limitation itself.

>4 LesMiserables: Agree with your assessment - the good news is that FS books from 10-15 years ago are fairly cheap to pick up these days and some great editions - a good example (to me) is The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien, wish they made more books like that, less neon and SF/fantasy. I suppose the current approach is much more profitable though.

>85 folio_books: Scottish and in my 50s and I've been a Clue fan since my teens, back when the late Willie Rushton was still with them.

I had the pleasure of seeing the show live in Wolverhampton shortly before Humph departed for Mornington Crescent for the final time. A joyous experience (sad that Jeremy and Timbo are also no longer with us, though). The audience was a pretty mixed bunch, age-wise.

>54 Pepys:

Wishing you all the very best and a fast recovery!

>100 U_238:
There are 18 photos on the product page. What exactly do you mean the books are barely mentioned or shown?
Sorry, didn't make myself clear. I was referring to the video, where you barely get beyond the covers.

Also, I hope this news isn't distressing to you, but those features you are mocking from the PKD listing are very much in line with the Herodotus LE (the one you said was the first one to tempt you in quite a while, so clearly it didn't bother you so much then). T

Fair point, although I hasten to say that I was commenting on the promotion, not the product itself. Having said that, comparing the two videos, there are strong similarities, so you're probably right in that I'm biased towards the Herodotus, and was subconsciously prepared to slide over aspects of the presentation on that occasion - although I still feel I got a better feel of the book in that video.

I do, though, find the Herodotus far more attractive as an LE. To me, the Dick is garish, cheap looking and stingy on illustration, compared to the leather and gold blocked rather more traditional, if updated, binding of the former. Certainly the Dick needed something different, but that?!. Which is a pity, because I do enjoy his work (he's certainly completely worthy of an LE), although I'm almost certainly not the market they're aiming at. It'll be interesting to see what they do for a standard edition (for both books) assuming that they do them - I'd like to think I'd be in the market for both.

>108 U_238: whatever you make of the arguments in >107 mnmcdwl:, here's the Folio Society (quoted from the listing page of Madame Bovary, a book that was incidentally also accused of being too close to a standard editions): "Choosing complex binding designs and including signatures naturally limits the quantity of a book which can be produced and there will only ever by 750 copies, each numbered by hand, of this, the ultimate edition of Flaubert’s literary masterpiece."

>98 assemblyman:
Your ongoing enthusiasm for more Walter Scott titles
I think you'll find I've said I'm not too bothered on that front any more! I've largely given up on FS doing anything new or committing to anything other than the more popular classics, so I went out and bought a full set of Waverley novels in an older (1912) edition. I'm thus more like >101 RRCBS: , except that I don't have a gap now on that front!

He's very much an acquired taste for the modern reader, and I know plenty of people who can't abide him - my very well read neighbour, whose opinion I greatly respect, thinks he's a dreadful writer!

OTOH, Les Miserables remains, I think, a staunch advocate for FS tackling at least a bit more of his work.

Already 50% sold. This one is going to go for hideous amounts down the road...

>122 Willoyd: Yes, on retrospection of your posts on him you did make that clear. I really should be more careful when I comment. I think I confused some of Les Miserables posts with your own on the matter when I commented. Though I am still going to give Scott a go next as he has been on my TBR list for a while.

>78 jveezer: "If I was more into Dick I might have reacted differently..."
Probably needs re-phrasing...

>80 folio_books: I saw and understood your post, but didn’t reply as you clearly use the Nash-Templeton variation of the rules which I feel ruins the flow of the game.

A I understand it, under these rules all junctions are wild unless being passed through backwards, which is ridiculous.

I’ll take the standard regency rules every time, after all blocking your opponent at Charing Cross is half the fun.

>126 Uppernorwood: Thank you, this perfectly illustrates my earlier comment about the need to agree on a variation! My preference is for the 'Take a Chancery Lane Manoeuvre' for sheer unpredictability of subsequent routes.

So at 336 left out of 750 ... if this sells out in 24/36 hours ... is that crazy or is it just me. Are there many other titles that have sold in one day?

>128 thisGuy33: know Mort LE sold out before most people even knew it was on sale! The recent Dune LE and The Count of Monte Cristo were fast sellers, TBOTNS was just under two weeks if I remember correctly

>88 agitationalporcelain: I'm in my 30s and Welsh and I got it, but then I grew up with ISIHAC as my dad is a big fan

My children are in their 30s so your Dad and I are contemporaries.

>118 Cat_of_Ulthar: The audience was a pretty mixed bunch, age-wise.

Maybe I'm just projecting. I have always thought the vaguely potty humour was more identifiable with the English. Sad that those lovely people are no longer with us, Willie Rushton especially.

>128 thisGuy33: Are there many other titles that have sold in one day?

Mort holds the record, 500 copies selling out in 13 hours. What a day that was!

This is beginning to feel like Bitcoin.

>132 cronshaw: This is beginning to feel like Bitcoin.

... but more expensive.

>131 folio_books: but what was Mort's original price ... not $750 plus $70 tax plus $50/$80 shipping?

>132 cronshaw: seriously!!!

I need to rethink my career choices ... maybe start a publishing company ... I mean if it sells in one day that would be over a half million dollars in a day.

>130 folio_books: Sad that those lovely people are no longer with us, Willie Rushton especially.

Indeed, and among the more recent departures leaving the platform, Jeremy Hardy was a great loss :(

Caved and ordered! My justification to myself is that it is a gap in my collection and if they released these volumes individually I would have totally paid $250 each for them. Will probably delay my Summer order but oh well!

Why is it that, lately, I feel so foreign to what's going on? Brexit?

>137 drasvola: We've obviously been reprogrammed to a parallel Dick universe, Antonio. Don't worry, it feels foreign to me too and I live in the Disunited Kingdom of Brexitania. Tomorrow we may be readjusted again and have no memory of Covid (hopefully nor of Trump or Johnson) and realise that £500 is perfectly normal to pay for four fluorescent books in a pretty box that closes like a high-end toilet seat.

>137 drasvola:

I hope, Antonio, that I shall feel less foreign than I do in this sceptred isle when I am again allowed to travel in Europe and enjoy its culture. The transatlantic influence is all-pervasive at present.

I assume I could buy a couple of copies of this Limited Edition today and make a quick buck.

But frankly these books appear to me (note I do not comment on the quality of the writing) to be vastly overpriced and garishly designed young children's books.

I prefer not to join in the dumbing-down of the Society's reputation for publishing fine books.

We all know they can do much better than this.

>140 English-bookseller:

Which reminds me they've still not limited these sort of purchases to one person customer. Pretty telling.

>141 adriano77: If I recall correctly, I think they did limit purchases of the Dune LE to one per customer, but yes, surprising they haven't done the same for this one too. Perhaps they weren't expecting demand to be quite so high?

>125 InVitrio: The Facebook group has been full of "Dick in a box" jokes since the collection was announced.

Has anyone received their copy yet? I am disappointed to say my order has been delayed until tomorrow, despite DPDs original email saying it would arrive today. I am keen to hear how it holds up, given the price.

>143 JamesMcMinn: Yes, my order seems to have evaporated as well ... My heart sank when I saw it was DPD as Flavio, their driver for this area likes to make an early start and usually I have to stagger to the door at the uncivilised hour of 7.00 am. But having got up way too early, I am now kicking my heels and can't go out for a walk in case it turns up ...

Yes, now scheduled for tomorrow. Same thing happened with my last LE delivery, now I think of it.

>138 cronshaw:
>139 affle:
I'm so glad that you are there.
Many thanks for your words of support and encouragement. They make me feel less frustrated and solitary. Let's carry on!

>142 agitationalporcelain: Perhaps they weren't expecting demand to be quite so high?

I read somewhere on FSD that you couldn't put more than two copies in your basket.

>143 JamesMcMinn: I am disappointed to say my order has been delayed until tomorrow, despite DPDs original email saying it would arrive today.

Let me add my name to the "me too"s. Ordered well before 12 noon yesterday. The DPD tracking tells me it's still in the hands of the Folio Society. No response to my email to Customer Services a little earlier. I think that's a refund of postage you owe me, Folio.

>145 drasvola: I'm so glad that you are there.

Have you forgiven me yet for my Herodotus typo?

>138 cronshaw:
>139 affle:
>145 drasvola:
I'm so glad that you are there.
Me too!

in a pretty box that closes like a high-end toilet seat.
:-))) So that's where the soft-close concept comes from!

>146 folio_books: « The DPD tracking tells me it's still in the hands of the Folio Society. No response to my email to Customer Services a little earlier. I think that's a refund of postage you owe me, Folio. »

Heheh I’m sure some will take this response seriously and clog FS customer service with emails and asking for a shipping refund should Folio ship their order 1 day later.

Pretty much all my (numerous) FS orders have been shipped on the day following my order.

>128 thisGuy33: the Dune LE sold out in just over 24 hours, I believe.

>147 folio_books:

Glenn, I've never blamed you (didn't even cross my mind). HeroTotus would in fact be a perfect name for an all-encompassing historian, don't you think? And thanks for your message.

>146 folio_books: I read somewhere on FSD that you couldn't put more than two copies in your basket.

Ah, I must have missed that but it would certainly make sense, after limiting the Dune purchases to one per person. I hadn't tried experimenting with adding more than one copy to my basket when placing my order (heaven forfend I get carried away), but I'd assumed that they'd have put a notice on the item page, similar to Dune, if they were limiting purchases at all. FS is nothing if not consistent, after all.

Saying that - I wonder if the basket limit would prevent someone from e.g. ordering two copies, then going back to order a further two (or four, or six...) as separate orders? Or perhaps they've got some system in place to limit repeat orders for items such as this, at an account level.

>138 cronshaw: Times like these I wish this forum had a like button or perhaps a heart.

>153 L.Bloom: Wholeheartedly agree :)

>153 L.Bloom: Times like these I wish this forum had a like button or perhaps a heart.

Personally, I'd say anything that serves to differentiate LT from Fb is good, and worth maintaining.

>151 drasvola:

I'm much relieved to hear it, Antonio, truly. Next question - are you going to forgive me for buying this new LE? From some of the responses here I'm starting to think I've gone over to the dark side.

Caved in and purchased too :)

I have tried to make myself like it - all for the love of PKD - but I just can’t bring myself to have those bright, garish colours on my bookcase. The other issue I have with set is, bright colours aside, it’s simply not special enough for a LE and comes across to me as being of the same quality as a standard FS book with the difference of the LE price point (ie standard cloth binding). If these were priced as non LE’s I might be tempted.

My copy finally shipped. Should be here around the middle of next week based on my previous experience with express delivery.

>156 folio_books:

It goes without saying, Glenn, that we are all free to buy what we like or are interested in. I like PKD, but believe this edition is too expensive so I won't be buying it. I agree with >158 Quicksilver66: on that point (nice to hear from you, David, it's been some time!)

>160 drasvola: Hi Antonio. Nice to be back. Hope you are well.

>158 Quicksilver66:
>160 drasvola:

Very good points, with which I mostly agree. It's certainly expensive and for a LE at this price point one would usually be expecting, at the very least, something sumptuously bound. I've spent a good part of this afternoon searching for shelf space that's hidden from normal view because I believe the colours will be just too distracting. I've found just the spot, behind an old computer monitor, though I'll have to release several previously-hidden because of hideous bindings (A Connecticut Yankee, anyone?) from their captivity to achieve it.

Bottom line - I collect Folio Society books, with a special focus on their Limited Editions. If, given a little time, I find I can no longer tolerate PKD, I'll sell it on. I've done it before with books with ugly spines.

>162 folio_books: I imagine these books will only increase in value or, at the very least, hold their value. If someone were to find they were unhappy with their purchase, I think it is likely they can make their money back by selling it to someone who missed out.

>146 folio_books: Let me add my name to the "me too"s. Ordered well before 12 noon yesterday. The DPD tracking tells me it's still in the hands of the Folio Society. No response to my email to Customer Services a little earlier. I think that's a refund of postage you owe me, Folio.

Just an update. Think Customer Services must be overrun today. Still waiting for an email response so tried phoning. I was holding on for so long that eventually I got a message saying they didn't want to keep me waiting any longer so they were transferring me to the order line. From long experience I'm aware that, unless one is actually ordering something, that's a waste of time. Nevertheless, feeling intrepid, I hung on a few more minutes (no chirpy little messages to keep me entertained) before finally hanging up. Something is seriously wrong at Folio Towers today, methinks. I'm pinning my faith on the book somehow turning up tomorrow.

>163 adamsw216: I think it is likely they can make their money back by selling it to someone who missed out.

Oh, that's very true and I am aware of it. However, as I've long stood against resellers robbing genuine booklovers, I doubt I could ever bring myself to do that.

>163 adamsw216: I'm going to push back on this idea of these things appreciating in value enough to be considered some kind of investment. They are already priced pretty close to the peak of what most are willing to pay. This leaves little room for secondary market appreciation. Before we go comparing it to the Dune or BoTNS secondary market performance we have to remember that those works are considered by many to be a favorite/cult classic/obsession type of book. A white whale for many people. Add to that the shipping, taxes and the cost of reselling on any of the commonly used platforms and you will be lucky to break even. It's not a Ulysses or a Lolita. You will have to find a buyer who (at least for those of us not in the UK) will be willing to pay over $1,000 USD to get a box of PKD short stories. At this price point there will be little juice left to be squeezed on the secondary. What are your thoughts?

>165 folio_books:
Oh, no, I did not mean to suggest selling at a huge markup or anything. I was merely implying that one could probably break even by selling at cost, worst case scenario.

>165 folio_books: very true. A sentiment which I think the FS has in recent years learnt to manipulate - rather like Easton Press. It all “buy now as it’s bound to sell out” - the subtext of which is, “buy now and you might be able to sell it on at a profit” or “buy now or you will have to pay a lot more on the secondary market”. I refuse to play this game. I’ll only buy the books I really want. If it’s gone it’s gone - there are always other editions worth collecting.

>166 L.Bloom: Those are all good points and I don't necessarily disagree. I certainly recommend against anyone purchasing Folio Society books purely as investments, as the market is too volatile and the risk is great (plus, it potentially takes books away from the hands of true fans). However, I think it is safe to say that the secondary market performance of FS sci-fi/fantasy/horror books has been quite good. Almost all of the LE books that have sold out in less than a couple weeks have been in these categories. Even SE books in these categories see large increases in prices in the market. Of course, as you suggest, it is difficult to determine the cost ceiling for potential buyers from book to book. Science Fiction fans may be willing to pay significantly higher prices, but the upper limit of people's willingness may already be reached. Additionally, it is also possible that the general inflation of secondary market prices has been due, in part, to the pandemic leaving people at home with disposable income that was reallocated from a vacation or some other canceled expenditure. So, it is your opinion that the books will not reach the levels of Dune and BoTNS?

>166 L.Bloom: Generally correct, but I believe there is always someone desperate enough to pay over the odds. That’s why sellers on ABE are prepared to leave their ridiculously priced listings for ever and a day in the knowledge that, eventually, someone will pay the asking price to complete their collection.

There is a well known Tolkien specialist that has had the same ludicrously over-priced set of the History of Middle Earth on sale for at least the past 7 years. They are not even in particularly good condition. But he’s prepared to hang on, thereby artificially inflating the market and depriving true book lovers of the chance to acquire a set at a reasonable price.

I am not sure if some of you are kidding about the length of time to get your book set, but I wish I had your problems of only waiting a day or two.

When I placed my ordered, it stated 5-7 days. But being in Canada, it usually takes a month or more for books to arrive.

I do understand how getting the book set as soon as possible could be very important, especially if the set comes damaged. There could then still be the opportunity to get a replacement set, if required. Unfortunately, if mine has issues, they will be long sold out by that point.

>171 TomStone: For those of us in the UK at least, standard delivery is 5-7 days (although usually quicker in my experience), but for only ~£5 more you can opt for next working day. If I'm placing an expensive order, as this one especially was, paying a little extra for next day via DPD is an easy choice as it not only means I get the goodies sooner, but can track the driver almost right to my door.

In this instance, I'm not worried about an extra day (I did place the order a shortly after midday), however it's quite unusual for DPD to move the delivery date back after sending out a notification saying it would arrive today, and even more unusual for DPD to spend so long waiting to receive the package from FS. Since it would seem no one on LT or on the Facebook group has received their copy yet, I suspect FS had some issues getting them shipped out on time for next day delivery.

>168 Quicksilver66: Totally agree!

For me, a book has a value based on my personal view of its worth to me. I have no interest in its "market value". In other words, what would I be prepared to pay in order to have this on my shelves. And I am prepared to pay that and no more. These books feel like editions I might be tempted to buy if I saw them as (non FS) editions in Waterstones at £40 each, but no more. And even at that price I might go away and think about it, even though I am quite partial to Dick. So if I am undecided - but tempted - at £160 (the box is worthless in my opinion), I am certainly not going to even think about it at £500. Others will set their own personal value of course, and that is quite right, and the way it should be. But £500 will give me more pleasure spent elsewhere, and leave me with no regrets over passing on this. I don't care if it doubles, trebles or halves in value. I never buy books with an eye on the secondary market. I don't sell my books, so that means nothing to me.

I've been umming and ahhing over this since yesterday but currently thinking to give it a miss. The design isn't really growing on me (I thought it might), it's pricey for what it is and, hey, I'm simply running out of shelf space. In this case, I think I'd actually prefer this in a 2 volume SE with a standard slipcase. Also, as the illustrations seem to be basically the main selling point here I wish that FS would show us more of them in their marketing. Looking forward to seeing people post more pics here in due course. If they impress me enough there's a chance I might cave as the count get low.

If Folio's intended demographic for this release wasn't already blindingly obvious, it's been amusing to observe the contrast between LT and the FB group over the last couple of days. Here there's been a lot of 'where are my sunglasses?', 'what an incongruous colophon!' and 'where the heck is Walter Scott?'. Over on FB it's been almost universally 'Wow! cool! amazing! awesome!' with barely a dissenting voice. That's the result of my quick and very superficial analysis in any case :-)

>143 JamesMcMinn: The Facebook group has been full of "Dick in a box" jokes since the collection was announced.

What gave me a chuckle earlier today was a FB thread discussing which sf or fantasy Folio should do next. A couple of posters enthusiastically and unwittingly chirped up to recommend that the Dick be followed up with...Moorcock.

For those wondering why FS didn't put a purchase limit on this ... I just tried to put two books in my cart and went to checkout and it was working ... so I upped my amount to 3 and it gave me an error message saying 'The most you may purchase is 2.'

So I guess ... they did put a secret limit per person.

lol

>173 Conte_Mosca: And even at that price I might go away and think about it, even though I am quite partial to Dick.

Erm, you might want to rephrase that...

My thoughts on this ... after I made my purchase last night and have had a night to sit and contemplate my purchase.

When I first began my journey of purchasing large $$$ ticket items (books, guitars/amps/pedals, fine woodworking hand tools ... yes I have too many interests) ... I used to always have days with stressful thinking ... 'was that a wise purchase?' ... 'can i really afford that right now?' ... 'do I really want/need that?' ... all very typical and standard buyers remorse contemplations.

Now, after many years of buying some over budget items ... I try to not do that to myself ... and just enjoy the purchases knowing in the worst case scenario, if I didn't end up liking the item i purchased or realized I went in over my head with my budget ... I was always able to sell the item and at least get my money back (or really close to it).

That said, my last big FS purchase was BotNS LE. And to make this story short ... I knew nothing about the title or the author (cuz I mainly read old 'classics' ... and not SF or fantasy). But I dove in after seeing how quickly it was selling ... I used the above logic ... if I didn't like it, I could always sell it later down the line.

And here I find myself in the same boat as i was with BotNS ... I know nothing about Philip K. Dick.

The thing that made BotNS a little easer to swallow was ... it was only $595 and though shipping had gone up at that point ... it was only $50. So $645 wasn't horrible.

But this Complete Short Stories is tougher ... it's $750 (us) plus $70 shipping (ouch) AND!!! $77 tax (well thats new) ... so basically $900.

Like others have stated ... OUCH ... $900 can go a long way purchasing many MANY other books.

But two main bits of logic in pushing me to purchase this title ...

1 ... When I purchased BotNS ... I wasn't sure if I'd like it (both the content of writing as well as the aesthetics). But after receiving the books not only did I absolutely love the design and feel ... but after two chapters ... I was thoroughly enjoying what I was reading. I couldn't have been more pleased with my purchase decision).

2 ... it's selling out so quickly and I don't want to miss out like I almost missed out on BotNS.

So I'm hoping I am as pleasantly surprised when I see this one in person ... I'm hoping 'in person' the look isn't as 'garish' as many have stated here. Many times I have been way more impressed with something when it was finally in front of my face as opposed to what I saw from online web pics or videos.

And after reading some of BotNS ... I am now in search of more FS/fantasy type books ... a category I previously to that purchase never had a shred of interest. So I'm hoping this title will introduce me to 'short stories' ... which to this point has not been much interest to me.

Oh well ... fingers crossed. I feel myself starting to stress again. lol

>178 thisGuy33: This one was an easy nope from me but I really hope that you are not disappointed and get that feeling of joy when you open this up.

>178 thisGuy33: Thx for 'crossing fingers' for/with me. Hahaha!

>178 thisGuy33: I think your point about the books looking different in person than on the website is a fair one. I know many people expressed disappointment in the design of the Dune LE, but once it was received there were a number of posts expressing pleasant surprise at it being much nicer in-person than they expected. I myself have seen many SE books that look mediocre on the website, but are surprisingly beautiful in-hand. Perhaps, for some, that will also be the case for this set.

Considering the discussion it sparkled, Folio did the best they could have - they made people talk about them.

Looking at this thread, the usual crowd is bemoaning the death of Folio as it used to be. Apparently going bankrupt will be much better than publishing books they do not feel are worthy. I'd rather have Folio survive and thrive - plus their "not worthy" books tend to be the books I find very worthy so... I guess they are turning towards customers like me - which appreciate both the classics and the modern literature.

The last collection had something for everyone. This LE is going after the same type of customers they targeted with Martin and the rest of the current SF/Fantasy titles. The previous LE was for the customers who prefer classical literature and non-fiction. I am happy to see Folio not excluding one of the two groups anymore.

>181 adamsw216: yeah ... I think my good fortune of being an artist for over 30 years has allowed me some perspective on creative choices made by others ... and thru experience has given me a hesitation on quick judgement.

I've worked on too many projects where months and months of seeing story boards and pov's ... where I was just not excited about the projected outcome ... to only be pleasantly surprised at the final result. Having trust in artist visions ... especially with 'creators' you trust ... is super important in order to keep ones sanity.

So in general ... I really do trust FS's intent to make the best product (in their given budget) ... and have never been too let down with the final result from them.

It's just these GD prices ... overall book price increases, newly added taxes, higher shipping costs ... that are making me a bit irritated.

Oh well ... so goes the world.

Anarchy !!! (i suppose I shouldn't say that too loudly with the state of worldly affairs ... especially in the us)

lol

>182 AnnieMod: well said

It`s dystopian acid cyberpunk which P.K.D are one of the founding fathers of and to some the main man, so the acid flash is not wrong, at all. An LE bound in drug like substances or artificial colors are more relevant in that world than your usual suspects, on a special edition. The box encapsulates the automatic of a futuristic closed door, or a capsule. Folio Society must have creative freedom with their work, eclectic and individual. Folio Society, especially the modern book designs might be distancing from the more conservative collectors, but whatever, other publishers for that, and that`s life in a nutshell and happens to all of us some more, some less (the distancing). One sees what one sees, and no need to defend anything if one feels like it I`m not doing that either, it`s not even needed, it`s sales, uniqueness, popularity will speak for itself, while words will be words, mostly forgotten noise without much followers, while the box set lives on with it`s fans and it`s flippers. Expensive, yes. Folio Society had the taste for more experimenting with cases after the Dune LE. This limitation is not signed or anything, .. `but it`s the unique (one of a kind) design that will make this set popular`. A signature sheet from the contributors would be nice of course, .. at this price.

Expensive yes, but no risk involved for that matter, we all know that.

It is not low on stock or anything, but It seem I have to catch up on UBIK for my collections of Dick`s (funny enough, most of those making these comments are women, which is nothing but a healthy sign)

Hoping for Neuromancer one day.

>185 Pellias: enjoyed reading your thoughts ... I agree completely. For me the colors bring me back to my decade of 80's hair/guitar bands. Slap neon pink/yellow on it ... and I'll easily turn my head and ask 'ohhh ... what's that?'

:)

It’s not to my taste in design or in price but I personally can’t argue the content. For those who feel it’s worth it I wish you great enjoyment in your purchase.

>186 thisGuy33: Thanks man, that will make me sleep good tonight ! Cyberpunk (not the name, but the style) evolved somewhat from around the era of flower power generation and it`s acid (not natural) coloring might also refer somewhat to that. I will put my bet there !

>182 AnnieMod: I am not bemoaning the death of Folio as it used to be. The old Folio is still alive and kicking (as can be seen in many of their book choices) and as a sci-fi lover I’m delighted they have chosen to mine this rich vein of literature. Some of their design choices are on occasion”iffy” - for me, anyway (and that’s always been the case with Folio),but then I recognise that’s subjective. Folio has to survive, of course. But I do miss the old reading room in Holborn.

>189 Quicksilver66: You are not from the people that had been grumbling for years about Folio venturing into new territory. :) There is a difference between "I like/don't mind the direction but do not like the colors" and some of the other reactions above. I was not immediately taken up with the design either but I suspect it will grow on me when it makes it here and I look at it in a bookcase for awhile.

Noone will like every single design they come up with - tastes vary so unless they stay very conservative, people will have different opinions. Which is normal :)

227 left, demonstrating that THIS is what the buyers want from the FS, and so this is what they are publishing. The market follows the purchaser.

The fact that they are also publishing books, both LE and standard, that take years to sell out shows that they are still catering for those that desire traditional fare.

>190 AnnieMod:,191

Indeed. They still have to keep those old retired vicars happy.

I really wonder if those who relegate Scott (he that fell 'from grace') to a literary artefact, have ever read his novels?

I suspect not.

>182 AnnieMod: well said!

>193 LesMiserables: actually surprised by how many really don’t like his work. I’m rereading the Waverley novels and thoroughly enjoying them!

>193 LesMiserables: :) People like different things. Assuming that someone who does not like an author had never read them is a bit pretentious. Sometimes a style simply do not work for someone - a lot of people just cannot read Victorian and earlier literature due to its style and language and so on. :)

I will love to see some Scott novels published but if Folio's research showed them that they won't have enough people purchasing them, the only way for them to be able to publish them (if they want to) may be to sell a lot of books that people WANT to buy. It is a business, not a literary society with public funding...

>182 AnnieMod:
Apparently going bankrupt will be much better than publishing books they do not feel are worthy. I'd rather have Folio survive and thrive - plus their "not worthy" books tend to be the books I find very worthy so... I guess they are turning towards customers like me - which appreciate both the classics and the modern literature.

Hmm. Where in the thread above has anybody commented on the content being 'not worthy' of publication?

Assuming that someone who does not like an author had never read them is a bit pretentious.
Just as pretentious as assuming that because people are speaking up for classics that they don't appreciate and read modern literature?

>196 Willoyd:

Whether anyone said exactly those words, I don't know. But it's certainly implied on this and plenty of other threads.

>197 Jason461:
So where's it implied on this thread?

>193 LesMiserables:

I have started, but not finished Scott. I do not feel obligated to trudge through books I don't enjoy. Give me Eliot, Austen, and most Dickens over him 8 days a week.

But that's just, like, my opinion man. Though he certainly has fallen from critical grace quite a bit in the last several decades.

>199 Jason461: I don't know what this 'dispute' is about ... however ... i highly appreciate movie quotes ... 'But that's just, like, my opinion man' ... perfect usage! 'Dude'

>195 AnnieMod: Assuming that someone who does not like an author had never read them is a bit pretentious.

Pretentious? Interesting comment.

I've learned over the years not to get embroiled in mud-slinging and returning fire.

All the best.

Well saying that someone that doesn’t like an author has more likely just not read them is a little looking down your nose but I feel the same way with authors I love and have to give in over trying to persuade my friends a book is great and just let them enjoy what they do.

Just a side note on the production has anyone come across the ‘Duchesse Cloth’ stated for the binding? A very brief search lends that it might be more of a satin effect cloth but mixed with the fluorescent ink screen printing it might have a more striking effect in person than is coming across in the photos. I also think the pricing point is being influenced by including 24 different illustrators which is a rare thing for Folio. I love the designs personally apart from the box and would love to get them but they are just a tad too much for me to spend at the moment with my partner reminding me buying house first luxury books second.

It would be silly to claim to dislike an author one had never read, but I've every sympathy with anyone who loses patience with almost any writer after a page or ten. Depends on the type of reader one is, but certainly for myself a book that's proving a weary and unrewarding trudge after five pages would ever so rarely become anything better in the course of four hundred.

I've been very busy lately and haven't been keeping up with LT, but when I woke up yesterday morning I finally checked LT and FS, and lo and behold - a (neon)flashing Dick! Woke me up better than my morning cuppa ever could. Although I don't find the colors pleasant, I don't think the design is bad; but it looks like something Taschen would produce. And I don't see anything screaming LE about this other than the price. It should have been a regular unlimited set priced accordingly. I would have gone for a standard/Fine.

>182 AnnieMod: Apparently going bankrupt will be much better than publishing books they do not feel are worthy.

I think I saw only one post here that implies that Dick is not worthy of a Folio treatment. One. I think most objections here are to the looks and price. What am I missing?

>108 U_238: Sure, the LEC printed 1,500 copies of most of their books, but I fail to see how it's supposed to invalidate >107 mnmcdwl:'s point. The fact that 1,500 >750 doesn't mean that metal type or plates don't wear out or that the LEC could have printed 10 or 20 thousand copies if they wanted.

But also, what do you mean hand binding is a labourious process and contributes to a limited number of books being produced? Surely the bookbinders are employed all year long, and are likely almost indifferent to what they’re working on?

Allow me to answer on >107 mnmcdwl:'s behalf. Because humans are not as efficient as machines. Because artisanal shops specializing in hand-made upscale products don't employ many people. Tailors are also employed all year long, so why can't a shop specializing in bespoke suits pump out as many suits as an industrial factory? Same thing here. The LEC often used a variety of hand-made, artisanal processes requiring a lot of human involvement, from hand binding to pochoir and illuminating illustrations by hand to actual letterpress printing, and neither of these processes can scale indefinitely.

Regarding the author’s signature, I find that odd as well.
Why? You think authors wouldn't blink if asked to sign 10,000 books?

none of the FS books are printed this way
That's actually not true. There are exceptions even among standard Folios, although very rare, and there are certainly LEs which are printed letterpress, bound by hand, feature hand-made paste or marbled papers, etc. Dick's Short Stories is not one of those books, of course, and that's the point. I completely agree with >107 mnmcdwl:, the limitation seems very artificial as there are obviously a lot more than 750 people interested in Dick's stories and there are no artisanal elements that would naturally limit the number of copies produced. This artificially limited supply already created the heightened demand for this LE that we see.

And I'll add that production values not only are not LE level, but I'm not even convinced they are in the Fine edition territory. Cool set, but it shouldn't have been an LE.

>206 elladan0891: I second all of this, and would add that the cost of relevant expert labor has increased dramatically over the past ~60 years in real money terms.

If I were to sum up what I objectively take from this thread, it would be three things:

1. Choice of title(s) widely supported. And why not indeed. I am one of the "old guard" concerned about FS's veer towards becoming a genre fiction specialist (although I was pleasantly surprised with the Spring releases), but that is not the same as not liking the best genre fiction has to offer. And, for me, that includes PKD. Even LoA deems PDK worthy of three volumes, and is one of only three Science Fiction writers they had published up until this year (the others being Vonnegut and Le Guin, with Octavia Butler added this year and Ray Bradbury to come later this year, all exceptionally good writers). Interestingly, Le Guin is the only "fantasy" author LoA have published (she was of course a master of both genres), but that is another topic entirely. Of course, LoA only focuses on American authors (and mainly dead ones) and it is not the ultimate arbiters of literary merit, but I raise it just to illustrate the fact that PKD is clearly well enough regarded to be included in the "American Canon", and I have seen little posted here to suggest there is any material disagreement with that. And I certainly approve of the title choice personally (although for budgetary reasons I would perhaps have preferred a good quality single volume collection).

2. Choice of aesthetic - mixed reaction. Some love it, some hate, some sit somewhere in between. And that is no surprise given the rather bold choice made here. Personally, I am one of those who neither loves it or hates it. I am not a fan of the box. For a start I don't like how it looks on the shelf. I would have preferred two 2-volume slipcases. But each to their own. I totally get the wide range of reactions.

3. Price point - widely (but not universally) condemned given what is on offer. Where it has not been condemned, it has been largely on the grounds of potential resale value rather than any intrinsic measure of value. Of course FS won't care. It looks as though there are enough people prepared to pay £500 for it to sell out quickly. Which will sadly just encourage them to do more of the same. I only hope FS creates an SE so as not to move FS further from the original aim of making great literature available at affordable prices, but it is difficult to see how they "downgrade" this one enough to at least half the price, as it looks like a standard SE edition that should be half the price already

>208 Conte_Mosca:
Fair summing up. LoA has also published a couple of sets of SF omnibus novels.

>209 ranbarnes:

Thanks, and yes very true, LoA have of course produced a number of "genre" anthologies across a range of genres.

>205 elladan0891:
Exactly (and not even sure which was the one!).

>208 Conte_Mosca:
Thank you: great post, sums it up perfectly.

On the broader topic of PKD: I have read Ubik and did not like it at all: this was some shoddily written technobabble nonesense that seems like it must have been drug-induced. I also read The Man in the High Castle, which I quite liked. The quality of writing is still dreadful, but it at least made sense and has some interesting character development.

Now I am curious: if I dip into more PKD, am I more likely to find another Ubik, or another MitHC? In particular, the Folio edition of Androids/Scanner looks quite attractive, but I have always been put off by the fact that A Scanner Darkly seems to be a drug novel and it seems like it could be another one of Dick's hallucinogen trips.

>212 ubiquitousuk: Whilst drug use was a theme occasionally used by PKD, it is certainly not ubiquitous, and is most clearly seen in A Scanner Darkly and The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich. So if you didn't like the former, steer clear of the latter.

PDK was an experimental writer, and his works covered many themes. Perhaps try Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, which are very different. Or it may just be PKD is not for you, which may be the case if you consider his writing to be "dreadful" ;-)

>213 Conte_Mosca: thanks. Dreadful does indeed seems a bit harsh; let's say "lacking in literary merit". But I am ready to recognize PKD as a wellspring of ideas, hence my curiosity to read more.

>212 ubiquitousuk:

In addition to Conte Moscas excellent suggestions I would also recommend Time out of Joint - a very strange novel (in the best sense of the word) that will keep you reading to the end. Martian Time Slip and the Penultimate Question are also personal favourites. Dick’s vision is unsettling and not everyone’s cup of tea. They were originally marketed as cheap paperback sci-fi potboilers but are far better than that.

When I first read Dick they were in the cheap paperbacks published in the UK by Panther. I loved these books. The contrast between the lurid sci-fi covers and the unsettling, deep quality of the writing within the covers was irresistible.

>215 Quicksilver66: Great suggestions too. I also read PKD voraciously when I was younger, checking out every cheap paperback I could from the local library. If we are going a little more off the beaten path with PKD's oeuvre, I would also throw in Galactic Pot Healer. It was the first novel of his I read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is what led me to read so much more of his more famous (and less famous) works.

>216 Conte_Mosca: Good suggestion. Another great PKD of the beaten track is Our Friends from Frolix 8. All wonderful stuff.

>196 Willoyd: >205 elladan0891: >208 Conte_Mosca: exactly. On re-reading this (very fun) thread, I too can find hardly anyone who has suggested that Philip K. Dick's work is not 'worthy' of Folio treatment. In fact, most of those who are taken aback at the price, given the materials used and the relative paucity of illustrations have said how much they enjoy Dick.

>74 Sorion: My favourite comment here! It's a seriously bold and cool design and you shouldn't feel even slightly ashamed for loving it :)

It is now 48 hours since the set was released and 161 left.
Will sell out soon, but not a record.
The fastest sellers have been :-
The signed Farseer Trilogy (signed standard edition) sold out in 4 hours
Mort LE 13 hours
Dune LE 25 hours
Count of Monte Cristo LE 9 days
I am Legend LE 13 days
Book of the New Sun 2 weeks
Candide LE 3 weeks

Thanks >208 Conte_Mosca: a good summary. I'm firmly in the 'hate it' camp and not even slightly ashamed. I'd be pleased to have the stories but not in this design (I can still see the colours of the books on my retinas when I close my eyes). Hopefully a standard edition may follow that's a bit tamer but I imagine that's unlikely, although they might produce a version without the 'shoebox'.

As an aside, I assume the four Playstation logos represent the numerals 1-4 for each volume. Is it me, or do they look more like 1,2,6,4 than 1,2,3,4 ?

>219 wcarter: Just looked at the old thread and Book of the New Sun is also up there: 21/05/19 - 2/06/19, so less than 2 weeks.

Btw it's not really a fair comparison as all of those you mentioned had 500 copies or fewer (except Candide which was 1000). If the PKD had only 500 it would have gone late yesterday, perhaps even sooner as the lower limitation would have made the set even more attractive to some.

>221 Levin40: Very true. Surely any value indicating sell-out speed for comparison purposes should take into account the size of the print run, for example the number of hours from release to selling out divided by the number of the limitation. I believe Mort would still win handily.

A yet more valid comparison would probably take into account price too, because Mort was sold for only £105 (an 'early bird' price from the stated RRP of £125 that saw every copy fly out with chirruping promptness), a price that would tag a far greater number of Devotees than the current Philip K. Dick set at £495. But how you would fairly weight selling price and factor it in to the calculation I couldn't say.

The Dune LE is impressive for its selling-out speed with respect to its price (£495) but then, by that point in FS modern history, more and more re-sellers had cottoned on to the potential profitability of re-selling Folio's smaller limitations of SF and fantasy classics and swooped in like some great flock of early birds of prey. A significant proportion of the limitation has been re-sold on eBay where numerous copies still remain dangling with decidedly late-bird prices.

>220 Hrodberht: I hadn't really made the Playstation connection until you mentioned it, but now that you have that's all I can see. The "3 corners" is almost certainly to avoid upsetting Sony but it doesn't really work since it's 6 lines if interpreted like the other shapes. I would much rather they had used a rhombus for 4 and a triangle for 3 to keep them as single shapes whilst still being different from the Playstation buttons.

The symbols on the spine are more satisfying at least, using 1 in the first group for book 1, 2 in the second group for book 2, etc.

I have just had a notification in the last few minutes that DPD will be delivering my copy between 6 and 7pm this evening.

>221 Levin40:
Thanks, original post modified.

>222 cronshaw: All good points. And yet another factor to be taken into account should be number of copies allowed per customer. I believe it was unlimited for Mort, and surely Folio learnt from that mistake. This makes the sell-out speeds of Dune (1 per customer) and - very soon - the PDK (2 per customer) even more impressive.

>223 JamesMcMinn:, >220 Hrodberht: The symbols are from the cards researchers use to test for telepathy. I think Sony may have had them in mind when designing the Playstation, - that aspect certainly fed in to the early TV ads.

Have mulled this a good deal in the last 2 days, and I feel it's a genuinely unique edition - in my mind, the closest corollary in the colorised Sound and Fury. So I've decided to order. Haven't bought much from FS in recent years, so I feel I can (somewhat) justify the exorbitant outlay. Genuinely excited to see the actual books.

>220 Hrodberht: >223 JamesMcMinn: The symbols (as they explain in the production video) are in fact from Zener Cards (edit - as I see >226 red_guy: has just also explained).

>225 Levin40: Yes, I did think about that, but I'm sure several canny re-sellers have multiple FS accounts and thus circumvent the limit. But in general I think it's very good and necessary that Folio have an individual customer limit.

I'm aware from an impeccably placed Folio source that (at least) one re-seller placed an order for 10 copies of the Mort LE, then tried again later but was refused when Folio began worrying that no copies would be left for longstanding dismembered customers who rely on posted flyers for information about new LEs and who would indeed be mortified to find there were no copies left.

>223 JamesMcMinn: "I hadn't really made the Playstation connection until you mentioned it" Playstation analogy copyright >12 Mujaddadi: but you're right, once you see it...

>226 red_guy: "The symbols are from the cards researchers use to test for telepathy" Perhaps I should have should have picked up on that.

>228 cronshaw: one re-seller placed an order for 10 copies of the Mort LE, then tried again later but was refused when Folio began worrying that no copies would be left for longstanding dismembered customers

They seem to have learned a valuable lesson from that. So the poor guy only made an exorbitant profit from ten copies. My heart bleeds for him. (I say "guy" because I can think of three likely candidates, all of whom are nominally males).

Word of caution for those still waiting the arrival of their books; this set is HEAVY. 10 kilos and FS have taken due precautions with the packaging so if there are any dents I'd imagine it was due to failed QA than from transit.

Just like the images the real thing will definitely create an impression whether positive or otherwise, for me it's the former. I liked the garish looks from the start but I love it even more in person. If you put these on the shelf without the case then they will certainly draw the eye; just remember to put on your sunglasses and not look directly at them. Cloth is untreated so if you like the more textured feel of it over buckram then these are for you. QA seems good, I can't spot any production faults on my copies aside from some trapped moisture patches on the back of some of the volumes that quickly tried out once outside the slipcase; perhaps something to keep an eye out for if you've purchased a set.

The volumes are very thick as you can see, almost identical to Dune though certainly heavier. Due to the amount of content and pages each volume is packing the paper certainly suffers, not a huge fan of Abbey Pure given its low opacity and thinness compared to some other Abbey papers plus it's not as tactile and certainly on the smooth end and closer to everyone's favourite paper Yu Long Wove. Due to the weight of the paper and text block I can see these volumes potentially sagging over time.

Not a huge fan on the case, reminds me of some old gimmicky DVD/Blu Ray box sets you might find. Would have preferred a slipcase or some other contraption, not that I'd use it but I'd rather have one useless piece than two. Definitely not as smooth closing as FS advertise; mine sorta initially judders for the first inch or so before smoothly finishing the final distance. I guess it could use some WD40.

As for artwork, I'm pretty confident that there will be at least one style of art that will suit everyone's taste. That said there's such much variability it may detract from its appeal for those who prefer a more consistent presentation. I personally like the range of artwork. It's definitely a shame FS didn't get all the artists to contribute their signatures. I'm not an art expert but I can't imagine it'd have been a major expenditure having them sign a sheet considering the work was already commissioned anyway and these artists, talented as they are, aren't going to be household names.

Considering nothing from what I've seen has given me an ounce of buyer's remorse so far I guess this set gets the thumbs up from me. Now it's just a case of seeing whether Dick's work also gets a thumbs up.

>231 wongie: Not a huge fan on the case, reminds me of some old gimmicky DVD/Blu Ray box sets you might find.

I really dislike the case and you've put your finger on the reason why.

Thanks for the preview. My copy is due to arrive this afternoon, between 2 and 3.

>231 wongie: wow! thanks for such a fantastic update. I'm glad you're happy with your purchase. Indeed the artwork looks great, the endpapers too. A pity Folio didn't show these as well as you have in your post. That's interesting about the heaviness of the volumes and of the text blocks. I see there already appears to be potential sagging of the yellow-edged text block, which appears less curved than its neighbours, or is that just my imagination? In any case, it's an impressive set and I hope you thoroughly enjoy it :)

>231 wongie:

Looks great. Thanks for the pics. Still trying to make up my mind on whether to get it or not.

>232 folio_books: On the plus side if one's house were ever burgliarized this set might get overlooked as a box of useless optical disks.

>233 cronshaw: Certainly not your imagination. Here's a shot of the top as they're standing up right rather than on their sides so you can see it's not just the yellow volume but all volumes are already showing sagging to some degree which is very likely to become more pronounced over time.

For this reason I can't see how FS would condense these four volumes into two if they were to release a standard edition like with BoTNS. I'd imagine they'd need to print it on tissue paper if that were the case.

My copy just arrived about 30 minutes ago. I would echo >231 wongie: 's warning about the weight - it's a very hefty package, heavier than it looks so be careful if lifting from the doorstep! The dimensions of the box it' s packed in are also quite bulky and awkward - I had a job getting my arms sensibly arranged around it while transporting it into the house. But the set itself is very securely packed inside the box.

Very brief first impressions after opening, the colours of the covers, particular the yellow of volume 1, don't seem quite as day-glo to me in person as they appeared on the website. Though they are still very bright of course, they just don't have quite the same "highlighter pen" quality as suggested by the photos. The yellow of the box however is a different matter and that is much more neon than the yellow of the books!

Flicking through, the illustrations do seem very few and far between (though in fairness I was expecting this). The first illustration of Vol 1 doesn't appear until page 104. It would have been nice to have a few more illustrations but I can see how there may have been logistical/budgetary constraints on commissioning an even greater number of artists than the 24 who contributed. So given the concept of having the stories illustrated by different artists, I suppose there's only so many illustrations that it's feasible to have.

Excessive parcel heft and large expanses of unillustrated pages aside, I'm very happy with the set from my initial glance over it. Looking forward to poring over it more closely later today.

Thanks >231 wongie:! Wow, that is huge. Now, compared to the Dune LE it seems to offer the better value.

Signatures would have been nice, and of course cost absolutely nothing to produce apart from the 750 sheets of (fluorescent!) paper, but think of the logistics given the current situation, of sending those 750 sheets round the world and trusting twenty-four artists (and I know artists) to make it snappy. Not going to happen, and remember that waiting for just the three signatures for BOTNS delayed publication.

The mix of illustrators looks to have worked well, although in some ways I would have preferred them all done by La Boca.

I'll never get used to that box, but then don't have any better suggestions for books that size.... an SE with Wove rather that Pure might squash them into three volumes, in which case a slipcase could work.

I thought the neons would be popular :) but the general reaction does have that familiar 'taking Nan to Tate Modern for an outing' feel. I cannot think of anything more suitable myself, and it does look to have been perfectly executed.

Now I’m over the initial shock of the colours I have to admit it’s growing on me.

>213 Conte_Mosca: “experimental” is a good word.

I was underwhelmed by Androids (though perhaps my expectations had been unfairly elevated by Ridley Scott). The novel is far too comedic for the subject, and unsuccessfully so.

Three Stigmata, however, I recall enjoying. If I had to characterize it, I would say Kafka after a summer at Woodstock.

(I read both during high school, so it has been a few years.)

I’ve heard his shorter fiction has tighter writing, though I haven’t read any myself. The movies Minority Report and Total Recall are both based on his short stories.

>234 adriano77: Still trying to make up my mind on whether to get it or not.

If it's a serious contender I wouldn't hesitate too long. Fewer than 150 left now.

>238 Quicksilver66: me too, David! But for the considerable outlay I don't want text blocks sagging quite so early in the day. If you're paying top dollar for an athletic fitness trainer you don't want a middle-aged jogger with a beer belly, particularly not in bright spandex.

I'm concerned too that the box may not be as robust as I'd have expected. I'm interested to hear what others think who are due to receive their order today.

>239 abysswalker: Well imagine how I felt, going to see the film and finding I didn't laugh once!

>235 wongie: Could it not be possible to store the box on its side? It might actually look more attractive, and support the text block at the same time.

>241 cronshaw: Indeed - there is enough sagging in my life already without sagging text blocks as well.

According to the FS promotional video, the box is strong. I don’t mind the box. I like that it fully covered with a removable lid.

>244 Quicksilver66: the box design is decidedly cool, very in keeping with the overall sci-fi look, but its walls look thin compared to the size (and weight it seems) of the volumes. I hope some Devotees will confirm the promotional video claim that it is indeed robust.

>243 red_guy: I was wondering about that, so that the 'vertigo' top surface faces forwards perhaps?

>245 cronshaw: Maybe ... The DPD app says Flavio is 5mins away and that I am next, so I will soon tell you.

Bravo Flavio!

>231 wongie: Wow. Thank you for posting. The illustrations are really right up my alley. As a result, now I am very torn because the neon colors are not to my liking at all.

The box to me resembles a bulk
box of highlighters at an office supply store.

I strongly dislike the yellow and the neon.

But...

The yellow on the books, as pointed out, is not as bad as the yellow on the box.

and...

I really love the illustrations and the stories.

But...

I hate the price. $750 plus shipping and tax makes me think I am out of my mind to even consider this when I don’t love everything.

Now I am thoroughly conflicted. I was a firm and vehement no. Now I am wavering.

>248 coffeewithastraw: I have given in and ordered.

Why does this always happen to me? I start of by thinking I don’t like something and over a day or two, change my mind and succumb. Could have something to do with the enablers in this Group.

>249 Quicksilver66: Same! This group was secretly created by the mole for this express purpose I suspect. You win, mole!

>247 cronshaw: Hurrah! Flavio has arrived (this is starting to sound like one of the later chapters of Pamela) and taken a picture of me by the box.

The outer cardboard packing box is huge, and I would imagine specially designed - and not cheap. There is even a Fragile Handle With Care this Way Up label, which I have not seen before, so I am thinking Text Blocks In Danger.

Sorry, but it really is a magnificent object. All doubts are vanquished, and Pamela is undone and swoons. I die!

Yet hold, the Text Blocks really are in danger. Taking a book out and standing it on the table, I can see the text block visibly sink in slow motion, which is extraordinary. Turn it over, and it shimmies back and sinks the other way, like a lurid egg timer! I have never seen that in a book before, and know not what it portends...

Sitting the box facing forward on the shelf with Philip K Dick etc. horizontal, actually looks perfectly good, and that is the way I think I will keep it. Most shockingly of all, the neons are not as fluorescent as I was expecting. In fact the box is bright yellow, rather than neon, as are a lot of the other elements. I'm never going to lose one of the books , but neither will I have resort to the paracetamol before reading.

When Excitement subsides, I may write more ...

>249 Quicksilver66: I was the same! Initially was sure the price was way too high for me, then within a day I gave in!

Waiting for the first Unboxing video on YouTube.

>251 red_guy: Fabulous, I'm most happy you're thrilled with its magnificence!

When fully restituted from her swoon, can Pamela re-done please tell us what she thinks of the robustness of the slipcase?

I confess to being minutely concerned about the egg-timing potential of the text blocks. Please expand a little if you can... is this a soft-boiled sag from top to bottom? It is cause for alarm?

>254 cronshaw: is this a soft-boiled sag from top to bottom? It is cause for alarm?

I am just so very relieved these books weren't made in China. Can you imagine? We'd never hear the end of it.

The reprints probably will be, though ...

>255 folio_books: This is the first egg-timer I've heard of in a while that isn't made in China. Has yours arrived yet Glenn?

>255 folio_books:

Ha,ha,ha!

>256 cronshaw: This is the first egg-timer I've heard of in a while that isn't made in China.

As well as everything else, apparently. FWIW I have already been in touch with Folio about the concerns about the text blocks (well spotted, Russell!) but I haven't heard back yet.

As for mine, it has arrived, but there is a problem with it which will probably result in it being returned. Full story when I know what exactly is going to happen.

I hasten to add, before people still waiting for theirs start to panic, it is not repeat not an issue with the books.

>254 cronshaw: For the sake of Science I have timed the sag, and it comes in at 3 seconds, but top to bottom seems fractionally faster than bottom to top for some reason. Volume three seems faster than the others, but I don't want to go there.

Pamela says the case is monstous stiff and would support a reticule containing two pugs without complaint. She says she has not seen the like since Gargantua & Pantagruel, which might support Flavio also.

Wow! It's hard not to get caught up in the increasing excitement brewing over this set. After some initial scepticism, not over Folio's decision to publish, but at the startling design and even more startling price, I decided to take the plunge and I'm now eagerly awaiting my five paperbacks from Amazon for less than 50 quid.

>241 cronshaw: Here's some comparitive shots between the box board with Dune's and Poetic Edda's slipcase and the Metamorphoses LE solandar case. It's definitely on the thicker side being just shy of 4mm so with the top piece closed some sections of the middle will have about 7-8mm of card holding the books in place. I've had to take the whole thing off the shelf a number of times for reshoots and the box, when closed, certainly feels sturdy enough.



>243 red_guy: You certainly could lean it on the box's side. I don't see it suffering in any way structurally as the entire weight of the books will rest on close to a cm's worth of card. As for aesthetics it certainly doesn't loose out on being on its side either.

>259 red_guy: that is wondrous good news respecting the soundness of the box. Mrs. Jervis will be relieved. My sincerest gratitude and compliments to Pamela and Flavio.

>261 wongie: thanks again for your marvellous reporting, it's like a virtual dismembered room! The box does indeed look more robust in that top image, when compared to the Dune slipcase.

>260 boldface:

Now that is being enabled in a sensible fashion! I went the even cheaper route. Kindle :-)

>261 wongie: It looks great on its side, doesn't it? Almost normal.
>262 cronshaw: Pamela remains ever your servant, &c

I've had an urge to go about timing text block sag, and it seems that as one might expect, larger books e.g. Ulysses do it, but then books of a similar size to the PKD not as much. Game of Thrones, or A Book of Traveller's Tales for instance remain perfectly perky. But now I'm going to stop as this way madness lies.

>263 Conte_Mosca: Very sensible. Although I do have the Kindle editions and used to own the paperbacks. But nothing compares to the hefty feel of a solid hardback. Hard on the wallet though !

>263 Conte_Mosca: >260 boldface: There's only a library trip left to top those options :)

>231 wongie:

Enjoy the illustrations. I'm trying to like the bindings but...feels like bumbling through a contemporary art museum. Trying to do avant-garde in the same way a thousand other artists are doing avant-garde...

>267 MobyRichard:

'Trying to do avant-garde in the same way a thousand other artists are doing avant-garde...'

It's retro-avant-garde. ;-)

My copy is supposedly due tomorrow but, being North of Inverness, that probably means the day after. Either way, the enablers here have stimulated my already moist palette.

Also feeling a yen to dip into Pamela. Is there by any chance a Folio edition?

>269 Cat_of_Ulthar:

No Pamela but they did do a nice Clarissa in two volumes.

Pamela and Clarissa are very much the same sort of thing, but Pamela is low born, and Clarissa high. One rises, the other falls. Both ladies have the admirable trait of being able to write letters while things are actually happening to them, e.g. as Mr B approaches Pamela with ravishment on is mind, she describes him coming closer! Both novels do go on a bit, it must be said, although I do love them.

>270 folio_books:, >271 red_guy:

Thank you, gentlemen, I shall go hunting.

>272 Cat_of_Ulthar:

One on Abe now for £30, UK. I think that's probably less than I paid for mine, which in turn was considerably less than the original selling price.

At the rate this is selling, this will be sold out within 24 hours. Of course, things might be slowing down and this might last longer, but if you're on the fence...

At any rate, as far as I can tell this is one of the few truly "fine press" PKD books ever published. A bit of history - in 1987 Underwood-Miller published "The Collected Stories of Phillip K. Dick" in two formats. One was numbered and limited to 500 sets and bound in imitation leather. Today the set sells (or is listed) on the second-hand market for around $2500. NO illustrations. Beginning in 2010, Subterranean Press republished this five-volume set. It also came in both a limited and trade edition. Artwork in the dust jackets, but otherwise again no illustrations (no slipcase either). Individual copies of the SP numbered editions sell for $200+ each. In my opinion, there's no comparison between those editions and this FS LE. Needless to say, the Folio Society edition is in a different league. Not just the illustrations (which I think are wonderful) but the entire presentation is fabulous. I think PKD would have been delighted.

>274 astropi: I am a member of your camp. Being new to PKD (being introduced just two days ago when this thread began) ... I've had a solid 2 days to research all I can about PKD as well as past releases of his work.

At first I was on the fence like many others here ... but after 274 posts in this thread and all my other research ... I believe this is now such an easy immediate purchase for me.

I still wish it was $100 less (which would have made it a no brainer) ... with the added tax and high shipping cost ... it puts in on the edge of no brainer and 'ehh, let me think about it for a second'.

I do see why the shipping is slightly higher then usual based on the above shared images of the packing material that had to be custom made for such a heavy product.

>275 thisGuy33: I do see why the shipping is slightly higher then usual based on the above shared images of the packing material that had to be custom made for such a heavy product.

The shipping label states 11 Kg. Having picked the package up from the ground I believe it.

>275 thisGuy33: Or if you just feel like checking out Dick in FS format you could buy Ubik for $75 and the Do Androids.../A Scanner Darkly tête-bêche for $115 and save about $650...

>276 folio_books: can't wait ... i've been meaning to start lifting weights again!

>277 elladan0891: Yeah ... they are on my radar ... however in my limited (2 days) research ... i've seen many say they more enjoy PDK in the short story format ... hence my first PDK choice being this title. An expensive entry point ... but I figure if it's not my cup of tea ... I'll be able to offload it for close to or more then I picked it up for. Only time will tell.

>279 thisGuy33: Much as I love the novels, the short stories are consistently better. They are more focused and usually built around a single, mind bending concept with no padding out. Generally, as a reader of science fiction, I think the genre excels in the short story more than the novel for the same reason.

>275 thisGuy33: I know shipping, taxes, it all adds up... but I'm sure you won't regret purchasing this. Honestly, the only other "fine press" limited edition I can think of is the Suntup Press A Scanner Darkly, which I'm not convinced is any better than the FS edition (if anyone has both, I would love to hear your opinion).

>278 thisGuy33:


ps Are we taking bets on when this sells out? 108 left ;)

>281 astropi: Suntup editions of A Scanner Darkly have not yet been completed/shipped. Personally, I find the "upside down" book element of the FS edition to be a bit gimmicky.

>282 adamsw216: But it's a brilliant Hommage to a 60s Ace Double! That paper though ......

Well, I took the plunge and threw in Ubik and the Androids/Scanner to boot.

I didn't wake up Tuesday morning yearning for a PDK collection, but to my eyes the design is perfect (for him). His writing could be... uneven... but he had such and amazing mind, it is no wonder his work launched so many movie scripts.

Also agree with >274 astropi: and >280 Quicksilver66:

And...ordered. :)

I need to delete this forum from my memory, not entirely sure how I ended up ordering, down to 96

>282 adamsw216: Thanks, I'd like to hear people's opinions about the book once it arrives, especially compared to the FS edition. I agree with >283 red_guy: the design is definitely a homage.

We're now at 82 and counting down...

>231 wongie: Wow! I wasn’t planning to purchase but your photos are making it VERY difficult to pass! I really love the colors on the books. I know I shouldn’t but I really really do.... so much money...

Annnnd enabled. I blame you >231 wongie: !

66 Left.

Ordered!

The final countdown is on!
46

>291 wcarter: great 80's song ... and is fitting to match the 80's neon glow from these books!!!

>280 Quicksilver66: I am super excited to hopefully become a science fiction reader ... and join a group of people i've neglected for probably way too long.

>281 astropi: I say by 11:30 PST we are down to 3 left.

>294 thisGuy33: I’d wager it will be sold out before 9am PST.

>295 ChampagneSVP: ... lol I was gonna say that exact time too ... but it was sitting on 45 for quite a while now. But now we are on 43 ... the anticipation grows.

>270 folio_books:

I am reading Clarissa right now. Love the FS edition. I wish they would take out more moire (or crushed) silk bound classics.

As for PKD, I caved too...after much (rather frantic) deliberating. Unbelievably, my dad (a chap who is absolutely not into luxurious things) convinced me to get this.

>297 sekhmet0108: and the award for best dad ever goes to ... !!!

any chance he wants to adopt a 40 - 50 year old who ALSO shares his enjoyment of luxurious things?

:)

So are there any significant numbers in any of PKD’s short stories? Curious whether certain limitation numbers would be more desirable than others for this set. And speaking of limitation numbers, I finally got my coveted, lowest possible #2 earlier this month!

I can't believe I've just paid £510 for four fluorescent books inside a pretty box that closes like a high-end toilet seat. I'm not even drunk. A man did come by very early this morning trying to sell me a vacuum cleaner, who my barking dog alerted me to, which I remember thinking was quite odd - as he attached the earpiece to the end of the very strong cleaner (which fitted my ear perfectly by the way) - because I don't have a dog. I'm either in a parallel whatsit or I'm quite, quite mad. Whatever the diagnosis, I'm in for some seriously high-end Dick.

Some impressive - and not entirely unpredicted - caving happening right now! The force is strong with this one! After sleeping on it (three times) I've decided not to jump on the bandwagon. While I do like many of the illustrations posted by >231 wongie: there are just too many elements that don't quite gel with me given the price: the overall design, box, bulkiness, sagging... As I don't resell books, a possible increase in value doesn't mean much to me either. So decided to stick with my paperbacks. Hope all those who have purchased enjoy it though!

>300 cronshaw: I do enjoy reading your posts - they are always informative and/or very amusing.

For those who have regrets about caving you may well be able to recoup your costs and possibly more by selling your new set. So look after them!

I wonder whether if the Society were to disclose more about their forthcoming Limited Editions and their not-so ordinary books, we all might make better decisions and possibly even spend more with Folio?

If you buy this or that Limited Edition or ordinary set then for most of us who have limited funds there is an opportunity cost involved and we might then have to forego a later purchase which we might have preferred to make with the Folio Society. Just a thought.

The one thing I hate most about titles selling out within a few days ... is if yours arrives with damage ... there's no replacing it. I had this happen once with Ulysses ... there was a 1/2 off sale and everyone was grabbing this title. When I received mine ... they packed it horribly and two or three of my books had damage. They were nice enough to give me some money back or maybe even a complete refund. But I'm still so sad I have a damaged version especially when it's such a beautiful book. Oh well ... fingers crossed on this one.

23

15

I have received my copy. It’s big but beautifully put together. You need have no fears on the slipcase/box which is built like a Bavarian brick outhouse - very sturdy. I like the way the lid slides back into place as if on a cushion of air - very neat. The books themselves are scarcely less bright than in the photographs. If the lamps ever fail on the Lizard Lighthouse in Cornwall then these could easily be substituted and would do the job just as well, so penetrating is the glare. But I like them - the coloured page edges remind me of the cheap sci-fi paperbacks I coveted when I was a child in the 70’s (I mean that as a compliment) - eminently suitable for a genre that was originally published as pulp fiction. No sign of lean yet. The binding material is textured to the touch. Each book has a slip of paper inserted between its companion in the box, to prevent rubbing. So this could be an issue long term, particularly if the box is moved around a lot, so I’m going to keep those pieces of paper in place. Those of you outside the UK worrying about shipping damage should be ok - the delivery box is very sturdy and the books well protected.

>306 Quicksilver66: This is reassuring thank you David. I need a sturdy shed-like spot in which to store my new vacuum cleaner. I confess I've never witnessed a brick outhouse in Bavaria but I assume over there they aren't made by Herren Barratt or Wimpey who I believe stretch only to standard edition outhouses with optional flammable cladding, a nightmare for libraries.

Down to 9.

If I refresh the webpage, the stock counter seems to oscillate between 9 and 10 left. How odd.

This one's not for me. I'd like to read the stories and the illustrations look to be first-rate. But I'm no fan of Dick and there are many truly luxurious private press books I'd rather sink £500 in.

But it's most fulfilling to see the excitement here, and I very much hope those who have taken the plunge enjoy their copies. I also hope this doesn't turn into another Dune LE, with me kicking myself for missing out.

>309 ubiquitousuk: Out of curiosity, what does appeal to you in the Dune LE in contrast to the SE?

>307 cronshaw: Don’t worry cronshaw- you can get your vacuum cleaner together with your ironing board and a few mops in that box. On reflection, I would say the construction is significantly better than any house built by Barratt or Wimpey! If it were a bit bigger you could live in it.

Sold out. How long, do we think, until the first set is on ebay?

And it's gone!

>298 thisGuy33: He really would be a gold medalist in the Dad Olympics! And although he is a monk in his own tastes, for the family nothing is too much. He is my best friend. (Sorry for gushing!) I will ask him if he is looking for another older kid! :P

........and they are all gone, in just over 3 days.

>312 agconnah: Photos are probably being taken for upload as we speak. Advertised as pristine with slight bump or scrape to slipcase. The prices should be interesting.

>310 NLNils: To be honest, I'm not even sure. At the time the LE was on sale, I remember thinking I liked the binding of the SE more. So it might just be a case of irrational non-buyer's remorse. I will say, though, that I find the unusual box the LE was sold in quite attractive (expensive box!)

I have never read Dune and will probably do so in the next few months (probably now in the Folio SE format). Whether I like it or not will also, of course, influence whether I feel regret or like I dodged a bullet.

>315 assemblyman: I think half the sellers don't bother taking photos, they just upload the Folio Society ones before even receiving the book.

>316 ubiquitousuk: I liked the look of the standard edition Dune more than the LE too, much more in fact, so no amount of early morning vacuuming could suction me into spending a further £420 just for the exclusivity of an LE. I'm uninterested in exclusivity for its own sake, but I am reassured that if at any point I decide to part with this quite unique PDK LE, I should have a good chance of being able to recoup my outlay. Furthermore, I doubt any standard FS edition of P.K. Dick's short stories would sell for much less than £200, knowing that they'd have to maintain it at four volumes because of the huge page count; and after learning of all the quality issues with the reprint of BotNS, and foreseeing the same happening here, I thought I'd treat myself to top tier Dick. This set represents my 2021 Covid stay-at-home holiday plans, and I'd rather Folio have my travel money than any re-seller on the secondary market.

And the first set on sale on ABE Books ... can be bought for the bargain price of £1,095!

>318 English-bookseller: Can't say I'm surprised. Buy 2 copies, sell one for double the price, and you basically have a free copy. I knew the limit was 2 per person for a reason ;-)

>318 English-bookseller:

Surprisingly, it's not who I thought it would be. Perhaps his island is temporarily cut off from the rest of the world. But the seller features regularly on the Fb group.

There seems to be yet another listing on Abe. With TWO books available. That didn't take long at all.

Two copies up on eBay already. As predicted in >316 ubiquitousuk:, didn't bother taking their own photographs. One is prices at £1295 but nevertheless has five watchers already.

Interesting psychology this: why would anybody who has had 3 days to buy the books for £500, suddenly the next day go out and spend £1000+ on them?

>303 thisGuy33:
The exact same thing happened to my copy of Ulysses. I was so upset and disappointed. Folio did the right thing and refunded my money but now I have a free and heavily damaged copy of what was an extraordinary publication next to Finnegan’s Wake (undamaged). The entire first third of the book was practically destroyed. Looks like a dog chewed through the bottom corner.

>303 thisGuy33: Folio Society does have some unnumbered copies they can use to replace damaged sets, according to someone in the Facebook group who received a set with a stain on the page edges of one of the volumes. According to that person, the society will cover the return and ship a new set with the same number. As long as you inspect the set right away, it seems like potential replacement should be no issue, if there is a QA problem.

>316 ubiquitousuk: I love the box for the Dune LE as well, very cool design! I just hate that the original vision set out in the SE was squandered by going back to generic sandy covers. It struck me as the ultimate rereading copy, with just the clean text in the main book. I also was disappointed by this announcement of the LE instead of further books in the hexalogy. When I saw Dune in the title of my mail pop-up message I thought the moment had finally arrived. Alas... it was not to be. I don’t think you’ll regret the decision, I had irrational remorse as well and didn’t even want to buy it! The self enablement in this hobby is strong! Ha!

>323 Willoyd: "Interesting psychology this: why would anybody who has had 3 days to buy the books for £500, suddenly the next day go out and spend £1000+ on them?"

You're assuming that the people willing to spend £1000+ had even known it was available. I managed to resist but even had I not, I still hadn't discovered its existence until about two days after release, and I frequent LT fairly often, too. Moreover, the psychology of it might be someone who sees the pristine copies of the 1987 5-volume release for sale at $5000 and think £1000 today for a fancier redesign is a lot better than $5000 later.

>312 agconnah: About two days ago.

>327 treereader:
Fair comment. Thanks for explanation.

>324 UK_History_Fan: Yikes!!! Mine wasn't that horrible ... mine was like a rat gnawed at for a while in a few spots ... then ran as fast as it could and head butted a few corners. Truly a shame when it happens to a title that can't be replaced. Oh well ... win some lose some I suppose.

>325 abysswalker: Are you saying they have some unnumbered copies of this PKD title that you are aware of or of the Ulysses title I was mentioning? Do you have to specifically mention you are willing to accept an unnumbered copy as a replacement. Because when I called about Ulysses they never mentioned that option.

>331 thisGuy33:

If it's the most recent Folio Ulysses that arrived damaged - and I think it has to be as you mentioned the half price sale, which was when I bought my copy - no copies were numbered to start with.

Seems reasonable to me, on the one hand to have made a few extra sets of a £500 LE as replacements for any that are defective, on the other to sell all the available copies of a clearance title and just offer refunds to anyone not happy with what they receive. My Ulysses isn't perfect in that it has a crease down the middle of its spine label, but at half price I don't think I would have complained under any circumstances.

>331 thisGuy33: yes, the press apparently has some unnumbered copies of the PKD set. Worth emphasizing again that this is hearsay (I don't have any inside Folio Society info; I am just recounting something a customer posted about in the Facebook group).

No, you don't need to accept an unnumbered copy. You send the damaged copy back and they will put the same number on a new, hopefully pristine set (again, according to what a person on Facebook said that Folio Society told them).

The customer posted the response from Folio Society:

... We should shortly be receiving some (not-yet numbered) copies so we can get this replaced for you. If you could send us a photo of your limitation number we can strat the process of getting a new one re-numbered for you. I do apologize for the additional admin. ...

The customer rep goes on in the message to request that the damaged set be returned.

In the case of Ulysses you mention, it is possible they were already out of extra copies at that point or they have changed their policy to account for this likelihood since then.

>332 terebinth: >333 abysswalker: thank you for the info ... that is good to know moving forward!

>329 Willoyd:

Yeah, frankly, I was amazed at how expensive any PKD anthology of any sort is currently going for. Even beat up, the pricing for either of the 5-volume sets seemed to start around $700, so Folio definitely priced themselves well, if not undervaluing their set. Kindle versions weren't very enticing either, since there was no clear way to identify hack copies from official releases and no way to build a full set of short stories without severe overlap. Looking back, you might think Folio could make this basic research approach one of its business strategies - find something scarce, disorganized, yet recognizable and republish it.

I decided to settle for whimsically building a partial set of just the highly rated short stories. I'm never going to have time to read the entire set.

Also, those books and their propensity to sag right out of the box have me thinking: wouldn't this set have been better if had been divided into 8 volumes instead of 4? They'd have been easier to hold and read, too!

>335 treereader: agree with everything you said. Especially FS underpricing this title (my thought has changed on this in the last day or two of research precisely for your same reasoning of the work it took to bring all these short stories together in one enclosed offering).

Also the sagging issue ... I wish too that they had made this an 8 volume set. I assume the only semi-protection in this regards is to make sure to store the books on their side?

Someone asked the Folio Society on Twitter for them to make more of the LE in jest and Folio replied:
‘ Apologies, but part of it being a limited edition means that once it's gone, it's gone - we're sorry you missed out. But maybe it can return in a different format in future.’

I think the last part is the most interesting as it indicates they may release it as an SE down the road or I may be reading too much into it.

I would if put up a screenshot but I made an arse of it in another thread.

>336 thisGuy33: yeah heavy books should be stored on their side. Okay, honestly, I think pretty much all books should be stored on their side. Horizontally there's a fairly even distribution of force, but upright you put more pressure on the lower parts of the pages which is how you might get sagging and other issues.

>337 assemblyman: You might be correct. The question is how might that differ from the LE?

>336 thisGuy33:

...only if the books fit sideways in the box. Storing the whole box sideways could be problematic since its sides are not uniform surfaces, though. Book shoes seem to be the only logical approach.

>338 astropi: >339 treereader: ... so best might be to take all books out of box and lay on side?

>339 treereader:

I'm starting to think that at least one of PKD's short stories had to have covered this specific issue. You know, some lesser known or rarely remembered story. Surely, there's some obscure, psychadelic way to keep these books floating unsupported in a non-sagging manner, but they'll float through walls or something, so just keeping them in the house will become a problem.

>338 astropi: I question the possibility of them producing an SE of these books. As much as I would like to see that, I feel like it would be difficult for them to differentiate an SE from an LE in an appreciable way. As many have already pointed out, these are large, heavy volumes as it is. In which case, condensing them into fewer volumes a la BoTNS might prove to be problematic. So, would a 4-volume set with paper boards, Yu Long Wove paper, no ribbon marker, no painted edges, and in a standard slipcase be enough of a downgrade to reach a price point that is neither too high (thus being too expensive to reach a wider audience) nor too low (thus potentially detracting value from the LE)? Genuinely curious as to what others might think about this.

Large books do sag over time but it’s not necessarily a problem unless the bindings become damaged in the process. Inevitably, gravity takes its toll on any heavy object but in the case of books I just accept this as part of the charm of an aged book. I would not resort to storing books on their side as they become difficult to access. A book is meant to read and handled - even a LE.

>342 adamsw216: I suppose a way forward would be to downsize each volume into a smaller format without losing the page count and market each one as an individual volume rather than as a complete set. They would have to have paper boards and perhaps dispense with the coloured page edges to differentiate. I could perhaps see this as a possibility.

>343 Quicksilver66: I just took a look at my gi-normous EP idylls of the king that I have been storing on a shelf standing upright for a few years now and I see a tiny bit of sagging. Like you say if the binding is done well ... it should be ok.

I'm wondering if I should turn it upside down to let the sag reverse a little ... or if that would more loosen the structural integrity of the binding. Maybe this is one I should lay on its side ... it's huge and probably as heavy as this 4 volume PKD title.

>345 thisGuy33: My feeling is that it would be best to leave it as it is. Turning it upside down might weaken the spine over time which is to be avoided at all costs - a little lean is nothing compared to a weak spine. I have the same issue with my beautiful EP LE of The Romance of King Arthur and also the EP LE Froissart’s Chronicles. Both have leaned but are still sound - it’s unavoidable.

>346 Quicksilver66: Always good to hear others thoughts and experiences. It's always a sad day when you find something got damaged due to incorrect storage ... and it could have been easily avoided with a little research or a little help/advice from someone with shared experience.

>337 assemblyman:

SE two volume selection of stories?

>347 thisGuy33: as treereader mentions above, book shoes are the logical way to prevent sagging of text blocks, they're simple and wholly effective. Get hold of some acid-free card, use as many layers of it as you need to create the right height of 'shoe', a flat wedge that you cut to fit into the space between the bottom surface of the text block and the few millimetres of front and rear boards that protrude beyond it, such that the shoe fills the space and is flush with the edges of the boards. Your text block will be fully supported with zero sag. Make them for any books with broad or heavy text blocks, if you're concerned about their potential sagging.

Look up the 'book text block sag' video on YouTube for visual guidance!

>349 cronshaw: do you think they would damage the paint on the bottom page edges though?

It’s quite possible to make a heavy book that does not sag at all. Many of my books that have been professionally rebound do not sag. Bookbinders are able to construct very secure and strong bindings in this respect. I suspect this is too expensive to do in commercially made bindings, even LE’s.

>349 cronshaw: thank you for that ... just did the youtube search and will watch! Much appreciated

>348 kcshankd: I was thinking the same thing. A selection rather than the complete short stories would seem more likely. From a production point of view it would make things easier to manage and the LE would keep that special feel by having the more complete amount of stories.

>350 RRCBS: possibly if the card is rough, but if it has a smooth finish, I wouldn't have thought so, since the edge dye should be fractionally impregnated into the paper. Perhaps a more expert Devotee can comment on this.

>351 Quicksilver66: I've always been impressed that the two volumes of the FS limited edition of Dr Johnson's Dictionary don't sag while together weighing approximately the same as a baby hippo.

>352 thisGuy33: my pleasure :)

>348 kcshankd: Yes, I agree that would certainly be a reasonable compromise.

>354 cronshaw: >350 RRCBS:
Perhaps one way to help protect against this would be to wrap the shoe in a glassine paper.

>340 thisGuy33: Honestly, that's what I plan to do although I'll look at the box and see if there's a way to make sure pressure is evenly distributed since that's what matters.

>343 Quicksilver66: I have large books that show no sag whatsoever because I store them on the side.

>346 Quicksilver66: I see no way that storing books horizontally would weaken the spine. In fact, storing your books horizontally puts nearly an even distribution of pressure on the spine, whereas storing them upright does not. It's just simple physics. The reason people store books vertically is for the reason you previously mentioned - ease of access. I have no problem with my books horizontally, but absolutely to each their own.

>342 adamsw216: I honestly think FS should NOT reproduce this in a non-limited edition. People who purchase the LE pay a premium to have something unique that will not be published again. As >348 kcshankd: noted, I feel that a selection of his stories with perhaps some of the artwork (but certainly not all 24 pieces) would be appropriate.

>351 Quicksilver66: Sorry, I have to keep on disagreeing with you :)
Again, physics. Store your books on the side, no sag and no need for expensive rebindings.

>354 cronshaw: I've always been impressed that the two volumes of the FS limited edition of Dr Johnson's Dictionary don't sag...

Are you sure? Mine certainly do: enough for the centre of the text block to be at the same level as the base of the boards. Once it's there it can't drop any further.

>357 astropi:

I'm storing my largest FS volumes (Temple of Flora, Night Thoughts etc.) on their sides each with a dedicated shelf, but storing a whole library that way sounds extremely ungainly to me, and likely, through the inevitable piles, to lead to cocked spines more unsightly than a modicum of sag. >351 Quicksilver66: is perfectly correct in observing that the propensity to sag - at least within a human lifetime or two - is overcome by the sturdiest of bindings. Just one example here is a collection of Hugh Walople novels rebound for their owner c. 1950. I can't vouch for how they've been stored throughout that time, but I doubt they've spent very long in any non-vertical orientation, and even the large paper volumes (limited, signed first editions) of 7-800 pages each show no more than a millimetre of sag: and in their case the text block centre is most definitely not resting on the shelf.

>351 Quicksilver66: Regarding text block sag, it must also have something to do with the paper used, in addition to the binding. My anecdotal sense is that more substantive papers, such as hand-made and mould-made, are less prone to sagging. For example, the two volumes of the 1933 LEC edition of Don Quixote are each independently some of the heavier books I own, are quite thick, and have no noticeable text block sag. (And, to reiterate, these books have had almost 90 years to settle at the time of this writing.) This is how George Macy (that inveterate salesman) described the paper used for this edition in the relevant LEC monthly letter:

The paper is possibly of the very best quality we have ever had. It crackles like metal, for it is made of hard linen rags exclusively. It has a creamy color and looks like a million dollars. To make two volumes totalling more than one thousand pages, a tremendous amount of this paper had to be used. The paper was made by a Barcelonan manufacturer named Guarro, who sold it to Oliva at a low price out of his patriotic interest in the venture. Otherwise, this quantity of such splendid paper might have cost ten dollars all by itself!

(Oliva was the printer and I believe ten dollars was the cost of the set at the time.)

I would worry about sagging if the page block were to pull away from the spine, but I’ve never had that happen and I have a lot of large, heavy books. Gravity is as natural as sunshine and bunnies. So my philosophy — let ‘em sag.

>354 cronshaw:, >358 terebinth:

No matter how hard one tries to construct a book, it will eventually sag. Even if one were to build a book completely out of steel, it would eventually sag. The trick is to build it soundly enough that it doesn't noticeably sag during the owner's lifetime.

>357 astropi:
I honestly think FS should NOT reproduce this in a non-limited edition. People who purchase the LE pay a premium to have something unique that will not be published again.
Perhaps, but that would be looking a gift-horse in the mouth given the popularity of the book. The recent history shows that FS are increasingly bringing out an LE, then producing a cheaper product as an SE, and the LE premium is simply for the higher grade, limited availability, product - LE buyers should expect this now.

>348 kcshankd:
I think a selection would be counter-productive. A major part of the appeal of this is having a complete set, and any other scenario would IMO go fairly rapidly into the sales - selections don't do half as well as complete sets. Certainly (depending on price), I'd be interested in a complete collection but would have no interest in a selection.
As to quality of production/features. Given FS's approach to the SE of Sharpe's Tiger, I think they'd create their own differential fairly easily, although hopefully they took the criticism of that on board. Even so, I reckon paper boards, slipcases, Chinese production, uncoloured edges etc would all create enough of a differential. If they took the Sharpe route - B&W illustrations?! Or maybe an unillustrated set? Given the size of the books, I'd go for an 8-volume set with just a frontispiece for each!

>362 Willoyd: I'm not so sure. Personal introspection suggests there must be a bunch of people out there who would like to read some of the better-known short stories (We Can Remember it For You Wholesale, Minority Report, etc.) but aren't ready to spend well into three figures on Philip K Dick whose work is viewed by many as inconsistent.

Folio Society would have to get an SE of the complete short stories down to about £125 before I started considering it; this seems like a tough target given that it would need four volumes. On the other hand, I think I'd go for a nice single volume selected short stories (sans neon binding, which might be wishful thinking) in the £80 range. That seems much more realistic.

>337 assemblyman: "I think the last part is the most interesting as it indicates they may release it as an SE down the road or I may be reading too much into it."

I think people regularly read too much into comments like this - FS is hardly likely to say "we will never reprint this title in any format ever again". The only people that would help would be resellers, and they're naturally going to want to keep their customers engaged.

A much better, indicator, I think, is how well it's sold. Any publisher that manages to sell 750 copies of an LE in a few days is inevitably going to look into whether they could sell far more copies of a non-LE of the same title at a correspondingly lower price, particularly since a lot of the cost (commissioning artwork etc) has already been incurred.

And they've done this enough times now that they must be reasonably confident that it won't harm sales of future LEs (i.e. it's not as if their LEs are failing to sell because people are thinking "I'm not paying a lot for this when they'll probably release a cheaper version later").

Library of America could knock it up in a couple of volumes without breaking into a sweat (their Poe Essays & Reviews is 1544pp ) and maybe will, as I am sure they could be next in line for the rights given the fourteen novels they have already done. But Folio are currently wedded to the various Abbey papers in an inexplicable way, so three Folio volumes at 800-odd pages in a thinner paper and a slipcase would work, but a pair of two volume sets is more likely.

Well, it's here. Somehow it feels heavier once liberated from its very substantial cardboard travelling case, which makes this seem like a suitable accompaniment while I have a proper fondle:

Mahavishnu Orchestra - Vital Transformation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boOu0L45M44

The Inner Mounting (fluorescent) Flame was visible through the paper wrapping, heh :-)

>251 red_guy: By my soul, Clarissa too is undone, swoons and dies! Mid-swoon, betwixt fluttering lashes, she noted with relief a manly solidity that bore no disobliging sag; nevertheless, wishing to proceed with most uncharacteristic constraint and caution in this new matter of the heart, she hath decided post-swoon to lay her new love on his side til such time as she is again mistress of her own emotion.

>358 terebinth: I was no longer sure on reading your post! My memory last night served me wrongly, I do apologise, there is indeed a sag, though I hadn't noticed it before, probably because it isn't noticeable to me at the head of the spine where I would normally notice it.

Also, I do remove my Dr J's Dictionary in a probably unusual and certainly ungainly manner: I lift the whole set in its slipcase on to the sofa, spines facing down and remove the slipcase vertically upward from the tome I want to peruse, rather than trying to prise the volumes from the slipcase horizontally which I find awkward and liable to cause gradual damage. Any sag thus naturally corrects itself.

In any case, I remain impressed by the general solidity of these huge and marvellous Smith Settle bindings.

>362 Willoyd: Perhaps, but that would be looking a gift-horse in the mouth given the popularity of the book. The recent history shows that FS are increasingly bringing out an LE, then producing a cheaper product as an SE, and the LE premium is simply for the higher grade, limited availability, product - LE buyers should expect this now.

I agree, Folio increasingly seem to be following the Taschen publishing model of a limited edition followed by lesser value unlimited ones. If you create a cash cow, you might as well milk it.

>362 Willoyd: I agree and we will see more of this practice. It doesn’t seem to be doing Folio any harm, though, given the rate LE books are flying of the shelves. I think the Folio of old would have resisted this strategy, but as long as the standard edition is sufficiently differentiated from the LE, then I see no problem in it. It also gives those that might balk at the LE an opportunity to obtain a very nice substitute at reasonable cost. Nevertheless, FS is definitely a far sharper marketing outfit than it was in the days of the old membership model.

>362 Willoyd:
>363 ubiquitousuk:

FWIW, I agree entirely with >363 ubiquitousuk: on this one. Philip K. Dick's short stories are wildly inconsistent and a well-chosen selection of the high points by a knowledgable critic makes perfect sense, especially if it is issued in a deluxe standard edition - similar to Seamus Heaney's Beowulf, the Malay Archipelago, etc., priced in the $125 - $200 USD range. The recent edition of Montaigne Essays is a model of what I am thinking of and I believe it would be equally successful as the Limited Edition. This model of a highly sought after limited edition and a deluxe standard edition also worked quite well with The Call of Cthulhu.

>369 dlphcoracl:

Yes, this is what I’d much rather have and read - a curated set of the best short stories.

>369 dlphcoracl: Philip K. Dick's short stories are wildly inconsistent
Curious what you mean by that? How many of his short stories have you read? I certainly have not read that many of his stories, and I am looking forward to exploring them. It might be interesting reading them in chronological order and seeing how his thoughts and ideas evolve. Considering how huge the work is, I certainly agree with you, as I noted previously, that a selection of his short-stores would be ideal for a standard release. Although, I am hesitant to use the word "best".

As others have said above, it is hard to see how this set could be downgraded sufficiently to justify making a SE out of it. I can see a 2 volume, slipcased edition of a selection of stories though.

I just got mine in the mail and spent a good hour perusing it, already bringing delight (I had to laugh at the crabgrass comments in the afterword.). The design works for me. I have read a few of Dick's novels but never dipped in to the short stories. The LE has gone on the shelf near my bed and the plan will be to read a story every night or two until finished. I think I'll get my money's worth.

Looking forward to getting mine! Surprised to see two FSDers already looking to trade theirs!

>372 waystation72: That's because it is an SE at an LE price, LOL!

>374 RRCBS:

It looks like they only bought it to offer it for trade against older and sold-out editions. It might work, who knows.

>376 SF-72:

I would guess it probably won't work on FSD, where the vast majority of posters will have known about it before it sold out, and so will have consciously decided not to buy it for the list price. Such a person suddenly deciding now that they want it more than their BOTNS LE (which they could stick on eBay for three or four times the PKD list price) seems unlikely.

>377 PeterFitzGerald:

You might be right. I frankly don't like this tactic, but elsewhere or with a bit more time between the publication and such an offer, they might still succeed. I never even would have thought of that kind of thing. I buy books because I want them, not to re-sell or try and get a swap for expensive out of print books.

>363 ubiquitousuk:
>369 dlphcoracl:
I find you both very persuasive! Given what you say, it does make sense. I might even bite if it happens!

Judging by what happened with The Book of the New Sun and how quickly both of these sold, I think it's extremely likely that they will make some kind of unlimited edition of the Complete PKD short stories. I already found that a bit problematic with BotNS, but okay, that one was signed and there was some strong downgrading with the two instead of four volumes. If they do something similar here, it would seem like a bit of a joke, though. They frankly should have split these four volumes into more (other editions were five volumes, I think), so turning them into two volumes would be far too much per book. But the box can be replaced by something cheaper, no coloured page edges, no ribbon. There are already only 6 illustrations per about 600 pages, reducing that even more would be very unsatisfactory. So I suspect they'll keep it as is at four volumes with a simpler case and fewer extras, printed in China. Which makes a bit of a joke of the limited edition at 500 Pounds. But I can't really imagine that they won't seize the opportunity to sell even more of those by reducing the stories to just a selection. But in the end, this is all just opinions and guesswork. We'll see in a while.

From what I've seen so far in cases where there are a limited and an unlimited edition:

Best version: Both are published at the same time and customers have the choice between both. That worked very well with I am Legend and Cthulhu.

Worst version: Sharpe - publish both at the same time, but deduct from the regular edition to make a very regular 'limited' edition look better.

>380 SF-72: I'm pretty sure the FS current Alice in Wonderland/The Wind in the Willows is from a limited edition? but a different binding. Both has generous amounts of illustrations so I would think they had kept all the illustrations, just changed the binding.

>380 SF-72:
I agree it's almost certain they'll release an SE of the PKD set. I remember exactly this debate being held about the BOTNS LE - that it wouldn't be possible to sufficiently downgrade - but they managed it there, and they'll manage it here too. Reducing the number of stories to a 'Best of'? Possibly. But remember that would mean a lot of extra work, rather than just a reprint of what they already have.

This transfer between LE/SE formats is really nothing new for Folio. Of the slightly older books in my collection there are Candide, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the David Roberts set, all of which began life as LEs. It's interesting to note that in terms of which to release first they've also tried all three possible options: LE first (those I just mentioned, BOTNS, Dr Zhivago, WitW, Alice etc), simultaneous release (Mort, Cthulhu, I am Legend, Sharpe), and even the SE first (Monte Cristo, Three Musketeers).

>381 HamburgerHelper:
Yes, you're correct. I note that (binding aside) the Alice SE actually has a slight upgrade in content over the LE. I quote: 'This edition first published by The Folio Society in 2015 as a limited edition, now reprinted in a smaller format in a new binding and slipcase, and with watercolour added by the artist to certain illustrations'...as well as a completely 'new decoration on page 83'.

>381 HamburgerHelper:

The Wind in the Willows was a different matter. They had the gorgeous and generously illustrated regular edition, then decided to do a limited edition for an anniversary, I think. (I wasn't a member yet at the time, but read about it.) So they basically did an upgrade of what they already had that went well beyond what they later did with Dune, for example. The limited edition is much larger, vellum was used for part of the binding, there's an original signed etching, I think there are also new illustrations on a larger scale.

With Alice it really was a limited edition first, and when it sold very well, they republished it in a smaller format, with less expensive techniques and materials used, but slight changes in the illustrations, too, so people who already have the limited edition might feel the urge to buy this unlimited edition, too. The limited edition is still superior to the unlimited one, the difference in price seems absolutely justified.

This direction - limited then unlimited - used to happen sometimes with very successful limited edition. But the downgrade from one to the other was very obvious, like with Alice, and you could never really be sure if it would happen at all. With the newer limited editions, it's sometimes hard to see how the differences could be big enough to justify the high prices of the limited editions. Which is probably why don't risk publishing both versions of BotNS oder the PKD short story set at the same time, like they did with I am Legend and Cthulhu.

Books arrived yesterday - pretty prompt and impressively packaged. They are really magnificent editions - whatever the opposite of buyer's remorse is, they have given me a massive dose.

It's an interesting discussion about a "downgraded" / "SE" version. A well-established part of the LE model, as many have said. I wonder though if a "regular" edition of this would necessarily be another set. It might make sense to re-create the 4 volumes using lesser materials (and I imagine no colored edges / ribbons) as stand-alone volumes - priced say £50-60 each. In that way people could sample if they wanted, or take the plunge on all 4 for approx. half the LE price. Maybe individual slipcases could echo the motifs from the LE box. I wonder if rights agreements allow for a further version - perhaps not. In any case, the speed of sale must suggest another edition would sell.

Bonus! My daughter loved the packing material. She and a friend are in the process of converting it into sets of cardboard armor.

>385 Chemren: wonderful! maybe I'll do the same ;)

I just got my copy, and I have to say it's truly beautiful in person. I was just out on the porch, reading the introduction, taking in the lovely design and colors... now, I have to say that I will not be happy if the FS basically fully reproduces this as a standard edition. Why? it's not that I don't want others to enjoy this, and I do believe a standard edition is warranted, just not a facsimile. When you pay a premium for a limited edition, it is supposed to be something that will not be reproduced again. Limited edition books have been around for hundreds of years, this is not anything new. Oftentimes the appeal of a limited edition is the artist's or author's signature. I know the FS had numerous artists in this edition, and frankly, it's a missed opportunity to get their signatures which the FS most certainly could have done! Smaller presses with far less resources have produced signed limited editions which are signed by numerous artists and contributors. That's a moot point, so now the question becomes what makes this a "limited edition"? The colored edges? The bookmarks? The slipcase? The number on the limitation page? I personally think those are nice little touches, but if someone offered you basically the same book minus all that at HALF the price, wouldn't you accept? I know I would. In short, I think if the FS basically reproduces the complete edition at a fraction (1/2 or 1/3) of the original cost, that would be a slap in the face. That's my view on it. On the other hand I feel that a two-volume edition with selected stories and a fraction of the original art would allow others to enjoy the short stories but also ensure that the LE is something unique.

>387 astropi: I too agree ... It makes me a little nervous watching recent release habits from FS. This last one with BotNS really had me disappointed.

I realize FS and other publishers have to make money in a turbulent world where consumers have so many options that it has often watered down the profits of many companies. But I believe they are beginning to walk a tightrope between finding solutions to make up their market losses and insulting their loyal customers.

When an LE is pushed out ... and shortly after a SE is released with all the same content ... in a slightly different format ... I think it is a difficult thing to swallow (as others have said).

I too think there is a way to accomplish this. But it has to be a way that doesn't make those paying top dollar for the LE feel like they should've just waited because the differences are too little to justify the cost and make that feeling of a special one of a kind (or 1 of x-amount) null and void.

So watching this pattern of FS release strategy unfold ... I'm starting to think ... I'll hold off on some of my LE purchases and just wait for the SE.

But then you are taking the chance like is turning out to be the case with BotNS ... seems to be having QC issues with the SE.

For me the only thing I currently like (besides the non-QC issues) of the LE over the SE (for the BotNS) is the book being split into 4 volumes over 2 (much easier to sit with and read for long periods of time). But is that worth the LE price increase?

As i've said before ... only time will tell I suppose.

I've never bought a book based on loving the colors before. Now that it's in my hand I find that... I don't regret it at all. Oh I love the shiny colors!

Now the real issue: To shelve in box or out of box with colors on display?

>389 Sorion: or display both the box and the books outside of the box on the same shelf ... both the box and the books are a well designed work of art.

>389 Sorion: You could keep them in the box on your shelf but remove the box lid. Then you get to display the books and still have some protection from the box. I have tried this and it looks good.

I can understand why the arguments for issuing a standard edition of some Limited Editions must appear very strong to The Folio Society.

The Folio Society is a relatively small specialist business with limited resources and the staff must work hard to identify suitable publishing opportunities, and then work even harder on the copywrite, legal, design, printing, marketing etc issues that arise on each publication.

Dealing with designers, illustrators, printing firms, authors and their legal representatives must often be demanding work. And no doubt some (most?) of their projects do not actually get to publishing stage.

So to put such effort in the hope of publishing a one-off Limited Edition may only work from a resource and profit point of view if they can invest and spread the upfront capital costs over much greater sales.

In other words, the standard editions that sometimes subsequently are published are used to enable the Limited Edition.

As a professional golfer once said: 'You drive for show and put for dough'.

>391 Quicksilver66: That’s an intriguing idea and I’ll give that a shot tomorrow in the light of day.

My copy was delivered today. Pretty smart work to get it to Australia. Now to make room for it on the shelf.

I would like to add my voice to those who would be interested in a SE containing a curated selection instead of the complete works - seems fitting, as there isn't an obvious downgrade available, and there's a good audience of people who find Dick interesting but not mindblowing.

Going the other way, do we think there's a chance of an LE version of the Foundation Trilogy? If Dune is anything to go by, it would be highly profitable, and potentially hard to resist.

>395 HarpsichordKnight: an LE version of the Foundation Trilogy

Now there's a guaranteed money-spinner for Folio!

I received my set yesterday and find the glaring colours rather irritating, especially when they're mixed though several don't fit together at all. The blue on its own would be okay, for example, but the pink is awful.

What I really enjoy are the illustrations, the end papers, and the top of the box is also really nice.

My impression is that the inside is the usual high FS quality. The outside of this is more like a designer object for the kind of ultra-modern home where something like this could be displayed on a table or so and fit right in. If you actually put it on a bookshelf, you don't even see the top / the best part of it unless it's an unusually high one.

>397 SF-72: You’ve just given me an idea. I will put mine on the shelf with the top side facing out. This gives the added benefits being able to store the books horizontally and making the box fit more narrowly and thus taking up less shelf space while obscuring the view of the yellow...

>397 SF-72:

What would PKD choose? The psychadelic color trip. (Which begs the real question - why pastels and why so uniform?)

>398 coffeewithastraw:

That sounds like a good idea. I'll have to see if this works although the top half doesn't fully cover the bottom half. It would also solve the problem of potential sagging.

Current situation of eBay https://imgur.com/LHtWukK. There are 16 listing of this limited edition and almost everyone is above or around £1000. These sellers have so much faith in buyers.

>401 Mujaddadi: It's very likely the best prices for this won't be had for another 6 months to a year. After the furor has died down. At that point that faith will likely be rewarded as less available copies means higher prices then even today.

>402 Sorion: Good for the sellers. If buyers are willing to pay two or three times the MSRP, then who am I to object? I am just wondering, if this trend continues, we will probably see more books with the scalpers than Folio Society.

>403 Mujaddadi:

I can't see anything like that happening, Folio's books are expensive enough for most of us direct from the publisher. It's always just a small fraction of the published limitation on offer once a book is out of print, being chased by a similar number of potential buyers with deep pockets while the rest of us look on, pleased to have bought when we did, nursing regrets at having missed out, biding time until gentler prices appear, or just in detached bemusement.

I think the scalping situation is generally overblown, but makes for interesting conversation.

In the last year, approximately 50 copies of The Dune LE were sold on eBay. Of course, copies sold elsewhere as well, so let’s say 25. Another 7 show up when I search on eBay.com, and maybe there are a few for sale in the UK that won’t show up on eBay.com (not cross listed); so let’s say 10 available for sale as well.

So of 500 copies, approximately 415 are sitting happily at home with their original owners.

Plus some number of those sales are people who didn’t buy to sell, specifically, but just ended up selling it.

Doesn’t seem terrible.

>405 U_238: That would come out at just under 20% having been sold on in about a year, which seems a fairly high resale rate in my opinion. It would be interesting to see a comparable number for standard editions (although I can't see any feasible of working this out), as I think the rate of resale would be significantly lower for these.

>405 U_238: I think, there is a difference between selling a book immediately after the book is sold out or selling it after a few months. The first example is a strong indication of scalping and it sound worse to me.

My point is, even if a scalper gets hold of a single copy, that is potentially leaving one buyer from buying the book at normal price. Just because there seems to be less scalpers doesn't make the situation right.

>407 Mujaddadi:

I think there is some imagining going on that we’re all operating within some idealistic marketplace, one in which all buyers who intend to own a book also intend to read it and are aware of its existence once it is available for sale and, minus scalpers, would be able to pick up a copy whenever their funds allowed because Folio printed exactly enough copies for all interested parties. I’m not sure right-versus-wrong comes into play when we operate with an inefficient market in which “every man for himself” rules still apply. If anything, it’s the “every man for himself” paradigm that we should be complaining about, not the scalpers or the prices.

>408 treereader: That's right. But I never said that we should have an ideal market or it's even possible. I was just trying to say, we shouldn't be calling something, which is imperfect, as perfect, just because perfection is hard to achieve or not possible.

Did anyone get the prospectus for this LE as I never received it and not sure if FS even printed one for it?

>407 Mujaddadi: I wasn't commenting either way on whether scalping is a good thing or a bad thing, just that it's not nearly as pervasive as some here would make it out to be.

>410 venkysuniverse: Good point. Thanks. I didn`t.

>410 venkysuniverse:
>412 Pellias:
Neither did I, and now that I think about it, I don't recall receiving one for Dune either (but maybe there was one and I've just forgotten). I guess it makes sense either way not to incur extra marketing expenses for books that FS might suspect will basically sell themselves (and likely sell out before the brochures even hit anyone's doormats!)

So, how are people enjoying the collection? I assume most everyone is starting from Volume I ...wow, some of his stories are truly bad :)

>414 astropi: I took a perhaps irrational dislike to this Limited Edition and felt I should not buy any copies from the Society as it would be hypocritical for me to sell them for a quick buck.

So I perhaps missed out on a quick profit of £250 per set.

However I see today that ABE Books now has five new sets for sale including two which were put on sale there soon after the launch.

>415 English-bookseller: So I perhaps missed out on a quick profit of £250 per set.

That's what someone else thought when he listed it on eBay for £750. No bids so he's relisted at £695. I'm following the trajectory closely,

>416 folio_books: that’s interesting it didn’t sell for £750, as one sold for £859 a few days ago. Maybe the lower price attracts people to follow it. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=folio+Dick+short+&LH_Complete=1&L...

>414 astropi: I've started with book three for that very reason!

>414 astropi: Yeah, it's kind of amusing that in 400+ posts on this LE the stories themselves have warranted barely a mention. But, hey, book collecting :-). I have most of these in paperback, though not the very early ones, and I believe there's a consensus that he got better with time. It's been a while since I read them and I can't say I read them cover-to-cover (would be interested if anyone is attempting that with the 2000+ page set). A few that I remember standing out are: Second Variety, The Golden Man, Minority Report, The Hanging Stranger, Autofac, We Can Remember it for you Wholesale, Foster You're Dead.

>419 Levin40:

'I have most of these in paperback, though not the very early ones, and I believe there's a consensus that he got better with time. It's been a while since I read them and I can't say I read them cover-to-cover (would be interested if anyone is attempting that with the 2000+ page set).'

I have the last three volumes of the Millenium paperback set so am also not familiar with the early stories. That's one of the reasons that I was drawn to this set. I have started at the beginning and my plan is to read through to the end but whether I will actually manage that remains to be seen.

Of the ones I've read so far, 'Roog' was perhaps the most interesting.

>420 Cat_of_Ulthar: I'm also trying to read through the whole set (about one story every night). But it can be tough while also reading a novel simultaneously. But that's the plan anyway. I'm up to Paycheck now.

Those that stood out in the first bunch include "The Gun" & "The Variable Man". Some of the others range from good down to meh, even forgettable. But I think that's to be expected when you realize how many stories he wrote in such a short period of time. Check the notes section. The vast majority of this set was written in the 50s and for pulpy publications. Not every one of them is going to be a banger. But if the best is yet to come then I'm excited for it, even if I am familiar with the more well known "classic" titles.

The one included in the FS Science Fiction Anthology, "Recall Mechanism", was a nice surprise. Until I received that book I never read or even heard of it. I hope I come across others here with the same sort of surprise.

The execution was lacking in the early stories. They were dashed out for the pulps and Dick was still finding his voice. But they contain elements of the originality that would later mark him out from other writers in the field.

>414 astropi: The Subterranean set is in 5 volumes, and volumes 3-5 are where most of the best stories are in my opinion. With the 1st two volumes it’s hit or miss. I find most of the poorer works do have interesting ideas, some of which he revisited in later stories or novels. The novels are hit or miss as well, so if you move on to those definitely get some recommendations. Everyone’s got their favorite but there seems to be consensus around the best dozen or so.

The story "The Little Movement" reminded me a bit of Toy Story although obviously darker. I actually wonder if the people behind Toy Story had read and never given PKD credit? I mean, that thing happens all the time in show biz...

The first "good" story in the collection in my opinion is "Beyond Lies the Wub". It reads like a fun episode of The Twilight Zone. Not really "deep" nor "excellent" in my opinion, but certainly a good one indicative of the direction PKD would eventually pursue in his writings. It is actually considered among his better earlier stories and his been reprinted numerous times
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_Lies_the_Wub

There's one with 3 hours to go on ebay at £490...

>425 InVitrio: I can’t see that one but there are currently 13 on eBay with prices ranging from £920 to £1295.

>426 Quicksilver66: In the 'sold' listings there's one that went for £571.00 today. That's probably it. Not bad, considering the alternatives.

>427 Cat_of_Ulthar: A bargain I would say. I bet the seller thought it would go for a lot more. He would have been better listing it as a buy now, but priced to sell below the others - say £850.

It's a weird one because it was only a 24 hour auction, with listing started at 99p. So I wonder whether someone was gauging the market and bought it themselves...

>429 InVitrio: could be. That would make sense.

>429 InVitrio: Yes that was odd, you're hardly guaranteed to get the best price by setting an auction duration at 24 hours with the starting price at 99p.

>429 InVitrio:, it also helps if you don’t have a spelling mistake in the authors name. It wasn’t showing up in my auto alerts because of that but I found it eventually.

A lot of people with similar alerts would have also missed it because of that.

Well, there has been an interesting discussion in another forum regarding Imajica which is being published by Suntup Press. Printed offset, with some beautiful original illustrations - but the price, $775 USD (plus shipping) for one volume. Honestly, that price makes the FS PKD 4-volume set look like a steal :)

>421 skubrick2899: You know "The Gun" wasn't terrible, but I didn't find the ending particularly surprising nor exciting nor memorable. But, considering the time it was written clearly a nuclear war was on everyone's minds.

>434 astropi: That's just my initial impression of the first dozen or so stories. I guess it's not so much that those stood out but they lingered in my head for longer than I expected.

I'm sure much of his work was influenced by the arms race. "The Gun" is certainly one example of that.

It seems the FS all but confirmed a standard edition is going to be published, via a Twitter post.

>436 U_238: link?

>436 U_238: All I can find is this, from six days ago:

Can you confirm yet that there WILL be a standard edition at some point? Asking for a friend... ;)

I'm afraid we can't confirm it yet Brad! Fingers crossed though.

You can find the thread here, if you visit Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TheFolioSociety/posts/5970335859647068

One of the other replies is:
"It's in our plans! Fingers crossed 🙂"

A bit odd for them to say it's "in our plans" as well as "can't confirm it yet" in the same thread. But there you have it.

>439 U_238:

Meaning "we'd like to, but contracts etc. haven't been signed so it's not a done deal", presumably - or, "we'd like to, based on how well the SE sold, but it wasn't a firm plan before now and we haven't even drawn up the contract yet."

>439 U_238: Visiting the Moon one day is in my plans, so fingers crossed on that too :)

>441 astropi: Haha, I have no stake in this. Just in case others are considering springing fo the LE; it seems if you're patient there's a chance for a much less expensive option eventually.

Enablement alert! Someone is selling this set on ebay for a knock-down price. Says UK only though.

>443 waystation72: £635 including P&P for an as-new set is a bargain indeed. That won't last long!

It’s gone!

>443 waystation72: Knockdown price, in that they are only adding 25% on top of the RRP.

In the blurb it said they were not selling it for profit. The mark-up over the Folio original price was to cover postage and ebay fees.

>446 Uppernorwood: in that it's considerably less than the great majority of prices achieved on eBay over the past several months.

>446 Uppernorwood: After ebay and paypal fees it works to a modest profit of around £45 and seemingly all goes toward the cost of postage for the set which sounds about right considering the heavy weight.

>449 wongie: although ebay doesn’t use PayPal any more & ebay also have a promo on at moment for 90% off seller fees so there will be more profit than you imagine as they won’t be paying much in fees, though I do imagine the postage will be around £40/£45 given the weight

What’s wrong with the seller making a little profit anyway?

>451 RRCBS: for a book that’s just a few weeks old and sold out in days, quite a lot. They’ve inserted themselves into the supply chain, created no value for the consumer, and taken a profit.

>452 Uppernorwood: We don’t know anyone’s situation or why they are selling their property, which they clearly have a right to do. I doubt selling the set for $50 profit was the eBayer’s intent when buying it.

In fact, I’ve gone and found the listing and the seller says, “I bought this set for my own collection but have to now reluctantly part with it due to unforseen circumstances.” And “My hope is that a collector who will appreciate the books as much as I do will buy it from me rather than a 'professional reseller' who is only in it for profit.”

So perhaps a bit of kindness is in order rather than criticism.

Hopefully the set did go to a collector.

>452 Uppernorwood: well the person who bought the set within half an hour of it being listed must have thought there was pretty fair value there, don't you think? I find it bizarre that someone selling a sold-out sought-after Folio set for well below the current market price is being criticised in this way. We don't even know that he or she is making any profit, given the likely high cost of P&P including insurance plus eBay and PayPal fees (not all sellers have access to eBay's commission fee offers mentioned above, and buyers still have the option to purchase on eBay using PayPal whose fees are passed on to the seller).

>453 ChampagneSVP: indeed, kindness appears to be rationed these days.

I never understand why people get so troubled over someone turning a profit on luxury books of all things. People have many reasons for selling their belongings and when it's for luxury books, who cares. An argument can be made if one is price gouging on food, housing, heat, etc., but on Folio books? I actually plan to sell my Dick set because it's not my cup of tea and will sell it whatever the market demands - i'm not in business but isn't that how many people are able to survive and live comfortably in this world? Buy low sell high? I sure hope in 30 years, if i'm lucky enough to retire, Fidelity has taken this approach for my 401k. In my years of buying books I've bought some which I believe are bargains and others that were well over their original price tag - Sound and the Fury and Moby Dick come to mind. If all 12 fairy books were put on ebay for $400, how many people would actually write to the seller and say "I'm sorry, you've incorrectly listed those books for an 1/8th of their current price, let me buy them and from you and give you an extra $4000." Maybe... or maybe i'm just too cynical.

And who cares what I do with my earnings. I could give it to a charity or use it all on Jack Daniels, Lucky Strikes, and cocaine - if i'm not hurting anyone but myself, isn't that my choice and decision to make?

>456 Joshbooks1: I totally agree. If you think a book is overpriced or have an issue with whether it was bought just to resell, just don’t buy it.

>456 Joshbooks1: Maybe go easy on the cocaine , I’m told its very more-ish !

>455 cronshaw: I think most people are quite sensible & can see the difference between someone selling something on (either through necessity or design) & potentially making a few pounds on the deal from someone who is happy to pay the premium to have the item & professional scalpers who will for example buy thousands of concert tickets & immediately try to resell them at 100 times the face value - which isn’t what we see with Folio LE’s (yet!). At the end of the day people will decide what price they’re happy to pay & if a price is crazy then it just won’t sell.

Moreover I don't understand why this judgement is reserved for private sellers, but is not at all applicable to sellers like 'aldersley' on eBay. They have 'We' listed for €400 and 20,000 leagues under the sea for over €400. They also have the PKD set for €1160. Doesn't that make them a scalper too? But somehow it's different if a person does it constantly and makes a business out of it? That makes no sense to me.

Whether one sells for a profit, for charity, for unavoidable reasons or whatever...it's none of our business.

However, the judgement here and on the FB page is just hilarious.

>460 sekhmet0108: Agreed , although technically some forms of scalping are already illegal in the UK - in 2018 the government introduced legislation to prevent the use of bots to purchase event tickets which are then sold on at an inflated price & a private members bill was introduced at the end of 2020 to try to extend similar legislation to games consoles after scalping last year on PS5/X-Box hardware , so the ‘none of our business’ doesn’t extend to all forms of buying & reselling at inflated prices (though the examples above reference new product rather than the second hand /rarities/antiquities market which is very much a law unto itself & where prices tend find their own level).

The ironic part is this group has a lot of retirees, whose incomes actually depend on the entire buy low, sell high philosophy, yet somehow someone selling a FS book at a profit causes them to stay awake at night.

>450 antinous_in_london: Those promos are quite random, so it’s quite a leap to assume the seller is benefiting from it. Also, eBay kicked PayPal out of the picture and increased their own fees. Total cost to the seller is still approximately 13% without any promos.

Also, breaking news - all second hand bookstores buy books from people and places and (gasp) sell them back at a profit.

>46 skubrick2899:
"The ironic part is this group has a lot of retirees, whose incomes actually depend on the entire buy low, sell high philosophy, yet somehow someone selling a FS book at a profit causes them to stay awake at night."
Your experience, if any, of retirees must have been gleaned at a soup kitchen. Since I retired, early, last century, I've had more disposable income than I ever did working, having made sensible financial arrangements for the event. That's true of most of the retirees I know, finally free of mortgage payments, school fees and the like. Most of the LEs I own were bought post-retirement, and I've never sold a book in my life. I am, of course, quite happy to buy cheap, but don't have to.
It's a common failing of businesses to mistake where purchasing power lies. Not usually with the young, who are more than willing to spend on luxuries, but lack the wherewithal.

>463 Jayked: You’re right. I should have said this group’s members are skewed towards the +50 crowd who have had decades to accumulate wealth by buying low and selling high.

Until I see them selling their houses at 10% over what they paid for them forty years ago, and giving back their DB pensions or capital gains because portfolio managers shouldn’t have done such a good job investing in things that appreciated in value, I’ll maintain that I’ll feelings towards people doing the same thing are nothing by hypocritical.

Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to clarify what I said, because I completely agree with you regarding where the spending power really lies in terms of demographics.

I won’t post anymore about this, sorry for going off topic.

Maybe we can focus on the book again.