[CrazyReader]

Is anyone else here a member?? I just joined, and waiting for my books to come. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[Kamakhya]

Sorry, I'm not. I've considered it, and may well go for it one of these days. I just have a thing about book club editions. It is a great way to get hardback books if you don't mind that they are book club editions. I've also heard that it can take a while for the books to come.

Kamakhya

[Lady Fox]

Also, the cost for shipping and handling can eat away at any discount you are getting. I've got a membership at Waldenbooks preferred reader club, and factoring all the S&H plus the wait for the books and the sometimes weird shape/size, I decided that a mail order book club didn't really give me any more savings or satisfaction than the Waldenbooks PR card.

[SusF]

I am a member. The books are SO much cheaper from it, and the shipping is not bad. The key is to order more than one book per shipping.

I don't order much, but I love the Omnibus editions of classics. The quality of these books has gone up considerably, too.

Susan

[ezchaos]

I've been a member of the SFBC for about 2 or 3 years. At this point, I have mixed feelings about it:

Pros-
1.The club has some hard to find books available. For exapmple, they have all of Vance's 'Dying Earth' series.
2.They also like to put 2 or three book series into one volume. This is very nice.
3.Pretty much all they sell are hardcover books. Even with the S&H, the prices are still better than buying most hardcover books from the book store. New hardcover books are going for around $29 in the US.
4.They sometimes have specials on books. 'Perdido Street Station' is on special now for around $6. With S&H it came to $10. You'd be hard to beat that price anywhere.

Cons:
1.They don't have a huge selection of books. It's not like going to Amazon and browsing for something to buy. You sometimes have to really scour SFBC's site.
2.I've had problems with my last two orders. They seemed to take quite a while to get to my home. 'PSS' was the last book I bought. I ordered it online on March 15th. On April 15th I still hadn't received it. I had to e-mail their customer svc dept and then had the book about a week later.I don't mind waiting 2 or 3 weeks, but 5 weeks is ridiculous. I prefer to be billed, so I don't know if that's the problem or what.
3.They have one or two 'books of the month' You have to tell them not to send them to you, or else they will. Actually, it's not that bad because you can do this on-line and they give you a pretty long window.

If you are a 'scifi/fantasy scholar' and have read just about every book out there, then I don't think it would be worth it to joing the SFBC. Otherwise, I think it's a good deal.

[Rob B]

I've been a member off an on for the past few years, I joined again about a year ago.

The reason I keep sticking around are their great omnibus volumes such as Orson Scott Cards Alvin Maker books. They've condensed 5 books in to two volumes.

The also bring out classics like a Conan book, a recent HP Lovecraft Volume, Vance's Compleat Dying Earth.

And how can you beat the introductory offer of 5 or 6 books for about $5 ($1 plus shipping and handling)

The last time I joined, I ordered The Encyclopedia of Fantasy as one of my introductory books, normally a $75 book, not bad.

However, they often only do one or two printings of the omnibus volumes. I remember a few years ago, they had an omnibus of Silverberg's Majipoor series. It must have sold out of the print-run since they don't offer it anymore. Same thing happened when I joined and wanted to get Zelazney's First Chronicles of Amber, they had just run out of the print run and weren't planning on going back for another.

In my recent club flyer, I was happy to see they brought back Donaldson's First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever.

ezchaos, perhaps with PSS, they were in between print runs.

[Raisuli]

What buying requirements does the S.F. Book Club operate (after the initial 5/6 book deal)?

I viewed their website, but hard information is a bit lacking there.



[This message has been edited by Raisuli (edited May 08, 2002).]

[CrazyReader]

The requirements you first get 5 books for $1 Then another book for $5.99 + tax/ shipping & handling. Then you have to buy 4 books within the next 2 years. This is the Canadian version anyways.

[Rob B]

Yeah, something like four books over the next year or two.

This isn't so bad when you consider they occaisionally run sales where you buy 3 and get 1 free.

[CrazyReader]

OMG!!!! I finally got those books today. It only took what, 2 1/2 months?? Those little hardcovers are so cute. :p