Conference noted::sf

    
    
    	There is a new book scheduled to be released in about
    	 a month or so...Sorry off hand I can't quite remember the
    	title.
    
    	M
    	 B

As far as I know, the 7th book, "M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link", � 1986, is the most
recently published book in this series, which went dormant for a while.
I don't know where to get copies of the first 7 books in the series any
more, but I strongly suggest that you get the illustrated trade paperbacks,
rather than the regular-size paperbacks that I have also seen.

However, the June 1990 Locus says that a new one entitled "M.Y.T.H.Inc. in
Action" is due in July, published by Donning Starblaze.  Stateside, look
for it in better SF bookstores the last week in June, either in Hardcover
or Trade Paperback.  This is mentioned on pages 38 and 41, with an ad on
page 32.  (The ad suggests that the hardcover mentioned in the Publishers
Row will be a limited edition for $40.)  As usual, illustrated by Phil
Foglio.  There is no mention of a separate British edition on page 45.

Great "check your brain at the door" light reading!  See also Craig Shaw
Gardner and Terry Pratchett (Douglas Adams makes you work harder).

						-- Spencer

    I HAVE THE FIRST SIX BOOKS, ANY THING AFTER THAT SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM
    IS THERE SOMEWHERE IN THE US THAT I CAN WRITE TO FOR SOME MORE INFO
    ON GETTING HOLD OF THE BOOKS. WE ARE VERY RESTRICTED IN ENGLAND
    WITH OUR CHOICE OF SF BOOK SHOPS. I ONLY KNOW OF 4 ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
    LONDON IS THE BEST ONE. THEY HAVE THE FIST 6 BUT FAIL DISMALLY AFTER
    THAT.
    
    PLEASE SUPPLY MORE INFO
    
    
    DI

Wait a second...
Isn't the eighth book, "Myth-nomers and Impervections"?
I have the book after M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link and I'm waiting for the next one...

B.

    	There are already two SF Topics on Asprin's MYTH series, at
    73 and 329.
    

re .6: topics 73 and 329

Thanks, but they're dormant.  Is it against the rules to keep talking here?

re .5: Myth-nomers and Impervections

Yes, M.Y.T.H.Inc. Link was the 7th book (1986), and Mythnomers and
Impervections was the 8th (1987).  Book 8 mentions at the end that the next
one will be called M.Y.T.H.Inc. In Action, which, by strange coincidence, is
the one that will be out within a month.

I wonder why it took so long.

In book 7, Bob tells us that he got a contract for 6 books, and promises
more continuity between them (read, cliffhangers).  He also explains that books
whose titles contain M.Y.T.H.Inc. will be partly or entirely from points of
view other than Skeeve's.  (I had forgotten this in the nearly 4 years since I
read this foreword, and independently invented the false but plausible theory
that ALL his books on the new contract would contain M.Y.T.H. in their titles.
This is why I mentally swapped books 7 and 8 chronologically; I have them all,
so I should have counted them.)

Regarding getting these in England: how about ordering them from the States?
I don't know about dealing with publishers or distributors directly, but I know
of several SF bookstores that do substantial mail order business.

[Dear Moderator: would it be OK to post addresses in this notesfile, or should
I use mail to reply?]

						-- Spencer

Re .7 (ct .6)

Dormancy of old notes.   Yes, topics 73 and 329 are dormant, but they
would not be if the author of .0 had placed that note is one of those
topics.   Yes, it's against the rules, but that rule is somewhat of a
guideline.  Try though we might, the moderators cannot force noters,
especially NEW noters, to know all the rules.

The reason for this conference is to have fun.  Now there *are* some
rules which I, as the moderator, will not tolerate infractions of, but
this isn't one of them.  I would PREFER that existing topics be used
when feasible, but cross-references can be placed.   But if we start
fighting about where notes should be, it won't be fun.

Larry Klaes does an admirable job of posting cross-reference pointers.
I encourage you Larry, and any one else who would like to, to continue
to do so.

If anyone feels STRONGLY that enforcement of using existing topics is
needed, please write to me.  Write to me also if you feel STRONGLY that
it shouldn't be enforced.  I don't promise to come to a conclusion based
solely on the number of votes, but I want to hear the arguments of
people who really care, for whatever reason.  If you write to me in
favor of moving notes, tell me what you think about consolidating
multiple existing topics.  Are YOU willing to put time in to help with
the effort?

Moving notes can be done, but it's time-consuming.

And now, back to the topic.

Dave C.
moderator

    Spencer, if the moderator doesn't mind I would very much appreciate
    the address of a good SF book shop somewhere in the states that
    I could get all the books that I want from. If you know of one that
    does a catologue that would be even better. I am sure that there
    are a lot authors that I have never heard of that are realy quite
    good.
    
    
    Di
    
    
    
    PS Moderator, the notes that you mentioned, I didnt bother reading
    them as they were so old that I didnt think that they would be relevant
    to the question that I was asking.  Sorry I will go back and read
    them now!!!!!!!!!

You can order all 9 of the MYTH books in trade paperback from stock from

   Tales from the White Hart
   3360 Greenmount Avenue
   Baltimore, MD 21218
   301-889-0099

I have no financial interest in this SF&F bookstore, but I know the owners,
Kathy and Leo Sands.  They have a large stock, go to many conventions, and
carry a lot of filk and folk tapes and songbooks.  Many Off Centaur tapes
which are out of print can still be ordered from these people.

For mail order, they have a $20 minimum.  Postage and handling is normally
$3, which counts toward the $20, but would be more from England.  Also, you
will have to find out what the duties are, if any, and pay them yourself. 
You can order by phone or mail.

Although this probably exceeds the bounds of good notesfile taste, Kathy
insisted on reading the following to me:

   $4.95 Another Fine Myth (only 2 Trade Paperback [large format, illus.] left)
   $5.95 Myth-conceptions  (only 2 TP left)
   $4.95 Myth Directions   (only 2 TP left)
   $6.95 Hit or Myth       (only 2 TP left)
   $7.95 Little Myth Marker
   $6.95 Mything Persons
   $7.95 M.Y.T.H.Inc. Link
   $7.95 Myth-nomers and Impervections
   $8.95 M.Y.T.H.Inc. In Action

Some of the titles are also available in a cheaper, standard paperback-size
format, but I didn't ask for availability and prices.

M.Y.T.H., by the way, stands for Magical Young Trouble-shooting Heroes (but
Skeeve swears it isn't his fault; he didn't make up the name (page 3,
M.Y.T.H.Inc. Link)).

There are undoubtably many other fine SF bookstores which could help you,
but this is the best still-existing such store that I know of.

						-- Spencer

    	Topic 205 has a large list of SF and Fantasy bookstores.
    

Well, I must admit, I enjoyed the first few books immensely, but as with many
series of books, they just tend to loose it after a while.  I won't get into
any Piers Anthony bashing.  The most annoying thing about the later MYTH books
is that Asprin bores us to death with brief histories of all the major 
characters (as though we hadn't read the previous books).  My other major gripe
about the later books is the extrordinarily small role of the most interesting
character, Aahz (Oz?  No relation).  Without Aahz in the picture, things just
fall a little flat.  Still, I did read the first seven books, but I've given
up now.  (That's a lot better than the Xanth series which I gave up shortly
into the second book).

-Jonathan (I never refuse a fifth)

    JOHNATHON
    
    You may be interested to know that further on in the series he gets
    back to his old type of writting. I must agree that I did not like
    the way that M.Y.T.H inc link was written. I read the first chapter
    and put it down, not to be picked up for a very long time. However
    I did pick it up again and towards the end of the book it seems
    to get a bit better. I particularly like the story written as if
    by Gleep. 
    The next book Myth-nomers and Im-pervections is much better. Asprin
    goes back to writting from Skeeves point of view, and therefore
    recaptures most of the humour again. As you mention above that you
    like Aahz you will be pleased to know that this book is written
    completely about Aahz's home dimension. 
    I am waiting at the moment until I can get hold of M.Y.T.H. inc
    in action. hopefully this will be better than the last M.Y.T.H.
    type book, if you know what I mean.
    
    Give it another try.
    
    DI