Saturday, March 06, 2010

things that amuse only me

I went to Barnes and Noble this afternoon to celebrate my birthday the only way a birthday should be celebrated - I wanted to buy books. Specifically, the new Elizabeth Bear novel Chill. They had it, so I bought it.

What amused me, though, is the progression of "from the author of" notes on the front cover.

Let's pretend that I don't already know that Elizabeth Bear is made of 120 proof awesomesauce.

Chill: from the author of Dust.

Hmm. Okay. I'll check out Dust.

Dust: from the author of Undertow.

Hmm, okay. Still not sure who Elizabeth Bear is. I'll check Undertow.

Undertow
: from the author of Carnival.

Carnival
: from the author of Worldwired.


Here I chuckled. Now, I don't own the Jenny Casey trilogy (of which Worldwired is the excellent conclusion), but I would wager the progression concludes like this:

Worldwired: from the author of Scardown

Scardown: from the author of Hammered.

Hammered:....

And there the progression breaks down because Hammered was her first book.

Why am I amused? I have no freaking clue. Too much pizza and root beer? Perhaps.

I still need to read Dust before I crack Chill, but that's okay. And Carnival, but that's not part of a series.

I also picked up a deeply discounted hardcover of The Plague of Doves, by Louise Erdrich and a regular price trade paper of The Unforgiving Minute, by Craig Mullaney

5 comments:

Carl V. Anderson said...

Joe, here's wishing you the happiest of birthdays, and many happy returns!!! Love the way you chose to celebrate your big day. Well done!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I find it amusing as well. As you said, what about those who've never heard of the author?
And happy birthday.

Chad Hull said...

120 proof awesome...

I love it.

Greyweather said...

Happy Birthday Joe.

Did any of the covers mention she was a Hugo Award winning author?

Joe said...

Thanks, all.

Grey: Chill mentioned "award winning author of Dust". Bear hadn't won her first Hugo when Dust was published, so the others couldn't have mentioned it.

None of the Spectra novels mention her Campbell Award, though I think the Jenny Casey novels may have been published before she won (or perhaps just after and too late to change the covers, not sure).

Now - if you check her other books...

The back cover to The Chains That You Refuse (Night Shade) mentions the Campbell. The front covers of Blood and Iron (Roc) and Whiskey and Water (Roc) mention the Campbell. The next two Promethean Age novels (still Roc) just say "award winning".

All the Windwracked Stars (Tor) mentions the Hugo. By the Mountain Bound (Tor) does not.

Nothing on the two SubPress books.