Gina reading on a piano.
Every once in a while, I'll come across some cool-looking vintage books in an antique or used bookstore, not recognize the names and let them go by.
For instance, last week I saw a book by a Lawrence Blockman, RECIPE FOR MURDER. I let it pass.
Is there a handy-sized book I could carry with me that would identify most crime fiction writers so I'd know if they are worth my time (and money)?
And, oh boy, you western fans. This store had a great collection of westerns. I almost picked up a bunch to send off to you all but again at $5 a piece, it seemed too chancy.
Also a nice collection of science fiction and fantasy mags. Do you ever hunt books down in antique stores? Sometimes you can find some doozies there.
23 comments:
They and thrift shops. My favorite discovery were a bunch of book club editions of Damon Knight's nonfictional account of a NYC-based group of fans-turned-pros THE FUTURIANS, which I purchased for a buck apiece from an Ikea, which was using them as filler for their floor demo bookshelves.
$5 a hit for westerns (or any sort of book) isn't actually such a bargain, depending of course on the books involved, but if they are run of the mill pbs, your caution was wise. Likewise, $5 a hit for fiction magazines can easily be a good, middling or even a bad deal, depending on content, condition, etc. The F&SF I FFB'd is a "reading copy" I purchased from Darrell Schweitzer at one of the local conventions for a buck--no better than a RC since it's water-damaged (like most people dealing with eBay and its imitators, I've had a horde of fools who have the temerity to grow angry when they palm off damaged magazines as in fine shape, one of whom thought that water-damaged and otherwise substandard issues were in Great condition for magazines from 1970, for goodness's sake...).
Oddly enough, the best deals I've gotten have actually been from honest magazine dealers.
As for pocket-sized...dunno. Kinda hard, even under the best of circumstances, to want to depend on others' tastes...but I imagine there is Something comparable to the sf guidebook THE ANATOMY OF WONDER, Neal Barron's tour through what he'd suggest as the key/core work in the field...Baird Searles and collaborators produced a rather more informal version of the same thing. But you should give Blochman a try.
That's one reason I've never been sorry to be a fiction-magazine and anthology reader...not only do they give you a taste of what various writers do, but the former usually have book-review columns...
Used book stores--in my experience--were (once upon a time) exciting places where almost anything could be discovered; now, however, with the expansion of bookstore marketing into the Internet world, used bookstore owners know how to move merchandise to a wider field of buyers so that what remains on shelves is too often less than exciting (i.e., all the good stuff has already been sold before it hits the shelves).
As for books as resources, they are so many that I wouldn't know where to begin. One of my favorites, though it is not encyclopedia in scope (which seems to be what you are looking for) is David Lehman's THE PERFECT MURDER: A STUDY IN DETECTION. Lehman approaches the detective novel from an historical perspective, and the excellent chapters include plenty of helpful information; at the end of the book, however, is a useful catalogue of "Further Reading" in which Lehman offers his recommendations for not-to-be-missed authors and books. If you have not already read Lehman, you're missing out on a great treat. I have frequently used his "Further Reading" list as my guide for libraries and used bookstores.
Yes. I like anthologies that give you a rundown of the year especially. List the major publications, give bios. etc.
You're right RT. And they even tell me that. That any book that is highly sought is saved for online sales. But thanks for the book. I'll try that.
I've even found two books I wanted being used as props in furniture stores for selling bookshelves. In fact, I think I'm going to blog about this today. Thanks for the idea.
What Charles says reminds me of my own weakness. I have been in furniture stores where books are used a "props" for their shelving units, and I cannot resist looking at the books instead of looking at the furniture (which drives my wife crazy). Also, I recently ate at a small sandwich and coffee shop that had several hundred old books on shelves surrounding the seating area; again, I aggravated my wife by being more attentive to the books than to either the meal or her. These incidents are obvious signs of an addictive, OCD involvement with books.
I also do that at people's houses. I can't help but look at their books. I know it probably seems like I'm judging them so I try to refrain. Little do they know I am looking for what they would consider junky books.
"Junky books"--only if they're fools.
Oddly enough, I could've sworn I mentioned buying books from a furniture store in my first comment. Oh, yes, there it is.
I carry around a list of books I know about and cross them off as I get them. That's the only flaw in my system: I have to know to look for them.
Actually I came to a lot of writers even later than you, Scott. So do need a list. Plus there's the memory thing.
The IS HRF Keating's THE 100 BEST CRIME AND MYSTERY BOOKS, the recommended titles within listed here: http://www.classiccrimefiction.com/keating100.htm (also, the hotlink on my initials)
--though Keating's citation of THE BLUE HAMMER for Macdonald and THE GREEN RIPPER for MacDonald has, I'm sure, raised all sorts of hackles. (The horror volumes constructed somewhat similarly are also valuable and fun to argue with.)
Another good one. I probably know most of those thought. I wonder if there is some book that lists the more obscure books. Probably not. Who would publish it? I need to make my own list by perusing sites like RARA AVIS and the BIG ADIOS probably.
If you like lists (and since someone already suggested Keating's useful but idiosyncratic suggestions) you can find an more exhaustive (and equally personalized) list that is taken from Wink's favorites.
Of course, the fun of Keating's book is his reasoning, and what else he recommends.
Trying to abstract from Rara-Avis is pretty good, if at times strenuous.
They are a decade old, but still useful: Detecting Men and Detecting Women by Hilletta Heising. These are checklists of books featuring male and female series characters. There are special notes if a book was an award winner or nominee. There are a few minor errors. Wish someone would update these books.
Went thrift store shopping yesterday and scored Stephen Stilwell's What Mystery Should I Read Next? Again, this one is a decade old; I don't know if it's been updated. This is a heavy reference volume listing individual titles (with brief plot descriptions) by author, each with four or five suggestions what books might appeal to you if liked that one. Added bonus: each book is listed by type (P.I., Historical, Amateur Detective, etc.), locale and time, themes, and more.
Among other items I scored yesterday were Julian Symons' Pictorial History of Crime, Victor Gischler's Gun Monkeys, and John Collier's Milton's Paradise Lost: A Screenplay for the Mind. A good day indeed.
Where the heck do you live, Jerry. I never come up with stuff like that. My stores are picked over by experts. Thanks for the suggestions, too.
The tough part about your question is the size stipulation.
There are plenty of full sized hardcover reference books that would help you in your quest, things like MURDER INK, MURDERESS INK, BY A WOMAN'S HAND. There are also a couple of good reference books by Gary Warren Niebuhr, MAKE MINE A MYSTERY and READ THEM THEIR RIGHTS, both of which are reference books for librarians who have to field the question "I liked this, are there other authors I's like?" None of the above are pocket or purse sized, however.
I still have my copy of Murder Ink. I guess I'll need a backpack for these tomes. Then they'll watch me on the cameras though.
The "CROWN CRIME COMPANION" (1995) is pretty useful with 100 mysteries selected by the Mystery Writers of America as the "best of all time". It also has separate top-10 lists for different categories such as cozy or hard-boiled.
And here's a link to a list by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association which they compiled in 2000 - "100 Favorite Mysteries of the 20th Century."
http://www.mysterybooksellers.com/favorites.html#favorites
I also check out lists of old Edgar-winners from previous years.
http://128.121.127.8/MYST/edgars2.html
But nothing beats the fun of browsing the shelves and trying to judge a book by its cover (and copy).
I just notice Megan's book at City Lights in SF...she made it where Richard Brautigan never could! WTG Megan.
Oh yeah...we don't do antique stores we get most of our furniture on bulk trash days.
The fun of browsing-yes, that's right.
Mark-when I say antique stores they really are more second-hand stories. Nothing high-end. And I am not above the occasional Salvation Army trips.
Patti:
I use Detecting Men plus the revised (1995) Armchair Detective Book of Lists that has most of the award winners up to that time. I copied the winners since then off the Internet. I also copied the shopping lists from 100 Favorite Mysteries and They Died in Vain plus a list of overlooked and underappreciated novels from another site (??). I carry all them in an envelope that I try to take with me when I think I may be going near a thrift shop or used bookstore. It's surprising what you remember about the lists even if they aren't with you. This week I was in a Goodwill store and saw a copy of Asia Rip by George Foy. The title ran a bell so I bought it for 40 cents. Checked when I got home and saw it was one of the books I needed for my They Died in Vain collection. On Friday I was at a book sale where there was a table of PB westerns. I don't collect or read westerns, but saw an ACE Double with one novel by Harry Whittington. Off I went to my car to check a list of westerns that Bill Crider once mentioned. Yes, the Whittington was on it along with another western by Alistar MacLean that he had recommended.
One of my problems with some of these venues is the smell of the books. Anyone know of a way of making them smell less of dust, smoke, etc.
I can barely breathe in some of these places.
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