Joe M.

I’ve started reading a new sci-fi book, and it has the single most realistic and terrifying depiction of first contact I’ve ever encountered. It’s called The Killing Star and I can’t stop thinking about it. First, let me save you a click - physical editions are priced in the low hundreds of dollars. Even though the book was only published in ‘95, it must’ve had a small run. The good news is it’s available as an ebook.

Over the years of avidly collecting my niche (New Age science fiction from the 60s and 70s), I’ve picked up a few germs of knowledge about book collecting, preservation, and general enthusiasm. It is an addicting hobby, and like any pursuit, something you can improve at with just a tiny bit of perfectly normal, not-clinical, garden-variety obsession. Buy your Bible Before anything else, buy the excellent Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of First Printings of their Fiction edited by L.W Currey (Currey also runs an excellent antiquarian book store you can buy from online. They are one of my favorite stores because of their careful packaging). You can either track down one of slightly rarer-but-still-affordable hardcover editions or purchase a CD of the contents from Currey himself.