Conversation Tree Press: Part II

I'm rather surprised there are 114 copies of the Collector's Edition of Foundation still available, I thought it would be completely sold out -- On the other hand Treasure Island is completely sold out -- no copies of the Standard, Deluxe, nor lettered! And arguably even more surprising, only 110 copies of the Standard Treasure Island were produced. Perhaps they underestimated the demand?

>1 astropi: It was a Kickstarter IIRC. They made about as many copies as collectors purchased while it was open.

I’m not sure selling out this edition on day 1 is necessarily that good of an idea, especially since they are planning on producing the next 2 books of the trilogy over the upcoming years. There is definitely value in having backlog available for new collectors as well.

It will eventually sell out one point or another. Very great success for Tony, I would say. Again, another great production. The Deluxe edition is just magnificent and iam happy to know that there are two more editions coming in 2025 and 2026.
What Folio Society is lacking, Tony makes up and iam not a minute sad, which road FS recently went , when I know that there are auch great presses like CTP and CK. There isn't any better value for youre money on the market at the moment. Whether it's the Standard, Deluxe or Lettered Edition.

>3 921Jack: Yes, that's true. Some available copies are a must to attract new customers. At the same time, this is a highly successful launch – all more expensive deluxe copies are sold out and, I presume, a similar result is going to occur with the lettered variant, and nearly 75% of collectors' in the first 3 days

1-2: I suspect more people would have chosen Standard Treasure Island (a very attractive volume, indeed) over Deluxe had it not been for the fact that rights for the entire Weird. series derived from it - and the rights for Foundation from that. While CTP did have a few additional copies to sell (on their own site) after the Kickstarter campaign ended, they probably should have set the limitations a wee bit higher (at least for Standard). As a result, Standard Treasure Island will become a bit of a rarity.

>6 supercell: Ah! great point, that did not even occur to me. Makes sense. I think the Deluxe Treasure is really unique, but wow, the cover for the Standard is just gorgeous, so I went with that :)

>6 supercell: I think that he overestimated the demand for the first few titles and may have overcompensated with Treasure Island. He probably could have sold a few more copies of the standard, particularly as the press becomes better known. That said, I'm sure it won't hurt the overall mystique of the press down the line to have a hard to find early title.

Speaking of which, I noticed that there are only 14 copies of the standard Flowers for Algernon left. I would highly recommend this title and have no idea why it hasn't sold out sooner. I can only put it down to lack of visibility of the press. If it'd been a Suntup release, and all else being equal (and only 250 copies), I've no doubt it would have lasted all of 15 minutes.

>8 Levin40: you are completely correct! I’m surprised every time I go on the site and still see Flowers for Algernon available. The standard is a work of art. Absurd value for money too. The Deluxe is also beautiful - I have a suspicion it will be highly sought after in a few years. I’ll have to see if I can fit a secondary market copy into my budget in the meantime haha

Down to 4 copies of Flowers for Algernon if anyone is still on the fence.

>11 cyber_naut:

Sold out. I'm very glad I got a copy a while back.

Sub Press apparently has some of the CT Foundation available: https://subterraneanpress.com/asimov-f-ctp/.

>13 A.Nobody:

Already sold out. They had only a few copies according to their newsletter.

>7 astropi: On Treausure Island, if there are any collectors out there who wish they’d gone for deluxe rather than stabdard, I’ll probably be looking to downgrade once my copy arrives and would trade + the original cost difference.

The paper in the deluxe appealed to me with all of the relief illustrations, but that standard binding is beautiful, and with Conversation Tree Press books coming fast and furious, I doubt I’ll be able to stick to the deluxes for long.

●Foundation standard is down to 52 copies.
●Peter Pan Deluxe is down to 27 copies

>16 Ragnaroekk: Amazing they have not yet sold out.
Prediction: 5-10 years from now people will say "dang wish I had an opportunity to purchase Peter Pan and Foundation when they were still available instead of having to pay second-hand prices!"

Isn't that always the case 😁
Like I said above, there aren't alot of CTP books on the secondary market, maybe in the Facebook group, but I don't know about that. Will be interesting to see how much money people will have to pay for some of the books in the future.

Curious King books, though maybe not The Fifth Season, are a money printing machine. Nearly every book, standard and deluxe, are selling very very well, for very big money on the secondary market.
I have no data for CTP...
Most Suntup books don't sell for a huge profit. Last I saw was The Last Unicorn. Standard and Numbered are selling excellent.

Let's see what the future brings. Some very ambitious projects are on the way already.

Are the Subpress versions for all future standards, or just the series? Opened as soon as I got the email, but passed. The Deluxe, and Standard were available. Kind of regret not getting the standard at least.

>19 Undergroundman: The standard is still available from the press directly.

Subterranean Press seems to have copies of all their books so far; as it’s a series, they’d at least have the sequels.

>20 What_What: Yeah, I know. I would rather get a copy that isn't taxed, and has to go through customs. Just don't want to deal with potential issues with international orders if I can buy a copy from an American shipper that inspected the item before shipping out. My experience with Subpress has always been great.

>21 Undergroundman:
USA orders always are sent from Canada. You pay taxes there aswell?
I thought America had no tax on books or was it the UK ? 🫣

>22 Ragnaroekk: Depends. Subpress, and a few others don't charge taxes to many States. Suntup is brutal if you are local. I get charged California, and Los Angeles taxes for Suntup books. Like $100 extra bucks for a $700 book with taxes, and shipping. Taschen also charges me a Sales Tax of 10.25%.

>23 Undergroundman: That’s tough. Does the CTP site charge you taxes during checkout?

Either way, looks like the ship has sailed on the US retailer option, and 50 copies are left from the press.

I ordered Foundation this morning. The taxes were $0 (for Europe at least).

To avoid non-buyer's remorse, it's time to act. The Deluxe Peter Pan is down to 4 copies now...

>25 David_Mauduit:

Unless you're in a country where no tax is charged on books, you'll most likely have to pay it to the shipping company when the book is shipped, along with the company's fee for charging the tax. That's what happened with my Flowers for Algernon.

>27 SF-72: yes I'm expecting it. I think it will be 6% + custom fee.

27: That depends. In these parts, we generally do the customs declaration ourselves after the parcel has crossed the border, then pay the 10 % (next year: 14 %) VAT directly to the Customs Office. It is all done online these days.

>26 Dr.Fiddy:
What ?? We had 27 left yesterday.

Edit 16:37: only 1 left
House on the Borderlands now completely sold out aswell.

30: And gone!

What a surprise! I would have expected those 27 copies to last well into 2025. A bunch of new collectors (or, possibly, scalpers) seem to have found CTP following the launch of Foundation (41 copies remaining).

>31 supercell:
The Peter Pan collectors edition could be with us the next couple of years I would assume, but we will see. 500 Peter Pan collector edition were very brave to produce.

>31 supercell: I guess I’d fall into the new collector batch. I picked up the standard for Faun, Flowers and Foundation at the same time. For me at least if a press makes one book I find really interesting, it makes it a lot easier to buy some others that I wouldn’t have ordered.

I would have got the Peter Pan too, but I’m not a huge fan of the text in addition to other considerations. The deluxe edition does look fantastic though.

>31 supercell: It is quite strange. Was it suddenly discovered by the 'J M Barrie Appreciation Society'? Because the poor deluxe Faun (only 9 copies left) doesn't seem to have shifted at all!

>32 Ragnaroekk: Peter Pan was their first book, so I suppose at the time it seemed a good decision. It is, after all, at the lower end of what Suntup produces monthly for their artist editions, which are in a similar price range. But I suppose the press just didn't have the visibility at the time to sell that many. Could be getting there soon though.

>24 What_What: Never tried checking out via the CTP site, but I'd rather not deal with international shipping if I could avoid it.

20 copies left of Foundation. I thought it would have sold out days ago.

>33 ensuen: for what it's worth, I have now handled the standard, deluxe and lettered Peter Pan; the standard, deluxe and lettered Faun; and the standard and deluxe Flowers. They were all great. But among them all, I think the Deluxe Peter Pan might be my favourite. Like you, it's not quite my text, but the production and design of that book was just superb throughout.

>37 ubiquitousuk: By the way, have you read Faun? I have been thinking about ordering a copy as I quite enjoy the artwork but I am unsure of the story

>38 drizzled: I did read it, but I might not be the best person to ask about the story because it is a blend of horror and fantasy, both genres I usually steer clear of. It is written well enough and was an entertaining light read, though. Also, the book design is quite well-integrated with the story. I talked more about that in my review in case you haven't seen it:

https://youtu.be/I7P7g7wXmzQ

I’ve thought about Faun but it is a very short work, albeit generously illustrated. Decisions, decisions…

>40 cyber_naut:
If you have a lower budget, go for the standard edition. You won't regret it. Really awesome made book.

How do you all feel about the illustrations of Faun? I’m a big fan of CTP’s artistic approach, but in this one case, the art really doesn’t work me, even though I like the story.

I like them. They blend in very nicely with the text. There is nothing to not like about them, in my opinion. Overall, both standard and numbered edition are very very nice.

For a review of Faun see https://www.librarything.com/topic/359351#n8474269

>38 drizzled: I've also been on the fence re: Faun. It's the one CTP release that I don't either own or have on order in some state. Kind of surprising, because I am a big fan of the "new weird" or "new enchantment" genres to which I think it belongs. The Neil Gaimans and Susanna Clarkes of the world writing Machenesque tales for the 21st century.

The pros, for me, are interesting bindings, nice typography, hand-marbled papers, and genre. The deluxe in particular has a rather innovative "millimeter" binding.

The cons (or at least things that make me hesitate) are the color illustrations, which I like as independent images but look a bit too much like digital paintings to me and don't quite harmonize with the text. The pen and ink drawings are more book-illustration successful, even though simpler. Within the slate of authors writing in this mode, I also haven't read that much by Joe Hill. Finally, though neither shorter text nor high price are instant dealbreakers, the $495 USD deluxe means ~$675 CAD for me at current exchange rates, and that's before any shipping or fees. A lot of fine press counterfactuals start to emerge at that price point.

>37 ubiquitousuk: Very fair, but alas my budget has to curtail my spend at some point. I really enjoyed seeing it in the video you did for the edition, but just never felt the urge to collect it. After the acquisition of an art book that never really resonated with me, I try to be quite strict about liking the contents of a book.

As an aside: Your Folio Society reviews are what really got me into fine press in the first place, so wanted to send a quick bit of thanks.

For those who don't use Facebook, from CTP's page:

A preview of one of Tom Kidd's 9 oil paintings for an edition coming early next year, which will be accompanied by 31 pen and ink drawings of various sizes. As always, Tom has truly outdone himself, and it has been a pleasure to collaborate with an artist whose work I've admired long before the inception of Conversation Tree Press.



edit: This is going to be a translated work.

>47 drizzled:

That's beautiful.

>47 drizzled:
Tony spoils us!
Beautiful!

47: A large cavern, a beam of light - and a flock of seagulls. Anyone recognise the title? Something by Jules Verne perhaps?

■Journy to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne ?
■The Epic of Gilgamesh?

Gordon Pym might also be a possibility? Near the end "many gigantic and pallidly white birds flew continuously now from beyond the veil"

>51 Ragnaroekk: >50 supercell: I've also thought about Verne. The currently produced RLS's "Treasure Island" was written in a similar period and is also set in adventurous/exploratory expanse.

If not Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth", then maybe the illustration depics the Secret Cave from "The Count of Monte Cristo"?

>52 wongie: It was written in English, though, this publication is a translation

"Treasure Island" is on track for delivery in all three states in October.





There might be one or two standard copies available after shipping is completed. In that case, Tony will mention their presence via newsletter in advance.

>54 drizzled: Nice. I like it except two columns.

>55 curiousbook: I like the 2 columns a lot. It fit the style of the book and makes it more confortable to read for a book of this format. They have published a nice post about how the typography process.

>56 David_Mauduit: well I’ll be getting my copy soon and might change my mind about two columns

>56 David_Mauduit: I think I'll appreciate the two columns on all the pages as densely illustrated as this. I think any full spreads without illustration will feel like a bit of a slog to get through. I know the intention was to give it a brisker reading experience, but to me two columns always feels like reading twice as much between page turns.

>58 NathanOv: yes I prefer one column too. But can’t wait to get it and read it again

>57 curiousbook: lucky you! It looks so beautiful.
I only discovered CTP after it was sold out. I'll try to make it myself (won't be letterpessed obviously and will miss most of the illustrations), the paper on the board is easy to find.

>60 David_Mauduit: I have to stop buying same book over and over again I have first edition then I have first illustrated edition and now I will have modern letterpress edition. Relieving my childhood. My all time favorite. I remember how scared I was when pirates came at night to the Admiral Benbow Inn to get a treasure map from Billy Bones. Blind Pew absolutely terrified me

>54 drizzled: Looks great, will be glad to have this one in hand.

Contains a favourite chapter title - What I Heard in the Apple Barrel.

Pre-orders for "Solaris" will start in the week of November 11th. Additional details on are going to be posted on Wednesday with some production updates.

November will be tough...
■ Solaris (CTP)
■ Ghormeghast Trilogy (Suntup)
■ The Alchemist (Lyra's)
■ The Hitchhikers to the Galaxy (CK)
■ Brave New World (Arete Edition) MAYBE.

>65 Ragnaroekk: November might also have:

The Hobbit Limited edition Folio society
Parliament of Owls Reading Room Press
Duncan Glen Corvus Works
The Turn Greenboathouse
The Dunwich Horror Heavenly Monkey
Plates for a Herbal Old School Press
An Eye Made Quiet Barbarian

Do we have a release date for St James Park Press The Beauty of Byrne? I think the Fleece press Zero to 44 is meant to be 2024 as well!

>66 DMulvee: i think >65 Ragnaroekk: was saying pre-orders in November.

>67 SDB2012: But all books I listed will need to be paid for in November! Only St James Park Press and Corvus Works took a deposit

>65 Ragnaroekk: >66 DMulvee: Don't forget God Emperor of Dune (Centipede)

>68 DMulvee: Oh crap... I thought I'd already paid for The Dunwich Horror.

Edit. I need to cut down on the presses I follow/buy from. This is getting ridiculous. +)

I didn't even know about the Barbarian Press offering and thought I'm late to the party, I love their books of poetry.

I read Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay right now and iam really wondering if this could be Conversation Tree Press first 2 Volume Edition. That book is thick as a brick. ~800 pages. Use a decent paper for it and you won't be able to read it comfortable anymore.

>64 drizzled: Full details are up now here: https://conversationtreepress.com/blogs/news/solaris-pre-order

30 pieces of artwork!

All editions of Foundation are sold out now.

I'm looking to buy one of the Foundation Collector’s Edition and rights. Please contact me if you have one to sell.

Edit : Collector’s do come with rights for this edition, don’t mind me. Good luck !

>76 mdhen:
Three days too late... there were 6 available directly from the publisher.

Just a short update:
I nearly finished with Tigana and I can say wholeheartedly that iam looking forward to Tony's version of it.
It's very well written und really entertaining.
I have the paperback version and I really like those little/big maps that are distributed throughout the chapters.
I hope they will be in Tony's version aswell, together with many many illustrations 😁
Can't wait!

>79 Ragnaroekk: those little/big maps that are distributed throughout the chapters

I am almost positive that something similar will be included in CTP's edition. Tony is working on it directly with the author :)

>79 Ragnaroekk: Yes, for sure they will, and the plan is to give them a refreshed look while keeping the geography the same.

>80 drizzled:
>81 CTPress-Tony:
Fantastic. :)

A little surprise from today:

Ken Liu’s The Paper Menagerie is first title in Short Stops, a new series from Conversation Tree Press dedicated to bringing exceptional shorter works of fiction to life through beautifully bound, letterpress-printed, limited editions that begin shipping immediately upon announcement.



https://conversationtreepress.com/pages/paper-menagerie-ken-liu

The Paper Menagerie is a limited edition of 300 unnumbered copies, letterpress printed by Hand & Eye Letterpress in London, England. It features a frontispiece illustration by Scott McKowen, also printed via letterpress. The book is quarter-bound in Fancy Linen book cloth and custom hand-marbled paper from Paperwilds in a tiger eye pattern. The endpapers are GF Smith Colorplan with a linen finish.

It measures 6 x 9 inches with 28 pages including front and back matter, and all copies are signed by the author and artist. The cost is $110 plus shipping.





Future volumes from the Short Stops series will:

• Only be announced and offered for sale when they are completely finished with shipping beginning on the same day orders are made.


• Feature shorter works of fiction.


• Have a trim size of 6in by 9in, slightly smaller than the 6.7in by 9.5in books done before like Peter Pan and the upcoming edition of Solaris, and do not include a slipcase.


• Have no rights associated with them.

I am tempted, but will have to wait for the public pre-order opening (October 18th, 12PM ET)

>83 drizzled:

And a lovely surprise at that! I adore this story. Ken Liu is one of my three favorite short story writers, the other two being Ted Chiang and Caroline M. Yoachim.

>83 drizzled: Ohh, interesting, I've always felt a significant barrier to entry for people interested in starting with fine press is that everything on a website is often sold out and new editions often come with a 6-12 months lead time. So this is a great idea for people to dip their toe without too heavy a commitment.

I'm mildly confused about the rights system though...

"Always be offered to current Deluxe and Lettered rights-holders first, even though they have no rights attached to them. Rights holders may skip it entirely without losing rights to the next book from the Press."

So rights holders get first dibs (ok) but can choose to skip without losing rights to the next mainline edition (ok). But does that mean they also get first dibs on any additional intervening Short Stops that come between mainline titles?

Lovely edition! I'm definitely interested to see what other short stories they produce. (Ted Chiang would be an amazing addition.)

>85 cyber_naut: that's how I understand this, but there are only 176 rights holders and 300 copies in a single Short Stops edition so each time a newcomer has an opportunity to buy the book

>86 ambyrglow: There was one hint offered by CTP: "There are a number of books in the Short Stops series in the works, including a haunting tale by Ray Bradbury."

>83 drizzled: Got this email as well, and was genuinely excited for the new effort at first. Looks great and is just the kind of thing that hits my sweet spot. I was all ready to buy when I got to the "publisher rights" part.

I am so utterly (obscenity elided) sick of "publisher rights" on every friggin' thing from this press that it's looking like Treasure Island will be the last thing I ever buy from them. Sure, there will be copies left for purchase of this new title after the sacred cows get their turn at the trough, but honestly I've had enough of feeling like second class every time something new comes out.

Maybe I'm the only person who is annoyed by this, so feel free to ignore.

EDIT: And honestly it wouldn't have cheesed me off nearly as much if they had just waited to send the email when the rest of us could buy it, since the valued customers who can buy it already got a separate email about it. Seems gratuitous, really.

>89 Shadekeep: This sounds like the great Suntup debates of several years ago, when the numbered editions were near impossible for anyone without rights to pick up. At least with CTP there are always extra copies without rights. Not sure what the problem is to be honest. Just show up on time on Friday and you'll easily get a copy. In all likelihood it'll last several days or more.

I'll be buying this on Friday

>90 Levin40: Ah, I was editing while you replied, but yes. It's not that I'm worried about not getting a copy so much as it's this constant emphasis on how the rights-holders are the only ones who seem to matter. It's like watching the obsequious waiter in an old film, the one who treats everyone with barely disguised contempt until one of the favorite customers arrive. Then he can't bend over to please enough. Probably I'm projecting quite a bit into this which wasn't intended, but frankly I am heartily sick of it. Like I amended my post to say, send me the email when I can buy it, not when you're so busy fawning over "sir" at his table that I can just sit and wait.

>92 Shadekeep: Well, looking at the rights system from a pure business perspective, that group of customers is critical, as they guarantee a consistent amount of cash flow. I don't see anything wrong with a small gratification from the press, like early access to the pre-order, even if it results in me waiting a few extra hours. At the same time, Tony is very sound with his strategy as he guarantees a fair amount of copies to be available upon launching a new publication.

>92 Shadekeep: hahaha, I can see where you're coming from. But there are different ways of looking at this. If you're a rights holder, you're under the constant threat of losing your rights and feel a continual pressure to buy, buy, buy. It's a burden. The non rights holder, on the other hand, can bask in their freedom to pick and choose whichever title takes their fancy. And frankly, there hasn't been a single CTP title yet that non rights holders couldn't easily acquire if they turned up on time. Plus, I would point out that rights are not something divinely anointed - everyone had the chance to pick them up from early CTP titles. Rights copies of Peter Pan and Faun were sitting around for months.

Anyway, perhaps you're right that today's email should have only been sent to the rights holders. Though on the other hand, now you know when you'll be able to pick one up on Friday ;-)

>93 drizzled: I do understand the reason for the approach, and can appreciate that the core patrons are vital to the business. It's the attitude I take exception to. (And some of that is spill-over from my previous direct interactions with Tony.) The impression I've gotten over time with them is that the rights-holder are literally the only ones that matter, and everyone else is marginal. That's not the feeling I get from other presses with subscription models, especially when it comes to books like this that are entirely outside the rights chains. If you want to give your patrons first crack at them, by all means. Then offer them to the rest of us when we can buy them. Too simple to be practical, I guess.

>94 Levin40: Yah, I am being prickly today, so there's that. The email does serve as a heads-up as well. It just annoys that they constantly mention the preferential treatment of rights-holders, even when it's not especially germane in this case. Maybe that's a way of pushing folks to upgrade to that level. Clearly it ain't working on me. 😜

I am unbothered by preferences granted to rights holders, but I will admit to finding it mildly frustrating that the first line on the page for The Paper Menagerie is "Note: The Paper Menagerie is in stock and begins shipping today" and not until two-thirds down the page do you find "The private pre-order period ends at 12pm ET on Friday October 18th, at which point remaining copies will become available to the public." It doesn't seem like it would have been that difficult to make the opening line "in stock and begins shipping to rights holders today, with public sales opening on Friday." And that would have set my expectations better.

>95 Ragnaroekk:

I don't like it when rights aren't attached to series but everything someone publishes, basically pushing people to buy books they don't really want to keep their rights and others who would love them not getting them as a result. That's unfortunately the case with some publishers that use this system. But my impression of Conversation Tree Press is that (so far) they're making sure that everyone can get a copy, rights or no, so I'm not bothered. Still, Shadekeep has my complete sympathy. This can turn into a sore spot. I've had it up to here with publishers like Lyra's or (a lot of the time) Suntup in this regard. CTP with enough copies available to last at least a few days or Curious King (rights for series only) are much more customer friendly by combining rights with availability to everyone.

>97 ambyrglow:

In addition, they're not all ready to ship so later buyers will have to wait for them to be bound.

>97 ambyrglow: >99 SF-72: Bingo and double bingo.

Thanks all for letting me vent about this. Who knows, by Friday I may be sufficiently over my high dudgeon to actually pick up a copy. After all, the whole nose/face spite thing never leads to a happy outcome. And maybe the announcement emails will improve as the series goes on, too.

>96 Shadekeep: "Then offer them to the rest of us when we can buy them."

If there's a small number available, wouldn't you want to know beforehand so that you could plan? Seems like a benefit for people without rights, to me.

(And, as rights models go, I think CTP is the most customer friendly compared to Suntup, Curious King*, etc., who do not reserve copies for non rights holders on release day. Even Lyra's goes to lottery I believe, which might be fair but is harder to manage as a customer.)

* edit: as noted by >103 Levin40:, i misremembered the Curious King policy, which does reserve numbers above 150 for non rights holders:

"Any future publications over 150, will only come with Series rights"

Thanks for the correction!

>98 SF-72: Just a small point. Curious King do in fact have publisher's rights, just like the others. I think there are 150. Their model is almost identical to CTP.

>97 ambyrglow: it would have stopped me spending so much time looking for a purchase link for sure

>101 abysswalker: I'm taking exception more with how it's phrased than what it's communicating. Nothing wrong with a heads-up, it's how it was put that I didn't care for. Let me give you an analogous scenario.

"Hey kids, we're getting cake! Well, I mean we're getting cake at the table over there. If you're not sitting there then you're not getting cake right now. The kids at that table already knew they were getting cake, but I wanted to let you know they are. You might still get cake too, later, and only if those kids leave any. So yay, we're getting cake!"

So technically, yes, I do like knowing I might be getting cake. But the delivery leaves something to be desired.

I know most of the conversation has been about the nature of preorders, but I have to say that I just love that they're doing this series.

I love the author and story choice, and I love that they've got more short fiction planned that's coming at so much lower of a cost. I'll second the hope that they manage to get a Ted Chiang story as well.

Thanks for the feedback everyone, definitely room for improvement on the messaging the next time around.

>99 SF-72: In addition, they're not all ready to ship so later buyers will have to wait for them to be bound.
I won't put any up for sale on the website unless I have copies in hand. So when the first batch is exhausted, it will be listed as sold out (or something else if Shopify allows me to change what the label says) with a note that more will be available in the future.

85> But does that mean they also get first dibs on any additional intervening Short Stops that come between mainline titles?
No, whoever has rights at that point in time will be able to order the next Short Stops title, whenever it becomes available.

>105 Shadekeep: We didn’t get you the first four times; can you explain why you’re frustrated again? Lol

If you want rights, you can buy all the books.

You’re being a negative Nelly.

>107 CTPress-Tony: If it's any consolation, I wouldn't have been so incensed if it weren't such a lovely and desirable book. So kudos on that front.

Just received my "standard" Treasure Island and completely blown away. Absolutely nothing is simply standard about this book.
Can't believe the content and the quality they packed in (which is also shelf-adjustingly massive).
There are not enough superlatives to describe this edition. Absolutely love it. Can't wait to read it to my son.

>110 Daniel.Merchant:

Very few private presses have hit the ground running from the start, but CTP has done that. Only other private press I can think of, regarding my collecting interests, that has started as quickly is James Freemantle's St. James Park Press.

>103 Levin40:

I didn't know that, probably because I'm at a level where I have series rights, not rights throughout everything that comes after.

>110 Daniel.Merchant:. >111 dlphcoracl:
Agree entirely, CTP are superb!

>111 dlphcoracl:

CTP are definitely very impressive. Flowers for Algernon is gorgeous, and I'm really looking forward to my other pre-order so far, The House on the Borderland.

I caved in and ordered "The Paper Menagerie".

It is amusingly tiny in comparison to "Treasure Island":

>115 drizzled: my flowers for algernon is thick only because of the paper they used. It’s a fairly short story/novella

>115 drizzled: I love that they are all so different but attractive in their own ways.

I got caught up in something at work and missed it. Oops.

>118 gmacaree: Sounds like there will be a second batch available as they are bound.

>118 gmacaree: There will be a second batch directly on CTP's website but right now there are some copies on Subterranean Press page, I got a notification a few moments ago

>120 drizzled: Crap. I should of bought it from Subpress, and saved on the shipping. Also, probably would of gotten an exclusive email for the next short story. Damn.

The Paper Menagerie arrived for me this afternoon. I love everything about this little guy. One of the more interesting marbled papers I've seen in a while. The eye effect is striking, and there's some coppery metallic in there that doesn't quite come out in still photos but is a delight in person.

The style of book reminds me in some ways of Thornwillow's "dispatch" line, but without the complicated subscription setup and long waits.

Worth noting that it is quite petit; though the trim size is not too small, it is slim at 18 pages.

>118 gmacaree: Same, except it was stuff around the house. Maybe on the second round?

Standard state Peter Pan arrived today. Just beautiful! Looking forward to my next CTP book and future releases.

I'll join the voices praising Conversation Tree. I too have received my standard "Treasure Island" and am very impressed as I am with my standard "Flowers for Algernon." And though I haven't seen it in person, the numbered "Flowers" looks to be one of the nicest bindings I've seen. I look forward to future offerings.

At last, the Deluxe edition of Faun is sold out.

It’s a stunning book in hands, quite understated I’d say.

It was about time.
Now there are only Faun & Peter Pan standard left, which isn't so bad I guess. It's always good to have something to sell if some new/interested customers show up.

I had my eye on Faun Deluxe for months and finally bought it two weeks ago. I read it yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Tipped in illustrations. I am still getting used to them. I take great care of books when reading but still worry I'll rip or dog ear a tipped in sheet as it pops up.

Sub Press seems to still have Deluxe Faun available, in case anyone is interested.

Deluxe Treasure Island has just arrived. First impressions are very good, excellent attention to detail, and it feels of excellent quality.

Only two things that I've put in the potential negative columns so far:
1) I was surprised how smooth the paper was (first impressions are that I'd have preferred something rougher, but my view may evolve as I spend time with the edition).
2) The distress/damage to the boards was a little too obviously artificial/intentional (I'd personally have preferred a little bit less enthusiasm on the whacking the boards with things).

But neither of those points stop this being a hugely welcome addition to my collection, and I am more excited for future CTP editions than ever!

>130 EdmundRodriguez:
Just two things to add:
1. It's heavy... extremely heavy !!!
2. Tony has outdone himself again.
Every book so far is getting more and more impressive. Together with Arete Editions Case of Death & Honey those two are my all time favourite in my collection right now.

I think the papers name is (135g/m2) "Naturalis Vanilla Smooth" paper.

>130 EdmundRodriguez: I received my copy yesterday and thought it was truly outstanding, apart from the paper! I felt the same about the smoothness of the paper – I think it’s a personal taste thing (I didn’t like the Zerkall ENR white smooth, which Barbarian Press recently used, either), but perhaps also, for this particular tale, a rougher / more textured paper would have been a better fit.

The boards on my copy are plausibly distressed :) I quite like it.

>131 Ragnaroekk: True, but the original announcement as well as the book page on CTP’s website say only “luxurious Naturalis paper”. No issue at all, but had the “smooth” part been mentioned, I would have adjusted my expectations :)

I checked the page for the upcoming Foundation and was very happy to see the numbered is going to use Magnani Pescia, which I love.

Would be curious to hear from Tony what made him choose this particular paper for the numbered, if he would be willing to share his thought process with us.

>128 Pendrainllwyn: >132 BorisG: >131 Ragnaroekk: >130 EdmundRodriguez: Thank you for the kind words.

Smoother paper was chosen for Treasure Island because of the sheer size and number of the pen and ink drawings. The smoother paper allows for better reproduction of the fine details. It's one of the reasons Zerkall was so popular with wood engravers, and why Liber Charta (used on the Lettered) is being positioned and accepted as a replacement.

A lot of thought and testing goes into the decision of which paper to use for every book. The House on the Borderland & Others, for example, uses GF Smith Max Absolute White for the Standard and Deluxe and Madrid Litho for the Lettered, because they best reproduce Dave's 29 full colour pieces that are being printed litho.

We've now done books at three different sizes using a range of papers, as I enjoy the challenges and opportunities that come with the different sizes and the way they reproduce artwork and accept the impression of the text.

Our choice of paper is not unlimited, however, with mills cutting back production and some shutting down entirely. We're also limited by the parent sheet size - many papers come in a smaller size that would only allow us a 6in x 9in trim size, whereas I prefer the slightly larger 6.7in x 9.5in as we've done for most of our books Peter Pan, Faun, Flowers for Algernon, etc.

>133 CTPress-Tony:

That's very interesting. Thank you for sharing this information here.

>133 CTPress-Tony: Thank you for the information. I am looking forward to receiving my Deluxe edition.

"A lot of thought and testing goes into the decision of which paper to use for every book. The House on the Borderland & Others, for example, uses GF Smith Max Absolute White for the Standard and Deluxe and Madrid Litho for the Lettered, because they best reproduce Dave's 29 full colour pieces that are being printed litho."

Are you categorically against using one paper for the illustrations and another for the text? Did the choice of paper for the illustrations drive or preempt the choice of paper for the text?

>133 CTPress-Tony:

Tony:

Is the John Purcell Liber Charta paper used in the Lettered edition as smooth as the Naturalis 135 gsm paper used in the Deluxe numbered edition, i.e., do these two papers have identical surface characteristics to the touch?

>135 ultrarightist: Great question. We have used different papers for artwork and text on Peter Pan, Faun, and Flowers for Algernon, and Foundation. It’s accomplished by printing the artwork separately from the book and tipping it into the text block before casing it in.

With 29 full colour illustrations for The House on the Borderland, tipping in artwork simply wasn’t an option. All told, that would have been over 13,000 pieces of artwork individually tipped in by hand.

“ Did the choice of paper for the illustrations drive or preempt the choice of paper for the text?”

We started off with papers that were available at the size we needed and would print the text well, and started proofing the illustrations. Proofs were sent to Dave and we used the one he felt best reproduced his work.

>133 CTPress-Tony: I will check tomorrow and let you know.

>137 CTPress-Tony: Thank you for the thorough answer. It makes sense.

>137 CTPress-Tony: >133 CTPress-Tony: Thanks for the replies, Tony! I’m going to start reading the book this week, looking forward to spending more time with it!

Finished Tigana and I approve the CTP treatment.
I hope it will be 2 books though.
Tony Kay from CK is using a smaller font size to reduce the page bulk, but that does not always help.
(Already said it somewhere above... I know)

>140 Ragnaroekk: I would appreciate a two volume treatment as well. It's the main reason why I wasn't interested neither in those massive Amaranthine nor Suntup's blocks.

I just read my standard copy of Faun for a Halloween read. Enjoyed the story. Love the book itself. Great illustrations, great binding, nice paper, great size for reading.

Two very enthusiastic thumbs up. Fine holiday fun.

>138 ultrarightist: >139 BorisG: You're welcome.

>140 Ragnaroekk: >141 drizzled: Appreciate the feedback on that.

>142 jsg1976: Happy to hear!

>136 dlphcoracl: Liber Charta is just a little rougher than the Naturalis. So in terms of roughest to smoothest, we have:

Munken (roughest)
Liber Charta
Naturalis (smoothest)

I finally received my deluxe Treasure Island today. Interestingly, the limitation page informs that the Deluxe state is numbered 1-175, so the rest of the limitation (i.e., 35 copies) must be unnumbered publisher's copies.

>144 supercell: Unfortunately, the same error on my part that lead to the discrepancy between the stated limitation on the Deluxe Flowers for Algernon lead to the same thing happening here - the limitation being updated in one part of the colophon and not the other. In the case of Flowers for Algernon, the limitation was reduced, and for Treasure Island, increased. So there are indeed 210 numbered copies in the world.

And again, this was caught after copies began shipping. I've put in place changes to ensure it doesn't happen again, but apologies for this lapse to everyone who's ordered a copy.

Seeking enablement!

I have a gap at the end of one shelf that’s just asking to be filled (any excuse). I’m thinking the Faun standard edition might be just about right.

Could an owner please post the width of the edition including slipcase?

Many thanks!

146: 25 mm

>146 cyber_naut: You should totally go for it.

I don’t think you have a super precise bookshelf placement, but my measurements are about 25.5 mm +/- .5. Depending on where you measure.

>147 supercell: >148 ensuen: thanks to you both, I reckon that might just about work :)

First sneak peek at Solaris deluxe edition :
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCE8Bv-tgMT

Looks superb (as far as it’s possible to judge from that one photo!) – reminds me of Lyra’s Press Stardust, but cold rather than warm – which fits the story

Reminds me of the LEC Martian Chronicles. Excited for this release!

The deluxe edition will be out of my reach but I'm very curious about the standard edition.

I was fortunate enough to be able to borrow copies of all three states of Treasure Island to post them on my YouTube channel, the results of which labours are here: https://youtu.be/g1_Xn2wPrYo?si=n7nIi_RpV58nOLsA

It was pretty cool to have all three states side by side.

>154 ubiquitousuk: Thank you for another wonderful review

>154 ubiquitousuk: I always enjoy your reviews, thank you. They must be a lot of work.

Info about Solaris is live on the website: https://conversationtreepress.com/pages/solaris-stanislaw-lem-murphy

Both standard and deluxe seem superbly designed to my eyes – and the text block and paper are identical between the two, so the standard is great value. I do, however, very much like the idea of the title etched onto the spine of the acrylic case in the deluxe, leaving the spine of the book empty.

>157 BorisG: I agree, I think the standard and deluxe are great

The deluxe is hitting all the right notes.

I'm really excited for this one! The standard is an incredible value.

The standard edition looks like it'll complement the standard Foundation quite well as a retro-themed sci fi cover collection. For some people who might have been disappointed on missing out on the deluxe Foundation and had to settle for the standard I think this sort of matching style actually makes owning both standards a more attractive prospect in that regard.

I adore the Lettered cover, but the Collector's is also solid and an easy buy decision.

I’ll probably settle for the Collector’s edition, but the Deluxe is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen these past few years. Wow

Great job CTP

>157 BorisG: Just like with Flowers for Algernon, that Deluxe binding looks like it would have been a lettered from most other presses.

Absolutely marvelous design for the deluxe. The hand-marbled overlay with the Harmatan looks great. I always have a weakness for unique and creative uses of marbling.

My one minor concern is the enclosure. One of the roles an enclosure plays is to protect a book from light. I don't see pictures of the acrylic slipcase described, but I assume it will be transparent since the page describes it as like a specimen case. Does anyone know if the kind of acrylic used for this will protect from UV etc.?

(Not a huge problem if not; just means I need to keep it in one of my cabinet shelves. But I am curious nonetheless.)

>165 abysswalker: if I'm remembering correctly acrylic is quite UV resistant

How hard is it to get a new release of a deluxe from CTP usually, are the remaining copies gone in seconds or minutes ?

>167 anthonyfawkes: CTP is fairly new so it is difficult to predict.
For Foundation, the deluxe was available for few days if I remember correctly.
But this edition is maybe a bit more unique and so will maybe attract more people.

I love the textless cover on the deluxe. It took me a second to place it, but CTP really doesn’t seem to hold back on design work for the lower tier editions. Excellent stuff.

The current trend seems to be using the same paper for both standard and deluxe editions. Personally, I’m not a big fan of this, though having different paper would increase both the effort and cost, which would also make the book more expensive—a solution that wouldn’t be ideal either, since everything is so freaking expensive.

>170 Ragnaroekk: I’d say the “trend” (or really just a handful or recent examples) is to dress up the standard text block for the deluxe edition.

Here, they’re doing to the opposite, and upgraded the paper in the standard to the same quality as the deluxe for the sake of better art reproduction.

>168 David_Mauduit: I don't believe so, I'm afraid. There were about 10 copies of the deluxe in the last round of public pre-sale and those went within a few minutes. The standard state was available for a good couple of months, however, which surprised me quite a bit.

>171 NathanOv: and I wish some others (Folio Society, I'm looking at you) would emulate CTP.

172: Foundation was a bit of a special case because there was a waitlist for it: First the deluxe rights-holders got 48 hours to purchase copies 1-150, then those who had signed up on the waitlist (seven months earlier) had 24 hours to purchase unsold rights copies and non-rights copies 151-250. The few remaining copies were made available for hoi polloi only after that. This time, no waitlist. Then again, the number of non-rights copies is also smaller (just 50). Historically, CTP's numbered editions have been slow sellers - but Solaris is a well-known genre title and CTP has been getting increasingly popular this year. So, it really is anyone's guess how this plays out.

>161 wongie: I had the same thought and hope that CTP will continue this style for future standard states of sci-fi classics.

Will try to pick up a Solaris, do like how this one turned out in the photos.

Did I miss the second round offering of The Paper Menagerie?

>176 Shadekeep: Looks like the public sale announcement for Paper Menagerie went out on October 18th. I think the sale info was kinda buried in the original announcement though - as someone who'd bought the most recent numbered title, I was still panicking a little trying to figure out how to order!

>177 NathanOv: Ah, it sounded like there was going to be an actual separate second round, but I guess it was just a restock on the same day. So I did miss it then.

>178 Shadekeep: no I think you are right. There should be a second batch of books coming at some point.

>178 Shadekeep: The second batch hasn't been announced yet

Tony has posted an udate on "Solaris" and the acrylic slipcase, pasting in below:

While I’m confident that the slipcase for the Deluxe state of Solaris would perform quite well as designed, as do the acrylic slipcases I have from other presses, I've decided to implement a few refinements more in keeping with our usual design approach while keeping the original concept intact.
- Thick greyboard construction, likely covered in Corvon Carbon-X, the same material used on the Collector’s slipcase.
- A Suedel-lined interior.
- The acrylic spine of the original design, which filters 90% of UV light, will be retained, along with the title etched on it.
We will have a prototype ready within the coming weeks. Please note, pre-orders for the Deluxe Solaris will include the updated slipcase by default, with no option to exchange it for those of the Standard or Lettered states.

Well, I am on the fence between the deluxe and standard right now, as I initially planned to go with the latter to complement my standard "Foundation"... But the design and used materials for the deluxe are truly top-notch :)

>181 drizzled: Well, the suedel lined interior is probably an improvement as far as wear-n-tear goes, I'm just not sure how I feel about a transparent spine but not transparent sides.

It'll certainly be unique, just clearly designed to only be seen amongst other books on a shelf from the sounds of it, and not as a complete standalone object with the slipcase included as part of the design.

>181 drizzled:
I liked the old concept...
I have a few acrylic slipcases and can't see any problem with them.

>157 BorisG: Going to be an expensive winter for me, because this looks fantastic. I was wondering if the retro poster art style could convey the more evocative imagery in the book but looking at the gallery I think they nailed it.

It's the first time I've really looked at the piggy bank and considered splurging for a numbered edition because the concept of the design really works for me. I get the protective value of changing the slipcase design but it's hard visualizing it looking as clean as the original proposal.

The collector's edition cover following the interior aesthetic and having the paper upgrade makes it hard to beat though. Most of all, having the better translation and a special edition of this book warms my heart. (I've been filling it into those FS surveys for some time & this is no doubt better than anything they'd do).

I'm new to CTP. I've been waiting for a nice copy of Solaris for a while. Looking at the materials used vs cost, CTP leaves the likes of folio in the dust.

The wave marbling on the deluxe edition against the black speckled cover is perfect. I even like the fact it has no title on the spine.

There are only two things that put me off. Firstly the long wait of 7 to 8 months if I'm correct. Secondly although the artwork is very well done it has a slight cartoonist edge which knocks me out of the world of Solaris. For some reason I'd like to see some detail and definition on the character faces. But this wouldn't put me off buying a copy if there are copies remaining. My favourite image is the double page spread for the title page.

Overall a very nice copy.

Just pre-ordered the Deluxe Solaris. I think everything about looks great. I would have preferred the original acrylic slipcase, but trust that Tony comes up with new design that will be just as spectacular 😊

Am I correct in recalling that if you have deluxe Foundation with rights, even if you do not exercise the rights for deluxe Solaris, you retain the rights for the next two Foundation books?

(I looked on the website and in my email but can't put my hands on anything that confirms that.)

187: Yes. The rights for the Foundation trilogy have already diverged from the main (i.e., publisher's) rights - and the same happened to the Weird. sequence a bit earlier.

>187 amysisson: and >188 supercell: I greatly appreciate that CTP does that

With just an hour and a half of the private pre-order window left, 26 deluxe copies of Solaris (with rights) remain unclaimed.

>190 supercell: No, apparently these are all the remaining copies. Just 26. It's higher than the number of rights copies because some have been kept back for Subterranean Press to sell. I don't know the exact numbers, but it does imply a very high take-up of rights copies.

>191 Levin40: can you see how many collector’s editions are left? Really hoping to get one at 12pm!

>192 RRCBS: There's no counter on the Collectors. Currently only those who also who purchase Deluxe or Lettered copies can get one (so max 176 people), and I can't imagine that that many of those are buying multiple editions. Don't worry, you'll be fine for the Collectors if you show up on time. In the past they've taken hours to days to sell. Those wanting the Deluxe, on the other hand, had better be quick.

>191 Levin40: not surprising given the quality of the books he's produced so far. The only CTP I've passed on is the Ken Liu short story. He's a wonderful writer but the worldview in the stories of his I've read is incredibly dark and depressing.

191: A high take-up after Foundation does not surprise me considering this is a case of two back-to-back sci-fi classic offerings (I would already have considered 124/150 as pretty high, though). However, if Sub Press really has taken a chunk of the remaining copies, the situation does sound pretty dire for anyone without rights - those 26 copies will be gone within a minute.

Yup, that took less than a minute.

Showed up at the dot and bought a Collector's edition. One minute past and the deluxe shows as sold out.
Edit just to say I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought the concept for the deluxe was fantastic. Well deserved instant sell-out.

Sold out in a minute! Congratulations to CTP.

I ordered the Collector's edition to match my Foundation.

Deluxe already sold out. At 6pm I only saw the standard pop up. After checkout at 6:01pm the deluxe was there already with the sold out mention.

>198 sdawson: Impressive! I hope they have the same level of success with the collectors edition - and I suspect they will, with the similar audience to Foundation and the smaller limitation.

Happy to grab the collector's edition! It looks like it will be a wonderful book.

Snagged a deluxe edition fully expecting to not be fast enough and miss out. A bit shell shocked lol.

My first CTP book. I picked up a collector's edition. The deluxe looked superb.

Very excited to have grabbed a deluxe. Incredibly attractive editions all the way around for this release.

I like the fact that each edition has its own appeal. Each cover design offers something completely different.

Congrats to this that managed a deluxe. I got caught up with work for a couple hours and couldn’t make an attempt. Got one of the collector copies though!

Same, busy with work, missed out on Deluxe. Well, if anyone wants to trade one down the road let me know...

>205 LT79: Yes, collectors' editions are superb, every iteration has a meaningful design relationship with the particular title. And for the price they are packed with artwork and not skimped on materials.

I've managed to snag the deluxe "Solaris". Can't wait for its arrival!

>208 drizzled: Exactly, I don't feel ripped off like I have done recently with Folio, for example. The price point for what you get is fantastic with CTP.

It's down to 83 copies now. I think CTP will capture the more disgruntled Folio customers (like me) and future releases will sell even faster.

That deluxe edition is a cracker. I look forward to seeing the reviews and pictures.

Flowers for Algernon and after, everything deluxe state from CTP has been marvelous. For Faun, I loved the binding design, but the illustrations didn't work for me (too digital/photo realistic), and I went standard edition for Peter Pan (that was a toss up; the leather was nice, but plain solid green plus stamped design ultimately seemed less distinctive than the floral printed paper with metallic accents).

Now, I feel like I'm basically buying each new release by default (the only press for which this is true). Well, maybe Tudor Black Press also.

It's actually good at some level that Faun didn't work for me, because I avoid completionism on principle.

Was too late for the Deluxe Solaris. Damn. To me that one is the best looking of the three. It really is a beautiful design, and the Collector’s Edition just doesn't do it for me. Gotta pass, but glad for you that snagged a deluxe. So jealous. LOL

31

Subterranean Press has the Collector's Edition available with what would be a lower shipping cost for most everyone (I believe).

Is it typical for a significant number of non-rights copies to be set aside for other storefronts? I thought it seemed a bit disingenuous to only put up half the advertised number of deluxe copies for sale on their site yesterday, but I usually don't aim for the higher end editions, so that may just be a standard practice I wasn't aware of.

>214 remixicle:
150 sold to right holders already.

>213 A.Nobody: It seems to have been taken down.

>216 ambyrglow: That means all Subterranean copies have already sold out.

Missed out on the Deluxe from Subpress too. Now it's pretty obvious that God hates me.

Longtime lurker within these Fine Press rooms, but feel compelled to share news with the group that I won the lottery for a Lettered Solaris. I was _delighted_ to receive the news within an email from Tony this morning. Now, I am certainly in no, erm, 'state' to afford quite such a luxury, but this is one sci-fi novel I relish the opportunity to acquire the full kit n' kaboodle. (Hardly a power sci-fi reader compared to some of you, but I do have my favorites.) Marveling at the top-shelf design and production values on this one. And the story, the scarcity of it in English, and the great film by Tarkovsky, which I lurvv. Yes, this is it!

>219 PostToastee: Congrats. That enclosure looks special. Enjoy.

>219 PostToastee: Congrats! the Tarkovsky film is interesting. However, Lem absolutely hated the film! He did not approve of changes from the novel, had heated debates with Tarkovsky, and for the rest of his life openly discussed his loathing for the movie :)

>219 PostToastee: Congrats! It's a beautiful design :)

I'm sure Lem described that film as emotional sauce or stew. It was comical how angry he was. I like the tarkovsky film but I can see Lem's point. I do think Lem would be quite taken with the wave marbling on that deluxe edition though.

I received my Deluxe Treasure Island today, and I’ll add my name to the list of people singing its praises, though I do have some quibbles. Some more specific thoughts:

1) I love the overall design of the book and the typesetting and integration of the illustrations. Really top notch work by Tony there. And the sheer number of illustrations is fantastic.

2) The wooden boards look great, and I don’t think mine are overly distressed. However, mine does have a 1.5” cut on the front board that looks new and like it was done with an x-acto knife, and so isn’t in keeping with the overall look, which is a bit of a bummer.

3) I love the endpapers. Great fit for the story.

4) I really wish RLS’ original map was included instead of Marc’s, which looks cartoony to me, lacks some of the detail referenced in the story, has a typo in the legend, and is mislabeled to boot (as ubiquitousuk pointed out in his excellent video review).

5) I really like the illustrations, except when they have people in them, which again, look cartoony to me - like Jemima Catlin’s illustrations for The Hobbit.

6) I do wish the paper had a rougher texture and a decked edge, though I understand Tony’s reasons for going with this paper he shared in >132 BorisG:.

7) I love illustrated drop caps, and these are great.

8) I love the binding design, though I do worry a little about long term durability with boards that heavy and leather that supple.

9) I wish it had endnotes for some of the nautical terms. Both the Folio edition I have now and the non-FS edition I read when I was a kid had endnotes, and I found them pretty helpful way back then. I had emailed with Tony about that before I ordered the book, and he explained why this version (like many others) doesn’t, and I understand his reasoning. But just as a matter of personal preference, I would have liked to see those - especially if any kids might read this version and don’t have a copy of A Sea of Words handy.

But don’t let anything above detract from my overall first impressions of the book, which are exceptionally favorable. Kudos, CTPress-Tony! I’m excited to see what comes next from the press. I wish I was more interested in reading Solaris, because I think it looks great. High hopes for Tigana.

>221 astropi: Couldn’t just let him/her bask in their happiness for a while?

>219 PostToastee:

Congratulations! It's wonderful that such a rare edition clearly went to someone who loves the book and will cherish this version of it.

>226 SF-72: Congratulations! It's wonderful that such a rare edition clearly went to someone who loves the book and will cherish this version of it.

Oh yes, agree with that wholeheartedly.

I'm 2/3rds of the way through my deluxe. I second everything that's been said about the quality of the craftsmanship, materials, and design.

I'd add that I love all of the interesting layout and illustration decisions throughout, such as the vertical spread to accommodate Marc's three-column illustrations, or the smaller illustrations at the top of each column in the "Attack" chapter to really make you feel the action and faster pace of that section.

You can tell that Tony works very closely with his illustrators and gives attention to every single spread in his books to ensure the best result.

It's a shame the errors with the map weren't caught - I did try to flip back to the map when reading it's description in the text and noticed the mismatch immediately, but then I've certainly seen more egregious examples of map illustrations in other books.

19 copies of Solaris remaining, by the way. If anyone hasn't ordered yet, today is probably the day to do it.

>223 LT79: There was also a 2002 film by Steven Soderbergh. Both the Tarkovsky and Soderbergh versions are interesting in their own right. The 2002 version is closer to the original source material, although still doesn't quite capture the novel in my opinion. That said, I do enjoy watching adaptations after I've read the books :)

>230 astropi: I like the Tarkovsky film. It's very slow and contemplative so you need to be in that frame of mind. Tarkovsky goes off on his own tangent so I can understand why Lem was disappointed. But it would be difficult to film Lem's philosophical ideas. Most people will be interested in the effect on the characters or 'emotional soup' as he calls it. I'm interested in both.

I've not watched the Sodebergh version. Thanks for the recommendation! I think I'll watch it over Christmas in prep for the CTP release.

And sold out.

If anyone is after a copy of the lettered edition of Solaris, there does seem to be one available from the website - maybe just a glitch but worth a shot to check if you’re interested.

6 copies of the Collector’s Edition in stock if anyone is interested...

Edited: sold out again

Apologies for the self-promotion but it's for a good cause. I've started Bound for Good (see, this is why I leave the writing to the professionals) - an initiative to raise funds for local charities making a positive difference in the community where Conversation Tree Press & Family live.

The gist of it is I'll commission a unique binding of a CTP book, run a raffle, and ship the copy for free to whoever wins it, wherever in the world they are. The first book up is Joe Hill's Faun, using a Deluxe book block (145gsm Liber Charta) and bound in full Harmatan & Oakridge goatskin leather from their Fine Leather Range. François Vaillancourt also generously donated a remarque.

Each CA$5 donation to Suddaby Public School, where my son attends senior kindergarten, is worth 1 entry. The money raised helps to fund school nutrition programs, school supplies, field trips, equipment, etc.

I kicked things off with a $100 personal donation myself, and we're well past the goal, but there's still lots of time to win this unique copy.

All the details are here: https://conversationtreepress.com/pages/bound-for-good.

Best,
Tony

That’s a great initiative Tony

Dinged Book Clearance (and also As New) time is almost upon us:

Dinged Book Clearance

It’s the end of the year and six months since we last did a dinged book sale, so it’s time to make some room in the workshop. Here’s what you can expect on Thursday December 19th at 10am ET:

Dinged copies at 10% off
Note these are copies with very minor imperfections and contain all the artwork and text of the edition. They are being sold as-is at 10% off their issue price and are not eligible for return. In the case of Deluxe and Lettered copies, they are marked as PC instead of a number or letter.
• Treasure Island Deluxe - 4 copies
• Treasure Island Lettered - 1 copy
• Flowers for Algernon Standard - 3 copies
• Flowers for Algernon Deluxe - 3 copies
• Flowers for Algernon Lettered - 1 copy
• Faun Lettered - 1 copy
As New Copies
These are perfect copies that were either held back to ensure collectors received their copies safely, or the order was canceled and we’re now making them available. They are being made available at their issue price. In the case of Deluxe and Lettered copies, they have the number or lettered marked as normal.
• Peter Pan Deluxe - 2 copies
• Treasure Island Standard - 2 copies full price
• Treasure Island Lettered - 1 copy
All copies will appear at the top of the main shop page of the website on Thursday December 19th at 10am ET.

Best wishes,
Tony

Well I'm an idiot and missed the dinged sale a few minutes ago. If anyone wants to offload a standard or deluxe Flowers for Algernon, let me know. The rest of you enjoy the beautiful books!

I was there for the sale and left empty-handed unfortunately. I was refreshing constantly for the last couple of minutes before it started and the moment it appeared I clicked 'add to cart' on the title I wanted and before I could even click anything on the next page a message popped up saying it was sold out. Either there were bots present or some people were getting in before others because there's no way another human being getting in at the same time as me could've done it that fast.

That's my sad, bitter story and I'm sticking to it! Back to the secondary market search I go...

Same experience for me. It was more like a lottery. But glad they made them available though, and looks like they did the best they could do.