Christmas Collection 2020

A few of the books have been announced on social media and previewed in the Folio magazine, being:

A Storm Of Swords
James Bond - On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Jurassic Park
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (new edition)
A History Of Christianity - Diarmaid MacCulloch
Sharpe’s Tiger

I’m going to be spending some money. Which Bond novel is next? Just curious...

Wow, that’s quite a few already. Wish we had a sense of how many books to expect!

I'm guessing On Her Majesty's Secret Service will be next but could be wrong

Hope there will be another Science Fiction title released on top of Jurassic Park...

Still haven't made a firm decision on whether I'll ever commit to the GoT series (as in the ~1000 EUR required for all 7 books). The possibility of the final books never being written is a concern - it might add to the allure but some closure is to be expected.

A History of Christianity by ???

I find it odd that they are publishing Sharpe's Tiger first. I have not read any Sharpe book, but it seems to the 15th in terms of publication order, but first chronologically. Is this normal? This feels a bit like if they had published "Forward the Foundation" before "Foundation".

>6 MobyRichard:

Diarmaid MacCulloch, I assume - the FS did his excellent Reformation: Europe's house divided in 2013

Edited in attempt to get the touchstone to work...

(Curmudgeon Alert) Good lord, dad books, movie novels (Crichton wrote screen treatments), popular history...the middlebrow march continues.

A lot of very detailed and complimentary reviews of MacCulloch‘s History of Christianity on LT, and I enjoyed his The Restoration, so I will want this at some stage, although it will be an expensive multi-volume edition.

>9 DanielOC:
For what it’s worth, Easton Press is also publishing mostly modern works. They still market their “Greatest Books Ever Written” series and their “Library of Military History,” but almost everything else is current or recent. I guess that is what sells today. And the number of available limited editions has dropped from 72 to 35 over the last 2 or 3 years.

I’m finding less to buy from both EP and FS recently, but the secondary market is alive with good deals.

>jroger1

Yes, EP will slap just about anything between the leather, still waiting for the deluxe, signed Art of the Deal though.

>7 Jobasha: They did the same thing with the recent Hornblowers - published by character chronology instead of publication order.

>11 jroger1: EP does have some nice selections in their signed modern classics. I just picked up The Night Circus and on the secondary market, have purchased many recently like The Secret History, The Shipping News and The Thirteenth Tale. I prefer FS but like EP and between the two of them, they have kept me rapidly acquiring more books than I should be!

History of Christianity the only one remotely interesting there, but as already have a perfectly serviceable hard copy first edition, I can't see my forking out the sort of money they're now charging for this sort of production. Recent editions of history books haven't sufficiently set themselves above the mainstream editions to warrant this for me.

>15 Willoyd: Their production of Norman Davies' Europe, which I just finished reading, was remarkable in quality, in vision and in price.

>15 Willoyd: I will be glad to know if you can point out the mainstream editions which you think are similar in Folio Society's production quality.

>7 Jobasha: Jobasha

Chronological order is the way that I read them several years ago (and Sharpe’s Tiger is a good introduction to the characters and the series).

Only interested in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
But it doesn't matter, there's a lot of books from past collections that I haven't yet bought. So I will keep myself busy with those.

>15 Willoyd:

It's one of the perils of reaching veteran status (in book buying terms) that more and more FS offerings are of books that one has had from their original publication. I upgraded The age of wonder, but thought it scarcely worth it, so decided on waiting for sales for other possible upgrades. I've been waiting patiently for Stasiland, Guns, germs and steel, and The greatest benefit to mankind to reach the sales, for what seems like ages, as they're all potential re-reads, but no luck so far.

I agree that the MacCulloch is the only possibility from what we know so far.

I've always wanted to read 'I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings' so here's my chance I guess.

>15 Willoyd: Anyone else see irony here?

>25 Chemren:

Umm, no. Do explain :)

Maybe it’s ironic that people are complaining about the perception that Folio is dumbing down their catalogue by moving towards mainstream pop novels, and when they release a nonfiction history book like Waterloo or History of Christianity, it gets dismissed while Jurassic Park and Godfather fly off the shelves.

>27 Mr.Fox:

I wait to be corrected but I don't think that fits >15 Willoyd:'s post.

>25 Chemren:

Nor me.

>27 Mr.Fox:

If >15 Willoyd: has been one of the people complaining of dumbing down, then perhaps, but I don't know offhand if that's the case. It would be unfair to criticise him/her for what others have said.

I’m just wondering if that’s the case, not trying to point fingers at any specific individual. I intentionally didn’t put in a post number or name, just intended it to be a general thought.

Many want to see Folio publish more than just genre popular mainstream fiction, but if the other offerings don’t sell as well, we’ll likely keep getting more and more bestsellers.

>27 Mr.Fox: I don't think there is any irony there as these two history books are part of the same move towards the mainstream. History of Christianity is a NYT bestseller and a generic history book spanning three millennia and the whole globe. Waterloo - the whole Great Battles package, including the series name right on the spine, has the pop aura all over it.

If you combine the September release with what we know of the Christmas collection, we get
- 4 mainstream fantasy novels in 5 volumes
- 4 pop books for movie fans (Bond, Godfather, Jurassic Park, Sharpe)
- 2 pop history books
- a set of nursery rhymes
- a literary memoir that was published before already

>30 Mr.Fox:

'I’m just wondering if that’s the case, not trying to point fingers at any specific individual. I intentionally didn’t put in a post number or name, just intended it to be a general thought.'

I thought that was probably what you meant. Thanks for clarifying :-)

Just reading over this, I kind of agree with everyone?

Folio has definitely published lots of titles that are pretty pulpy (so to speak) over the years. The Bond novels, Hornblower, etc. Perhaps not exactly the same kind of pulp, perhaps, but not the stuff you'd ever read in university literature class.

And, I think that's fine. Every once in a while they publish something pulpy that I want. So it's all fine with me. People want it. It makes money. But also, I could really do with more literary fiction releases. That's primarily what I read and it it's what drew me to Folio. And there just hasn't been much of it in recent releases, and I find that disappointing.

In the Farseer Trilogy thread, vmb443 wrote something which made me think:

"I look at some of my Folios and wonder if today’s Folio Society would produce such titles today? I’m comfortable with a both/and approach, but am fearful it’s becoming an either/or type of situation when it comes to what to publish decisions."

Hmm, I think he/she does have a point. I don't mind Folio making other pulpy titles. Though not pulpy, Dune was an anomaly back in the day when it was published, targeting a different audience. On its own it attracted a huge number of buyers, and I remember the edition being mentioned in a lot of sci fi magazines. Then, Folio made books like American Gods, The Shining, Anansi Boys, the Game of Thrones books, The Bond novels, etc. I mean I'm glad for the Folio Society, as it means an influx of revenue for them, especially considering they were not doing very well of late.

However, echoing the sentiment of the vmb443's comment, I wonder if Folio would have published books like Of Human Bondage today. Or Possession. Or The Mandarins. Even Things Fall Apart, for that matter. Those books seem so far away from what has been proposed in the recent collections...

As >33 Jason461: wrote, the selection of literary fiction novels is what drew me to the Folio Society and made me stay for 6 years.

>17 Mujaddadi:
I didn't say any were similar to FS's production quality. I said that they haven't sufficiently set themselves above the mainstream editions to warrant me buying the FS version when I already have the original hardback - which has happened quite frequently lately.

>16 gmacaree:
Thank you for that. I'll take another look when, if ever, it gets into a sale. In the meantime, I'll make do with the original hardback. This is one I would like to upgrade!

>25 Chemren:
I don't get it either!

>27 Mr.Fox:
The very nature of 'mainstream pop' is that it'll fly off the shelves - it's popular. I'm on record as welcoming more SF books (and, to a lesser extent, Fantasy) as broadening the FS's range, but not at the expense of other areas, which is in danger of happening. >31 elladan0891: sums up the situation as I see it, although, as I said, History of Christianity was of more interest to me. As someone with an interest in Waterloo, I find that choice very disappointing when there are some really good books on the subject, just as any SF/Fantasy fan would, I'm sure, be disappointed if a second division SF/Fantasy novel were to be published at the expense of one of the classics.

I agree with>31 elladan0891: and also with the poster (forget which one) who said that everyone likes some pulpy stuff. True for me at least. I enjoy some of the pulpy stuff myself (Bond, Farseer, King), but enjoy the more “literary” works much more. I personally decided against The Godfather and probably won’t buy Jurassic Park just because they’re not books I need in my personal library. Personally, I think the trend towards nursery rhyme type books, including that book in the spring that was basically just illustrations, is equally disappointing.

I placed my order just now after much consideration: Farseer, SPQR and The Mayflower. Hoping Christmas collection will have something for everyone!

I'm really hoping for Robert Bloch's Psycho this time around; what titles is everyone else hoping to see?

I wonder what the odds are of Doctor Zhivago (standard edition) being one of the Winter releases?

I seem to recall somebody asking on Twitter, when the LE was released, whether there was any prospect of a standard edition. The response was something along the lines of ‘It is definitely in our plans. Keep your eyes peeled’.

My ultimate wish would be a limited edition of a christmas carol or a 5 book set of dickens christmas books (not combined as one but each a seperate book). Or a fine edition Dune Messiah to continue the Dune saga. The odds are probably pretty slim to none on both but theres ussually at least one book per release that excites me, one of which has already been announced (Jurassic Park)

>41 adiouri: I have seen some of their responses to comments on YouTube that they are currently making non LE version of Book of the new sun so yes definitely on its way. I can’t wait to buy them when they come out but hoping they keep the Sam Webber illustrations as I think they suit the books perfectly and look great.

In the latest blog about the Farseer books the folio publisher who’s name escapes me Tom... anyhow states his love for fantasy and its neglect from the spotlight so I wouldn’t be surprised to see many fantasy novels appearing In new releases in the years to come. This makes sense in a business move of course as fantasy has never been more popular than at the moment in my opinion with hundreds of recent titles garnering large following.

>38 pop24:
what titles is everyone else hoping to see?

An affordable edition of any classic litfic that the FS hasn't published before - there are many. Or similar from American 20th century litfic (although the Angelou rehash - yes I know it's nonfic - may have put the muckers on that one) - again there is much to choose from.

>42 trentsteel34:

I don't understand why they never continued Dune. It seems to be an excellent seller, and while later titles generally don't do this well, the next 2 should still be in a viable range for FS.

I don't expect to see another Poirot book this soon, but I would certainly purchase another one.

>48 adiouri:

I think they said that around the time vol. 1 was published, but that was several years ago, so I'm not sure they will still do that. It would be interesting to know why. It can hardly be bad sales of the first book.

>50 SF-72:

My guess is it's a copyright issue. I'm sure in the current climate they'd love to publish the entire series.

>51 folio_books:

That would make sense. It's what stopped the Pratchett releases, which is also a real shame.

>50 SF-72: I vaguely remember hearing similar things. Sounds a little strange considering Centipede, a much smaller operation, managed to get rights for all 6 books and sounds like Jerad most certainly intends to go through publishing them all. Fingers crossed they've just been holding off all this time so they could release Messiah alongside the adaptation this winter.

>26 folio_books: what >27 Mr.Fox: said. >31 elladan0891: Interesting take and fits in very well with the larger debate.

>55 Chemren:
So not ironic at all then!

Feels ironic to me. Rejection of current SFF offerings for being too pop. Rejection of items away from SFF as being too pop. Interest in items away from “pop” lukewarm due to price. SFF items eagerly snapped up by those who want them, regardless of price. Not hard to understand where Folio is coming from these days.

I didn’t buy The Killing Floor or The Godfather because they aren’t the kinds of books I like. I would have bought The Godfather if I thought it was well written.

I am, however, intrigued by Jurassic Park. Barely remember the movies, but seems like it would make for amazing illustrations.

>57 Chemren:
Except that I never rejected current SFF offerings for being too 'pop' (not a word I would have used myself, but fair enough as short hand). Nor did I reject the items away from SFF as being too pop. I did say re Waterloo that there were other much better books around (and quoted a couple of authors which would probably count as 'pop' too) - as I said in an earlier post, I'm sure if SFF fans saw second rate SFF books being published they wouldn't be as enthusiastic. Nor was I lukewarm on price, but on the lack of added value - an important difference. Again, if an SFF fan didn't see sufficient added value in the FS offerings, I don't think they'd be enthusiastic either (and several have commented that they feel there are better offers elsewhere for one or two of the SFF books published by FS).

Where my concern does lie is in the matter of balance. But you are quite right that it's not hard to understand where Folio is coming from these days. Sadly it's why I am buying less than 10% of what I used to.

Having said all that, even if it was true, I still can't equate 'irony' with that sequence of events.

>59 Willoyd: I wasn’t trying to pick on you (and apologize if it came across that way) but rather the whole argument/discussion on Folio’s direction. After reading one thread after another dismissing many/most of the current offerings (in often disparaging tones), it struck me as ironic that the most recent offerings that differ from those causing the hand-wringing are also dismissed. (OMG, it was a NYT bestseller!)

>61 Chemren: You are not really making a fair argument here. Science Fiction and Fantasy are specific genres that attract certain people to titles within that genre. That is not to say that every Sci-Fi fan will like every Sci-Fi, but they will be predisposed to do so, especially when titles published by FS are the most popular of the genre. Indeed, when I see "shelfie" posts on Facebook, almost all of the shelves look uniform - basically the entire current and recent Sci-Fi and Fantasy output from FS. But non-fiction in not a genre. Non-fiction is made up of a huge range of different genres. If I was a fan of Science, Social History, Philosophy, Biography and/or Basket-Weaving, it would not be unusual for me to not be drawn to the only non-fiction work on offer, a military history. I am not "rejecting it", it is just not within my range of interests (or at least insufficiently so to pay for a fine edition of such a work).

You seem to be missing the repeated fundamental argument of most of those you seem to be referring to. It isn't "handwringing" against the publication of certain titles. I myself enjoy some Sci-Fi and have some FS titles (less so Fantasy, although I admire Le Guin and Tolkien). It is about "balance". And offering one military history title to those that enjoy "non fiction" (for example) is not balance. As for the upcoming History of Christianity, that is a bit of a niche interest for the fan of even a broad range of non-fiction, or at least a bit too niche for many to want to pay a premium price (it would take more than a passing interest or idle curiosity for those of us with mortgages to pay).

The same can be said for so-called "literary fiction", which in the context of this debate would seem to encompass everything from poetry to drama, historic epics to contemporary fiction. Chaucer to Achebe, Austen to Iziguro, Shakespeare to Joyce. My wife loves Austen, but she would rather poke out her own eyes than be forced to read Joyce. Just because she likes some "literary fiction" doesn't mean it would be ironic for her to "reject" Joyce. Yet the point would seem moot, as there doesn't appear to be much, if any, literary fiction on offer in the Autumn / Christmas collections.

So yes, I fail to see the irony.

>60 adiouri:

That's a clear answer then, thank you. I'd like to know what happened between 'We want to do the whole series' and this.

>54 wongie:

Jerad’s focused audience may represent a considerable competition in the sale of the remaining Dune books. The first book is an easy sell - even non-sci-fi folks can enjoy it, plus it’s likely there are more fans who've only read that first book than those who’ve read further. I can understand if Folio has some hesitation committing to another five books that will assuredly sell lower quantities than the first book.

>60 adiouri: I think it's worth noting (if it hasn't been noted already) that Dune was not a standard FS but a collector's edition at a higher price point. From my experience, when FS does a series the volumes are consistent in terms of look, production qualities, etc. So it might be unwise from a business perspective to try to do the whole series as collector's editions, and it might be deemed risky (in terms of disappointing customers expecting something finer) or simply not in keeping with FS's standards to do the remaining books as standard editions.

>66 AMindForeverVoyaging:

The Dune price range has become the new norm for books they think will sell well even at a higher price: Anansi Boys, American Gods, The Godfather... I was worried that would happen when Dune sold so well despite the much higher than usual price. I don't really think that was the deciding factor for not publishing more titles from that series, but who knows.

Jurassic Park ? Why???

>68 bookish_elf:

Jura$$i€ ₽ark

>69 Mr.Fox:

(applause) (applause)

>69 Mr.Fox:
Haha.

>69 Mr.Fox: Good one. lol:-)

>69 Mr.Fox:

Well said.

My first post so I tried to make it notable. Apparent Bond title in the upcoming collection. Strangely, these photos are from a recent eBay listing. Buyer even purchased at a slight discount (US$60).

Yes! I’ve been waiting for that one.

I’d love to know how a copy ended up in California weeks before its official release. I wish I’d seen that listing!

Welcome Eggs, Bacon.And.Eggs.

The only reason I can think of is a review copy got sold. I don’t know if the Bond books are reviewed, but I can think of no other option.

If only there was an international secret agent capable of hunting down the truth of the situation...

I was hoping for For Your Eyes Only - is the general feeling that Folio is going to combine the short stories into one volume?

Very neat! Ah, can’t wait to see all of the books in the next release!

>80 RRCBS:

Not long to wait now. The week after next, I reckon, which means next week we could be getting our first peek of the stacks, if they're still doing that.

>77 NLNils: The only reason I can think of is a review copy got sold.

Possible, but in which case it didn't get a very careful review, if the shrinkwrap's still on :)

>82 folio_books: Why devalue the book?😉

I glanced a picture on FB of the Christianity McCulloch set. It’s split into three hefty books. Does anyone who has the recent magazine at hand have more details? Price wise I’m hoping no more than £150, max.

>83 NLNils: Unless I'm missing something, the magazine only has a very small info box with an image of the three volume set:

^ Maybe of interest, a matching TV series of 6 episodes (presented by MacCulloch) was aired on BBC Four in 2009.

I saw this picture too in the magazine and I am quite excited about this set.

I’ve noticed the page for The Man in the High Castle is back on the website, is it possibly being reprinted? Apologies if it never left the website, but I don’t remember seeing it so far this year.

https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/the-man-in-the-high-castle.html

>84 CLWggg: I love that image and that set would be an insta-purchase for me. Can't wait to see fuller images on the site.

Stolen from a facebook post:

Sharpe’s Tiger sounds interesting. Anyone read it? Thoughts?

Bit of a dilemma for me. I'd be pretty excited to get my hands on a nice edition of Jurassic Park. But I don't want Folio to get the signal that it should only publish that kind of book; I want the esoteric and classic too.

>90 warehouseisbare: Read it and enjoyed it. Would buy the FS version if I didn’t already have the EP set.

Happy to see Jurassic Park looks like a standard edition! Of those shown, it’s the only one I’ll get since I have the others in nice editions already.

>92 RRCBS: Thanks for sharing. Depending on the cost, I’ll be picking up Jurassic Park and Sharpe’s Tiger.

24 books in the Sharpe series?!? That’s quite an undertaking.

I can see FS bailing on Sharpe like so many other series but maybe that book will stand out as a highlight.

>87 neonyoshi: I want a Man in the High Castle reprint desperately. Folio have said in the past that the main indication of a reprint is the presence of the ‘Notify me when in stock’ button - it isn’t there on this product page so I’m not holding out hope!

I was looking forward to Jurassic Park, but that cover doesn't appeal to me at all. Hopefully the illustrations will be more to my liking.

>97 SF-72: Same, reminds me of retro dinosaur art you find in 80s kids books.



I can perhaps see the charm of it growing on me after a while though, will definitely need to see the interior art.

>96 Yohannas: - me too! Funny, I never noticed that 'Notify me when back in stock' button before - is it a new thing? After seeing your post I checked on the listing for the other Dick title 'Androids/Scanner' that sold out a few months ago, and lo and behold - there it was! I often wondered what they meant by continuing to list sold out items that they apparently had no intention of reprinting. When I've made enquiries to Customer Services about this particular book, they just replied with the stock answer 'we have no plans to reprint this title at present'. Maybe they've been sufficiently pestered that they've had a change of heart!

>90 warehouseisbare: Fun read, but for me it's a paperback (up from kindle/library only) read.

>87 neonyoshi: I looked for this title via the Science Fiction listing and it's not there, although the direct link you provide obviously works. I think the book sold out just after the Father's Day sale in May/June, and seemed to disappear from the site shortly after that. The other Dick title 'Scanner/Androids' has remained listed as 'Sold Out' ever since, though.

>96 Yohannas: How about contacting FS and asking them to add the Notify button to this title? I just did - maybe if they get pestered enough...?

>96 Yohannas: >102 Waystation:
Ah, you guys expect consistency from FS and its website, must be new :) Welcome to the madhouse!

While Notify button certainly means that reprint is in the works, it's a new feature that has been used only a couple of times so far; its absence doesn't mean anything - a sold out book may still (less likely) or may not (more likely) be reprinted in the near future. A book might even disappear from the website for a few months, and then get a sudden reprint. But much more often when a book sells out, it's gone. Although it still might get reprinted after several years. Or decades. I can only advise to buy books you really want, especially when they're about to sell out, to avoid disappointment.

>90 warehouseisbare: I did, years ago. It's not the first in the series, it's the first chronologically, he did the Napoleonic Wars and then went back before them, so they're starting in an odd order for the reprints. Maybe Cornwell wanted to do it that way?

Is there any typical number of books Folio tends to shoot for with the Christmas collection?

I was looking forward to "Jurassic Park" (my son loves dinosaurs so I was planning to read this with him), but that cover art does not inspire confidence.

>105 tjnucci:

Someone on Facebook claims to have been told by customer service to expect “around twenty” new releases.

>105 tjnucci: 18 or 19 is usual for the last 2 years, though that may or may not include the Dune LE that was just released and is already gone. Also, the autumn collection was quite small this year, so they may have more this time, they may not.

>107 Mr.Fox:

>108 Kieran_Cowan:

18 or 19 makes me feel much better about seeing some previews in the recent magazine! Really am hoping for at least 1 classic in the haul. I find these to be my most salient acquisitions insofar as Folio-esc editions are concerned.

>103 elladan0891: I only discovered Folio this year so there are lots of sold out books I’m itching to get hold of! I guess all we can do is wait 😊

The book stack picture is on social media now and a reported 18 new books for the collection.

There are 21 books in the stack on Facebook , and the top two are unusual. One is tiny and the other is very slim.
Poetry perhaps?

>111 Charon49: and will be revealed next week - just as our FSD Oracles predicted.

Now I can't help to wonder what's the oversized thunder book about.

>112 N11284: I'm guessing the 2nd, 3rd and 4th book, and then the 7th and 8th book, from the bottom are in series. That should make up for the 3 extra folios.

According to a comment on Instagram they are all new, no reprints.

I think the multiple book series in the stack will be the already revealed history of Christianity and the third entry in the a song of ice and fire series a storm of swords.

Posting it here for convenience. I counted 21 book and they are releasing 18 new titles. One of them is a set of three books History of Christianity. So that leaves out one extra book which I am guessing part of Song of ice and fire series.

6th one from top looks like Sharpe's Tiger.

5th one down Jurassic Park?

From the cover image shown in the latest magazine, I'm pretty sure that the third one down is I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. (Which would be an automatic buy for me if I didn't already have the previous FS edition.)

It will be interesting to find out what the one at the bottom is. I like the black page edges, the size not so much.

I'm hoping that bottom one is an LE of "The Urth of the New Sun", given the matching black page edges. Unlikely, but you never know!

I didn’t count the bottom one. So that makes it 22 books.

5th down looks like Bond.

>110 Yohannas: There is always ebay and abe. Of course, if OOP titles are recent, there might not be many, if any, copies on the secondary market. But you can set up notifications on both sites for the titles you want and wait until a reasonably priced copy appears. Good luck!

>121 didaho: The glimpse at the cover art for the bottom one is intriguing. They look to me a bit like claw/slash marks in brown at the top of the cover, and similar (but less obvious) markings in gold in the bottom-right corner. Psycho? Zorro? Something werewolf-related?

The last book. I will make a guess .. `The King In Yellow - and other horror stories` Robert Chambers

>126 Pellias:. I like your thinking. I hadn't heard of this, but a quick Google has left me interested. It'd certainly fit with the eerie vibes I got from the sneaky snatch of cover!

Really looking forward to next week! Although I’ve started collecting more FS history books and that opens the door to even more spending!

>126 Pellias:

Wow, I hope not. I bought the arc dream limited edition. Beautiful typography and illustrations but man the writing is bad. Janky mythos. Obvious twists. Rampant Horror Signaling (this sentence/stanza here is scary guys! Gasp Here! Shit your pants here!) Embarrassing allusions to better writers (like Ambrose Bierce). The footnotes were far more interesting than the text. I don't understand why Chambers is considered influential.

Could there be a limited and a regular edition of Jurassic Park, with the limited one being that larger yellow book?

Is that a book or a solander box on the bottom? Look how the tips of the covers bend slightly. I am wondering if it’s a box for an LE.

Edit: Folio says on Twitter that there is no LE in this stack but that still looks like a box to me!

>120 SF-72:

By size and color I fear that it might be another comic book tribute.

>132 treereader: Gaiman's "The Sandman" will be released on Netflix next year :) Ripe for taking!

>132 treereader: By size and color I fear that it might be another comic book tribute.

That was my first thought.

They did say they were doing a Marvel Bronze Age

>135 pop24: The bottom book immediately made me think of Marvel's Wolverine. That would be a fit for the bronze-age era and I agree that the design matches other books in the series e.g., they are all primary colours with coloured page edges; the silver age book was Spider-Man themed.

Not one for me, but I'm sure others will like it.

.. or Freddie`s nightmare. - Rice Burroughs? Tarzan of the apes .. naah, he wouldn`t want black pages.

>127 CLWggg: >129 MobyRichard: King in Yellow it is ;) .. even if it looks very Marvel`ish ..

There is another possibility .. just though of something ..

... FROM HELL!!! Alan Moore .. (but in that case, why yellow ..)

>54 wongie:
Centipede Press can get more rights than Folio, since their publications are pricey and LIMITED editions, not cannibalising regular sales.

>137 Pellias:
Looking over the Marvels it looks like it could very well be the last Marvel, the size, colour and edge staining all fit. I would be very surprised if it was the King in Yellow as I would have expected the cover to be far darker in tone.

What is the ground breaking sci-fi? Neuromancer? Snow Crash? Stranger in a Strange Land? Not Jurassic Park right?

>140 hotgandalf: I think it’s probably Jurassic Park.

>140 hotgandalf: If it is Snow Crash that shout for joy and the mess from the exploded head are both from my house in Oregon. Sorry if it got to you where you live.

Neal Stephenson is a severely untapped literary resource in the finer books market.

>142 Sorion: To be fair a large selection of his work have Subterranean Press editions, the Baroque Cycle has a signed/limited version by WM Morrow and I think Easton has done a couple as well.

‘Ground-breaking science fiction adventure’ sounds like Jurassic Park

Do you guys think there is any chance that they continue Legend of the Condor Heroes in this collection? A Hero Born is prob my favorite book art/design wise they've done recently

>139 Jobasha: Absolutely. I would have wanted a much deeper yellow for a King in Yellow (and so would they/FS). Signal yellow is not very fitting at all, it is to ground. But, hoping the mule caught eye of my wish (even if as underwelving a book or not, i would like it in my collection. Some day later this year I will rewatch True Detective, but not before I have read the book. Some wishful thinking there.

From Hell also, some day it likely will come. But not in this signal marvel edition (which is not for me).

A binding teaser image for the forthcoming collection from FS's social media channels:

>145 Soup811: I hope they continue the series! I would buy the next volume immediately.

>148 CLWggg: someone on fb or Twitter guessed Wolf Hall and I’m pathetically hopeful even I doubt they would publish the trilogy these days.

>143 jeremyjm: I don't actually count Subterranean Press. Not a big fan of their product.

>116 Mujaddadi: The volume fourth from the top looks Margery Allinghamish. I'd bet my pocket money that the one on the bottom is a History of Liquorice Allsorts.

Five more days! Hoping someone gets the catalogue in advance! Can’t wait to see this collection!

>153 RRCBS: Same here! I hope that someone gets the catalogue early and shares the new titles so that I can have my shopping list all figured out in advance.

>153 RRCBS: - Since I was the guy who did it for the summer sale, I'll post it right away if I get it early. I am eagerly anticipating this collection, in the hope of long-desired volumes being offered, but I know that my hope will probably be in vain.

OK, so I guess the catalogue didn’t make it out in advance. I can’t wait to see what surprises are in store for us in the morning...

I guess no one received their catalogue early. I was hoping someone would.

Are the books supposed to release tomorrow? I had an ad pop up a couple days ago that mentioned on msn.com that the folio society was releasing 18 new books and the website was foliosociety.com/Xmas_Collection/ I kept trying to go to it but it kept saying the page was removed. Now I am getting an error message.

>158 warehouseisbare: Yes, they will be online tomorrow morning.

I’m guessing about 8-10 hours from now they will be released.

>159 Mr.Fox: thanks for the replies guys.

The Folio Diary 2021 was added to my basket... shouldn't be long now.

Live now at https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/new

... including an Ian Fleming title that I certainly wasn't expecting!

There's a lot here I want. I missed the Pasternak LE, so the release of a 'standard' edition is particularly welcome.

Stranger in a Strange land is an unexpected but excellent choice! History of Christianity looks gorgeous but is pricey. An interesting one is Sharpe's Tiger, available in standard and deluxe editions. At first I though that the only addition was Cornwell's signature (cf Farseer Trilogy) but there is something else: they don't seem to have so much upgraded the deluxe edition, which has 6 illustrations, as downgraded the standard, which has only 4, 3 of which are black and white!

Some good non-fiction, Stranger in a Strange Land an excellent sci-fi choice, but as a lover of classics, a major disappointment - although not unexpected and pretty much par for the course nowadays (rehashes). As have good copies of all the non-fiction, and whilst the Heinlein is tempting, even at the price, it's actually an easy pass, and nothing to add to add to the (ever smaller) wish list.

The release of Doctor Zhivago in this edition bodes well for Madame Bovary which is one LE title I've been leaning toward missing out on.

>140 hotgandalf: looks like you called out Stranger correctly. Not a fan of Heinleins' work but glad they're still pumping out classic sci fi.

As for Jurassic Park, I'm not sure how to take it. Having seen the interior images I actually really like the style, but at the same time there's something off about it for a Folio edition.

just bought OHMSS and Sharpe's Tiger Deluxe; wonder how quickly the Cornwell will sell out?

My wish list from this collection:

Stranger in a Strange Land
The Stories of English
Mr. Campion and Others
Iron Kingdom
A History of Christianity
Dr. Zhivago
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Pricey! Probably won't be buying anytime soon

Doctor Zhivago, Stranger in a Strange Land, and Iron Kingdom all hit that Folio sweetspot for me of top content and top illustrations. At least one will definitely make it into my next order (which looks to be the Winter Sale).

Until then, probably should try and clear my burgeoning backlog of Folio books I have bought and failed to read.

OR, I could order now, try and snag the Call of Cthulhu before it sells out, and spend far more money than prudent to justify the shipping cost.

Notice that the standard Sharpe edition comes with just 4 (3 B&W and 1 colour frontispiece) illustrations. Seems a bit cheap. The Aubrey-Maturin series was much better treated!

>172 Willoyd: I disagree -- I don't think the selection of period paintings does anything for Aubrey-Maturin, even if there are plenty of them. They might as well not have bothered.

>172 Willoyd: It's only natural a series about the Senior Service gets better treatment.

Not overly much for me in this collection but was happily surprised to see the Doctor Zhivago standard edition! will probably pick up that and the Margery Allingham

Looks like $125 is almost getting to be the new standard price.

Quite like the books, but one thing I don’t like is the Sharpe’s Tiger standard and deluxe editions. Charging an extra £100+ for more (colour) illustrations, seems very cheeky and disappointing.

I would have expected the number in the deluxe to be in the standard. That’s one off my list.

>177 Juniper_tree: It is a signed copy too.

Jurassic Park is the only one that’s of definite interest for me. Maybe down the road Sharpe’s Tiger or Iron Kingdom. But overall, a pretty disappointing collection from my perspective.

Not much on the classics side as expected. Before FS published great literature with average design, now they publish average literature with great design. :-( You get one or the other. Not both.

My wishlist from this collection:

What shocks me most is the pretty transparent and hugely disingenuous tactic of offering a "standard" edition of a book at £39.95, but including only 3 black and white illustrations to make a "special edition" look attractive at £150 with...wait for it...colour illustrations and a massive 5 of them at that! Shame on you FS, shame on you.

>173 gmacaree:
I like the way they took contemporary pictures and related them to the narrative - made it all the more 'real'. For me that's a distinctly positive feature - certainly far better than a couple (oh, sorry, a trio!) of sketches.

>182 Conte_Mosca: I completely agree with you Michael. It's beyond cynical, it's offensive. Shame on you FS.

>185 cronshaw: agree...also wondering if the new multi volume trend is a way to double (or triple) the cost of the book. I like multi volume books over one big book, but the price increase seems excessive.

Also, for those who buy the non fiction, do you find most books end up on sale? I really want Iron Kingdom and 1776, but will feel like a sucker if they end up on sale next New Years!

>187 RRCBS:
Yes, I do. It can take some time (Joseph Banks by Patrick O'Brian seemed to take an age), but I've managed to get most if not all of those I want through sales. I'm certainly not paying the sorts of prices they're charging for Iron Kingdom and History of Christianity now, especially as I have hardback trade editions of both!

Has Folio Society stopped giving a Diary if you spend a certain amount? They used to do so, and I have a whole shelf of them. If they are charging, will there be some sort of give-away? I seem to remember last year a special where if you spend so much (say $300) then you get free shipping or twenty dollars off or something. There are several books I want in this collection, but I don't want to order them only to have a special pop up in a few days!

Free diary with every order and free shipping if you buy five or more books

>188 Willoyd: thanks for this! I decided to place an order without 1776 or Iron Kingdom and wait and see. Realistically, my TBR pile is huge and with two toddlers, my reading time has slowed down. I could probably wait a couple of years for a sale and still not run out of books to read! Given that I will most likely be placing a New Years sale order, I can always just buy them then! But really find the price for Iron Age is too high for a single book.

As for the price increase maybe FS is able to sell at these prices. Only wish there were more books of interest to me. I'm not a big fan of Everyman's quality though I love their selection. They smell weird, like some pungent dye. Also I hate buying mutilated copies on Amazon. Why cannot we have an FS version of Everyman's library? That would be heaven. :-)

>191 RRCBS:
Iron Kingdom will probably take a couple of years to make the sales. I'm happy with my trade hardback - excellent read.

>182 Conte_Mosca:

I completely agree. I wouldn't buy the series in the context of the standard edition having existing illustrations removed or only in b&w so their 150 Pounds deluxe edition looks better by comparison. Make it a lower price for just the signature, but leave the standard edition alone.

>194 SF-72: Or better yet, put a better binding on the expensive edition. This is the first time I can remember that they've trashed the standard edition in order to differentiate the product.

>195 kdweber:

That would work, too.

On my list, but not ordered yet.

On Her Majesties Secret Service
Jurassic Park
Godfather

On the fence (wish they were publishing them in original publication order)
Sharpe's Tiger

While they look nice, I have other nice edtions of these, so must pass.
Stranger in a Strange Land
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Dr. Zhivago

>197 sdawson:

What would be the nice edition of Stranger in a Strange Land? I'm just curious. I've got the Virginia Edition, but still couldn't resist the FS illustrated edition.

I picked up my order yesterday at the DHL pickup point and I’m a very pleased man!

The Call of Cthulhu is nice in the flesh. Satisfying to finally own a copy after much internal discussion and ogling.

Stranger in a Strange Land. Understated and impressive production. Excellent cloth binding and I’m taken by the ethereal illustrations. Chuffed!

Doctor Zhivago SE, I like the presentation with the pictorial slipcase and the dual volumes. Good cloth bindings, although the cover design eludes me at the moment. Comfortable size and weight per volume, certainly for reading long stretches at a time. A Folio exclusive and I like to support such efforts. LE to SE conversion astonishingly fast and well appreciated.

>198 SF-72:

Hi, I have the '95 EP edition, part of the Masterpiecies of Science Fiction. It the FS price point was 1/2 of what it is, I would consider adding the FS publication as well. But will pass and use the funds for a different FS book.

I would like to commend FS or DHL or someone. I ordered express shipping for Dr. Zhivago and James Bond late Sunday. They were shipped early Monday and arrived on my doorstep in Oklahoma this morning (Wednesday). That was record time, and they were packed securely in a study box. I can’t always get a letter from Tulsa to Oklahoma City that fast!

>200 sdawson:

Thanks, and yes, that's understandable, it is expensive.

I'd like to ask: Is your EP edition illustrated apart from one illustration at the front of the book?

>202 SF-72: My MoSF edition has a frontispiece and two interior full page color and a couple of full page b/w illustrations by Kent Bash. I just ordered the FS edition and will pass my EP edition on to one of my children.

>203 kdweber:

Thank you. There are unfortunately few photos on the internet, but what I've seen looks appealing, though FS is probably more so. The EP edition actually looks similar in style to the Virginia Edition (gold stamped, brown leather), but I really wish they'd given their books something like the front cover of this one. Illustrations would have been welcome, too, though probably too expensive for a large set like these.

>202 SF-72:
>203 kdweber:

My EP edition of Stranger in a Strange Land has the color frontispiece, and five B/W illustrations by Kent Bash. I looked but could not find any interior color illustrations. They may have changed the book over the years. The FS looks like a nice book. I would get it if I didn't have the EP already.

>205 sdawson:

Thank you for that information.