The Bear's Den Info Files: ARC? Arc? Ark?

Aside from sounding like Popeye's laugh, There are differences.
Ark: well, ask Noah, or Indiana Jones...
Arc: part of the circumference of a circle OR in book terms, the general story line of a book or series of books.
And then there's ARC, what I really wanted to discuss:
An advance copy, also known as an advance reading copy or ARC, is a copy of a book released by its publisher before the book has gone to press for a complete printing.  ARCs are normally distributed to reviewers, bookstores, magazines, and (in some cases) libraries in limited quantities and as such are rarer than an actual 1st edition. They can be highly collectible in some cases, as they often are printed with no cover art:

and in rare cases with cover art different from that of the actual mass publication 1st edition:

Abuse of Power ARC

Abuse Of Power 1st Ed HC

The Bear's Den Info Files: Laser Books - A Canadian SF Connection

Sometimes you never know what little interesting tidbits you can find floating around. Here in The Bear's Den I'll keep trying to dig them out for our edification.

Laser Books was a line of 58 paperback science fiction novels published from 1975 to 1977 by Canadian romance powerhouse Harlequin Books. Laser published three titles per month, available by subscription as well as in stores. The books were limited to 50,000-60,000 words. They were numbered as a series, though with a few rare exceptions, each was a stand-alone novel. All the covers were painted by fan favorite Kelly Freas, a winner many times over of the Hugo Award for Best Artist.

In fact, although I didn't mind the fact that they were pretty 'light' reading, I often liked them more for the cover art than the story itself.

There were certainly more than a few mainstream SF authors who contributed to the Laser Books lineup, such as Stephen Goldin, Piers Anthony, and Tim Powers. There were even one or two who contributed under an alias. Case in point:

In 1975 Koontz penned a submission "Invasion" for then-fledgling Laser Books under the pseudonym "Aaron Wolfe" - although apparently he wasn't too happy with the result, and why he chose to release it under that nom de guerre.
So in 1994 he dusted off the old outline, re-wrote the storyline and fleshed it out, giving it more of his vaunted horror styling as compared to the earlier SF treatment. Havng read both submissions, I for one am glad he did. "Invasion" was entertaining, but "Winter Moon" was a far superior piece of writing.

Robert Coulson & Gene DeWeese submitted "Gates of the Universe" for release in 1975, and some 10 years later it was turned into a "choose your own adventure' game book by Amazing stories:

Why Provide Complete Sets? Well, Why Not?

Okay, how often has this happened to you:   

You pick up a book off the shelf and read the back or the inside of the dust jacket. "Hey this seems like a good read! But...it's number (X) of a series. I should read the earlier books first." Or someone gives you a book, you dive in and discover too late that there are earlier books you should have read first. I know that it frustrates the heck out of me!

So you put the book back and try to remember to look for those earlier books. But it never happens - you forgot, or just could not find the books. The Good Read Don't Get Read!

This is why I offer these bundles: they are complete storylines that you can read from the start. Trilogies, or longer sets, at GREAT prices! How can you lose?

Now. I'm obviously an Avid Reader, but you may have noticed in the big title box at the top of the blog that I describe myself as a "Book Collector and Hobbyist".

Why add "Hobbyist? I'm glad you asked...

Over the span of 40+ years of reading and collecting books I have developed many sources to find books that others are finding, um, difficult. Lately it has become the most enjoyable and challenging aspect of my lifelong hobby. So I'm offering my assistance to help YOU find the books you're searching for.

Give me your want list and a budget and I will hunt your books down for you. If I can't find it in your price range, I'll let you know what I DO find and let you decide. "What do you charge for this service" you ask? The cost of the book itself and any required shipping costs (if it's not a local purchase, for example, or if I have to get it shipped to you). If you want to add a tip, great! Buy me tea or a diet cola while we sit and chat? Great! Entirely up to you!

I specialize in science fiction/fantasy, but I can hunt down any genre. I have a near perfect success rate! The only reason it's not perfect is that there are a few books I have not found.....YET.

Some searches may take a little longer. But I don't quit...

Interested? Can't find a particular book or book series? Don't have the time? Contact me:

John "The Bear" Speelman,

Book Collector/Hobbyist

http://turnedpages.ecrater.com
and
http://johnthebear.blujay.com

eBay sales: username "johnthebearsden"


Jack of All Trades, Master of...well, a few...

Quantumvis cursum longum fessumque moratur sol, Sacro tandem carmine vesper adest.
No matter how the sun may linger on its long and weary journey,
at length evening comes, with its sacred song