Battlefield earth book..... semi banned?

Soldato
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27 Jan 2005
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Versailles
Been looking for this book for a few weeks, but not on ebay or amazon, just in shops as ive been walking home to the B&B.

Its odd, anyshop i have asked for it, the staff dont know it, dont know the writer and if they do find it on the system, it will take 6-8 weeks to get...

I know, the writer is a bit of a nut with his religion, but this was done before he got a bump on the head [how else do you explain it] and is a very good read.

Just find it odd that one book from his many is this hard to find. They dont even have a single book of his on the shelves... is this his doing or the world of the bookshop???

just felt like asking.

ColiN
 
Commissario
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Panting like a fiend
Probably a combination of the author being fairly old (and very dead*), the book being very old and not too popular (so probably out of print**), and that most stores tend to have a relatively small selection of books in stock at any one time, generally from either consistently popular, or current authors.

I vaguely remember reading it years ago and finding it pretty rubbish, and i'm a great sci-fi fan.


*Unless he returns on a DC2 spaceship...

**Given how hard it can be to find older, good sci-fi books in print.
 
Man of Honour
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As usual, the Werewolf speaks the truth: SF books tend to only stay in print for about two years and are then withdrawn. If they had been popular (or a film is made of them) then they'll be re-issued, but again only for a couple of years. VERY popular books might survive five years, and a handful of classics, longer. But long-ago published dross like this has been out of print for years. Thank G*d. You may be able to get US editions though.


M
 
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Soldato
OP
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Versailles
odd, most people i know who have read it liked the book, certanly not a top 10 listing book, maybe a top 50. Each to their own i guess :)

Cheers for the info, guess its going to be online buying for me after all then.

ColiN
 

FTM

FTM

Soldato
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10 Dec 2003
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South Shields
in stock and ready for despatch at amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battlefield-Earth-L-Ron-Hubbard/dp/1592120075

4 in stock, more on the way

dont under any circumstance get the movie


as people have said, even the larger bookstores like waterstones have limited shelf space, so an older niche market book isnt likely to have many on the shelf

bookstores always seem to be pushing whatever is the latest book out as thats their main market..crappy autobiographies by people who have been famous for 20 minutes
 
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Soldato
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19 Dec 2006
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Wow, so much hate for it...

It was one of the first books I was unwilling to put down, thought it was great and would love to read it again sometime.
 
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