When my professor told me she had been searching used book shops for Ellison for almost ten years, I didn’t consider that he might still be this hard to find. The internet is wonderful with locating books, but I’m trying to find a cheap paperback that won’t run me like $10 in shipping. “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream” is probably my favorite short story, and I am determined to find an anthology with it. Since I’m on a cyberpunk/sci-fi binge, I’ve also been looking for Neuromancer, but my book hunting hasn’t been too successful.
Even if you’re not finding pearls in the sand, used book shopping is incredibly therapeutic. At our Salvation Army today, I picked up Kurt Vonnegut’s Welcome to the Monkey House, Manette Ansay’s Midnight Champagne, and a book about the craft of fiction writing by Percy Lubbock.
I’ve also started reading George Martin’s A Game of Thrones. When I talk to people about the fantasy genre, this is typically a book they recommend. I’m only 100 pages in, but it’s been a pretty good read. There’s a quote in the beginning I really liked by Bran’s (One of the main characters) father. He said, “A ruler who hides behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is.” Not trying to throw controversy around, but I think this idea is timeless.
Stage Fright 