Date: Tue, 4 May 93 21:40:29 -0400
To: _swat.org.swil @ math.wisc.edu
From: jthorpe1 @ cc.swarthmore.edu
Subject: New Birdwainer books

        Well, here is the complete list of books purchased for the CWBSF
library this year.  I tried to pick books that 1) were award winners or
nominees for this year, 2) filled out partial series that we had, 3)
were
recommended to me by someone, or 4) I liked.  My overall goal was to
find
books that people here would _want_ to read, in my never-ending quest to
make SWIL more SF-oriented.  I did NOT get a magazine subscription,
since
the bill would have gotten here after Budget Committee shut down and we
would have been in trouble.  This is what I came up with:

Greg Frost              The Pure Cold Light (autographed)
                                (got this for obvious reasons :)= )

David Brin              Earth
                                (I liked it a lot, and it won some
awards...)
                        Sundiver
                                (This fills out the Uplift saga)

various                 Full Spectrum 4
                                (a pretty cool anthology--they usually
have
                                 good stuff.)

Maureen McHugh          China Mountain Zhang
                                (Nominated for a Hugo this year)

Pat Cadigan             Synners
                                (a very cool book)

Kim Stanley Robinson    The Gold Coast
                        Pacific Edge
                                (I couldn't find "The Wild Shore", but
these
                                 are two in a great "series".  They need
not
                                 be read consecutively.)

Vernor Vinge            A Fire Upon the Deep
                                (another Hugo nominee, and recommended
by
                                 Charles Danforth)

George R. R. Martin     Wild Cards
        (editor)        Wild Cards II: Aces High
                                (many folks here a few years back loved
these.
                                 1, 2 and 6 are probably the best in the
                                 series.)

Stephen R. Donaldson    The Wounded Land
                        The One Tree
                        White Gold Wielder
                                (these fill out the Chronicles of Thomas
                                 Covenant the Unbeliever, my personal 
                                 favorite fantasy series.)

ALSO: Aaron has offered to donate

Dan Simmons'            Hyperion
      and               Fall of Hyperion

both of which should be read by all.

All of these are in paperback, as I figured paperbacks are more
accessible
to people, and thus more people might want to read them than clunky old
hardcovers.  All of the books are sitting in my room at the moment, and
will be put in Birdwainer shortly after I get them to Stephen and/or
Nao. 
(I would imagine.)

(Obligatory end-of-junior-year physics major bitching follows)
Btw, If people out there are planning to send flak my way (not counting
sensible commentary, which is welcome) because I didn't get the books I
"should" have, allow me to say that everyone had time to make
suggestions
for weeks in advance, and anyone who wanted to come shopping with me
could
have.  (I know some people had scheduling conflicts, but I offered on
several occasions to change the time to make it more convenient.)  As it
was, Kendra and I were the only ones who trudged down to Borders on an
80
degree day and back with a heavy bag of books.  I don't mean to sound
harsh
pre facto, but I did the best I could under the circumstances, and I
think
all the books I got are (probably) well written and enjoyable.  Anyway,
they should be available soonish, I guess.  Hoping you like them (and
hoping you READ them)...

                                               ----Praefectus Quondam