Gibson's Neuromancer is coming

Gibson confirmed it on Twitter. No word on timing, artist, or whether it will be a LE, SE, or both. From Gibson: "It’s happening, actually. Don’t know exactly when."

Wow! After recommending it every opportunity I had during surveys, this pleases me. Just praying they don't screw up the artist selection now.

Nice! Neuromancer would be an instant buy.

Looking forward to giving it another go. I was a bit disappointed first time round. It starts out with the atmospheric, grimy cyberpunk setting, but the ending turns a bit weird for my liking.

>2 adriano77: If you don't like the art on this one there's also a Centipede Press version on the horizon.

>5 LeBacon:

Thanks for the heads-up. Was it delayed or something? Per a search, it was meant to release in summer '22?

Still disappointed I missed out on the Suntup version. I only found out about it the day after it sold out, haha.

>4 ubiquitousuk: I was confused the first time I read it! But definitely needs another read.

By the way, Easton recently reprinted their Neuromancer edition

>6 adriano77: According to Jerad's latest newsletter "Neuromancer should be out by mid 2024."

>2 adriano77: We can only hope Quentin Blake is available and interested.

>8 Dr.Fiddy:

Ah, alright. How does Centipede typically go about their releases? Pre-order period? Do they sell out quickly? Should I be signing up for a newsletter?

>9 PartTimeBookAddict:

Quentin Blake taking on the cyberpunk genre might be worth a look though.

>10 adriano77: You need to get on the newsletter - he sends a link in that when they go up for sale and the store is only accessible with that link. The newsletter always drops on Sundays at the same time and he will give a heads up the week before with the price so you will know ahead of time. The popular titles go very quickly so you need to jump on the link as soon as it drops.

>6 adriano77: The other key bit about Centipede Press is Jared has stated he’s doing the whole Sprawl Trilogy. I have a Suntup Neuromancer, but may try for this so I can get the whole set eventually.

>11 LeBacon:

Thanks. Just requested to receive it. Kind of hate the free-for-all system. Feels too much like a lottery. Any clue how many they usually do in a run?

>12 mholt:

Interesting. Didn't care as much for Count Zero or Mona Lisa Overdrive though. Would be heavily dependent on the art.

>1 icewindraider: This is awesome!

Dave McKean is currently illustrating Neuromancer. Whether that's for FS' or Centipede's edition is unknown. I'll be buying whichever doesn't use his work though.

I like McKean as a rule, though his style can vary quite a bit. It will be interesting to see which publisher he's working for.

Based on the information from the current Folio catalogue the artist for "Neuromancer" will be Anna Mill. This edition is going to be signed by author and artist.

>17 drizzled: Hope that's true! Anna Mill is an inspired choice.

>17 drizzled: Great - strong capable work, teeming with figures, detail and an emphasis on buildings and structures:

https://www.debutart.com/artist/anna-mill

I've never read it; has it worn well?

>18 HonorWulf:
Agreed!

>19 red_guy: Getting some Moebius/Giraud vibes from some of the crowded work here. Which is strong approval in my book.
>22 drizzled: "each copy will be signed by the author and the artist"
Sounds like an LE then.

>18 HonorWulf: An excerpt from the aforementioned article:

But strange new worlds, of course, are not merely the province of fantasy. William Gibson's "Neuromancer" is the definitive cyberpunk novel, first published in 1984, and 'its influence on both literature and film cannot be overstated,' says Rose. 'We worked with William Gibson to choose the right artist – Anna Mill, whose work shows the cyberpunk world in all its glory.

'We are so very lucky and grateful to have had Bill Gibson's personal input to this,' says Rose. 'The introduction is a unique insight into the relationship between the author and Malcolm Edwards, his UK editor. We've printed, in call and response form, Malcolm talking about the evolution and creation of the novel, and then Bill's reaction to that. Furthermore, each copy will be signed by the author and the artist.' And Gibson himself says: 'I wouldn't have expected to see my work in a Folio edition, but I'm absolutely delighted. I can't wait to see Anna Mill's brilliant design work in person!'

>19 red_guy: Yes, certainly! The technological aspect isn't the main emphasis here, but rather the social phenomena. A lot has been left for the reader's imagination. Hence, some slight industrial nuances (such as the RAM's size) might appear dated, but overall "Neuromancer" remains highly relevant. Remarkable read.

>22 drizzled: Thanks. I will download it and give it a whirl. >21 A.Godhelm: Yes - all looks very promising.

Not blown away by the work on Anna Mill's site. Still better than McKean's style, IMO. Hopefully she can capture the cyberpunk aesthetic without the soft fuzziness that I'm seeing in a number these examples.

Also, it's pretty lame that FS is making this a limited edition. Not keen on paying an over-the-top premium for signed post-it notes or waiting a year or three for a standard edition. Supposing the design is good in the end, etc.

The subpage for this edition is now active on Folio's website: https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/neuromancer

Launching in August.

First artwork from there:

I like the art; the cost will break my heart. Guess I'll hope for an eventual standard edition.

This illustration looks really good. It will be interesting to see what the two artists are going to do with it.

Style looks promising. Not sure which character that's supposed to be though.

It's the talking head from Villa Straylight, I assume:

At the Villa's silicon core is a small room, the only rectilinear chamber in the complex. Here, on a plain pedestal of glass, rests an ornate bust, platinum and cloisonne, studded with lapis and pearl. The bright marbles of its eyes were cut from the synthetic ruby viewport of the ship that brought the first Tessier up the well, and returned for the first Ashpool.

This might be an old fashioned view but does a well written novel really require illustrations?

A skilful author will - if necessary for the book to work - have carefully described the personality and appearance of a principal character in such a way that an interested reader can form their own picture of him or her or it. The illustrations shown above leave very little to the imagination, do you not agree?

>30 English-bookseller:

Re: Illustrated books.

A well written novel does not REQUIRE them, but is often enhanced by them. I find your statement and comments far more applicable to poetry and poetry collections, where I usually find illustrations an unnecessary distraction. There are, of course, exceptions such as Walt Whitman's 'Leaves of Grass'.

>30 English-bookseller: totally agree, and many of my favorite books lack illustrations.

That said, illustration of some sort is a big part of the Folio Society's brand and value add.

Of course there are some exceptions (Letterpress Shakespeare, etc.), but these are out of the ordinary for the purposes of this board it seems.

Tangentially, if one were to seek out the most thematically appropriate edition of Neuromancer, it would probably be a pirated epub file, and any illustrations would be rendered by transformer-based machine learning systems.

Illustrations have been around as long as books have. More "recently", woodcuts developed in the 15th century led to the popularity of illustrations in books that are still found today. There are of course fine press books that do not have illustrations, although many such books do have some ornaments/embellishments to set them apart from other editions.

>34 astropi: In western Europe, those early woodcuts were instrumental for the propaganda that accompanied the protestant pamphlets as most people couldn’t read. Which leads me to somehow agree on >30 English-bookseller: that illustrations can often (willingly or not) mislead. For example, I consider 1984 illustrated with soviet propaganda to be superficial, or borderline ignorant, depiction of the book‘s message.

>30 English-bookseller: The illustrations shown above leave very little to the imagination, do you not agree?

An interesting question. I think the answer depends on what you see as the role of illustrations in a book.

My feeling is that, outside of children's literature, the role of illustrations is not to do the work of your own imagination. Rather, they provide a parallel artistic experience for you to enjoy alongside your own visualisation. I think anyone who reads illustrated books like FS editions quickly becomes adept at balancing these two - sometimes opposing - visual interpretations.

A couple of examples from recent books I have read:

The FS edition of Dune. This includes highly detailed character illustrations - probably exactly the type to which you are referring. I found that in many ways they diverged from my own images of the characters (and the sandworms!). It just didn't matter - both interpretations can co-exist.

The Everyman's Library edition of Life and Fate. It's obvious that illustrations are not needed to appreciate such a wonderful and finely written book. However, I know I would enjoy seeing how an artist, who really engaged with the text, would portray the principal characters, and they would add interest when reading a novel of such epic length.

The idea of excluding illustrations based on the writing being good enough to stand alone has never really resonated with me. I think this idea was the reason that the FS' edition of Perfume was not illustrated.

I don't think there are many writers who would say 'my descriptions could really benefit from being propped up by a few pictures here and there'. As >31 dlphcoracl: said, for me it's not really a question of whether or not they are 'required'.

I personally find illustrations help readers like me who don't have a fertile imagination when it comes to visualising large houses like manors/castles or even characters in a science fiction book who are not a typical human. Additional maps (if I stretch the definition of illustration) helps me keep track of character movements in long novels and adds to the overall pleasure as well.

I don’t need art, but I enjoy having it.

Is it just Centipede Press and FS putting out LEs of Neuromancer at the moment?

Wonder how many LEs of the book have been published so far from different presses.

>39 RATBAG.: The Suntup edition of Neuromancer was the first LE since the Phantasia Press Neuromancer in the late 80s. There were various anniversary editions (10th and 20th) and a couple of UK hardcover reprints as part of various SF/F lines from the publisher, but no real LEs.

Aside from a couple of signed and slipcased editions of a few of his 90s novels (Virtual Light was one) that were released as collectables alongside the first editions, I think the only other LE of any of Gibson's books was the Subterranean edition of Burning Chrome a few years ago.

It seems a little odd that there haven't been more collectors editions of his work - possibly it was seen as being too recent compared to other science fiction classics?

>40 Grofield63: Thanks! I completely forgot that I had the numbered Suntup in my library.

Personally looking forward to the CP edition, but Folio's looks interesting as well - fingers crossed they go all out on the binding and material(s).

Ditto on Burning Chrome - also in my library.

Maybe cyberpunk wasn't appreciated for what it was at that time and was just 'underground' before it boomed? Glad the genre received the recognition it deserves, eventually.

I have not read this book but in some far off part of my brain it interests me. I'm sure there's a show out there being made for it, because Folio's marketing is about as original as a cake donut, with sprinkles of course, but nevertheless I have something drawing me in.

CP actually delayed their Neuromancer from this Summer's expected release. Supposedly the new plan is to release the Sprawl trilogy in late '25.

A big factor for me as far as getting the Folio edition is going to be whether they also decide to release the Sprawl trilogy. A stand alone edition of Neuromancer would be nice (especially as you don't need to read the following books to get a complete story), but Count Zero has always been my favourite of the Sprawl novels and it'd be great to get a quality edition of it as well. And the only way that'll happen is if they release the trilogy

The CP edition looks great from the very little I've seen (and I like Dave McKean's art), but it does seem like there's going to be a stampede for that set when it's finally up for sale. Not sure that McKean is doing the art for all three either

>44 Grofield63: This being an LE you're not gonna know. If there's an SE (I'd think it likely) they might announce they're doing the whole series but they've not often committed to releasing entire series from the outset. There are plenty of aborted book series of theirs. Sprawl is just three books which might spur a commitment but even a best seller like Dune had to wait years and two movies for them to move on a sequel. And even then we have no idea if they'll stop there or move forward to the next logical end point of God Emperor.

I guess it makes sense they can't really promise to publish when there's no guarantee something will sell. But I also get that this is a risk for the customers instead, ending up with a broken set.

>45 A.Godhelm: Good point re: Dune. I was thinking more along the lines of the Hitchhikers Guide set, but that's a collection of physically smaller books with a lot more recognition as a set, rather than the Sprawl which could be seen as one big hit and some non-essential sequels.

I guess on the one hand nobody else (until CP next year) has done the entire trilogy so there might be some built up demand for the other books. But on the other Neuromancer is complete in itself, and its the one with all the name recognition.

An illustration from the email I received today re: 2 sci-fi LEs coming in the next two months —

>47 BooksFriendsNotFood:

That fits to the book. And it's another email I didn't get. Their marketing is truly incompetent.

>49 SF-72: Yeah for some reason I always get these to the email where I DON'T buy Folio Society books, which makes zero sense. I'm very happy to get them somewhere though because I'd have no idea how to recreate it with a new email.

Release date is pushed to August 14. I hate that it’s a Wednesday because I don’t think FedEx delivers FS on weekends, so we (in the US) may not receive it until the following Monday. Oh well.

Also, more art:

>51 BooksFriendsNotFood: Thank you for the update. Of course there is nothing new from FS in my email inbox

>51 BooksFriendsNotFood: I’m ok with the delay as it helps smooth out my spending so soon after Canticle!

I like the artwork I’ve seen so far.

Predictions on price? I expect similar to Canticle but perhaps not so much as 1984 so maybe around £400.

I wonder about the binding. Leather doesn’t really feel - to me - a good aesthetic match for the source material…

Fingers crossed for this one...hope it's not another petty cash grab.

God forbid they go back to ACTUAL LEs like the good old days when they put this beauty out. One of the nicest to come from Folio, IMO.

>53 cyber_naut: I would love to see it at £295 but being more realistic – the range of £400 seems likely. "Neuromancer" is going to be signed by Gibson so that's a one reason for FS to keep the price close to Canticle's even without the leather binding

>51 BooksFriendsNotFood: thanks for the update. Nothing in my inbox on this, although I did get the email about the canticle having sold over 50 percent.
I love the art I have seen so far for Neuromancer and although I already have a copy, It is looking like I will definitely be buying this.

150£ for the signature alone will be my guess if you followed around and saw how they dealt with signatures lately...

I assume the combination of it being Gibson's first novel and it being signed would be the justification for adding on a hefty premium. Gibson's signature on his other books (especially the more recent ones) isn't hard to come by if that's what you're after, and for much less than 150£.

I have to say that, if Folio doesn't mess up with the design and Illustrations, I will buy this LE.
Design technically it has a hard time to beat Suntups version IMO though.

>54 RATBAG.: I Am Legend wasn't an 'actual LE', it was merely a limited edition binding. The text block was identical to that of the standard edition which was available at the same time, same paper, same typography and layout, same illustrations; just as the 'limited edition' Mort shared exactly the same text block as the standard edition. I believe FS were slightly embarrassed about calling their Mort full leather limited binding edition an LE (they never put it on the Limited Editions page of their website) but since it sold out rapidly, it clearly pointed the way to a highly cost-effective and profitable way to issue 'limited editions'.

>60 cronshaw:

Re: I am Legend.

It is a numbered limited edition of 295 copies plus 20 hors de commerce.

>61 bookfair_e: Yes, but cronshaw was comparing its binding to the standard edition that wasn't limited.

>52 drizzled: My pleasure! I got this emailed to 2 inboxes so I assume it's because I signed up for the Neuromancer updates with 2 email addresses lol.

>53 cyber_naut: Fair enough! I definitely had a thought about how I'd be richer for an extra week lol.

>54 RATBAG.: Hope it lives up to your expectations! It's awesome that you love that LE.

>56 Hamwick: That's interesting! I didn't get the Canticle 50% sold email (although I saw it on FB in the morning) but I got this one haha.

>61 bookfair_e: What I had hoped to express was that just because an edition is given a limitation number by a publisher doesn't make it a genuinely limited edition to my mind if it shares the same text block as a standard edition and only the binding differs, i.e. it's merely the binding which is 'limited'.

>64 cronshaw: The 'guts and skins' discussion regarding the 2002/2003 Tolkien LE (LOTR, Hobbit and Silmarillion): https://www.librarything.com/topic/341802#7846260

>65 mr.philistine: Indeed, another example! :)

>56 Hamwick: The Neuromancer update was included in the same email as the one for Canticle--just toward the bottom of it.

>67 skubrick2899: ah, thanks

Very odd radio silence from Folio regarding this title, considering how popular it is.

Compared to the 1984 LE noise? Crickets.

Yes, I had to double check that the launch was announced for this week - it's definitely very strange they're not hyping it up more

First preview now live on Instagram.

Love the illustrations, but the overall design and binding isn't really doing it for me...it feels like a vintage gaming console and looks a bit too cartoony.

The illustrations look pretty good. Colourful. Don't really like the page spray. The slipcase is a great idea (the deck) but not really feeling the execution.

I've been wanting FS to do a version for years but not sure I'll grab this. Depends on the price mostly, I guess. Probably not given I'm mostly lukewarm so far.

Someone has pictures ?
Can't watch the preview, have no account...

>71 RATBAG.: >72 adriano77: Maybe I am wrong but it looks like another paper binding.

>73 Ragnaroekk: If you are on the Facebook group someone put it up there.

>73 Ragnaroekk:

You don't need to have an account to watch the video. I don't.

>74 assemblyman:

Yeah. Looks like a coated paper like Jurassic Park.

>74 assemblyman: That's what it looks like to me. This is reminiscent of their edition for 1984. So, I wouldn't be surprised if they went with the same price point. That's a definite pass.

I think the design is fabulous. Not sure about the materials used for the book however. In theory this should mean it is a cheaper LE, but I’m not sure the FS logic works that way

>77 skubrick2899:
I bet it will be more expensive, because it has the Gibson signature.

Found the video on Facebook, luckily.
It doesn't look that bad, but again, a paperbinding ...*urghg*
Even the enclosure is bound in this paper.
Is Paper the new cloth ? (Nothing wrong with paper, if it's a half binding and the paper is hand marbled)

The design is okay, but I liked the design Suntup took for their numbered edition even more. A copy sold for ~1500€ on eBay recently.

Let's hope for a fast sellout, so they will be tempted to do the SE 😋

What a let-down. I much prefer Suntup's approach and overall design. And yet, this looks like a paper binding. Let's raise our glasses to durability and QC issues that are imminent.

>78 DMulvee: 1984 was paper-bound and had a cost of £400. There is no such thing as logic applied to FS pricings :)

>78 DMulvee:

I'm not expecting it to be cheaper. The limitation is only 500 and there'll be a premium for Gibson's signature. I'll almost certainly buy it, of course, provided the price doesn't go too crazy. Hey, this is a Folio title I've requested far too many times :)

Uh... square backed. I don't like that. at all. main reason why I haven't bought any of the Clarkes

Oh. Oh dear. I don't like that at all. Ah, well.

I wasn’t expecting any leather in the binding - too ‘meatspace’ to suit the material - but I hope it isn’t as simple as the paper you might find in cheaper SEs. Can anyone with the 1984 LE comment on how durable that feels?

I'm so excited!! My complaint is that we don't really get book presentation videos of LEs anymore. For the past 3 or so LEs, it's just these "talk about the book" videos instead. I really enjoy going back and watching a bunch of LE presentation vids even when the books are sometimes right in my bookshelf, so it's a shame that they're just not bothering anymore.

I'm also kind of missing the prints! I do like that they're not in every LE just to keep us guessing, but I hope we get another print this year.

Such a disappointing design! The Suntup edition looked so much better and I prefer the illustrations from Billy Norrby too.
That motivates me even more to make a replica of the Lettered edition.

Ugliest "LE" yet...

The illustrations look great. I like the idea of the solander box, but the book exterior was hit with the ugly stick repeatedly. I remember that style from the 90s and it looked terrible back then as well. Very small limitation, dare I dream this is under 400GBP?

I was looking forward to this one, but after seeing the "promotional" video, my wallet is safe...

Well I like it. The binding and case fit the story.

>90 wcarter:
100%, but is that all that matters ?
We probably talk about a 500-700€ book here, not a 100€ one.
So the question is not only if you like it, but if you like it for 500-700€.
The book looks nice, like I said above, but from the looks it could be a SE. What makes it a little more non SE is just the enclosure.
Leather wouldn't be fitting here, in my opinion, but there are hundreds of possibilities to bind a book that would be more special than "printed paper"...

I like the case but I am skeptical about the binding. Might be a wait and see situation here rather than a quick purchase (there seem to be fewer quick purchases for me these days).

I know nothing about the book but I do know that thing is hideous. I wouldn't even buy it if it was selling for $120. Folio certainly makes it easy for me not to buy any of their limited editions these days!

The inside (especially the illustrations) look pretty good, but the cover is a big negative. I know it was a hit in the 80s, but it's not actually *set* in the 80s so why the unapologetically retro design?

For mine the cost will be the deal-breaker, but unless Folio decides to reverse years of slowly increasing prices, I'll pass and be keeping my fingers crossed for a SE. Gibson signatures aren't exactly rare (or expensive) - I can always cut one out of another book and glue it into a SE if I'm that keen on having it signed.

>94 Grofield63: Nailed it. Retro design doesn't work for this one at all. It's (still) a book about the future.

>95 Levin40:

Disagree. An 80s-inspired take on the future was/is an essential part of the 'cyberpunk' aesthetic - at least in Neuromancer. Neon lights, 3 MB of RAM, mirrored sunglasses...

>96 adriano77: agree retrofuturism works for this title in the same way it does for things like the original Alien and Blade Runner movies. I’m just not sure this is a good implementation of that aesthetic.

All comes down to price. The overall design and materials seem consistent with something like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet LE. If it’s priced like that (£295) I’d go for it, but suspect it’ll be much more.

Personally, I don't hate this, but it also seems like an opportunity missed. Neuromancer is a perfect canvas for some greater creativity, especially since the internet communications revolution has ambivalent implications for the book as information communication platform. A landmark edition would ideally tap into that culture shift in some way beyond immediate style cosmetics. At the very least, it seems like an opportunity to use more creative materials. Suntup tried that with the circuit board covers of one of the upper level states for their edition, though not entirely successfully, in my opinion.

Something like a flexible cover knit from recycled CAT5 cables. Or embedding old silicon in the spine and boards like a jeweled codex. Even something gaudy like battery powered led pattern could be intriguing if executed with taste and corresponding to something in the story. Something having to do with the "ice" security system also seems like an obvious reference to build into an enclosure. Hardened polycarbonate with a unique access code matching the number? Something referencing the various crypto revolutions? Could also be good marketing in this age of web3. But no, all we get is lazy 80s nostalgia.

I think the art is appropriate, so maybe an SE with more modest style will feel more in tune with the story.

>97 cyber_naut:

Agree. The exterior stuff (both book and box) isn't great, IMO.

Blue quasi-circuit board and an NES-cum-MD/LD player... both misses for me.

>98 abysswalker:

Have FS ever really pushed the boundary when it comes to materials though? Thinking along the lines of Suntup's edition of The Road using actual slate for covers, etc.

>96 adriano77: I understand what you're saying but not sure I fully agree. This looks like it's actually a product of the 80s, not the future as the 80s imagined it. The casing here looks not far off the walkman design. It's possible to do this properly: the game 'Cyberpunk 2077', for example, maintained the cyberpunk aesthetic while still looking futuristic even by today's standards. The illustrations inside are pretty good though.

>101 Levin40: I think they were going for a Dieter Rams/Braun design. Agree with the Cyberpunk retrofuturism though. I think the illustrations in the book look more along those lines, that neon infused future where Japan was taking over the world.
>98 abysswalker: There's a lot of ideas that would have worked better than the book cover they chose. Circuit boards is a bit tacky imo, but they could definitely have taken the chance to do strange materials; plastic or metal bindings? Maybe a 3d printed solander box? It's a pretty conservative design in the end and to the retrofuturism point it clashes with the illustrations; is it the future as imagined in the 80s or as available in the 80s (eg. Braun electronics and "techno" book covers)?

>98 abysswalker: I would have been far more interested to see what a company like Amaranthine would have done with this as they tend to be way more creative in their designs & use of materials than FS is. I’m sure their choices would have been more in line with some of your design suggestions.

>103 antinous_in_london: They knocked ASO out of the park, just look at this beauty.

The first retails for £480, put Folio to shame.

>100 adriano77: "Have FS ever really pushed the boundary when it comes to materials though?"

The Australis facsimile is not exactly "novel" in a literal sense (the opposite, if anything), but does show they are willing to work with materials outside the contemporary ordinary. The Divine Comedy LE, though traditional in some ways, does feel like a daring design in many respects. As does the Gormenghast LE (though I didn't like that one, just in terms of personal taste).

It's true though that this isn't an FS strength (and I'd argue most books aren't well served by aggressive experimentation). But for this one they could have!

>104 RATBAG.: Agreed. To be fair, the beautiful "Hal Edition" is over $2400 USD. Not really affordable unless you really save your book money or you're wealthy! Most of us have little saved book money and are not wealthy :)
Still, the "cheap" edition is still beautiful letterpress and is under $200 USD!! As you said, it definitely puts the FS LEs to shame --

I don't mind the case so much - not really my style, but it's good that they're trying to be quirky and innovative, and it alone wouldn't put me off. But I just find the book itself hideous, to the extent that it's put me off it completely despite me looking forward to this release.

At least my wallet can breathe a sigh of relief.

>107 PeterFitzGerald: Really? even the "caveman edition" -- it's fairly classical in design --

>108 astropi: Peter is taking about Neuromancer.

Do we know at what time it becomes available on the website ? I won’t buy it as I really don’t like the binding design/material, but I’m curious to see the counter dwindle.

>109 Nerevarine: 1400 UK time I believe.

>110 cyber_naut: Thanks

https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/neuromancer.html

Here's the link. I had the feeling that £400 is the new £295

PS Besides the previously discussed paper binding, Abbey Lynx Rough inside. Really, Folio, really?

No hesitation from me given it's Folio's only edition of Neuromancer, same for Canticle and why 84 was easier to pass over.

>112 drizzled: Abbey Lynx Rough inside.

Not that familiar with Folio’s various paper stocks. What does Abbey Lynx Rough imply? Is it a Lower grade?

At £300 I would have bought, but £400 makes me pause. I said the same for Canticle though and capitulated a day later!

>114 cyber_naut: It's the same type of paper which was used in the SE of "We" by Zamyatin if I recall correctly. It's not the same grade as, for instance, Abbey Pure. But please correct me if I am wrong

Dumbfounded by the price. FS is pricing exclusively on hype at this point. Saddening to see the battering the brand keeps taking. There’s decent people purchasing this and I wouldn’t like to offend anyone so I’ll just step away quietly and let others enjoy.

EDIT: ok maybe one last bash :) This is more like sticking a Neil Gaiman signature on Anansi Boys and calling it a 400GBP LE. Printed edges? Check. Bookmark? Check. Fancy slipcase? Check. Paper? Abbey Pure Rough vs Abbey Lynx Rough (indeed the same paper used in ~40GBP “We”).

Pass.

>109 Nerevarine: "Peter is taking about Neuromancer."

Indeed. The Amaranthine books all look stunning.

Personally, I feel that it’s properly time now to look objectively at the editions being released and question, “If it didn’t say FS on the colophon, and I picked it up in a physical shop and looked the price, what would my reaction be?” Sadly, the answer is that it looks like now may at last be the time to admit that FS is simply not the company I once knew in any way. Nothing lasts forever, and I have a longer reading list than I have time to get through as it is. I wish the new customer base all the enjoyment of these editions and hope that they find them good value.

Can't fault anyone for picking this up as it certainly has its appeal (I really do like the illustrations), but at $A835 this particular version is too rich for my blood.

I suspect if I was less of a fan I might like this version more - it's not that the design misses the mark exactly, more that it seems like a fairly obvious and superficial take on a book that has a lot more going on than just "it was big in the 80s"

>120 cwl: I think the recent LE The Moonstone and Shadow of the Wind were good value.

Canticle of Leibowitz? Less obvious.

1984 alongside the James Bond LE (neither of which I bought) seem tougher to justify

The closer look hasn't really done much for me. Sadly, skipping it.

>117 bacchus.: There’s decent people purchasing this and I wouldn’t like to offend anyone so I’ll just step away quietly and let others enjoy.

That's been my attitude towards FS LEs for a while now, unfortunately.

I will skip this and hope it sells out in the next 24h. I want the SE .
Better would be if it wouldn't sell, but I guess iam one of hundred that thinks that way, because I said this for the last three LE and they so far all sold great.
Maybe iam too critical with my values decision.
Alot of people seem to love every LE that comes .

$600, so about 470GBP. I have read it before and enjoyed it. I think they have done a good job on the internal illustrations and there seems to be a good amount. Although I do not hate the cover, I associate it with a standard edition at best. It almost feels like a trade off for the good internal illustrations against the cover. So I am not sure about this, given the $600 price. It will be interesting to see how fast it sells.

>117 bacchus.: I believe the Lynx Rough paper is also used in a number of other SEs as well (Dispossessed and On Photography?). It's on the upper end of "entry level" papers, but still nothing special. Certainly not for a $750 CAD price point.

Honestly, by materials Neverwhere and Anansi Boys has this LE beat. The printed cloth bindings of those are far superior. I'd probably pass on this Neuromancer if it were an SE due to the paper binding over all those corners and edges. Recipe for early deterioration if one plans to use it for anything other than shelf eye candy.

Seems like they are testing the market for limitation + signature.

Almost 200 people have already bought it within the hour, so it seems they may have struck the right balance. Admittedly, the first couple hours has the most activity, and then it dwindles somewhat, but they could conceivable sell half the limitation by the end of the day at this rate.

>126 Hamwick: 180 sold in the first hour from what the counter shows.

It looks like a very nice SE with an LE price. I like the illustrations and the look of it in general but I cant see what you get for the extra price.

List of standard editions printed on Abbey Lynx Rough, probably not comprehensive:

And Then There Were None
The Exorcist
Ghost Stories
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Selected Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
We
The Dispossessed

According to the "FS Country of Print" spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lywSZvPbqLkaS506hNRXrVwWRxNzPKN2C6il83PD...

The illustrations look lovely but there are only 8 of them. That with the full-paper binding makes me wonder at the £400 price when Amaranthine Press produces letterpress editions at a lower limitation with a far greater number of illustrations for half the price, such as their full-cloth bound Catch-22 limited edition (limitation of 400, price £200).

Yet another 'LE' which looks like a tarted-up standard edition. I'll happily wait for the genuine standard edition rather than jump now for this very overpriced limited standard edition.

>122 DMulvee: "1984 alongside the James Bond LE (neither of which I bought) seem tougher to justify"

I thought the 50% off sale price I paid for the Bond was about right. The list price is absurd, as is that of 1984.

I suspect that a lot of the cost of these 'SE plus' LEs is being generated by the artwork and the lower limitations they seem to be going for these days. (Or so it feels - I haven't looked at the data.) They seem to have learnt their lesson from things like the War Poets series (don't overestimate the size of the market or you'll end up with the rump of the limitation sitting in a warehouse for years), which means that one-off costs like artwork and introductions have to be spread over fewer copies. Great for business, I'm sure, but frustrating for people who'd much rather have a cheaper book with a larger limitation. But then that's the very nature of LEs, I suppose - scarcity will always have to be factored into the price, even if scarcity isn't something you really care about.

>128 What_What: I'd bet that it will sell out relatively quickly due to the appeal to the "signed/limited" collectors and the popularity of Neuromancer in the well heeled Silicon Valley set. Those markets are not price sensitive when it comes to bibliophilic concerns.

Good short term business sense probably, but embarrassing from a craftsmanship perspective.

>122 DMulvee: For £400 i put this alongside the Herodotus / Thucydides LE’s at the same price & find it wanting in almost every area.

I'm betting that Centipede Press will produce a superior edition of Neuromancer at about half the price.

>132 PeterFitzGerald: I can understand the limitation argument but this still doesn’t explain why, as Cronshaw mentions, a publisher like Amaranthine can produce editions with a lower limitation, more illustrations, innovative designs, custom-made paper & fully letterpress for half the price of some of these recent Folio LE’s

>136 antinous_in_london: You nailed it. The FS LE value proposition simply is not what it used to be. FS is now more gimmicky with lower production values. I don't see this changing. FS will produce a few well designed and well made SEs each year along with the dross, and that's about it. If FS still had its membership model, I would have given up my membership a while ago.

>135 ultrarightist: Hear, hear.

Over half sold in first two hours....

How can it already be on ebay?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326231293931

Surely, no one could have received it that fast.

>136 antinous_in_london: The reason is probably as simple as you can expect - the FS can, in most cases, sell the books at the prices they do. Amaranthine needs to price their books very competitively, and even as much as they are cited for the value of their most recent book, they still have many copies of all less expensive editions available. It could also just be the selection - people may just not be interested in the Amaranthine book, and are instead more interested in this one.

>135 ultrarightist: Gibson may not be signing that edition.

>140 santiamen: Surely, no one could have received it that fast.

Basically drop shipping. They’ve taken the images and description from Folio website.

Presumably ordered it immediately and will have it in hand tomorrow or Friday ready to ship out immediately.

Like ticket scalping. Leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Edit to add: there’s essentially no risk to the scalper. They can try to sell it and if nobody bites they can always just return to Folio for a refund.

>141 What_What: What now, What_What? I would hope Gibson signs that edition William and not Jerad (if he signs it at all). Oh, did you forget a comma? Either way, you're mistaken (my name is not Jerad). NB - I caught your post before you edited it.

>136 antinous_in_london: Amaranthine is located in Eastern Europe, I bet that their salary there is less than half of a London based company. They do the letter press printing in house which can reduce the costs too. I can also imagine that their profit margin is lower than FS.

>143 ultrarightist: I am sorry for the edit. Apparently Centipede Press indicated a while ago that Gibson may not be signing their edition.

I am surprised at how strongly this is selling. I have caved in and ordered it

132 left. That was fast.

Crikey this is flying out. There are only 130 left as of 1700 UK time.

>147 santiamen: I guess people like the book enough to buy it no matter the production cost.

The ticker now reads 99--I haven't seen an LE go this quickly since Mort.

Down to 45 left!

28 left, impressive.

I'm hoping for a standard edition!

Hard to see how they won't do a SE considering this'll be gone in less than 12 hours

*edit* more like three hours!

Sold out!

Aaannnndddd…it’s gone. 3hrs and 45mins from release. Is that a new record?

I notice the scalper on eBay has increased their price from £649 to £699 too… I really hope that doesn’t become a common occurrence with people buying up multiple copies to immediately resell.

Crazy.
I think the SE will come. Folio would be stupid not to do it tbh.

Was able to get a copy right before it sold out. Never have read the book but it looks like something I will enjoy reading since its similar to the Matrix and other science fiction novels.

>157 Ragnaroekk: SE for sure. It'll sell like hotcakes as well.

>158 Carl64: It's basically the novel that inspired The Matrix and most cyperspace novels written after 1984. It essentially established cyperpunk as a true sub-genre of sci-fi.

>159 HonorWulf: 'SE for sure. It'll sell like hotcakes as well.'

I hope so, I got home from work to find it had sold out ten minutes earlier! I thought it would be popular but I didn't expect it to go that quickly.

I'll certainly buy an SE if Folio produce one (nudge, nudge).

I'll let someone more knowledgeable correct me but, other than gimmicky pasted in signature plates in regular editions, I think this was the fastest sell out for an LE (the last record holder being Mort at 12 hours or so).

>162 podaniel: The Haunting of Hill House LE sold out in under an hour. However, it was half the limitation at 250 copies. Mort, though, was the previous #2.

>161 Cat_of_Ulthar: I'll certainly buy an SE if Folio produce one (nudge, nudge).

I'm sure they will but I'm slightly scratching my head over what they'd take away to differentiate the LE. Can't really downgrade the binding or the paper. Perhaps single-colour printing, no edge printing and a simple slipcase? Makes for a very expensive signature!

Do SEs of existing LEs always have the same internal design and illustrations?

Then again perhaps Folio don't care about maintaining differentiation with the LE. They've already got their money for it...

>164 cyber_naut: If they do an SE, I hope its cloth instead of paper :)

And it's sold out. Didn't order, as I'm not actually a fan of the book, but will look out for photos when people get it in hand. A lot of the recent LEs look far better than in the flesh than in the Folio marketing.

>164 cyber_naut: It'll be a paperback.

>164 cyber_naut:

I presume the signature is one thing.

The limited number of these is another thing.

The artist's price is another thing.

A slipcase instead of a fancy box with a magnetic closure is another thing.

Economies of scale when you're negotiating supplies of paper and so on. Buy more, get a better deal.

But I'm not in on Folio's internal costs so I'm speculating like we all are :-)

Come on, this is a book, not a bar of gold. If we wants it, we wants it! It's not a fungible token.

>166 Kargish: 'A lot of the recent LEs look far better than in the flesh than in the Folio marketing'

Almost all Folio books do that thing, it's quite annoying at times :-)

I don't think I've ever bought an LE in the rush. Don't like getting caught up in the hype.
But that was fast! Cue the eBay listing with the added zero(s).

>163 HonorWulf:

Doh! Thanks for the correction--and I should have known that as I have a copy of The Haunting of Hill House. Thanks.

Sold out in under 4 hours. Well, congrats to the FS. Also I can imagine there will be some anger from folks that never even got a chance to purchase this. I can honestly say I'm a bit confused by how the FS operates. They release 750 copies of "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet" and copies are still available after all these months, which honestly is not that surprising. Then they release 500 copies of a much anticipated and requested sci-fi classic. Kinda feels like things are being run by an AI.

>171 podaniel: Cheers! That's a nice book to own!

>172 astropi: 'Kinda feels like things are being run by an AI.'

Nah, we can eff things up all by ourselves ;-)

>172 astropi: Often the limitation is set by the publisher/rights holder. Im sure FS would have loved to have printed 1000 of them but they may have been told what limitation they were allowed to have as part of the negotiation (& how many pieces of paper Gibson was willing to sign)

Well it didn't wait around for antipodeans to buy it. Woke up at 6am in Australia and all sold! A lot of people liked this a lot.

>176 wcarter: Since you've done more than the FS Marketing department ever did to perpetuate my Folio Society addiction, I would hope the people in England will fix this for you - what better use of one of the 20 lettered copies "hors de commerce" ?

>176 wcarter: Oh no, I'm so sorry! That sucks. 😭

>177 BionicJim: If only!!!!

>174 Cat_of_Ulthar: Excellent point indeed :)

>175 antinous_in_london: Yes and no. If the FS had said "We want to print 100,000 copies" the rights holder would likely have batted an eye. 1000 copies? 2000 copies? No problem. A few thousand copies is small potatoes to a major publisher, plus, they're still getting some money from the FS. It's definitely someone at the FS that decided upon a limitation of 500.

>176 wcarter: Don't worry - there are already copies for sale on Ebay for only £549 and £699!

While a lot of FS books have no writing on the cover and the title + author on the spine, I just realized that Neuromancer has the title and author on the cover and nothing on the spine, so this is another thing I'm now randomly excited about XD

>180 astropi: Pretty definitive sounding for someone with no actual information about how it worked.

My history of never buying an LE remains intact. But I certainly am awaiting SE versions of this, and A Canticle for Leibowitz.

>184 coynedj:
I hope both titles get the Folio SE treatment 😊

Gibson had some medical issues a little while back (seems he's recovered now), which I suspect may have limited the number of copies he was willing to sign.

It was while Gibson was ill that Jerard at Centipede Press asked the public if they'd be ok with an unsigned version of Neuromancer from CP, so him signing anything at all was off the table for a while.

Only found out this was published by random chance when I saw a YouTube video advertising it. Already sold out and despite my best efforts I was 14 hours too late. What idiot at the Folio Society thought that 500 copies was a good idea. This, my friends, is how you alienate your customer base.

>187 SnowyDoc:
You could aswell ask who the heck spends over 400£ for a machine and paper bound book, non letterpress, on good, but standard paper stock.

Second, 14h too late... If there is an advertisement for free donuts at 14:00 and you come 14h later, you cannot expect that there are any donuts left. 😋

>188 Ragnaroekk:

I didn't get the email connected in my email account, knew about it only from here, and wouldn't have expected it to sell out that fast either. Then add different time zones and people having to work. It's not an edition I would have bought anyway, but I understand completely that this went wrong for some people. I wouldn't be so quick to judge without knowing the circumstances. I've missed out on limited editions released during work hours and sold out fast, and I almost missed Mort since I had surgery that day and only just managed to buy one by leaving latish and FS putting it in the store a bit earlier than announced, to give some examples. It's sometimes pure luck.

>187 SnowyDoc: ‘Saw a book i really wanted listed on eBay. Only found out this was listed by random scrolling. Already sold out and despite my best efforts I was 14 hours too late. What idiot at eBay thought that accepting that listing & then selling it to someone else without telling me was a good idea. This, my friends, is how you alienate your customer base.’

Gibson's Neuromancer is coming ... Gibson's Neuromancer has come :) About half an hour ago. It is in pristine condition with no observable faults and I am delighted with it. Everything about it affirms LE quality. Low number, too. Sorry to disappoint anyone hoping for photos. You'll have to content yourselves with the website in the meantime. Sincere commiserations if you were not among the fortunate 500.

Duplicate message deleted.

>176 wcarter:

Truly sorry to hear that, Warwick. I know you were looking forward to it. You must be very disappointed :/

>193 folio_books:
Time zone problem!

I wonder if the complaints of the low number of copies are missing the mark. Maybe I'm giving the FS too much credit for their marketing model, but getting a reputation for books selling out quickly can be a beneficial thing over the long term.

>183 What_What: True, I don't know exactly the situation in this case. BUT I do know in general how it works, and while a publisher always has the right to limit a special publication, I've never heard of them ever doing so. What I said in >180 astropi: holds.

>164 cyber_naut: "I'm sure they will produce a SE but I'm slightly scratching my head over what they'd take away to differentiate the LE.

The difference is that the SE will be available long enough for ordinary people to buy it.

The SE will not be signed by Gibson nor the artist. That's going to be the most significant difference.

I'm surprised this sold out so fast. Definitely underestimated the popularity of this book. Bizarrely, as someone who has bought several LEs in the past, did not receive any e-mail about this being available. I wouldn't have known about it, or about it being sold out, without this forum.

>191 folio_books: So glad to hear you like it! Thanks for sharing.

I think that FS is trying to enter into a new customer space. With all these Sci-Fi LEs, they seem to be entering the "collectibles" market.

When I joined Folio as a member in the days of yore, I was interested in the construction of the books and the content. I also appreciated that before I didn't have to join in these games of trying to purchase before they all sell out. Specifically, I joined FS as a lover of books. You could call this collecting, but I draw a distinction between my FS purchases and that of the "collectibles" customer. "Collectibles" include the seeking and purchase of things connected to certain franchises and are owned as ends in the themselves as things to view. I do read the FS books I buy and even though they look nice and friends to wander to my book section and admire them, without the actual content of the book, I wouldn't see any value in buying them just for the artwork, etc. I'm trying to draw a distinction between "collectibles" and buying books as different. I know the line may seem non-existent to some.

Hopefully, FS will not forget about the book lovers. I do appreciate the Moonstone LE. Mystery apparently doesn't sell like sci-fi, because the Moonstone is just as seminal a book in the mystery genre as Neuromancer is in the cyberpunk genre. I hope that eventually FS releases SEs of Canticle for Leibowitz, Neuromancer, and the Moonstone for the book lovers.

I do think that they will run into a conundrum in differentiating the SE and LE of Neuromancer. I would think the SE will be bound in cloth and have an artsy slipcase, just not the arty slipcase of the LE. But, the quality of the SE should come pretty close to the LE. The illustrations should be the same, they would both be sewn, etc. Signatures are for "collectibles" customers, so it's not important to me.

I would have to say that I'm happy that Neuromancer sold so well and that, hopefully, FS will circle back to the book lovers and offer an SE of Neuromancer. If FS sold all the Neuromancer volumes for the $600 USD price, they grossed $300,000 in four hours. Which is a lot. But, it's not Apple a lot. I do have to say that since you can get an iPad for less than $600, I don't know whether I should view FS as expensive or Apple as relatively a bargain.

>187 SnowyDoc: They didn't alienate 500 of them.

>201 billburden: Sounds like you're a collector and they just don't make the books you'd like to collect anymore. It's sad, but times change.

>202 What_What: Well this forum group was essentially conceived of book readers who were once part of the aforementioned loyal customer base (many of whom now feel alienated). I’m not sure how many of those 500 hail from FSD. While profitability is good for business, it doesn’t mean that a customer should admire a company purely for its ability to make money.

If the FS current business model is based on creating artificial scarcity and hype, rather than delivering genuine value, it’s understandable that for some this might be seen as manipulative. If FS is maximizing profits through a different audience (>201 billburden: collectors rather than readers), it’s also likely to lose respect from those who valued it for different reasons.

Now whether or not this is acceptable or admirable depends on one’s values and the purpose of a company from the perspective of the customer. Some might see such strategy as smart, others as exploitative.

I agree with >201 billburden: in that FS seems to be targeting collectors now, rather than readers.

I think trying to create a difference between readers (whom you identify with) and collectors (who purchase books you don’t want) is artificial.

There has definitely been a shift in the past few years from the FS. Since moving to a cooperative where the employees own the company, they are now trying to maximise profit. There isn’t anything wrong with this, as long as they are still supporting their older fan base. The problem we have is that the limited edition Rob Roy with nice leather hasn’t sold out. The Moonstone hasn’t sold out (though I think it is an excellent LE).

As long as Neuromancer and Canticle got Leibowitz sell out, we can all complain that they are expensive for the materials used and wish that they would focus more on classics, but I think the FS will look at the sales and follow that path and steer the company in a different direction. Copperhead press have indicated that they will publish classics, maybe we need to consider other companies more and pay less attention to the FS. I’m guessing the FS did research and got feedback that stickers (1984) appealed to its fan base. However we have no evidence that those who will buy these new editions won’t read them. Are there some Neuromancer fans who buy every edition? Possibly. However there are fans of most titles (I already had Rob Roy in hardback did I need another copy?) who purchase multiple copies of the same title. With just 3 copies seen so far on the secondary market Neuromancer doesn’t seem to have been taken by as many scalpers as other titles, so hopefully this means it will end up with readers who value it.

All companies have certain products that sell better than others but it doesn’t necessarily mean they stop producing the less ‘popular’ offerings.

SFF collectibles - including books - probably have a fairly low price elasticity of demand, so FS can price them higher and still sell out.

We can hope that they use this revenue to continue to publish other titles with higher elasticity more keenly.

On paper (no pun intended) this LE shouldn’t cost what it did based on materials alone but I will reserve judgement until I have my copy in hand (I caved in at 100 remaining!).

I also picked up A Canticle for Leibowitz. Given they’ve been released at the same time and at the same price, I look forward to comparing the two objectively.

Edit: ‘objectively’ insofar as that’s possible of course!

>204 DMulvee: I agree I made a harsh distinction; we are all pretty much speculating here. I’m also wondering why 1984 didn’t sell as fast as cupcakes (1/3 sold despite the aggressive marketing). The “LE” variants of James bond, Shirley and Roadside Picnic, all which I assume are popular titles even by contemporary standards, will be available for some time to come. Seems to me that FS’s biggest competition comes from its SE variants. When one is available, the LE doesn’t sell that good.

>206 bacchus.: I agree. It was interesting to see that a number of those that didn’t like the Gormenghast LE gave the SE a go and were very impressed (in my opinion the LE is wonderful and the odd binding works well). As there was so much criticism at the time for the binding is it worth the FS pushing the boat out and being innovative if this can only hamper sales?
I think if the FS had a blanket policy that no SE would be delivered from an LE until at least five years had passed then this would encourage more to plump for the LE, because at the moment it seems random. Why was a Gormenghast SE produced so fast and yet there has been no Divine Comedy SE? I expected to see a new version of The Lord of the Rings but that hasn’t happened. Can we expect an SE for 1984?

>207 DMulvee: There has been a Divine Comedy SE. It is the one volume that came out last year. They are still selling the old version of both the Lord of the Rings and 1984 so I would think they would want to sell off as much of that stock as possible before releasing the SE of the LE.

>208 assemblyman: I’m sorry, I missed the release of the Divine Comedy SE! Pleased it is able to go to a wider audience

>209 DMulvee: It's an SE I am still on the fence. It looks great and has the interior of the LE volumes but I am wary of the paper binding used.

>210 assemblyman: I have also avoided getting it because of the all-paper binding.

Neuromancer I think is something of an edge case. The recent Suntup edition aside, there hasn't been any high-end editions of it since the 80s, whereas a number of similar titles have had reprints from the likes of Subterranean or other collector-focused presses. It was also a paperback original in the US, which possibly might fuel the collectors market a little (even battered ex-library copies of the UK hardcover sell for a thousand US$ or more).

It's also a rare example of a (relatively) recent SF novel that's generally agreed to be a classic - there are a number of other authors whose careers in science fiction since the 80s are considered to be stand outs (Iain M Banks, to point to a FS example, but also, say, Kim Stanley Robinson), but who haven't published a singular novel with Neuromancer's impact.

I suspect even if there'd been double the run of the LE it still would have sold out within a day or so. It's a well-known and highly influential novel with a lot of built-up demand, both from fans and from the kind of people just looking for a keepsake.

My copy just arrived and I am pleased. The case feels rubbery, and is striking whilst the design (to my eyes) works well. The book itself also has a rubbery feel. Initial impression is that it justifies its price more than The Canticle for Leibowitz

>211 cronshaw: It's disappointing as I would have been willing to pay that bit extra for a cloth spine.

>203 bacchus.:

When the relationship is voluntary exchange, it’s not exploitative or manipulative. It’s quite simple, you either like what they are selling or you don’t. It’s irrelevant how much nostalgia you have for what their product once was. I waited and waited and waited for them to do an LE of Neuromancer. I did not buy it because I found it hideous. Disappointing? Sure. But FS owes me nothing. It is so egregiously wrong to suggest that they are manipulative or exploitative because you don’t like their prices or product. They don’t owe you the product.

>215 User2024: It’s like that restaurant downtown that nobody goes to because of the long line of people outside waiting to go in.

>203 bacchus.: I agree with you, this community is now a diaspora of fans of how the FS used to be. And it’s understandable that it’s a cause of dismay. But let’s not pretend they’re making nobody at all happy.

>215 User2024: That’s quite dismissive :) Judging from the Tolkien thread I’m getting quite convinced you are more eager to trigger an emotional response than having a genuine discussion, so have a nice day

>216 What_What: But let’s not pretend they’re making nobody at all happy.

I hope I never suggested otherwise. If I did it was unintentional, as that would be a blunt statement indeed.

>216 What_What:

For some reason, I have also been reminded of the Woody Allen joke:

"Boy, the food at this place is really terrible."
"Yeah, I know; and such small portions."

>217 bacchus.: Apologies, I didn’t mean you. Just generally some comments seem that way, that’s all.

>218 cpg: :)

It rather pained me not to buy a copy, but I didn't really like the look of it, and at GBP400 it seemed expensive. I've similarly struggled with Canticle for Liebowitz - in part there because I don't admire the novel beyond the cost barrier.

The problem with SF is that generally it is sort of pulp literature, which is wonderful in its element, but when, perhaps, you look at it on a wonderful page in a wonderful binding I'm not sure it's quite the same.

I'm enormously keen that FS continue the Iain M Banks sequence that they've started on, but it'd kill me if they started doing LEs of that.

(As an aside: I think I Claudius would be a good LE.)

Wow. I see one of the Neuromancer LEs sold for £700 on eBay.

Minor point of curiosity…have you noticed that the copies of books on the folio website show all the illustrations in about the same place (roughly half way through the book)?

I only noticed as the striking ‘face’ illustration in Neuromancer appears towards the end in my copy but somewhere in the centre on photos on the website.

I wonder if they make up multiple marketing versions with all the illustrations in the same place for the photoshoots.

I received my copy today and it looks 100% better than it did on their website. Im glad I grabbed one as I fear they will become completely unobtainable on the secondary market

>206 bacchus.: ‘Seems to me that FS’s biggest competition comes from its SE variants. When one is available, the LE doesn’t sell that good.’

Not always - the SE & LE of ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ were released simultaneously & the LE sold out in under 2 hours despite the SE only being a click away. It had the same format (but a lower limitation) as the second Jackson LE which is still hanging around so it may be that that book had a fan-base who jumped on the LE.

For me Roadside didn't offer that much over the SE to warrant a purchase - different end-papers, a different image on the cover & a lenticular style cut-out on the slip-case (were there also a couple of extra illustrations?) didn’t do it for me.

>220 DukeOfOmnium: ‘ I'm enormously keen that FS continue the Iain M Banks sequence that they've started on, but it'd kill me if they started doing LEs of that.’

Thats what surprised me about the Becky Chambers LE as it is the first volume of a series of 4 - I assume they won’t be doing LE’s for the other 3 volumes, but then you would end up with a mis-matched series if they do the other 3 as SE’s.

Re. your Neuromancer/Canticle struggle - I had a similar struggle with the Zafon LE, but the SE gave me 95% of what i wanted for a fraction of the price so the trade-off was acceptable

>223 TheTribalEye: Im sure it wont be the last LE of Neuromancer. Hopefully who ever does the next one makes something that is (to my taste) more interesting than this one.

>213 DMulvee: I have a feeling that 10 years ago if someone had been singing the praises of an LE in a soft-touch laminated paper cover, there would have been uproar LOL

>217 bacchus.:

All of my posts are part of a genuine discussion? Just because my opinion is unpopular doesn’t mean my purpose is to troll. But besides, accusations of manipulation and exploitation are serious charges that demand a bit of outrage..

I believe there is a huge need for collectible works by Gibson, though eventually, I think Library of America will do the Sprawl trilogy (in 10 or 20 years). I don't know how good his other trilogies are.

I think that 1984 might not have sold out yet because it's a seminal work, but may not be considered sci-fi enough for the collector crowd that is going after all the LEs Folio is putting on the market. Also, 1984 has been done many times. FS has an SE in print and Suntup did 1984 about two years ago.

Surprisingly Canticle hasn't sold out yet.

I think the Marvel Volumes were produced primarily for the collectors, but alas, people interested in Marvel Movies don't exactly translate into readers of Marvel literature. I don't know how well they have sold actually. I just know I have zero interest in them and find them perplexing objects.

>224 antinous_in_london: "Roadside didn't offer that much over the SE to warrant a purchase - different end-papers, a different image on the cover & a lenticular style cut-out on the slip-case (were there also a couple of extra illustrations?) didn’t do it for me."

The big difference for me is the LE is bound in cloth while the SE is bound in paper. I think there might also be a slight internal text block paper upgrade for the LE as well compared to the SE but I forget the details. (Wasn't enough boost to justify the LE for me despite loving the story.)

>222 cyber_naut: "I wonder if they make up multiple marketing versions with all the illustrations in the same place for the photoshoots."

I suspect the images are digital mockups, not photographs. Pretty common in retail now. Also probably part of the explanation for the phenomenon of why the books often look better in person or when photographed by customers compared to the official listing pictures.

Initial thoughts on the LE (I just received it today but haven't read it yet):

- I was wondering what everyone meant by "rubbery", but it's basically what soft, matte dust jackets feel like. For example, I just touched the dust jacket on the hardcover of Illumicrate's (so probably the same as the regular UK dust jacket) Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, SubPress's Silver Nitrate, and the paperback Harry Potter set where the spines form a picture of Hogwarts Castle, and they all feel pretty similar to the touch.

- Look-wise (i.e. first impressions before reading the book), I find it less impressive than The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet LE and the 1984 LE.

- I like the narrow dimensions!

FS LEs don't often impress me until after I begin reading them so I thought it'd be fun to note the BEFORE and also see whether this LE wins me over as well once I read it.

EDIT: Forgot to mention but the lack of prints is really getting to me. An LE just isn't the same without a print. 😔

This forum is one of the FS best advertising channels, and it is free.

My copy just arrived number 431 so it was close to being sold out when I ordered it. Overall nice book and looking forward to reading.

>232 Carl64: I don’t think it works like that.

I ordered when there was about 100 remaining and got a fairly low number. Seems to be quite random.

>233 cyber_naut:
●Emails are randomly sent out.
●Prices are random via a Wheel of Fortune.
●Numbers are random
Folio has spun a lot of randomness and mysterious around their name over the decades. 😋

>233 cyber_naut: Yep, Folio uses a fulfillment company for packaging/shipping. They may make a special consideration for the first box full of orders, but most of them are literally going to be pulled off-the-shelf or out of a randomly opened box, so I can't imagine there's too much attention paid to the limitation numbers being shipped out.

>233 cyber_naut: and >234 Ragnaroekk: and >235 HonorWulf:

Not to mention that the numbers themselves are randomly assigned. They do not assign #1 to the first book off the press/bindery, #2 to the second, etc. The only objective meaning of numbers for machine made books is to confirm their authenticity within the defined limitation.

>233 cyber_naut: Must be random if you did get one at a lower number.

The pricing of this new Gollancz edition made me understand Folio's pricing more this morning but I just saw that people on Facebook are saying the opposite and prefer this edition so *shrug*: https://store.gollancz.co.uk/products/neuromancer?variant=53500253307259

>238 BooksFriendsNotFood: Personally much prefer this design over the Folio. The spec seems similar to the FS, but more illustrations, lower limitation, £150 cheaper & cloth-bound too, none of that laminated paper nonsense. (And if you just want the book itself without the signature/box then it’s £300 less than the Folio)

Not available for shipment to the USA, though.

>238 BooksFriendsNotFood: I ordered a 'de luxe' volume from Gollancz, and whilst I should like to order more, I seriously doubt that I could ever bring myself to do so. I read my volumes very carefully indeed, yet the wear it shows from little more than placing it on the shelf is insupportable.

This is my opinion only, but Gollancz's production values are atrocious. Perhaps their Neuromancer and The Dispossessed will be finer fellows, but that is not a chance I will be taking.

>241 FitzJames: what was the book you ordered and the specs of the production?

Also seems like the illustrations for Neuromancer are all line drawings adjacent to the text which is cool but I would like some full colour full page prices for that price.

The dispossessed looks a bit nicer and comes with a slipcase for the £100 price tag. Compared to the folio secondary market prices it seems like a steal, is this edition why they could keep left hand of darkness in stock but not the dispossessed perhaps?

Looks whatever to me. The exterior reminds me of AI gibberish. Went to the artist's page to see the interior illustrations and they aren't bad but nothing special. Bit too comic-like. Here's hoping for the Centipede trilogy...

>242 anthonyfawkes: It was the first of the Scott Lynchs: The Lies of Locke Lamora. From the simple act of posting alone it had wear to the extremities even though it came shrink-wrapped and double-boxed from Gollancz. The black textured paper they chose to bind it in was an exceedingly poor and foolish choice, with any edge losing black without provocation. Further, the boards of the book were far too light a grammage, ~1.5mm. Do I have hardcovers with board that thin? Yes, but no other publisher was damn-fool enough to use it on books over two inches thick.

Certainly, when comparing the specs between their £75 Lynchs and the £100/£250 bracket it appears cheap paper and glued bindings give way to named (heavier) paper and sewn bindings. Will they have made injudicious choices as to the binding materials though? Neuromancer mentions blocked cloth which is reassuring, but The Dispossessed makes no mention of the cover material so 'tis likely paper.

If they can be miserly at a £75 price point, I cannot but expect further parsimony at a £100/£250 price point.

>238 BooksFriendsNotFood: I loved the Ono Sendai solander box Folio did but the design of the book itself felt very uninspired. This isn't much better but I can see people preferring it. Two colour printing and more integrated illustrations is nice, but the FS ones looked far better. For ~100 I would have jumped on this. The 250 price tag opens up a world of better competitors for other titles though.

>245 A.Godhelm: The £250 is only for the boxed/signed version - the exact same book on its own with no box/signature is £100

>246 antinous_in_london: Apparently I am getting blind. Thanks!