A strange/fun question: Do you have any favorite books that you don’t want as FS editions?

I’ve been meaning to post something like this for a little while now.

Are there any books of which you are fond, but don’t feel are a good fit for the Folio Society treatment?

One book that comes to mind for me is Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods. When I read that, a couple of years after it had been published, it was during the summer. For some nigh uncanny reason, it seemed that everywhere I went - be it the beach, a cookout, the homes of family or friends - I’d come across a slightly beat up copy of the book.

When Folio solicited their edition, it seemed so odd to me! 😅 That’s ‘cuz that book will forever be for me a copy that I come upon in the back seat of a car, or on a poolside table, or on a picnic table. I love the tale of Bryson and Katz attempting to navigate the Appalachian Trail, but never will I read of their zany adventures in a lovely cloth-bound and slipcased Folio edition.

So, what about you merry madcaps? Are there any books that you are quite fond of, and yet don’t think they “work” as a Folio Society title?

Oh yeah -

What initially got me thinking like this was when I saw the Marvel stuff getting the Folio treatment. I love a lot of Marvel Comics; hell, I have a freelance contract with them, one I’ve had for many years, and I’ve done some writing for them, as well as work on their collected editions team. But it’s such a jarring juxtaposition that neither jives nor gels (take that, Stan Lee, Ace of Alliteration), I haven’t been tempted in the least by any of Folio’s offerings.

… Although, admittedly, a huge reason for that is due, in my opinion, to the very poor choices of the contents.

PS: Let’s see Folio do a collection of early/mid-‘80s Captain Britain. :)

I'm not fond of it, but I rue the day if/when Folio does Harry Potter.

>3 HonorWulf: HW, that’s nowhere near what I’m talking about here! 😅

Are there any books that Folio has done that you enjoy, but don’t really see them as fitting the Folio Society style?

For example, I have a guilty pleasure in enjoying The Sword of Shannara and The Elfstones of Shannara, having read them when I was in my early teens. But for me they’ll always be somewhat cherished, beat up paperbacks. I can’t imagine them being given such a deluxe presentation as Folio offers.

Much as with the Marvel stuff. It’s incongruous to me.

>4 betaraybill: The Michael Crichton ones for sure! Maybe Stephen King. Guilty pleasures more than anything.

>5 HonorWulf: Ha! Nice. I can seen that in both instances.

Hmm… I have all my old paperback DAW Elric books on the shelf, but I’d be sorely tempted if Folio offered that series as a couple of Stormbringer-black-bound volumes.

>6 betaraybill: I would definitely splurge for Elric, which seems like a no-brainer given that Moorcock's done some introductions for them.

Neil Gaiman's Sandman, simply because I can't really see how FS could top the Absolute editions.

>7 HonorWulf: >7 HonorWulf: I recall discussing a potential Elric series from Folio a few years ago. It seemed for a while that we were going to get it.

May Arioch smite them for failing to follow through! 😅

>8 SF-72: >8 SF-72: Good call. The Absolute Sandman volumes would be very tough to top. But Folio might be able to give them a run for the money.

>10 betaraybill: I prefer the Deluxe trim size myself, but would probably buy them either way :)

>11 HonorWulf: Speaking of which, I think there was a limited edition set of silver Sandman Omnibuses in that trim size.

>12 betaraybill: Yeah, I had the standard Omnibuses, but the thickness was unreadable, so I sold them off for the Deluxe Editions, which are perfect for reading, but have inferior bindings.

Back in the day I enjoyed reading Sidney Sheldon. It would be a travesty to have Folio editions of his books.

>13 HonorWulf: It’s so hard to get it just right when it comes to comic collections. Omnibuses are often too big/too unwieldy, and Deluxe Editions may have inferior binding.

>14 dyhtstriyk: Yikes! Travesty indeed. :)

I often think of A Year in Provence as a likely Folio edition that they’ve never done - although has probably dated badly by now. I realise it’s very mainstream and of questionable literary worth.

To the original question, I’m not sure I would buy it in Folio… would depend on its treatment! And I suppose that’s my main thought on this topic…most things it would really depend on the way they produced it.

Although I’m 100% in agreement on Marvel. Same would go for any comics - Donald Duck etc included.

All my pulpy classic fantasy babies. I'm talking about Dragonlance, Wheel of Time (although this is certain to get the FS treatment because there is a TV show now), Malazan, etc.

To me the correct format for these is the mass market paperback (early printings preferably, to avoid the sterile cover art of the modern age).

Many a fond memory of my time in the service sitting in a cargo plane or tent with one lightbulb reading these. Bonus that they fit comfortably in the thigh cargo pocket of that dusty uniform.

All the trendy TikTok Young Adult books I definitely don’t want a Folio version of: A court of Thorn and Roses, the two Yarros books that are so viral right now…I only fear it still might come to that

>19 woodstock8786: Confused about whether you love those books or no.

Not really or rather not at all. Of course it can be debated if they deserve a treatment by Folio. I read the first book of A Court of Thorn and Roses and wanted to bang my head against the wall by the end.
There are a lot of fans, so I guess it would bring in a lot of money for Folio to publish them

I've been pondering this question. I think that books which you really like, own just in paperback/kindle, but which you probably won't read again are front and centre here. An example for me would be Robert Fisk's Great War for Civilisation. If Folio published a version then I'd feel enormously tempted to own it, but I think I'd resist.

Even when you own the hardback things can be a little tempting - 'A Bright Shining Lie' springs to mind.