Spring Collection 2023

The time of the spring collection launch draws near (March 14). First teaser stack image was released in an email today. 9 books in total and we know one for sure - the just released Roadside Picnic. Let the speculation begin.

The one with the curved black lines might be something sciency, like a book on physics or astronomy. I'm terrible at this guessing game however and almost certain to be wrong.

They seem to be getting really into the edge painting game. I wonder if there's some technological change that made it easier to produce. I loved the PKD collection's eyes and the Roadside Picnic smoke looks great as well.

>3 A.Godhelm: Yes, I'd say either it's a more convenient technology now, or it's something which is currently "buzzy" and gets their books talked about more.

I do like the ones they've produced so far. I'd really like to see them get into fore-edge painting. But I have to think that's exorbitant to produce.

Is the Old Patagonian Express by Paul Theroux consider part of the Spring Collection? It’s from 2023 and I haven’t seen anything written about it in the forum recently.

>5 Akes: Looks like it's the 4th one from the top of the stack.

The 4th one down has greys and blacks on the cover and it fairly thick. Could it be another in the Bronte series, like Villette or Shirley? I don't see anything that looks like Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, so that is disappointing. I hope there are a couple of titles in here to make it worth my while to place an order considering the expense of shipping.

Too early to say on actual titles, but my one guess is that there are no two volume or multi-volume sets.

I’m assuming the second from the bottom is Dr.Strange so that’s two we know already.

>4 Shadekeep: Anything handpainted would surely be prohibitively expensive, but I could imagine printing in such a way as to produce a similar effect if you had a very exact measure of the edge cutting - just printing right up to the edge of the paper. I'm not sure the margins are that exact though and you'd be left with an uneven, multicoloured smudge on every page.

As to the stack, the second last from the bottom has to be another comics collection judging from the page colours. Same yellow as the already released Dr Strange - I'm guessing that's what it is. Which leaves 6 unknowns if Old Patagonian Express is right as well.

I think you all are right on Dr. Strange.

Given the way the illustrated pages are dispersed amongst the text pages, I think that (from top) #1, #2, and #5 are the non-fiction titles.

>8 NoBueno: They have been know to show one volume from multi-volume sets in the teaser.

Top of the pile could be the final Ian Fleming 007 - Octopussy & The Living Daylights.

>10 A.Godhelm: Agreed, I don't think cutting pre-printed fore-edges would work with modern automated slicers, even a tiny offset would ruin the effect. I was more wondering if they could mechanically fan the pages and apply the ink that way, but I suspect it would still be too dicey to work on an assembly line. Plus the drying time needed before allowing the pages back into posture would introduce significant production lag. Some things are just meant to be special.

The bottom one looks like it might be a historical book of some kind. And is that stars and space on the wrapper on the second from the top?

The one with the yellow covers looks like it has illustrations throughout. Could it be another Marvel book? The one with the grey-green fore-edge reminds me of astrological diagrams. The one with the black lines made me think "The Rings of Saturn", although it wouldn't make much sense because the book isn't actually about Saturn.

4th from the top could be the 3rd Pullman of the Dust series?

>17 Atheistic:
Hasn't been published yet, has it?

No two have been published but not the third

It appears that one just popped up early on FS's website: The Old Patagonian Express.

It appears to be a reprint with updated introduction:

https://www.foliosociety.com/usa/the-old-patagonian-express.html

>18 bookfair_e: >19 Atheistic: The third one doesn’t have a title yet - I believe it will be released end of year.

Ah ok. I did not realize

>16 ubiquitousuk: I think you're onto something with Saturn's rings. There's that distinctive black band in them (or technically space where one of the moons is soaking up dust).

>20 icewindraider: Thanks for the update! I'd say that >6 SolerSystem: called it on which one in the stack it is. Here are the known (green) and the highly likely (orange) guesses so far.



EDIT: >23 A.Godhelm: Yes, that's the association I was making as well when I guessed it might be an astronomy book. Though it would be great if >16 ubiquitousuk: were correct and it's actually the Sebald novel.

>16 ubiquitousuk: Yes! Bring on the Rings of Saturn. Would love an alternative to the crappy paperback I have!

Did i miss it originally or did ‘Christmas Carol’ just reappear in a hard cover/slipcase version (after they sold off the last of the softcover ‘Collectables’ copies in the Christmas sale).

Slightly sloppy that they manage to call him ‘Dickins’ in the first ‘Stunning Collectors Edition’ paragraph !

>26 antinous_in_london: yes

The FS Instagram post says "a timeless sci-fi classic, an incredible travelogue and an exhilarating non-fiction edition". The first is almost certainly referencing Roadside Picnic, unless there is more than one sci-fi book this time. Some interesting guesses happening there, though most are more in the realm of wishful thinking than informed predictions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpfKiZlqM89/

EDIT: And the "incredible travelogue" is probably The Old Patagonian Express. So that just leaves "an exhilarating non-fiction edition", which narrows it down not a whit.

My big question for the following week will be if we'll indeed start seeing more paper-bound books, as someone had mentioned in another thread. So far the Marvels and Roadside Picnic SE are confirmed to be paper bound.

Lately I've refrained from buying Folio paper bounds. The Allingham books, for example, look beautiful but I don't think their binding material is on the same level of other Folios. My only exception has been Jurassic Park, which is sold as a sort of 'hook' to get people to purchase their first book from the Society, and that I see is very controversial here.

Old Patagonian Express is also paper bound. Shame. Again.
Oh well. If they won’t sell a quality product, which a paper binding most certainly is not, especially at these new prices, I won’t be buying.

>30 cwl: "Oh well. If they won’t sell a quality product, which a paper binding most certainly is not, especially at these new prices, I won’t be buying."

I quite agree. And I think making people buy the LE of Roadside Picnic just to get a cloth bound book is a really new low point for the Folio Society :-(

>30 cwl: I am curious how they arrive at their pricing. Old Patagonian Express, like Roadside Picnic, has a paper cover but at least RP has original McKean artwork in double page spreads, printed edge detail, and a fold out illustration.

Yet OPE without original art or similar details is priced $25 more in the US store. Ok, it has a higher page count but I don't see that as being $25 more desirable even if I were neutral on the content between the two.

>31 RogerBlake: I agree. I will only pay SE prices for clothbound books, and I will only pay LE prices for leatherbound books.

Has someone done any testing of these paper covers? Naturally they're less resilient but by how much? To the point sweaty palms will rub the cover illustrations off? The only one I've bought so far is Blood Meridian and my re-reading hasn't put any scratches on it (but I also baby all my books and they tend to look brand new no matter what).
It'll be interesting to see the breakdown between cloth/paper in the new releases; they might be testing the waters and seeing if there's any substantial impact in sales with some A/B trials. The softcover Collectables trials were a dud, but shows they've flirted with budget options before.

>34 A.Godhelm: The paper boards are coated and not likely to rub off with your hands, but the corners will wear away quite quickly.

At these prices I much prefer cloth bound. Otherwise it is the same tactile experience as any supermarket hardcover.

>32 NoBueno: I am curious how they arrive at their pricing. Old Patagonian Express, like Roadside Picnic, has a paper cover but at least RP has original McKean artwork in double page spreads, printed edge detail, and a fold out illustration.

Yet OPE without original art or similar details is priced $25 more in the US store. Ok, it has a higher page count but I don't see that as being $25 more desirable even if I were neutral on the content between the two.
****

Could the introduction to OPE explain part of it? New intro by Paul Theroux, who probably commands a premium to lift his pen at this point in his career. Just a thought.

>30 cwl: The spine is cloth. I have folios from the 70s that are paper boards with cloth spines that are in great shape. It isn’t the delicate book construction you think it is. I only hesitate when the whole book is paper bound like Roadside Picnic.

I'm grateful enough for an edition of Roadside Picnic that I bought it in spite of the paper cover (and an artist I'm not all that keen on). But if the trend is away from cloth in general then there will be fewer purchases from me as well. Not that I strongly dislike paper covers, there are some nice aspects to them and some of the art books I own use the same process. But FS book are meant to last and to embody a certain level of quality, and this direction doesn't exactly do that.

I personally do not mind the paper covers of the FS as they have lasted for decades on old editions and add to the variety in style and substance that is one of the FS characteristics.

>36 LBShoreBook:

I agree, inflation has this $60 book, at $80 and the introduction puts it at $95.

>37 Geo135: Yes, it is the delicate construction I think it is. Have you ever seen what Pinocchio looks like after being handled in real life, in a shop, after just a couple of months? It is empirically inferior and looks awful. Paper rubs very badly indeed in a way cloth does not.
If they were quarter bound with protected corners in the way that marbled boards used to be, that would be different. But the tops and corners get destroyed with any sort of use. Leaving a book in its slipcase that is rarely removed and gets treated with extreme care a few times over the last couple of decades is not long-term use. If we were still discussing £30 per volume like they used to be, that is also very different from the £60-100 we’re seeing now. At these prices, unreinforced paper just won’t do.

Another photo of the band-edged book.

>41 cwl: My best example of borderline shoddy paper construction is the infamous locked room mysteries boxed set. The latter one has all books with corners a bit bumped (after having read all three), and once I made the mistake of grabbing The Hollow Man right after washing my hands. The book ended with a water smudge that is still there.

>42 Shadekeep: the whole presentation reminds me of the PKD short story collection. Could be another sci fi novel or collection of short stories.

Desperately trying to convince myself that I can see a hub cap or radiator grill in those arced lines that remind me of a '58 Plymouth Fury!

I supposed the curved bands could also be the grooves in a vinyl record or ripples spreading in water. I have to think they are somehow thematically dominant however, given their prominence.

I too avoid and have no interest in their paperbound offerings.

>42 Shadekeep:
What's black and white and red all over?

I have to admit it reminds me of Yuko Shimizu’s brush artwork somehow. Has she signed a new contract sometime ago with FS?
I would LOVE a new book with her illustrations!

>49 woodstock8786: although I did not have an interest in Japanese Tales her artwork was very close to making me purchase a copy. I would love to see more from her.

>48 treereader: 😆👍

New teaser. Non-fiction which looks to be third from the top.

Just saw that too. Might that be a war fleet? Also, the cover looks like it might be covered in typed text, most likely a scan of a period document.

Looks like pic is taken from a zodiac-type boat. Normandy landings? Max Hastings' latest perhaps?

>55 coleshafer3: awesome please tell us more. I’m ready to be scammed

Eh, looks like another non-fiction war book. Pass. There are already so many war/military releases and here's one more.

Dunkirk evacuation pictures? That was the first vibe I got.

>57 NoBueno:

I'm awaiting Josephus, a full and proper treatment of, the Antiquities and Wars. I'd also like to see a book on and with the work of Sallust, possibly with a commissioned intro and some other related info. William Bradford, David Hume, Lord Acton, Herodian, Manetho, Machiavelli wrote histories, Polydore Vergil, Gregory of Tours, Saxo Grammaticus... The list is endless of interesting works that could be treated by Folio and works worth collecting.

I too get bored of what I think are paperback histories. The Patagonian Express is something I may buy in spite of the binding.

>52 assemblyman: as a slightly wild guess, I note that the edge of the cover seems to have paper with typewriter type on it. In combination with a low-to-the-water photograph of a merchant fleet, that makes me think submarines/Enigma.

Is there a well-known non-fiction book on the topic that's likely to get the Folio treatment? There' Robert Harris' novel, of course, but I can't see that being illustrated with photographic plates.

I found a complete Josephus from 1914 in an estate sale about a year ago with a leather binding and lots of illustrations. That book really goes some places with some stories that are very dishy or scandalous. It wasn't what I was expecting at all.

>57 NoBueno: I agree. There are so many other non-fiction genres that FS never seem to care about.

>62 venkysuniverse: Likewise. I'm not interested in war books on the whole, unless they are a compelling story about a very specific thing that was part of the war. For example, I'm fine with a war book about the Monitor & Merrimack or the Enigma machine or the Manhattan Project, but not so much about war itself. A possible exception would be Storm of Steel by Ernst Jünger, who is an interesting novelist as well, but FS has already done that one.

>59 CobbsGhost: Yes! I couldnt agree more. Always unsure why Sallust is never published. I would love a complete multi series set of Livy and Seneca. The Complete Greek Tragedies is still my all time favorite Folio publication with amazing translations.

>59 CobbsGhost:
I'm awaiting Josephus, a full and proper treatment of, the Antiquities and Wars. I'd also like to see a book on and with the work of Sallust, possibly with a commissioned intro and some other related info. William Bradford, David Hume, Lord Acton, Herodian, Manetho, Machiavelli wrote histories, Polydore Vergil, Gregory of Tours, Saxo Grammaticus... The list is endless of interesting works that could be treated by Folio and works worth collecting. I too get bored of what I think are paperback histories. The Patagonian Express is something I may buy in spite of the binding.

In danger of rehashing a theme that I know quite a few are fed up with, but very much the non-fiction equivalent of the FS's abandonment of classic literature IMO. Interesting you highlight the Theroux, as travel/exploration is the only area where I've found anything I've been prepared to pay their prices for in the past few years. That was the one current book I'm interested in too aside from the handful I already have. (I do enjoy some of those paperback histories - but have the ones I want already in paperback/hardback!).

>59 CobbsGhost: Your suggestions nearly made me laugh out loud in their quixotic audacity! In all seriousness, there was a time they would have a strong chance of being published, but instead we get more comic books. If we’re lucky, we might get some Landmark editions of the Classical authors, but we could be waiting another twenty years based on their current output. Some of these are available in Penguin translations, so we know that FS could do them if they wanted to (they nearly always use Penguin versions for this sort of thing), but they don’t. The decline of FS culturally and in its material quality echoes cultural changes we’re seeing across the UK (classical music vandalism being but one example), but perhaps this shows how FS is keeping relevant and reaching the sunlit uplands of profitability.

>66 cwl:

Folio circa 1947-2013 was certainly a different animal, however; one or two wild cards a year would be very exciting. I'll ride my Rocinante of a dream to the end.

>66 cwl: I’m praying there’s a profit blind, book loving tech billionaire out there ready to pick up the mantle and continue the Edian ethic in a reconstituted FS.

Still hoping for Hofstadter's Godel, Escher, Bach...

>69 St._Troy: That would be an instant buy...

>70 Dr.Fiddy:
Ditto.

We got another hint today.

>72 Shadekeep: "At the Mountains of Madness" would be exciting but that would be something I'd rather see in a Lovecraft vol. 2 that matched "Call of Cthulhu" with more of Dan Hillier's illustrations.

It's probably some mountain climbing book.

>72 Shadekeep: Into Think Air by John Krakauer?

>52 assemblyman: These look like they could be World War I-era troop ships sailing on some quiet sea. Perhaps the landing at ANZAC Cove or Suvla Bay during the Gallipoli Campaign? There are a couple of good books on the subject - the classic “Gallipoli”, by Alan Moorhead, might have an appropriate page-count for the book in the photo.

Today's photo clue is just the lower corner of the cover and spine of The Old Patagonian Express, so nothing to guess today.

New clue. I'm not a bird detective, but this looks vaguely reminiscent of some eastern prints.

>77 A.Godhelm: Agreed, that was my first impression as well. Though from that closeup it could be Japan, India, or somewhere else in the hemisphere.

I'm not very good at these guessing games but my first thought was Murakami? The Wind-up Bird Chronicle?

>79 folio_books: Murakami was my first thought as well - some similarities to Daniel Lievano's style, and that cream background. Unfortunately, I don't think any of the unguessed books are quite tall enough. I hope I'm wrong though ...

>79 folio_books:
that's the first happy thought I've read on here, Glenn

Here's what I posted on Instagram.

The art style is really difficult to place. There are elements of both traditional Japanese and Indian illustration. However the stone/headdress/object at lower left is quite Japanese in outline, so I'm going with that. Still no idea what the book might be. Would love it to be Kobo Abe, but I suspect the only novel of his that has enough English familiarity would be The Woman In The Dunes, and this art doesn't go with that.

Meanwhile new clue up, an interior illustration. Seems a bit film noir. Sorry, Wrong Number?

>82 Shadekeep: That could possibly be a Fay Dalton illustration, so perhaps the final bond novel? Perhaps the top most book in the stack? Or looking at the cover colour, the second from top.

>83 Hamwick: I'd say you're correct. Folks are guessing that on Instagram as well, and it seems time for the last book to land.

>84 Shadekeep: I may be off base but I don’t think the cloth looks the same as the other Bond books. It could be the lighting but I am not so sure

I don't think that artwork looks at all similar to that of the Bond novels.

>85 Geo135: >86 SolerSystem: I don't have any of their Bond books, so I'll take your words for it. Any other guesses? Would be lovely if it were a Dorothy B. Hughes book, like In A Lonely Place. Or, given the phone and the anguished man, perhaps Glengarry Glen Ross?

>81 affle: that's the first happy thought I've read on here, Glenn

You know me, Alan. Always happy, happy, happy ;)

>80 red_guy: I don't think any of the unguessed books are quite tall enough.

I take your point about the size.

We'll find out soon enough. Tomorrow?

>82 Shadekeep: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd?

>89 bacchus.: That's a good guess given the elements shown, but their current edition of that title is still available, so I'm guessing they wouldn't debut a new take right away.

https://www.foliosociety.com/murder-of-roger-akroyd.html

>90 Shadekeep: Oh I didn’t realize they released it. You are right, can’t be so.

Spring Collection is up: https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/new

Looks like a reasonably good day for Sci-Fi and/or space travel enthusiasts :)

Rather good selection. Didn't expect either Monkey or Childhood’s End, probably will be getting both. Operation Mincemeat is a good addition as well, not surprising in hindsight since it's been adapted recently. And good to see another Christie book, wasn't sure if there were any left at this point.

>92 agitationalporcelain: Good day for sci fi indeed! The Culture series is a fantastic IP for Folio, thank goodness I held out reading it thest past few months. Along with Childhood's End and The Right Stuff it's been a long, long time since I've bought several books on release day, and with the No Reply trilogy it's been a crazy week for sci fi fans collectors!

And Monkey is also a must buy to go along with Three Kingdoms and Outlaws.

At least where my tastes are concerned this has been a very strong collection for FS.

A bit disappointed to see only one book out of nine with a female author, a low ratio even for Folio, but so it goes I guess.

Holy smokes, this will be an expensive order for sci-fi fans. What a killer set of releases, and the art looks great in all of them as well. The Right Stuff in particular is a great design capturing that old concept art spirit.

>95 ambyrglow: Aye. I would have preferred Tiptree's Up the Walls of the World ahead of Childhood’s End. But Sheldon is American and Clarke is British, so I can see why FS would favor a home son. Though they could have gone with Tanith Lee if they wanted to stay "local", perhaps with an edition of Cyrion.

EDIT: And you know what sci-fi classic never gets a look-in these days? Naomi Mitchison's Memoirs of a Spacewoman. FS really should do that one.

Some nice looking productions here (especially the Wolfe), but I am very disappointed by the choice of titles. It seems Folio Society has all but abandoned any pretence of being a publisher of literary fiction. I also have the subjective sense that prices continue their northward march. Excluding the LE, we have an average price of £68...

Was initially interested in Monkey but I didn't realize it was an abrided version. Does anyone have any insight on the abridged version vs the full version (Journey into the West I believe?)

I need to say how much I dislike Folio design for Clarke's books.

I was able to visit the Eagle St Store / ex-Members Room before they closed it in 2016. I 'd intended to purchase 2001 a Space Odyssey and remember I saw it live and saying 'nope'. Maybe it was the square back, which I think is not right for any book at this price point that is not a coffee table. Same thing has happened with Rama and now with Childhood's End.

Having said that, for this collection I'm very tempted to buy Consider Phlebas and Monkey.

>99 PrestigeWorldWide: As I understand it Monkey was so successful as an abridged version of Journey into the West that it's become a standard in its own right. There is also a previous Folio edition of Monkey from 1968 that is often available on the second hand market for 10-20 GBP.
>100 dyhtstriyk: Oh dear, glad you pointed that out. Didn't spot it on first look myself. What a weird choice for them to stick with considering how often they muck about with the spine designs otherwise - notably this release of The Old Patagonian Express switches how the author's name is displayed compared to The Great Railway Bazaar, and the now usual switch of the logo.

Too bad they went with Consider Phlebas instead of The Wasp Factory for an Iain Banks novel. I guess they wanted to rope readers into another sci-fi series, especially since a few they are already doing (like Game of Thrones) are already exhausted. The Wasp Factory gets a shout-out in the author bio, but I guess "unparalled depravity" is less safe than more space adventures. Still, some modern fiction that is not sci-fi would have been welcome. Maybe if this one does well they will do other Banks titles.

Overall it seems a lopsided collection with so much space and fantasy (even the one classic, Monkey, is a tip to fantasy).

I do like that The Right Stuff has original illustrations. In general I'd like to see more illustrations on non-fiction as that's something that makes a Folio release unique rather than just stock photos as in many other non-fiction titles.

The most interesting collection for me for quite some time and I would have been very tempted to add to my Folio collection with Monkey, Childhood's End and The Old Patagonian Express rather than continuing to thin it out, but I'm officially priced out of Folio books now, so will be keeping a keen eye on future sales.

Although slightly disappointed but not surprised that it is the abridged version, I will definitely be getting Monkey as it looks gorgeous. I will likely include Japanese Tales with that order as I was holding off until the Spring release. Although I've read a few of them I still hold back on buying any of FS Sci-fi releases.

>97 Shadekeep: I would LOVE Folio to tackle Mitchison, but I think Kennedy & Boyd have the rights pretty well sewn-up. It is admittedly easier to think of female British fantasy and historical fiction authors from 50-100 years ago than female British science fiction authors from that same era.

As per the email it looks like $30 off of orders $300 or more (for Canada at least.)

Would have liked some literary fiction, but happy with this collection. Looks like Roadside Picnic, Rubicon, Pale Horse, Consider Phlebas, Operation Mincemeat and Monkey for me.

Nothing for me, sadly. Nothing from my wishlist or a wonderous surprise. I think this is the very first time I have not bought anything from a regular release! Hopefully summer will have something for me.

Nothing for me, for the first time ever.

Wow this is amazing. Love banks and monkey and Clarke. I hope they do more in thé culture séries. Banks was on my wishlist forever.

I'm going to wait for summer, too. The only one I really want is Roadside Picnic, but there's no rush to buy a paper covered SE. There are a couple other titles from other publishers coming out this week that will be getting this month's buying budget.

If they had offered that Roadside Picnic with the LE cloth cover and lenticular slip, minus the extra prints and McKean's signature (which I don't care about) and priced as a fine edition I'd have ordered already.

Just a note that the "American gratuity" on Monkey is about $20. As noted previously, the markup on Roadside Picnic is $10. So it looks like these are coming down across the board now.

I hope this list appeals to SF buyers, but for my own part I think this is the worst collection I've seen in over thirty years, with not even a 'maybe in a sale'. I would have been glad to see a full version of Journey to the West, but a rehash of the 1968 edition of Waley's abridgement has little appeal, and the rest even less.

Can anybody with the Roadside Picnic SE tell if the paper of the binding is glossy / coated like Jurassic Park or A Hero Born or is uncoated like the Allingham books?

>111 NoBueno: it’s a shame about the paper binding. I’m ok with with paper boards and cloth spine I’ve just never been thrilled will the fully paper folios I’ve bought in the past.

>114 dyhtstriyk: "Pontus Presents" did a youtube review that has some close-up views (isn't this the same guy who posts on here as Pellias?).

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y3350mqmlDY

>116 NoBueno: I think his username here is actually PontusPresents or something close to that?

>117 RRCBS: Yeah, I might be getting the names confused but he has linked his videos here in the past under some name or another. Anyway, solid review as always whoever you are!

At some point, I'll be getting The Right Stuff to have in tandem with the FS edition of A Man on the Moon and a non-FS title, Apollo Remastered.

Nothing for me. Maybe the Christie, but at 46£, it isn't really worth it.

No new 19th century classic. Sigh.

There is literally nothing i want for Folio at the moment. Such a strange feeling.

If folks are interested in The Right Stuff, but don't fancy the new illustrations, price and/or design, the prior version that FS published is very nice, although different. The prior version has historical photos rather than illustrations, which for this kind of book works well too. Here's an example of one for sale (no affiliation with the seller) that seems in line with its current market price:

https://www.abebooks.com/Right-Stuff-Tom-Wolfe-Folio-Society/31323068410/bd

Kind of a 'meh' collection. The design of The Right Stuff is pretty bad, imho.

I like the cover art of The Right Stuff, but I think photos should have been used inside, or maybe a mix? Perhaps they just wanted to clearly distinguish it from the previous edition.

>116 NoBueno: thanks... he is in my youtube subscriptions but I hadn't seen that he had uploaded a video with Roadside Picnic. I see that the SE is bound in uncoated, textured paper. It doesn't convince me...

>99 PrestigeWorldWide: yeah, unfortunate about Monkey because that seems to make a full version of Journey to the West (in the style of the previous multi volume Chinese classics such as Three Kingdoms) significantly less likely. That said, the illustrations and map are attractive.

The Arthur Waley translation is also quite old now, and while it probably deserves to be considered a classic in its own right, I think Folio Society readers would be better served by the recent work of Anthony C. Yu, published by The University of Chicago Press. (The Yu translation also has a one volume abridged version available.)

Consider Phlebas is welcome though. Will probably get that along with Roadside Picnic. Not sure if it will be an immediate order though. Might wait for the next Earthsea and/or Murakami. (There haven't been any concrete confirmations of more Murakami, but it seems likely to me.)

>113 affle: I couldn't agree more, Alan, I'm not remotely tempted by a single volume.

I'm particularly disappointed that FS didn't publish a definitive English-language edition of the complete 'Journey to the West' to match their complete editions of 'The Three Kingdoms' and 'Outlaws of the Marsh'. 'Monkey' is quite a severe abridgement of 'Journey to the West', and it looks as if FS have re-used the same text they published decades ago, in the same dated translation by Arthur Waley. The more recent translation by Anthony C. Yu is widely regarded as the best today. However, the illustrations in this edition do look much improved. I hope that FS have at least updated the old Wade-Giles romanisation of names in the old edition to modern pinyin. Regardless, at £75 for a severe abridgement and an inferior translation, I'll definitely not be buying.

Hard pass for me. I havent bought a book from them for years and that will continue after this release.

>125 abysswalker: Agreement on the Yu translation. I would have much rather seen a complete edition of Journey to the West, in the same style as Outlaws of the Marsh. Probably going to give Monkey a pass, and with that there's no need for an order now, since I already have the one Spring release I really wanted (Roadside Picnic).

>126 cronshaw: Are there any nice editions of the Yu translation?

>126 cronshaw: This would have been a must buy for me with the Yu translation. It really looks excellent so it’s a shame. I’ll likely order just Childhood’s End from this release and throw in Rubicon or Byzantium.

What a disappointment that they didn't publish the unabridged Journey to the West. I would have gladly bought that, but not this shortened version.

I'm surprised at the amount of SciFi, but happy about it. I'll likely buy the Banks, Clarke, and The Right Stuff.

The most interesting design of the set is "Monkey" but knowing about the abridgement puts it on the back burner for me.

I've read 2 or 3 of the Culture novels. Enjoyable, but not enough for me to continue the series. These illustrations don't fit with my imagination of the books. They seem very hollow. I wonder if any of them will have the characters. Also, 7 illustrations for a 560 page book is pretty thin.

"Mincemeat" and "Pale Horse" are good reads, but not enough to own a fancy version of them.

>129 assemblyman: I've not found one, but would love to hear about it if someone has. UCP still sells the four-volume set, but only the first two are available as hardbound. And they are not especially opulent editions, so one would be buying them mostly for the text itself. In which case the paperbounds are the best deal, seeing as at least two of the four would be that format anyway.

https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/J/bo12079590.html

There is an older UCP four-volume hardbound edition from around 1980 that shows up on Abe and the like, but it's a pretty standard offering book-wise as well.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=22425779629

>133 Shadekeep: So basically it's crying out for a nice edition to be published. I still intend to buy the FS Monkey as its a lovely binding and I don't have the older version but from other comments here and previously it sounds like a missed opportunity.

>134 assemblyman: I still intend to buy the FS Monkey as its a lovely binding and I don't have the older version

I have the first Folio edition and I'm not tempted by the new one. Same goes for The Right Stuff, which they published much more recently. And quite apart from those two this latest collection is underwhelming and stunningly expensive.

>134 assemblyman: You are correct. Hopefully someone will pick up the baton (or in this case, the Monkey King's size-changing staff).

>124 dyhtstriyk: I have both Jurassic Park and Roadside Picnic and think the latter is of a higher standard when comparing them in person.

Also disappointed. The only two decent titles for me are repackaged older Folio publications where the earlier issues are superior. Monkey’s 1968 printing was Monotype set and printed by Richard Clay (Chaucer Press). And the earlier The Right Stuff is way better with its photographs in lieu of illustrations, though I admit that the Chaikin introduction for the reissue is a nice touch that I’d like to read.

Not interested in any of these titles, and anyway they are far beyond my means.

I’ve been looking forward to Consider Phlebas for awhile, but I’m not at all impressed with the end result. Easy pass.

>140 SolerSystem: The artwork seems a bit bland and, though it says 'full colour' it looks duotone and abstract. Either way, I'd like to have it.

>137 evilsooty999: Thanks. I've seen a closeup and it doesn't look that bad. I'm trying to decide how to consolidate an order... I want to buy Consider Phlebas but to dilute a bit the hefty shipping cost I want to buy something else. So it will be either the Banks + Dracula + Jekyll or Banks + Wyndham Box Set or Banks + Stugarsky. Tough choice.

>135 folio_books: Personally I prefer the previous edition of the Right Stuff. I think the photos used are more appropriate.

If you were a big Sci-fi fan this would be a great release.

I hope FS don’t overdo it with the printed page edges on their books. It works on some books but not on all.

Already own the earlier edition of The Right Stuff (prefer it as well). Beyond that, Consider Phlebas seems interesting. Anyone read it? Opinion?

I ordered Consider Phlebus, The Right Stuff and Childhood’s End. Happy to get £20 off for spending over £200

>129 assemblyman: Sorry I'm only aware of the University of Chicago Press paperback, plus I believe it's available on Kindle.

I am disenchanted with this release. I like some sci-fi, but this isn't much more than sci-fi in terms of fiction.

>141 dyhtstriyk: Good choices :)

I have both Dracula and the Wyndhams and would give the edge to Dracula. Really high quality book.

>143 adriano77: It is worth a read. Kind of like a gruesome space opera. If you like Star Wars and Dune, you'll probably like it. There is always a lot of gore in Banks' books.

I think there are 10 books in the series, but they are only tangentially connected. You can read one one its own and get a complete story.

I have to say this edition does not do justice to my imagination!

A review of the previous edition of Monkey can be seen at https://www.librarything.com/topic/345429

Tempted by Childhood's End, but only five illustrations? I really feel like these books should have at least 8 or 10.

And wow, yeah, those printed page edges are kind of .... ghastly.

Nothing for me, sadly. Monkey is probably the best of the lot, but I already have the old version and am happy enough with it. Make me another person disappointed by the overall lack of new literary fiction.

Illustrations just don't give adequate justice to the events and the machines in The Right Stuff. Contrary to the conspiracy theorists' claims, the book chronicles feats of science, not science fiction. I'd rather have no illustrations if not photographs.

I'm with >132 PartTimeBookAddict: on Mincemeat being a good read but not necessary in fancy Folio form. Is FFF an acronym yet? and while I'm at it, when FS takes your money, would that be a Fast Folio Transform (FFT)?

I'm in for the Christie but not until I can build up an order large and interesting enough to justify the shipping costs. Also, they might have missed their mark on their choice of Christie - I think Kenneth Branagh's third Poirot movie is coming out this year, to based on Halloween Party.

I have found some of Iain M. Banks stories a bit disturbing, but I do generally like his culture novels. As mentioned by others, the art is not what I expected, but ok from my point of view.
Monkey was a nice surprise, although I would have preferred the full Journey to the West.
The Patagonia Express probably holds the most interest for me.
My general conclusion is that it is an interesting collection, but nothing that excites me. I can see myself buying most, just not right away. Not Doctor Strange though, that holds no appeal.

>103 HuxleyTheCat: Totally with you on this, when I started collecting 5 or so years ago a standard title with binding like Childhoods End would be around $65Cad, now at $100Cad it just doesn’t seem worth (to me) paying full price. For comparisons sake, at only $5 more Dracula has 150 more pages and 9 more illustrations.

I was hoping for Childhood’s end to get the folio treatment and am underwhelmed. I just don’t get why many sci fi illustrations don’t go bolder or bigger with the kind of things being depicted and instead focus on very small details that seem rather drab. Same issue for Consider Phelbas as well not to mention the price creep is just about pricing me out.

A consequence of the price hikes and republishing prior titles is that Folio is increasingly competing with itself. The Right Stuff (2009) at 20-30 GBP vs the new at 75, Monkey (1968) at 10-20 vs the new at 75. I love the new design of The Right Stuff but the previous incarnation looks good and has the historical photos instead, and it's a competitive argument. The older Monkey is pretty much a steal just as a well bound hardcover no matter what you think of the art.

>155 Charon49: I've been waiting for decades for someone to make a decent go at an illustrated Culture series and it seems I'm still waiting. This is really disappointing. The illustrations are, frankly, bizarre and seem to bear almost no relation to the story. There is soooo much scope for vast, wonderous illustrations of the Culture universe, as you suggest. The best attempt made by anyone so far remains the cover illustrations of the original 1990s UK editions by Mark Salwowski.

And what happened to the introduction? I read a while back that it was being provided by Jeff VanderMeer. No idea what happened there, but Folio seem to have made the decision to release it introductionless. And why on earth is this £85? No introduction and only 7 illustrations. The production details of Roadside Picnic seem superior in all aspects and that's only £50.

What an appalling collection for pretty much anybody who isn't a sci-fi fan. And those prices......! I'm with >113 affle: on this - perhaps the worst and poorest value collection I've seen in 30-odd years.

There's stuff I want in here and will buy eventually but a) it's too expensive and b) I'm not happy with the overall selection. As noted above, too skewed towards science fiction.

Re-doing Monkey rather than a full version of Journey to the West is so disappointing.

>157 Levin40: I'd assume Banks or Macmillan maybe charge more for licensing, also the book is more than twice the page count than Roadside Picnic which might be a factor, or maybe it's just simply down to Banks being a bigger name and just an easier sell for FS so they feel they can get away with a bigger premium for it.

I'm assuming the cheap copies of the 1968 edition of Monkey are to be found in local bookstores in the UK, as I'm not really finding any on Abe or Biblio. The only cheap copies there are ex-library editions of dubious condition. I'd love to pick this one up, but it sounds like I'd need to peruse the shops in person, a bit tricky from the US.

>161 Shadekeep: I’ve been looking for one for a while I’m good condition but no luck. Had bought on years ago but definitely not in good condition and has a musty smell.

I picked up Monkey, Roadside Picnic and Childhood's End (along with Crooked House).

Folio said they were working on a Nabokov edition 2 years+ ago, every collection I hope to see it appear...

>160 wongie: Yes, probably they just feel they can get away with it, although I see very little justification in the production itself. In terms of licensing, not sure why Macmillan would charge significantly more. Banks is well known, at least in the UK, but he's hardly at the Stephen King or Neil Gaiman level. And I don't think extra page count (within limits obviously) has a huge impact on production costs, particularly if it's just offset printed b&w text.

>158 Willoyd: agree with the assessment, the downmarket slide continues. Flipping through the 2011 FS prospectus, it’s hard to believe it’s the same company.

>158 Willoyd: I guess I am happy for them but surprised how well they're doing for the prices they now charge. 100 dollars is getting closer to fine press books which are far superior. I no longer feel their books are anywhere near the price for what you get. Years before when most books were far cheaper I felt I was getting a fair deal but no longer. And their limited editions now are the biggest scam in publishing - something, again which is different say 10 years ago. Oh well.

>164 Levin40: Aside from UK readers I think the Culture series is well known within sci fi circles in general so the premium could just as likely be all on Folio who would likely be targeting just that demographic who are in the know and would be prepared to fork out for it compared to more casual sci fi readers; more along the lines of Book of the New Sun vs Dune (in terms of awareness of those titles by readers)

>167 Joshbooks1: Quite interesting for me as a SFF fan how the price creep has been much greater in genre small publishers and, despite being surprised by how much Folio has raised prices (I still remember when I budgeted 125 GBP for five books!), it's comparatively toned down for me.

For example, Subterranean Press books now routinely cost between $175 and $200, the same for Suntup, and while they are nice their quality isn't exactly similar to a fine press that produces out of copyright works.

Btw, in this collection I bought Consider Phlebas, Roadside Picnic, Dracula and Venetia (how eclectic).

>133 Shadekeep: Be careful with paperbacks from the University of Chicago Press--at some point in the past few years the quality dropped precipitously (barely above Amazon print-on-demand). This seems true not only of new books I've ordered online, but also books stocked in brick-and-mortar stores. (Incidentally, this led to me picking up Folio editions of Anthony Powell's Dance to the Music of Time as a replacement for poorly-made paperbacks.) I'd be interested to hear if this is true of Journey to the West.

>170 JacobHolt: That's a dang shame, as I've liked UCP for a good while. They somewhat botched my recent order of a Reaktion Books title as well, so I fear they may be on a bit of a slide. Hopefully they can reverse course if so.

>169 dyhtstriyk: it’s kind of funny. At this point even with the increase in pricing Folio is among the cheaper options when looking to buy a premium version of a SFF book.

Btw Dracula is a solid offering from folio. Surprised it isn’t priced higher.

>160 wongie: As Banks died 10 years ago i don’t think he can be blamed for any higher licensing charges !

>173 antinous_in_london: who knows, perhaps he downloaded his mind somewhere! (see Surface Detail)

>174 Hamwick: Not sure that (currently) a downloaded consciousness has many legal rights when it comes to renegotiating a licensing deal or Philip K. Dick would have been there already !

>170 JacobHolt: "Be careful with paperbacks from the University of Chicago Press--at some point in the past few years the quality dropped precipitously (barely above Amazon print-on-demand)"

I bought the Chicago title The New Math through mail-order from B&N in February 2022, and it was print-on-demand.

>157 Levin40: "The production details of Roadside Picnic seem superior in all aspects and that's only £50."

The big difference is bound in cloth versus bound in paper.

In theory I don't mind the idea of more abstract illustrations for this one, but the specific realization here leaves me cold, or at least mildly chilly. The illustrations seem to have little depth or texture.

Given the price, I suspect the production quality of Consider Phlebas will be about the same as the Murakami or Gaiman volumes.

Currently on the fence, but leaning against.

>177 abysswalker: I bought it, so when I receive it on Tuesday I'll share my assessment.

Murakami and Gaiman are cloth-bound, so I expect this to be a bit less in quality. from the Pontus video I see that the paper is textured, so it looks like the Harper Collins latest Tolkien boxed set.

>177 abysswalker: Roadside Picnic has Abbey Pure paper which I am very partial to. Kind of makes it worth it for me.

Imagine my surprise when I clicked on the new Spring Collection and found a beautiful boxed set of C. P. Snow's Strangers and Brothers novels, bound in burgundy cloth and printed letterpress on mould-made paper.

I have a lot of dreams like this nowadays.

>180 boldface: I loved those CP Snow books. In some ways there were a counterpoint to "A Dance To the Music of Time" series. I have checked my long past purchased Penguin books. The pages are now showing signs of mould. The covers have had a bit of burgundy spilt upon them..paper not cloth mind you. I can put them in a box. So meets almost 85% of the dream. Let me know if you are interested in the set. I'd be sad to part with the books, but sometimes it is the better thing to do!

>180 boldface: beautiful boxed set of C. P. Snow's Strangers and Brothers novels

You've enabled me once again, Jonathan. First I found the series is free to me through Kindle Unlimited. Then, reading a TV series had been made, I found it on eBay for a fiver. 4 DVDs so it almost certainly doesn't cover the whole series of books but it'll do to be going on with. Thank you!

>181 SimB:

Great response! And a nice twist on my supposedly luxury criteria! I agree they bring to mind the Anthony Powell series. Thanks for your comments.

>182 folio_books:

Oh dear, Glenn. I'm always nervous when someone is enabled! Still, free on Kindle shouldn't cause too much regret if you don't like them. I see from good old wikipedia that there is also a 10-episode Radio 4 serial from 2003. Happy reading/watching/listening.

Very happy they have started doing the Culture series. At last! But at these prices, will have to wait for the opportunity to do a bulk order.

Monkey and Roadside Picnic were the two books I got from the Spring collection. In terms of production... both are excellent. I also made a video today for Monkey! Just to help enable those still undecided . . . ;-) https://youtu.be/QSUEZDg-PNg Translation and abridgement aside, Monkey didn't disappoint at all!

>185 PontusPresents: "Apart from the bit you read, the book's great!" :)

>185 PontusPresents: thanks for sharing, I appreciate your short reviews and then allowing us to form our own opinions as you flip through the pages.
I look forward to receiving my copy of Monkey :)

>186 cronshaw: If it was all about ‘the bit you read’ then we would only need to buy e-books at 1/50th of the price (or a paperback) & not bother with FS or indeed any of the fine press houses. Does anyone buy a £1000 LE from FS purely because of ‘the bit you read’ ? In my opinion Coelho’s Alchemist is very poor when it comes to ‘the bit you read’ , but doesn’t mean the FS wasn’t a nice edition physically.

>188 antinous_in_london:

To be fair, I discovered Folio because they were printing, rare, classic works, that you were hard to find in a decent binding. Polybius and Malmesbury were a couple of my earliest buys. Then I noticed their previous selections and soon I bought a load of used Folios.

All of my LEs were purchased for the same reason.

>189 CobbsGhost: I would say that everything FS has published in the last 10 years (or more) is easily available as an e-book or affordable physical edition for anyone who is only interested in ‘the bit you read’. Jurassic Park & ‘Killing Floor’ by Lee Child are hardly rare, classic works, but some may want to own these books in a decent binding - as you did with the rare classics you mention (Though surely the Loeb edition of Polybius is a fairly decent cloth-bound, stitched binding & had been available for decades before the FS edition)

For anyone interested purely in ‘the bit you read’ there is no need to pay FS prices for anything in their current catalogue unless you consider the physical object/illustrations they provide to be at least as important as the contents.

The original commenter seemed to be lightly mocking Pontus for saying Monkey was an ‘excellent’ production even though he did not like the translation or the use of an abridged text. I just don’t see the problem in appreciating the physical object even though i may not like or appreciate the contents.

>190 antinous_in_london: “I just don’t see the problem in appreciating the physical object even though i may not like or appreciate the contents.”

No problem at all for a book to be viewed as an art form in itself. I personally, though, consider that a book’s primary purpose is to be read. I enjoy the visual experience of fine illustrations and the tactile experience of fine paper and binding as I read, but I don’t purchase books I don’t want to read.

I agree. There is a lot to love about reading a beautiful edition of a book I enjoy, or think I will enjoy. I’m not interested in owning pretty books I don’t want to read, but I do hope those books are making others happy.

I feel like people are reading a lot into the words of both comments. You have to note that Monkey is an old translation and abridgement of the whole story, that doesn't mean it's worthless - the only reason it's survived as a standalone work so long is that it was popular. Pontus didn't actually say he didn't like it in the comment or video, in fact he calls it a "classic translation" in the video as part of calling it one of his favourite FS editions. I don't think the light jab about the phrasing was that serious either.
The videos are very helpful in any case. Monkey came across much better in video than the folio presentation page imo.

Nothing for me, as usual, collection after collection, year after year…

> 191 >192 Noel_G:
Me too, which is why I've bought so few of late.

>189 CobbsGhost:
Yes, my FS purchases of late have almost all been in the secondary market too. There's some really interesting reading that I'm discovering/rediscovering, even having been buying their books for some 30 years now.

>190 antinous_in_london:

You're not wrong at all but we clearly maintain differing philosophies.

I think "only interested in..." would be a far stretch for 99% of Folio publications. The point wasn't that they were the only available option, but rather they provided an introduction to many of these works to the average library builder. However, they did print some fairly rare works in their heyday. Loeb editions are decent, but it's not as if someone just randomly plucks one out of a bunch unless you've already done your research. The millennia of their publications are also very limited, and those selections aren't always on offer new either... Forget that the prices vary wildly for some of the out of print and sought after books. Try getting Plutarch's Lives in uniform, cheaper than Folio's set. There's 9 volumes to their set. They are also photograph size, which is cute for a read, but doesn't scream family library.

I do read many of those books digitally but it's still nice to have a physical copy. I would suggest Liberty Fund's online library for some interesting books, free to read.

I also think the current pricing for the 'new model' of publication has decreased Folio's long-term value, but Loeb is no replacement. Folio had competitive prices when the world used to read, not simply collect, great books. You can find cheaper options, but the value of a classic book designed to last more than a lifetime was Folio's bread and butter. They were a bargain, they fit the budget and they looked pretty darn good without being gawdy in an average income home.

>196 CobbsGhost: What a great comment. Thank you.

Very happy to add Childhood's End to the collection. Look forward to Fountains of Paradise in 2026 or 2027 :)