User talk:Mhhutchins/Archive/2012Jan-Apr

Rowena Morrill/Morrell/Morril
You verified Darker Than You Think, with a cover by "Rowena Morrell", and The Best of Omni Science Fiction No. 2 with interior art by "Rowena Morril". Could you check whether those are ISFDB errors that should be corrected, or publication errors that should be VT'd to "Rowena Morrill"? Thanks, Chavey 14:55, 2 January 2012 (UTC)
 * The ISFDB records are correctly credited with the publishers' incorrect spelling. I've made them into variants and created pseudonyms. Thanks. Mhhutchins 18:27, 2 January 2012 (UTC)

Review of Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos
You've verified September-October 1990 issue of Aboriginal Science Fiction which contains a review of the Derleth edited edition of Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos. I was wondering if you could check and see if it is really a review of the anonymously edited (or Turner edited, or Derleth and Turner edited depending on your source) 1990 edition. I'm suspicious only because the review appeared shortly after the revised edition. Thanks. --Ron ~ RtraceTalk 01:16, 8 January 2012 (UTC)


 * Your suspicions are correct. It reviews the re-edited 1990 edition.  I've linked the review to the correct title record. Thanks. Mhhutchins 02:01, 8 January 2012 (UTC)

SFBC editions and ISBNs
I left the three ROSSWOTHE submissions in the queue for you. Do SFBC editions normally have ISBNs (in these cases, they appear to be the ISBNs of the retail hc)? BTW, thanks for fixing that pub link in the note I left yesterday. Limited attention span.... --MartyD 01:56, 12 January 2012 (UTC)


 * Starting in the early 90s, if the SFBC reprinted another publisher's title, it would often retain the copyright page of the original trade edition. More often than not, as the continuing collection of data has revealed, it would print the ISBN of the trade edition. The current ISFDB standard is to record the trade ISBN in the note field, and the SFBC id number in the ISBN/Catalog # field. (Those standards are stated here. Mhhutchins 16:18, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

Alien Contact
All your corrections to my edit are bone fide. I even caught one myself before I submitted. All my errors were in the Author field, so I'll review carefully in the title field before carrying on. I normally don't make so many typos; my attention span was probably on empty. Still getting used to all the rules and conventions. Syzygy 19:09, 13 January 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks. One more convention: all discussions should remain on the page on which they begin. If another editor initiates a discussion on your talk page, your response should be made there.  (This avoids the "ping-pong" effect of carrying on a discussion on two different pages.)  Just click the [edit] link to the right of the message. Same protocol applies if you begin a discussion on another editor's page.  Check the "Watch This Page" box before you save the post, then looking at your My Watchlist page, you'll be notified when they've responded. Thanks again. Mhhutchins 20:44, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

Journey
Hi, there! I have added artist name (back, top right corner) to this verified pub and pub month from amazon.co.uk. Cheers, P-Brane 06:23, 22 January 2012 (UTC).


 * Good find. Thanks. Mhhutchins 16:47, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

Stations of the tide
Hello, just in case, can you confirm (by a signature on cover ?) that the cover of this pub is indeed by Horne as it's far in style from his original cover here which was also used for the the french pb here. As it seems to be on copyright page, perhaps it's a case of a strict duplication of the page by another publisher. Thanks. Hauck 11:11, 22 January 2012 (UTC)


 * I think you're right. Even though the artist is credited explicitly on the copyright page, the actual art appears to be a computer-manipulated montage of photographs. Both books were published by divisions of The Hearst Corporation: William Morrow did the hardcover edition and Avon did the softcover edition, so it's likely the latter duplicated (incorrectly) the cover credit of the former. I'm going to remove the credit and explain in the notes.  Thanks for discovering this. Mhhutchins 16:52, 22 January 2012 (UTC)


 * The later mmpb from AvoNova reverted to the original artwork by Horne, so I've linked images to all of the records that he is the cover artist, and then merged them into one record. Mhhutchins 17:03, 22 January 2012 (UTC)


 * BTW "Daniel R. Horne" is a recognized pseudonym of Daniel Horne. It wouldn't do any harm to credit the French edition's record to the match the actual book credit, as noted in the record. I've made it into a variant of the original cover art record. Mhhutchins 17:08, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

Holy Terrors
Thanks for the welcome info. Looks at least as if I didn't mess up too badly. The book in question has the last numbered page of 140, but then there are four unnumbered pages advertising other penguin books. I assumed every paper page within was counted, so my total made 144. Looks like I've got a lot of editing to do, I have a couple of feet of those 1930s horror/mystery/creepy anthologies on my shelves.... Malcolmf 19:35, 22 January 2012 (UTC)


 * Yes, a pretty good effort for an initial submission. About the page count, for books we use the last page of text (with a few exceptions), and for magazines we count every page, including the covers. I'm looking forward to your next submissions. BTW, it's better to respond to Wiki posts on the same page in which the message originated.  This avoids the ping-pong effect of having discussions carried on two different pages. Thanks and welcome again to the ISFDB. Mhhutchins 19:48, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

Sign of the Unicorn Roger Zelazny Avon
I think, there are two identical pubs of two Avon editions: 5th (there and there) and 15th (there and there). BarDenis 20:23, 22 January 2012 (UTC)


 * You're correct. I will accept your submissions to delete the non-verified records. Thanks. Mhhutchins 20:27, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

Geoffrey A. Landis' The Kingdom of Cats and Birds
You verified which contains The Kingdom of Cats and Birds and  which contains The Kingdom of Cats & Birds. Should these be variants? Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 17:59, 29 January 2012 (UTC)


 * The titles are correctly entered, so please make the first record into a variant of the second. Thanks for finding this. Mhhutchins 18:04, 29 January 2012 (UTC)

SFBC edition?
Entered a record for [Dracula & Frankenstein] yesterday, added images today. Publisher is odd as Doubleday did release this in 1973 so it shouldn't have Nelson Doubleday, but it does. Also not sure if this should go in the SFBC listings [I did buy it through the club but that doesn't mean it was first offered there]. Any thoughts? --~ Bill, Bluesman 01:14, 2 February 2012 (UTC)


 * None of my usual sources give a SFBC edition of this title, but the cover is very familiar. I may have saw it some time in the 70s or 80s, but couldn't say if it were a SFBC selection.  It may have been offered through Doubleday Book Club or The Literary Guild. Or I may have saw the trade edition in a book store.  There is another OCLC record for this edition, that is dated "[197-]", meaning the person who entered the data believed the undated book was published in the 70s. Perhaps it was reprinted in the 80s under the Nelson Doubleday imprint, because any book club edition in the early 70s would have credited Doubleday as the publisher. I would personally change the publisher to "Nelson Doubleday / BCE" because that's the one thing we're sure of. But that's up to you. I'd contact some Abebooks dealers to ask for a few gutter codes, but that's not worked out well in the past few years.  (I may have gone to the well too many times.) A search returns with 11 copies: 4 give the date as 1987, 1 as 1960, 1 as "1970s", and 5 as undated.  Only 1 gives the gutter code, the same as yours. Mhhutchins 05:12, 2 February 2012 (UTC)


 * Changed the publisher. From my memory of the date when I bought it I wasn't a member of the club in 1983 so this was likely stock left over from an initial offering to another club. It was not a main selection, probably not even an Alternate. As for AbeBooks, I've been trying to keep the enquiries to a minimum, many sellers don't even respond to an initial question, never mind repeated ones. But I'll bet nearly all use the site!! --~ Bill, Bluesman 17:33, 2 February 2012 (UTC)


 * Getting a response to any question from any Abebooks.com dealer has become difficult over the past year or so. Sometimes I'm geniuinely interested in purchasing a book, and asking a legitimate question, but won't receive any response at all. Occasionally I get a form letter email about the book being "in another warehouse" so they can't answer any specific about it. But if I ordered it and wasn't satisfied they'd refund my money. Needless to say, I don't do business with them. Mhhutchins 18:16, 2 February 2012 (UTC)

Toom Whitmore
Hi, this publication holds a review done by Toom Whitmore. Can you please check whether that is a typo by the publisher or by yourself? I think it should be Tom Whitmore. --Dirk P Broer 11:29, 12 February 2012 (UTC)
 * It's a typo by me. I'll correct it. Thanks for finding it. Mhhutchins 18:17, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

Roger Zelazny by Krulik
I added some notes and uploaded a cover scan for http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?204245 the bio. I also added the photographer's name as artist. But the interesting thing is that my copy is also price clipped. Do you suppose someone deliberately clipped all the copies? My copy also has a remainder mark. Does yours? Incidentally, I paid $17.95, which might include S&H, about a year ago. Biomassbob 20:31, 15 February 2012 (UTC)


 * Yes, it's odd, but there's always the possibility that both copies were from discontinued stock. I purchased my copy sometime in the early 90s and it has the big red-ink remainder blot on the bottom edge of the pages. But damn, what a bad photo reproduction. No wonder they couldn't sell copies, even to libraries!  BTW, I just noticed it's part of Recognitions, a publication series, so I updated the record to add it to the series. Mhhutchins 20:39, 15 February 2012 (UTC)


 * I've added further notes, and found the price on the LCCN record of the LOC website. Also got a month of publication from Locus1. Mhhutchins 20:50, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

Yet more Habberfields
Hi, I found four more Habberfield covers for you. Seems to have been an endemic mistake with Mayflower / Grafton. --Dirk P Broer 19:05, 16 February 2012 (UTC)


 * See the notes I left on your and Bill Longley's talk pages. Mhhutchins 19:08, 16 February 2012 (UTC)

"Neveryóna", by Samuel Delany
You verified this first edition of this book, including a listed price of $7.95. My copy of this book lists the price as $6.95, with a Canadian price of $7.95. I'm guessing this was a transcription error (copied the wrong price), and not an indication of a different edition, so I've corrected the US price, and added the Canadian price. I've left this edit on the submission queue, in case I'm wrong. Chavey 23:08, 18 February 2012 (UTC)


 * It was a typo. Thanks for finding it.  I've accepted your submission. Mhhutchins 22:35, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

Spelling of Hans Hellmut Kirst
Hello! Has the name of the author been written really thus on your verified publications? Hans Helmut Kirst or is he spelled as Hans Hellmut Kirst? Thanks for your help! Rudam 07:55, 19 February 2012 (UTC)


 * I entered those pubs under the existing title record and didn't realize that his name was misspelled. My sources, Tuck and OCL, spell his name correctly.  I've corrected the author's name in both the pub records and the title records. Thanks. Mhhutchins 22:35, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

Alien Child
Just received an edition of [this], I think. The only difference in my copy from your description is that the top of the front flap is clipped, but the bottom is not. There are no internal markings one would expect from a library edition. Boards are black with silver lettering on the spine. Endpapers are orange. On the back of the jacket, bottom right, is a block containing "Trade ISBN 0-06-025202-2"; above are "Some reviews of Pamela Sargent's | EARTHSEED". Would you mind seeing if your copy is the same, and if so, is the difference in the clipping of the flap enough to say mine is the library edition? Thanks! --~ Bill, Bluesman 02:53, 23 February 2012 (UTC)


 * My copy differs in these ways: the boards are black and are quarter-bound in a lime-green cloth with black lettering on the spine; the endpapers are a forest green. The back of the dustjacket is the same as your description for the words "TRADE ISBN 0-06-025202-2" . The difference is that the bottom right corner of the front flap is clipped with the date code "0388" printed on the left side. "$13.95" (over) "Ages 12 Up" is printed at the top corner of the flap. I don't think library bindings have any internal markings.  There's the same statement on the copyright page for all bindings.  The differences are usually only in the binding. The pages are all printed from the same plates, making them the same edition, only a different state. Mhhutchins 03:10, 23 February 2012 (UTC)


 * Guess it's only after librarians get their mitts on them that all the damage is done!! ;-) Good enough, library binding it is! Thanks for checking.  --~ Bill, Bluesman 03:13, 23 February 2012 (UTC)

Lansdale review in Feb 2012 Locus
This review of Shadows West in the February 2012 Locus shows John Lansdale's middle initial as "R.", while other records show his initial as "L." Is that an error in the review or a typo on your part? Either way, I assume there should be some change so this blank author record goes away. BrendanMoody 10:56, 24 February 2012 (UTC)


 * The error is in the review. I'll correct the record.  Thanks for finding this. Mhhutchins 16:40, 24 February 2012 (UTC)

Byron Preiss' The Universe
Hello, Michael. In my edition of the above mentioned book are some slight changes to the edition you verified. As I think it quite probable that the pages and titles weren't moved around too much, you might want to take a second look at your copy:

1) The essay beginning on p. 13 begins on p. 12 in my edition.

2) The interior illustrations printed on pp. 146, 180, 244 and 270 are printed on pp. (n+1) for each of these illustrations in my copy.

3) The essay beginning on p. 98 has a differing title in my edition: instead of 'Supernovae: Creating ...' it is 'Supernovae: Creative ...' in my edition. Stonecreek 14:46, 25 February 2012 (UTC)


 * You're correct in all instances. I've made the changes to the record. Thanks for finding the errors.  I will also make the changes in the record from which I cloned mine.
 * I was surprised to see that your trade trade paperback edition has the same ISBN and date as my book club trade paperback edition. According to Locus1, the trade edition wasn't published until 1989, when the remaining sheets from the hardcover edition (the same basis as my edition) were rebound in a softcover. Even though it retained the same copyright page as the hardcover edition (giving the date as November 1987 and the ISBN as 0-553-05227-6), the real ISBN of this edition (0-553-34782-9) is printed on the cover. We have a record for that edition in the database. Could your copy be that first trade trade paperback that Locus1 lists? Mhhutchins 16:20, 25 February 2012 (UTC)


 * Now you got me on my false foot. I cloned the hardcover and didn't change the ISBN (but I thought I did). I've corrected the mistake. Thank you for finding this!


 * And, yes, this seems to be the first trade trade paperback that Locus1 lists. I'll change the date and delete the other one. Stonecreek 16:34, 25 February 2012 (UTC)


 * I added the cover artist and the cover image for your edition (both based on the assumption that it is the same as in the other two verified editions). Stonecreek 21:37, 25 February 2012 (UTC)


 * I couldn't find the cover credit. Where is it in your copy? It looks like a telescopic photograph. Mhhutchins 21:58, 25 February 2012 (UTC)


 * It surely is a telescopic photograph, but it is stated 'Cover photograph by David Malin' on the inside backcover of my copy. Maybe it's on the backflap of your edition, because it is preceded by a typical interior dustjacket text, including information on Preiss and Fraknoi. Stonecreek 18:29, 26 February 2012 (UTC)


 * The last text in my copy is on page 335 (inside back cover and facing page are blank). There's credit for the frontispiece under the "SECTION TITLE PAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS": "Photo credit: David Malin", but no credit for the cover. I'll let it stand as credited in a later printing with the identical cover. Thanks. Mhhutchins 18:36, 26 February 2012 (UTC)

Joe R. Lansdale's Night They Missed the Horror Show
You verified which contains Night They Missed the Horror Show and  which contains The Night They Missed the Horror Show. Should these be variants? Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 23:54, 25 February 2012 (UTC)


 * Yes, they're the same story. I've made one a variant of the other. Thanks. Mhhutchins 00:28, 26 February 2012 (UTC)

Guzman's Gardener Daughter
Hello Michael, maybe you could help to clear things up for me in a puzzling case. I have this novelette with the original title stated as Guzman's Gardener (copyrighted 1977). There is a title entry for Guzman's Gardener (copyrighted 1978) - but with no publication. Moreover, there is a novelette titled Guzman's Daughter in a publication verified by you (published 1978). In the back of my mind I have the notion that both novelettes are one and the same, but I can't lay my hands on the whereabouts of this information. Is perhaps any information stated in the Analog Yearbook? Stonecreek 19:11, 26 February 2012 (UTC)


 * It should be "Guzman's Gardener". Either I entered it incorrectly or I failed to notice the error when I verified the record that already had its contents (the more likely scenario).  I'll make the correction, and delete the stray record, so that you can variant your record against the properly titled one. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Mhhutchins 19:41, 26 February 2012 (UTC)


 * BTW, the story may have been copyrighted 1977, but wasn't published until March 1978. There may have been a delay in publication of the anthology in which it first appeared. Mhhutchins 19:45, 26 February 2012 (UTC)


 * I have also renamed the accompanying interior art by Jack Gaughan. One afterthought: Maybe the variant title 'Guzman's Daughter' was stated in the two preceding editions of the Analog Yearbook? Both are, alas, unverified, so this is to remain undecided for the time being. Stonecreek 14:32, 27 February 2012 (UTC)


 * It's not likely, so I changed them as well. (And Contento gives it as "Guzman's Gardener" as well.) Thanks for catching the accompanying interiorart record and correcting it. Mhhutchins 18:58, 27 February 2012 (UTC)

After the Fall - cover credit
I added the cover artist (and a note) from Jane Frank to your verified After the Fall. Thanks, --Willem H. 20:51, 26 February 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks for finding and adding the credit. Mhhutchins 20:54, 26 February 2012 (UTC)

Vi[c|k]tor R. Kemper
I was looking at Kemper and noticed two very similar names. Is there any chance the author of this review should be spelled with a "k" instead of a "c"? --MartyD 01:40, 28 February 2012 (UTC)


 * Nope, it was correctly entered as published. I've made it into a variant by "k". Thanks. Mhhutchins

Fanzines
Michael, are fanzines part of the data base? I looked for Amra and came up blank. Bob 21:54, 28 February 2012 (UTC)


 * Yes, they can be added to the db. If they're not here it's just because no one has created a record for them. Feel free to do it. Mhhutchins 22:02, 28 February 2012 (UTC)


 * There is a place holder for Amra on the Fanzines page, but no one has added any issues to it. Chavey 06:35, 29 February 2012 (UTC)

"The Angelic Avengers" by Pierre Andrezel/Karen Blixen
I wouldn't normally post a message about changing data in a non-primary verification, but I thought it possible that this deserved a note. You had Tuck-verified the 1947 Random House edition of "The Angelic Avengers" as a 304 page book. I just did a primary verification of this edition, and changed the page count to 402 pages. Meanwhile, I also did a primary verification of the 1946 Random House edition which was, in fact, a 304 page book. So it looks like the date and the page count came from two different editions. Chavey 06:00, 29 February 2012 (UTC)


 * When we've discovered that a secondary source is incorrect, it's good to note that so that someone won't come along and create another record based on that erroneous data, or bug you to recheck your primary source. For the record here's the entire Tuck listing for this title:


 * Angelic Avengers, The [as Pierre Andrezel] (Putnam, London, 1947, 303 pp., 10/6) (Random House, New York, 1947, 304 pp., $3.00) (Ace: K167, 1963, 252 pp., pa 50¢)


 * You can make of it what you will to update the pub note for the 1947 edition. Tuck's accomplishment is extraordinary, and the fact that he made some mistakes only proved that he was human. Thanks. Mhhutchins 06:12, 29 February 2012 (UTC)


 * I added a note about the Tuck error. Chavey 06:55, 29 February 2012 (UTC)

Dates of title records
I see you've brought up the issue of variants having different dates. I personally agree that there are cases where this is actively desirable so a new R&S discussion may be in order - I think some of the original reasons for "variants don't get their own dates" have been addressed by software changes and the help is out of date. BLongley 19:11, 29 February 2012 (UTC)

A related observation: I've been reworking some of the Fantascienza cover links, and as I've gone through them one-by-one (with the help of "Data Thief") I've been adjusting some titles: unmerge, make variant, change title language. In some cases there is a "Complete novel" SERIAL that could be adjusted directly for title and then language. But I'm not sure we've got the display right for "Magazine Appearances" that are also "Translations". I know you want "Translations" separated from all the other (mis)uses of variant titles, do you have an opinion on how translated serialisations under a pseudonym should appear? :-/ BLongley 19:11, 29 February 2012 (UTC)


 * P.S. Answer fairly soon, or the next question will be about the same with the translator being a pseudonym too! ;-) BLongley 19:13, 29 February 2012 (UTC)


 * I brought up the issue about translated serial titles awhile back, so I'm aware of the problem. It's outside of my expertise to suggest what may have caused the issue and what should be done to correct it. I would suggest perhaps that it work the same way as with the English titles: as a variant, and displayed the same way. Does it being pseudonymous make a difference? It doesn't for English titles. Everything is varianted to a single parent, regardless of the author field of the title record. It's the title record that's varianted, regardless of its author field.  Mhhutchins 19:44, 29 February 2012 (UTC)


 * Agreed, it's just the desired display that I'm asking about. We have "Magazine Appearances" and "also appeared as" or "only as by" in the displays and it should be fairly simple to derive a "Translations" section. It's just that when a variant falls into multiple categories ("as by pseudonym", "different language", "different title") I have no idea how people would like it presented. Maybe I should dummy up some screenshots to explain the perceived problem better. BLongley 12:06, 1 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Back to the question: how do we do this? I'm not the person to ask. I have absented myself from all further discussion about translated work and how they should be handled. Life's too short to have to deal with matters that are out of my control. And as I feel that very little of what I said made an impact (other than riling other editors), I've decided to keep a low profile in the matter. The only translated books I have are by Michael Bishop, and I have held off any attempt to add them until the muddied waters have become more clear.
 * As for the translator situation, I've pushed for adding more roles for quite some time. What to do with authors who are multi-taskers (both author and translator, e.g. Stableford), as well as the possibility of they're be pseudonymous, again that's beyond me. Mhhutchins 19:44, 29 February 2012 (UTC)


 * I have the beginnings of translator support coded: enough that people can record the translator(s) although I've not yet taken it to the stage where works the "author" has translated get their own section like Reviews and Interviews do. I'm waiting for Ahasuerus to catch up on the outstanding software changes. BLongley 12:06, 1 March 2012 (UTC)

A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire
Sorry, but I just entered Flammenaugen, the German edition of Bishop's first novel, before I read that you are waiting for further developments in software. I planned to enter some more of Bishop's German editions but will wait and let you do it, if you want to. Stonecreek 14:16, 1 March 2012 (UTC)


 * No problem here. Mhhutchins 16:12, 1 March 2012 (UTC)

The issue I had in mind was a different one, though: I'd like to put this novel into the Urban Nucleus sequence. While it's true that it isn't set anything near to Atlanta or Earth, the protagonist Gunnar Balduin (and his brother Peter) keep referring to the Nucleus quite often. Stonecreek 14:16, 1 March 2012 (UTC)


 * I don't believe it should be considered part of the Urban Nucleus series. It may be part of a "future history" that includes the UrNu stories, but so is Under Heaven's Bridge (with the same aliens, the Cygnostik, in A Little Knowledge, but renamed Kyber). And the Tropiards in A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire are in "The House of Compassionate Sharers" which posits a universe where space travel is controlled by the Glaktik Komm, and they train their pilots in "Blooded on Arachne". And then what do we do Eyes of Fire, the rewrite, which has nothing in it about the Urban Nucleus. When this version was republished, its name was changed back to the original title. I've spoken with the author about the UrNu sequence and he considers only the stories in Catacomb Years and the novel A Little Knowledge to be the only parts of the series. A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire, Under Heaven's Bridge, and the Glaktik Komm stories are only, at best, tangential to the series. Mhhutchins 16:07, 1 March 2012 (UTC)


 * I wonder if it may make sense to create an "Urban Nucleus Universe" super-series? Ahasuerus 05:45, 2 March 2012 (UTC)


 * I don't think so. The connections between the pieces are so tenuous it would really be pushing the definition of "series" to consider any story other than those set in Domed Atlanta. Mhhutchins 18:29, 2 March 2012 (UTC)

OK, that's fine for me. But what's with the other German editions? Shall I or shall I not? I'll be reading some of them in the nearer future as part of my reading program of neglected items (neglected by me, that is) and have the three preceding German novels already scanned. Flammenaugen was only the fourth title to be published by Heyne. Stonecreek 16:23, 1 March 2012 (UTC)


 * And there were at least 8 more Bishop novels to come from Heyne, and 2 collections by another German publisher. Feel free to create records. There are cover scans on the website for my Bishop bibliography. Feel free to upload those to the ISFDB as well, if it can save you some work. Mhhutchins 16:35, 1 March 2012 (UTC)


 * A question: what is the source for the November publication date of Flammenaugen? Mhhutchins 16:41, 1 March 2012 (UTC)


 * It's an extrapolation. I have the publication dates of Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy for the first half of 1981 from 'SF Perry Rhodan Magazin' (the magazine ceased publication with #6/81). This list included the numbers up to #3814. From 1/1982 the published sf was documented in 'Science Fiction Times'. The first number was #3855. Wolfgang Jeschke wrote in a retrospective anthology published for the 25th anniversary of Heyne Science Fiction that in 1981 six or seven titles were published in the series per month. So, there are uncertainties for #3842/3843, for example, but the issues central to the corridors can be put securely into the series chronology. Stonecreek 18:26, 1 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the explanation. ISFDB policy asks that you note the source of a date if it's not stated in the publication. Mhhutchins 18:33, 1 March 2012 (UTC)


 * You're right. Done. Stonecreek 19:09, 1 March 2012 (UTC)

The Golden Barge
Added an image to [this] verified record which already had the artist credited. Artwork is the same as [your] paperback edition. --~ Bill, Bluesman 04:21, 2 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks, I'll use it as a source to credit the cover of my book. Mhhutchins 18:30, 2 March 2012 (UTC)

Broken Amazon Image Links
As requested, here you go: -- JLaTondre (talk) 01:33, 5 March 2012 (UTC)
 * http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?7987
 * http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?40245
 * http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?40254
 * http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?196549
 * http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?262856


 * Thanks. I would have thought they'd be more. Is it possible to search for the records for which I'm the Primary2 verifier? Mhhutchins 02:37, 5 March 2012 (UTC)


 * One other request: can you write a script that finds which of my verified pubs do not have an image at all? Mhhutchins 03:32, 5 March 2012 (UTC)
 * The script is checking all primary verification types. It is only reporting cases where the Amazon webserver gives an error message stating the link is not valid. The low count may be luck or someone has edited publications to remove broken links. The script does not currently check the actual content returned by Amazon so there theoretically could be other issues that it's not looking for. If you do see any other issues, let me know and I'll see if they can be detected via script.
 * As of Saturday's database dump, you have 4695 verifications of which 2414 have ISFDB hosted image covers, 1262 have externally hosted image covers (these were the ones checked), and 1019 have no image covers. I can easily dump the ones with no covers, but that would be a long list to post here. Do you want me to email it to you, put it on a subpage, other? -- JLaTondre (talk) 12:08, 5 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the offer. I've created a sub-page here for you to dump the records. Much appreciation. Mhhutchins 19:52, 5 March 2012 (UTC)
 * No problem. Results posted. If additional data or filtering would make it more convenient, let me know and I'll see what I can do. -- JLaTondre (talk) 01:58, 6 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Looks fine. It should keep me busy for awhile. Thanks. Mhhutchins 02:20, 6 March 2012 (UTC)

I've updated the listing based on yesterday's database dump. While I normally wouldn't update it (if you ever do want one, just let me know), I added a check for 1x1 images (effectively broken) so I re-ran it with that (detected eight). -- JLaTondre (talk) 18:05, 18 March 2012 (UTC)

"Heroic Visions", ed. by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
You verified this edition of this book as a March 1983 publication, with a cover price of $2.95. I have an edition which also claims to be a March 1983 edition, but with a $2.75 cover price. Can you check whether this price is a typo, or whether we really have two different editions of this book? Thanks, Chavey 19:53, 5 March 2012 (UTC)


 * It's a typo from its original entry. I failed to catch it when I did this early verification of the record. It's been corrected and I've added my usual extended notes to the record. Thanks for catching this. Mhhutchins 20:40, 5 March 2012 (UTC)

Washington D.C.
I've noticed that you've changed Washington, D.C. to Washington, DC in more than a few places. It's officially Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia) with periods.--Rkihara 06:31, 7 March 2012 (UTC)


 * I saw that about 10 of the 75 or so persons born in the District had periods, while the remaining didn't. So I made them all consistent with the majority. Feel free to change them back. But don't forget to change the several thousand authors who were born in the "USA", not the official name of the United States of America. :) Mhhutchins 06:47, 7 March 2012 (UTC)


 * It would have been more correct to have said "formally," as our Capitol is formally written out as Washington, D.C., although leaving out the periods is acceptable. Uniformity is considered more important than using a preferred form, so were right when you made the change. The usual practice given in my style manual is to leave out the periods when abbreviating countries, so USA, UK, although U.S.A. is acceptable, as is US or U.S. or even U.S. of A.--Rkihara 20:40, 7 March 2012 (UTC)

Berkley Showcase, Vol. 2
I'm doing a Primary2 verification of your verified publication. The contents listing is an accurate reflection of the table of contents, but the ToC has minor disagreements in two places with the story title pages. The Karl Hansen story is listed as "Doll's Eyes" in the ToC, but as "Dolls' Eyes" on the title page, as well as the copyright page and the intro to the story. Reading the story, I conclude it should be "Dolls' Eyes", and changed it. (And to a college professor, the difference is large :-) The R. A. Lafferty story is listed as "Lord Torpedo Lord Gyroscope" in the ToC and on the copyright page, but "Lord Torpedo, Lord Gyroscope" (with the comma) on the title page. I added the comma, not that I'm convinced that's the way the title should be, but at least to abide by our title page rule. Chavey 07:48, 7 March 2012 (UTC)

Unknow, January 1940
Cover art is erronously attribued to Edd Cartier (ISBDF : Unknow, January 1940), it is by H. W. Scott in TOC or signed H W S on cover (Toc Unknow, January 1940). Can you recheck Miller/Contento and eventually put a note if the error is from Contento ? Thanks. ChanurBe 15:39, 7 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Miller/Contento credits H. W. Scott. I've corrected the record. Mhhutchins 16:12, 7 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks. ChanurBe 17:40, 7 March 2012 (UTC)

Held by Mhhutchins
What does it mean that two of my pending edits are "held by" you? Ofearna 05:06, 14 March 2012 (UTC)


 * It means the submissions haven't been accepted and as the moderator who is handling them, I'm place them on hold until I get a response to the messages I left on your talk page. Mhhutchins 06:16, 14 March 2012 (UTC)

de Lint's Calendar of Trees
This was a long poem, that was originally released as a chapbook with illustrations, then was included in Hedgework & Guessery and then again in Triskell Tales. Ofearna 17:30, 15 March 2012 (UTC)


 * They're all in the database already. Here, here, and here. What's the question? Mhhutchins 20:51, 15 March 2012 (UTC)

Die Dämonen von Shannara
About this German book. This is not a full variant of The Elfstones of Shannara, this is only 1/3 of this book (from Wikipedia, for example). BarDenis 19:33, 15 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Records for the other two can be varianted against the same title, just as multiple parts of a serial are varianted against a single title record. Mhhutchins 20:10, 15 March 2012 (UTC)


 * But there could be misunderstanding, is not it? Maybe this is one part of novel or variant of translation of full novel. BarDenis 20:34, 15 March 2012 (UTC)


 * That's what the note field is for: to record any differences or special circumstances. As I said, we handle serials the same way. For example: I Will Fear No Evil appeared as four parts in four different issues of a magazine. Each record has been varianted to the single title record for the whole novel. I don't see this as being much different. The software isn't so flexible that we can handle and display every circumstance in which a work may be published. So we have to adapt the entry of certain unusual publications into the database. If you feel the software doesn't handle this case very well, you can always request that the designers come up with a better way. You can make a feature request here. I'm not a software designer so I can't tell you how such a request could be implemented. Mhhutchins 20:45, 15 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Thank you. I think, note field is the best in this situation. BarDenis 21:21, 15 March 2012 (UTC)

Roger Sherman Hoar and his pseudos Ralph Milne Farley, Lt. John Pease, Lieut. John Pease
The problem is in Amazing Stories, October 1938. The story Horror's Head is writen by Roger Sherman Hoar as by ''Lieut. John Pease''. Roger Sherman Hoar, search in Wikipedia, use the pseudo of Ralph Milne Farley and this use the pseudo of Lt. John Pease. Can we do something to clarify this situation ? Thanks. ChanurBe 19:36, 15 March 2012 (UTC)


 * I've corrected it. It looks like someone (maybe the verifier?) varianted it to author's real name, even though it should have been varianted to the author's canonical name. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Mhhutchins 20:15, 15 March 2012 (UTC)
 * Thanks. ChanurBe 21:04, 15 March 2012 (UTC)

Comte de l'Avro
Comte de l'Avro appear in Unknown, June 1942 as writer (?) of The Key of Solomon the King. The essay is signet by Orval Graves. The Key of Solomon is writen in latin and attribued to King Solomon (see Wikipedia). Orval Graves was AMORC's Librarian during the 1930's and 1940's.(document pdf). The name of Comte de l'Avro appear also in Unknown, June 1943 as writer (?) of The Magus, see note here.

My theory : When you inverse the letter of Orval you obtain l'Avro. AMORC is a mystical society originaly from french, that explain the title Comte (probably Degree name). For me, Comte l'Avro is only the reviewer and a pseudo of Orval Graves. Can I apply this theory in ISBDF ? And if yes can you write a note in good english, I'm not so fluent in english to explain that. Thanks. ChanurBe 13:19, 16 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Do you believe the book actually exists? I could find no evidence on the internet. Based on the evidence you've given here, this is not a review, but a rather elaborate hoax. Especially the fact that the author of the book and the "reviewer" have inverted names. I'll change the "review" to an essay, and explain in a note. Thanks for discovering this odd "fact". Mhhutchins 16:15, 16 March 2012 (UTC)
 * The book exists! This is not a joke. There are two copies in Briths Library, but as all that concerns alchemy, magic (not the illusionisme), Kabale and sorcery, origin, authorship and dating is difficult to determine. For my part, I also prefer essay notion, review implicating a recent publication. I have also found the dates for Or~val Graves : 1908 ? - 1996.
 * I've made the changes. Please tell me what you think. I also discovered that Graves has a similar piece in Unknown, October 1941. I'm going to contact the verifier of that record to inform him of your discovery. I wonder how many readers of Unknown believed such the "reviews" were real? :> Mhhutchins 16:26, 16 March 2012 (UTC)
 * To comply with reality, I would prefer simply the mention of author's nameless title. Thanks.ChanurBe 19:11, 16 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Are you saying that there really is a book titled The Key of Solomon the King written by Comte de l'Avro? I can't find a record of it anywhere. Not even on the British Library site. There are books with this title written by S. L. M. Mathers. Is the by-line under the title of the book supposed to be the author of the article or the author of the book? If so, why is there a different name given at the end of the article? I'm thoroughly confused now. Mhhutchins
 * It's not easy to explain. There's three (or more ?) essay (or review) signed by Comte d'Avro just after the title in Unknow (October 1941, June 1942, June 1943), the two first are signed on bottom by Orval Graves. This books exist and don't confuse the book with the content that can be forgery. The three books are not written by Comte d'Avro. In my own database, I have code the three essays as written by Orval Graves as by Comte d'Avro. It's all I can say. ChanurBe 20:39, 16 March 2012 (UTC)


 * I'm going to leave it as an essay (instead of a review), because it appears to be more about the ancient book than about any current publication. I believe we should credit it to Orval Graves, and I've noted the byline in the record. I'll get with the verifiers of the other two issues to see if we can make the pieces conform. Mhhutchins 05:17, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

Riddle of Stars - SFBC edition
I've got an SFBC edition of by Patricia A. McKillip, but the gutter code on page 603, in my copy, is "O35" which isn't mentioned in the notes for the book. I checked the Gutter Codes to see that O is for 1984 (and 35 is August). Should I add in a note about "O35" being a known reprint code? My copy has the same 5790 SFBC #, so it's not a new edition. Should it also get added to the Riddle of Stars entry in the SFBC chart? Thanks :) AndonSage 04:42, 20 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Sure. Just add the new gutter code in an update to the pub record. (You can show that "Primary3 verified" after the code.) And you can also add the code to the listing of the book on the SFBC selections list. Mhhutchins 05:05, 20 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Done! :) I also had to add a note that the SFBC # 5790 is only on the back dustjacket on my copy. AndonSage 05:53, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

de Lint's The Little Country -- foreign versions
I've tried to add (hope I did it right!) three foreign language versions (Spanish & two German) of The Little Country, but can't find the n~ for Pequeno and suspect (having my brother check) that the two German are the book split. He probably won't get back to me until at least tomorrow. So, once they're added I can add cover images, publisher, etc.? Ofearna 06:22, 20 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Another moderator handled the submissions and left a message on your talk page. Mhhutchins 17:39, 20 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Still need help with symbol/characters like the n+~ (n-ye)? Ofearna 22:57, 20 March 2012 (UTC)


 * That's not an ISFDB issue, but a keyboard entry one. Bookmark http://alt-codes.org/list/. For the letter ñ, hold down the ALT key and type 164. Mhhutchins 07:19, 21 March 2012 (UTC)

Pairs of Poems in "The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror"
In your verified 13th Annual Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, there are a pair of poems by Bill Lewis on pp. 465-467: "The Beast; The Hedge". These two poems have a single title page, with only boldface listings for the individual poems. We have the poems listed separately in the Contents, with no entry for the combined listing. In your verified 14th Annual edition of that series, there is a pair of poems by Carol Ann Duffy on pp. 195-197 "Circe and Little Red-Cap" which are structured in exactly the same way (single title page and two boldface titles). However, here we have them listed in our contents together, without separate listings for the two poems. This difference reflects the way they are listed in their respective ToC's, but we claim that the title pages override the ToC, so it seems they should be entered the same way -- although I'm not sure which way. Thoughts? Chavey 12:15, 20 March 2012 (UTC)


 * There should be a record for each poem, regardless of how they're listed in the TOC. I'll split the record for the Duffy poems into two records. Mhhutchins 16:42, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

"The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror", #15 &amp; 16
I've corrected three small errors in the listing for your verified edition of this book: (1) The page # for "To Dream of White Horses" was corrected from 39 to 38; (2) The page # for "Cleopatra Brimstone" was corrected from 307 to 308; (3) The spelling of Liz Lochhead's name (story on p. 472) was corrected from Lockhead. Chavey 15:27, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

Also, in Vol. 16, I corrected the page count from 561 to 564 (assuming my 1st printing and your 3rd are the same here) and corrected the spelling of "Luis Alberto Urrea" (story on p. 356) from "Albert". Can you tell which part of my collection I'm currently working on :-) With reference to my note before this one, Vol. 16 has "Five Poems" by Margaret Lloyd, listed just like the examples in #13 &amp; 14 (one title page, 5 bold titles), except that here the ToC lists only the one combined entry, while we list the five poems separately. Chavey 16:36, 20 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks for correcting the errors. As for how the Lloyd poems are entered, that was explained in the previous message. There are going to be other such cases throughout the database where a group title was used. If you find any, don't hesitate to change them to individual records. Mhhutchins 17:26, 20 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Will do; I know I've run across that before, and wasn't sure how to handle it. Also, continuing to Vol. 19, I corrected the spelling of Max Schäfer (story on p. 231) from Schaefer, creating that spelling as a variant. Chavey 17:44, 20 March 2012 (UTC)


 * It wasn't necessary to create a variant. There is no record in the database of the story published as by "Max Schaefer". Just changing the spelling would have been the correct approach. Mhhutchins 18:04, 20 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Never mind. There are other records in the db. I didn't follow the link from the "Schaefer" name. BTW, you need to create a pseudonym. Mhhutchins 18:20, 20 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the reminder; I got the pseudonym. Last book in the series that I own: Vol. 20 had the first essay listed as by Kelly Link and Gavin Grant. The second author was credited as "Gavin J. Grant", so I corrected that. Chavey 18:54, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

Clash by Night
Hi! Could you please check page count in this verified pub. Mine has 8 roman-numbered pages at the beginning, making it viii+215. Could you please also add other prices to notes. Cheers, P-Brane 03:59, 21 March 2012 (UTC).


 * That one's packed away at the moment. Give me some time and I'll pull it out. In the meantime, if you're working from a copy of the same edition, feel free to do a primary verification and then update the record. And add the other prices if you like. I don't believe other prices are important and nothing in the ISFDB standards requires an editor to add them to the record. Mhhutchins 07:25, 21 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks! Other prices are quite useful for Hamlyns: the set of countries for which they put prices have been changing over time, so it can be used for (relative) dating of pubs. Cheers, P-Brane 09:59, 21 March 2012 (UTC).

Heaven Sent
ISBN 0-88677-656-2

I have a cover image from amazon or I can scan it... you verified it without it. cover image for Heaven Sent Ofearna 06:46, 22 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Verification of a record doesn't require adding or linking the cover image. (See this help page on how to verify records.) Feel free to link the image file to the pub. There's a notice at the top of my page with a link to a page for you to post the adding or linking of images to any of my primary verified records. Thanks. Mhhutchins 20:04, 22 March 2012 (UTC)

Polyphony, 6
I'd love to verify, but my copy is ARC and the page numbers don't match up. Oddly all the other ARCs I have don't change by that many pages (I have 347 pages of stories, page 349 as "About the Editors" and 351-352 as "Other Titles available from Wheatland Press"). My copy of Polyphony 3 ARC lined up perfect with the official release, they just used thinner paper and the binding was better. Ofearna 06:57, 22 March 2012 (UTC)


 * You should not verify the record unless you have the commercially available publication. Mhhutchins 20:00, 22 March 2012 (UTC)

Halloween
In the new Halloween http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?357518 I see 3 possible problems I see before I can verify: 1) page 60 the poem is as "The Young Tamlane" 2) page 137 the story is as by Esther M. Friesner (not Esther Friesner 3) page 260 the poem is as "Ulalume: A Ballad"


 * You may not have noticed that the record hasn't been verified. So please make any changes to make it match your copy. You will have to remove the mistitled or miscredited records (use the "Remove Titles from This Pub" function). Mhhutchins 21:04, 22 March 2012 (UTC)


 * They were all three previously published. "Ulalume" has been published with title about half-a-dozen different ways!, The Young Tamlane is an aka on the title record.  ISFDB says I can't edit colored/grayed out info. Ofearna 22:08, 22 March 2012 (UTC)


 * I know that. That's the reason I told you to remove the mistitled or miscredited records, not to edit them. And I told you how to remove them. Mhhutchins 22:56, 22 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Done it! looks great, I verified it. Ofearna 17:09, 23 March 2012 (UTC)

Mauren Kincaid Speller / Maureen Kincaid Speller
Hallo Mark, You've verified a copy of Interzone, #230 September-October 2010, containing a review of The Reapers Are the Angels by Mauren Kincaid Speller. Can you please check wheter that is a typo in the magazine for Mareen Kincaid Speller?.--Dirk P Broer 01:29, 23 March 2012 (UTC)

Paper Tiger Miniatures
I was gonna add the other 5 Paper Tiger Miniatures (starting with RM/Rodney Matthews). You'd approved TW/Tim White, so I tried just cloning it, but it has in the contents, the TW book. Do I wait for approval THEN remove the content? Or should I not be using the clone publication link? Ofearna 17:13, 23 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Again, these questions should be asked at the Help Desk before you go through all of the time and effort to create a record. (I'm not going to always be around, so you may get help faster by posting your question on a community page.)
 * And no, you should not clone a record from a different publication. Cloning automatically links the newly-created record with the title record of the one you cloned from. Not only are the contents transferred, but the new pub record will be listed under the title record of the old one along with its publications. Mhhutchins 18:33, 23 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks. I've added the first 3... 2 more to go! Ofearna 07:08, 25 March 2012 (UTC)

The Wanderer
Does your copy of [this] also list the first US and Canadian printings? If not then the copy I just picked up needs its own record, if so I'll just add a verification to the existing record. Thanks! --~ Bill, Bluesman 17:42, 24 March 2012 (UTC)


 * I've added notes to give further data about the publication. Mhhutchins 18:38, 24 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Thank you! Scanned in a new image. --~ Bill, Bluesman 18:48, 24 March 2012 (UTC)

Noble Cause - 2 title records?
Why were two title records created for "Noble Cause" by Dan McGirt? The title numbers are 1411791 and 1411792. Was it something I did when adding the novel, or just a bug? If it was me, what did I do wrong? BTW, the publication record for only points to the first title record, 1411791. Thanks. AndonSage 05:07, 25 March 2012 (UTC)

Hmmm... it appears two content records were created, and the second one points to the second title record. I guess I shouldn't have added a content line when adding the novel? AndonSage 05:11, 25 March 2012 (UTC)

Looking at the publication record, I deleted one of the title records, hopefully the right one :) It was the one that was NOT the container record. AndonSage 05:13, 25 March 2012 (UTC)


 * I've responded to this message three times and each time I've got an edit conflict. Next time I just won't be so fast to respond to a message left on my talk page. So I'm going to repeat my last response here without any regard to what you may or may not have done in the meantime:
 * Yes. You should not add a novel content record for a NOVEL type publication record. The system automatically creates a content record for each new record (it becomes the linking title record). You'll have to do a "Remove Titles from This Pub" submission. Once that's accepted, you'll have to delete the extraneous title record. Mhhutchins 05:17, 25 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Submission accepted. Now delete the extra record or merge the two into one. Either way it doesn't matter. Mhhutchins 05:18, 25 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Done. Sorry for the mixup :( AndonSage 05:32, 25 March 2012 (UTC)

Amazing Stories, September 1989
There's a cover for at  -- which you verified already. ^_^ Ofearna 08:04, 25 March 2012 (UTC)


 * As I've mentioned before, and in the note at the top of my talk page, please feel free to make a submission to link the cover image to any of my verified pub records, and leave a message on the page that I've linked to in the note. Thanks. Mhhutchins 14:03, 25 March 2012 (UTC)

Enchantment by Boris & Doris Vallejo
you've placed my edit to Enchantment on hold. The change I made was to add Boris Vallejo as author, not just as cover artist b/c the book is by both of them... the cover at shows stories by Doris Vallejo, illustrations/art by Boris Vallejo. Ofearna 21:47, 26 March 2012 (UTC)


 * You should leave a note on each of the two verifiers letting them know how you feel about the title. They should have an input into the decision since they have primary verified two of the publication records. Mhhutchins 21:49, 26 March 2012 (UTC)


 * His discussion page has Willem as unavailable/hospital. I'll ask BLongley what they think... Ofearna 06:32, 27 March 2012 (UTC)


 * I think leaving Boris as "merely" illustrator is technically correct by current rules. But I could be persuaded to allow exceptions for books that are predominately artwork. BLongley 11:52, 27 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Credit on the cover, or even the title page for the illustrator of a book of fiction has never been considered a factor in determining whether the artist gets author credit. (I have dozens of books in which the illustrator is credited on the title page.) Now if it were just artwork with "fictive" captions, I'd consider giving the illustrator credit as author. I've removed my hold on the submission and will let a moderator who has verified the book to determine whether it is an artbook with words, or a collection of short stories with illustrations. Mhhutchins 14:40, 27 March 2012 (UTC)


 * I agree with both (Bill and Michael) of you. The book is presented as a collection by Doris Vallejo, illustrated by Boris. The database should (and does) reflect this. --Willem H. 15:59, 9 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks, Willem. I hope you're feeling better. Mhhutchins 16:06, 9 April 2012 (UTC)

Saraband of Lost Time
has a cover image by Jim Burns at Amazon isbn/asin 0380895331. Can I add it/credit Jim Burns? Ofearna 07:55, 27 March 2012 (UTC)


 * You can link the Amazon image to the record. But where did you get the Burns credit? Mhhutchins 16:25, 27 March 2012 (UTC)


 * There is name on the image itself. BarDenis 17:45, 27 March 2012 (UTC)


 * That part was cut-off of the image as reproduced on the book's cover. I'll record the source in the record's note field. Ofearna, please read the message I left on your talk page concerning the use of the Notification page and ISFDB etiquette when it comes to changing data in verified records. Mhhutchins 05:34, 28 March 2012 (UTC)


 * I posted this here about 36 hrs before making the change, in case you wanted to do it yourself, since you're the verifier. I have the Jim Burns art books and this image was in one of them (well, actually two of them).Ofearna 17:19, 28 March 2012 (UTC)


 * And within that same 36 hours I waited for you to respond to my question. How easy would it have been if you had? I'm just asking that you follow ISFDB policy. Whenever you post on another editor's talk page, you should check the "Watch this page" box and then go to your watchlist to see if you've had a response. Why ask a question and not make the effort to see if it has a response? Mhhutchins 17:40, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Occhi di fuoco ISBN
I have found the ISBN of this pub you verified in Ernesto catalog. It says "ISBN 88-429-0185-7 (ass. Jun. 1993)". I do not know if change the record or add in notes or both. --Pips55 22:39, 29 March 2012 (UTC)


 * In 1993, Nord went back and assigned ISBNs to their catalog, even the ones they'd published years before and with no intention of ever reprinting them. I'll add it to the note field, but would be very much against placing the number in the ISBN field. We're talking about the actual publication, and adding the number would entice editors to create new records for copies that are not numbered. Mhhutchins 22:48, 29 March 2012 (UTC)

New Legends June 1996: hc or tp?
Hello, Michael! I'm just wondering about your verified pub. I'd think I have the same, but mine is definitely a tp. Is it better to submit a new publication or was it an error (which happens still quite often to all of us)? Stonecreek 19:05, 30 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Yes, it was an error and I've corrected it. Thanks for finding it. Mhhutchins 19:12, 30 March 2012 (UTC)


 * You're welcome. I have also added some notes on the sections the stories are grouped in and the OCLC no. And I wonder where the cover art credit is from. I always suspected John Harris, but never was quite sure. Stonecreek 19:58, 30 March 2012 (UTC)


 * I'm not sure if it were already in the record when I verified it. Locus1 credits it to John Harris. I'll add that source to the record. Mhhutchins 20:08, 30 March 2012 (UTC)

Science Fiction of the Thirties
The other day I realized that we have records for, , and even  (sic). I was going to set up VTs and pseudonyms, but then I noticed that there is a difference between the way you listed Dold's INTERIORART records in your verified version of Science Fiction of the Thirties and the way Swfritter did it in his. We probably want to merge these records before we start setting up VTs, so I figured that I should let you know since Stephen is not around at the moment. Ahasuerus 04:13, 2 April 2012 (UTC)


 * I've reconciled the titles by Dold in the pub two records of the anthology, and have made them, along with other titles by "Elliot Dold" into variants by . I leave varianting the records by other forms of the name to you, including . BTW, you have to use the alternative form of the Author template in order to link names containing commas. Mhhutchins 12:52, 4 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks! Dold was more prolific that I thought. He apparently concentrated on interior illustrations, which I tend to ignore unless they are by Finlay. Oh well, something to do when the brain is incapable of engaging in more complex activities :) We do need an option to "change all titles by author X into VTs of author Y", though. Ahasuerus 02:18, 7 April 2012 (UTC)

The Worthing Saga and Capitol
Hello, Michael. I have a copy of The Worthing Saga that I'd like to clone, but I came across a couple of problems with it. Since you are the originating verifier for both and  can you check on these two items? One: That the Author's Introduction begins on page ix and not xi as stated in the pub listing of The Worthing Saga, and Two: That this title appears in the ToC of The Worthing Saga, and this title appears on the story title page, and also in Capitol. If it is what I think it is, the first is an easy fix and the second, the title can be merged. --John L.-- Syzygy 01:31, 6 April 2012 (UTC)


 * I've corrected the pagination in and merged the title records for And What Will We Do Tomorrow?. Thanks for bringing these to my attention. Mhhutchins 13:14, 6 April 2012 (UTC)
 * No problem. I see you also caught the unzeroed pub dates on a couple of the reprints. I would agree that method wouldn't fly, especially if an edition has many reprints. Another edition could be published one month after the first printing of the former, and you might have to scroll down 30+ listings before you came to it!. However, I do like the idea that ordering the reprints numerically might be helpful so that it would be easier to look for. Would it be a problem for the db if pubs were listed 0000-xx-nn, where x represents the edition of a certain publisher and nn represents the reprint of that edition, starting with -02? I just wanted an opinion as to whether or not to post this as a general discussion, or if something like this is even possible. --John L.-- Syzygy 14:18, 6 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Feel free to start any discussion that you feel worthy. I personally believe a field should not serve two purposes, and that the method you describe of assigning a printing to the date field is too much of a burden for a field that was designed for one purpose. This is a display problem, and it shouldn't be solved by tinkering with another field. (The same editor who came up with another method of adding printing numbers to the date field tried using the publisher field to solve the problem, to pretty bad results, IMHO.) There were discussions about creating a new field for printing numbers, and that would solve the problem entirely. One of the ISFDB's biggest problems is our lack of software developers, and the two we have are burdened with the current workload. Mhhutchins 14:38, 6 April 2012 (UTC)
 * That's what I suspected. I'll shelve this idea for a later date, when I'm more familiar with it's operations. --John L.-- Syzygy 14:59, 6 April 2012 (UTC)

David Schleinkoffer
In, the cover artist is credited as "David Schleinkoffer". Is it actually that way in the publication or is it a typo of (single "f")? Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 16:27, 7 April 2012 (UTC)


 * That one's stored away. Give me some time and I'll dig it out. Mhhutchins 16:32, 7 April 2012 (UTC)


 * The record is correct. The artist is credited as "David Schleinkoffer". I've made the cover art record into a variant, and made "David Schleinkoffer" a pseudonym of David Schleinkofer. Mhhutchins 23:36, 7 April 2012 (UTC)

Tranfiguration / Death and Designation Among the Asadi
Hi, I would like to know if you can help me to solve this problem concerning Cosmo Collana di Fantascienza 170, Il segreto degli Asadi, given your extensive knowledge of everything Bishop. Fantascienza.com states that the original pub which was translated is Death and Designation Among the Asadi, but the page count is suspect. A check on Ernesto catalog showed that the real original is Transfiguration, which seems to me more probable, so I submitted the entry with Ernesto data. Do you happen to own a copy of the pub, in order to check the copyright page ? Thanks in advance.--Pips55 22:59, 8 April 2012 (UTC)


 * I've already updated the record, adding a new cover image and notes, and varianted it to the novel Transfigurations. Fantascienza.com is incorrect that this is a translation of the novella "Death and Designation Among the Asadi". It's a translation of the novel, which is not an expansion of the novella, as the novella is completely reprinted as the prologue of the novel. Mhhutchins 23:02, 8 April 2012 (UTC)

Feist book
Checking your memory! I came across a discussion [maybe a month ago] about a Feist title that apparently is worth quite a few dollars [even the SFBC edition]. There is a local bookstore that has a few Feist titles, possibly one of the valuable ones. Bookstores are disappearing at an alarming rate, especially the marginal ones. If the young lady running this particular one has such an edition I'd like to tell her that, but I can't remember the title or the editor with whom you had the discussion. Any help ...?? --~ Bill, Bluesman 00:22, 11 April 2012 (UTC)


 * I may be on the road to decrepitude, but I still remember the discussion. Here it is. Mhhutchins 03:00, 11 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Thank you! And it's not really decrepitude, just entropy catching us all!! ;-))  --~ Bill, Bluesman 23:52, 11 April 2012 (UTC)

Frederik Pohl's New Scientist "Mars at the British Ass."
Please see this discussion. Thanks. -- JLaTondre (talk) 12:54, 15 April 2012 (UTC)

Susan A. Shwartz
I wonder if who wrote this review in your verified Science Fiction Review, Winter 1981 may be, aka ? Ahasuerus 18:05, 15 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Issues of SF Review are stored away. Give me a day to get them. Mhhutchins 03:40, 16 April 2012 (UTC)


 * The record is correct as entered. I've made a pseudonym and variant. Suppose we should be grateful it's only a wrong middle initial. On the contents page, she's credited as "Susan A. Schwartz"! Mhhutchins 02:40, 17 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks! And yes, I have seen her last name misspelled "Schwartz" more than a few times. Ahasuerus 19:49, 24 April 2012 (UTC)

Grendel (a year late)
You wrote:

You give both Murray Tinkelman and Emil Antonucci in the cover artist field of this pub, but note that the cover is by Tinkelman and the interior art is by Antonucci. If this is true, only Tinkelman's name should be in the cover artist field

Tinkelman is the exclusive artist for the cover of this edition of the book. I dont remember exactly how i entered the data originally, but i know this fact to be correct (based on owned copy of book). dont even know if this was corrected yet. i am very new to ISFD, and only add sporadically. thanks for writing me.Mercurywoodrose 01:00, 17 April 2012 (UTC)


 * I've removed Antonucci from the cover credit, leaving only Tinkelman. Thanks. Mhhutchins 02:03, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

Fantasy Book, March 1986
I added two items to the contents for this pub http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?257682. You missed one illustrator and there is an attributable letter to the editor in the editorial. Bob 19:33, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

My early publications
These are amongst my earliest publications, and they _are_ problematic, not least because LGF gives book multiple (easily 5+, I have briefly mentioned it on their publisher page) printing/editions in the collection with the same ISBN (but many different covers) and virtually no indication of date. It is frequent to give on French books a date of printing (for the item itself, Denoël does this, for example), but these do not.

The Fourmis books have legal deposit dates of 2004 (but I have no idea what the legal deposit law is in France, for all I know they have to make a deposit for each printing) plus a number "Édition XX" (ranging between 11 and 29 for these three books, i's absent from the Bilbo one), which I have _no_ idea whether it refers to an "édition" or a "tirage" (printing). The Bilbo book has a legal deposit date of 2002.

Figuring out precise dates in French publishing is always hairy, and I was not all that experienced when I entered that data. Circeus 22:10, 20 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the info, but it would have been better to have responded on the page on which the inquiry was first made. This helps avoid the ping-pong effect of having to go back and forth between the two pages just to figure out what you're talking about.
 * Now to respond to your response. If you're unable to determine the date of a publication, regardless of the country in which it was published, you should zero out the date as 0000-00-00, and provide further data in the note field to explain the lack of a date. You should not guess unless you have a substantial secondary source which you can then note as the source of the date. It's impossible for a book "printed" (not published) in 1989 to have a stated price in euros. When you get a chance please update the records that I brought to your attention. (How about the format of the first one? Is it truly "tp", meaning ore than 18 cm tall?) Mhhutchins 23:28, 21 April 2012 (UTC)
 * The "tp" thing is either a typo or my misunderstanding the description when I entred the data. I'll try to update as much as I can. Circeus 02:04, 22 April 2012 (UTC)

Rendezvous with Rama - Gutter Code Page
I was wondering if you knew of many examples where the page with the gutter code on it 'shifts' between printings? My new (to me) copy of has a gutter code of I24 on page 213, but the notes on the verified pub indicate prior gutter codes appeared on page 211. If this is as uncommon as I think it is, could you please check your copy? - Thanks Kevin 13:44, 21 April 2012 (UTC)


 * It's not common, but I've seen it happen, in at least two cases. (I've not kept an actual count.) Make sure to note in the record's note field the page number on which the gutter code appears and to note that as being verified. Thanks. Mhhutchins 23:34, 21 April 2012 (UTC)

Thrilling SF - June 1973
Can you check your June 1973 copy of  to see that the cartoon by Frosty appears on page 130 and not page 117 as stated in the pub listing. Thanks. --John-- Syzygy 14:17, 21 April 2012 (UTC)


 * As a personal preference, I don't enter content records for cartoons, so someone must have added that after I verified the record (and never told me). That particular issue is buried deep in storage, so please proceed to update the record to change the page number. If the moderator who handles it questions the change let them know that you've messaged me about it. Thanks. Mhhutchins 23:37, 21 April 2012 (UTC)
 * I'm on it and I'll leave a message for the moderator. Syzygy 23:48, 21 April 2012 (UTC)

Spectrum
I started working on the myriad Spectrum content submissions, but after a handful I realized I don't know enough to deal with all of them properly. Sorry. If you'd rather I keep/kept going with them and deal with the finer details on a further pass, let me know. --MartyD 12:07, 23 April 2012 (UTC)


 * I've accepted the ones that were OK, rejected the others and made edits to make the interiorart records consistent with ISFDB standards. Mhhutchins 15:30, 23 April 2012 (UTC)


 * I see the editor has started on Volume 17, and has chosen to go a different direction with titling records than he did with the earlier volumes. I'm going to allow other moderators the opportunity to work them. Mhhutchins 16:26, 23 April 2012 (UTC)

Locus, #378 July 1992
In this pub interview title may be "Connie Willis: Talking Back to Shakespeare" (with last 'e'). BarDenis 18:40, 24 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Finally got a chance to pull out that issue and saw that I'd misspelled the title. Thanks for finding this. (BTW "Shakespear" was one of the more common spellings of the playwright's name in his lifetime!) Mhhutchins 22:35, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

Fanzine vs. Magazine
I was looking at the Editorial in Whispers #8, where Schiff noted he had won the World Fantasy Award for his publication of Whispers (for 1975) at the World Fantasy Convention. I looked up those awards in Locus on line. Schiff won for Whispers in 1975, 1977 and 1985, and was nominated in 1979 and 1980 as well. In the category of "Special Award - Non-Professional". Further, Paul Ganley was nominated for the same award for Weirdbook every year between 1978 and 1987, plus in 1992; he won in 1987 and 1992. Neither man/'zine was ever nominated for "Special Award - Professional". So, professional magazines? A lot of people don't seem to agree. Bob 20:03, 25 April 2012 (UTC)


 * There's nothing in the ISFDB category "magazine" that implies "professional". It's a periodical publication. In fact, until a few years ago, there wasn't even a category for "fanzine" because they weren't allowed into the database.
 * The World Fantasy "Special Award - Professional" isn't an award for periodical publications at all. It's given to individuals. Whispers would not have qualified for it even it published 100,000 copies and paid a dollar a word. The award that Schiff was nominated for (and won a couple of times) is for "individuals for outstanding non-professional work in the fantasy field." He was a full-time dentist and worked only part-time as an editor (thus non-professional). This had nothing to do with Whispers status as a magazine. To argue otherwise is illogical.
 * Whispers, Weirdbook, and Fantasy Book are magazines, regardless of the category in which an award places them. Nothing you're going to say is going to convince me otherwise. Besides, the point is moot as far as I'm concerned. That's a decision between those editors who do primary verifications of the records. Mhhutchins 20:25, 25 April 2012 (UTC)


 * I notice these nominations and awards are not listed, either under the pub name or under the person's name. Should they be?  If so, how is that done? Bob 18:51, 26 April 2012 (UTC)


 * The ISFDB award system was designed to link to title records. They can't be linked to persons. (The award was for Schiff, not for Whispers.)  There may be plans to do so, but it can't be done unless the software is changed. Mhhutchins 19:07, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Sentiment by Robert E. Howard
You've rejected my edit of this title: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?534337 suggesting that I discuss it with the Primary Verifier, but according to Bob the PV is no longer active, as per this message: http://www.isfdb.org/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Nimravus#The_Howard_Collector Advice, please Nimravus 22:20, 25 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Click on the title record and you'll see that there are two verified publications of this title. You verified the second (The Howard Collector, Ace 1979). The first was verified by Bob (The Howard Collector V2n3, Spring 1967). What I meant by my rejection is that you should discuss with him whether the piece ("Sentiment") was fiction or not. I will accept whatever decision you both make.


 * BTW, have you had the chance to reconcile the differences between the Ace collection and the pieces that were first published in the fanzine? I think that was the point of Bob's original message. He was incorrect to not think of you as a primary verifier. Just because you were the second verifier doesn't lessen your position as a primary verifier. Thanks. Mhhutchins 22:31, 25 April 2012 (UTC)

The World West of Eden • essay by Harry Harrison
Are You sure that the essay from this pub is the same with appendix from Return to Eden? BarDenis 19:13, 26 April 2012 (UTC)


 * I'm pretty sure it's not the same, because I verified both the hardcover edition of the book and the magazine containing this article. Someone must have saw the two identical titles and merged them without consulting any of the verifiers. I'll unmerge them and leave notes so that they won't be merged again. Thanks for finding this. Mhhutchins 19:21, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Little, Big
You verified this first edition. The notes state: "Verified copy does not have a printed price". My copy has the price (US and Canadian) on the backcover (top right, vertical along the spine). I added a note about this. Thanks, --Willem H. 19:43, 28 April 2012 (UTC)


 * That's great. Thanks for adding it. I've always wondered if there were printings which were explicitly priced. For the life of me, I can't recall where exactly I purchased my copy, but I'm 90% sure it wasn't a book club...and it was contemporaneous with the first edition. I remember reading it at the time the book was first published, so it's not a reprint. One puzzle solved, several thousand more to work on... Thanks. Mhhutchins 19:48, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

"Time of the Fourth Horseman", by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
I was doing a Primary2 verification of this book, verified by you, and noticed an interesting coincidence on the back of this DJ. The first two review blurbs are both written by non-conventional men: The first is by Frank M. Robinson, the first openly gay SF writer that I'm aware of; and the second is by James Tiptree, Jr., from back in the days when we still thought he was a "he". And I couldn't resist telling someone :-) Chavey 04:48, 29 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Interesting. I've not read the novel, so I don't whether there's something there that may have drawn Yarbro and/or the publisher to ask for blurbs from these two particular authors. Mhhutchins 15:53, 29 April 2012 (UTC)

Dell Abyss
Would you mind chiming in on this note with anything relevant you know about "Dell Abyss"? You have verified and, both of which use that as publisher. Thanks. --MartyD 10:41, 29 April 2012 (UTC)

Weirdbook
FYI, I contacted Paul Ganley and asked him if he considered Weirdbook a fanzine or professional magazine. Here's his reply. W. Paul Ganley: Publisher/Bookseller	8:29pm Apr 29 Hey yourself ! ---

Well, I had published a true fanzine (FAN-FARE, featuring fan fiction) in the early 1950's... so when I began to plan WEIRDBOOK, in 1967/68, I thought of it as more of a semiprofessional magazine. I'm not sure if I invented the term semiprozine, or if it was already extant! Many of the contributors were professionals. Only I was truly the amateur!

As time passed, as I published books, I guess I became a professional in spite of myself, at least nominally, since I had in effect created a sideline business.

Paul

Bob 15:38, 30 April 2012 (UTC)