User talk:Orcolat

Welcome!

Hello, Orcolat, and welcome to the ISFDB Wiki! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are some pages that you might find helpful:

• Help pages
• Field-by-field guide to entering new publications into the database
• Help:Getting Started
• What the ISFDB Wiki is for
• FAQ
• Wiki editing help - Tips on how to use the wiki-specific features when editing wiki pages.
• Wiki Conventions - How things are usually done on this wiki.
• Help:How to upload images to the ISFDB wiki

Note: Image uploading isn't entirely automated. You're uploading the files to the wiki which will then have to be linked to the database by editing the publication record.

Please be careful in editing publications that have been primary verified by other editors. See Help:How to verify data#Making changes to verified pubs. But if you have a copy of an unverified publication, verifying it can be quite helpful. See Help:How to verify data for detailed information.

I hope you enjoy editing here! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will insert your name and the date. If you need help, check out the community portal, or ask me on my talk page. Again, welcome! Hauck 10:00, 15 February 2016 (UTC)

Axiomatic

Hello, I've approved your submission. As it seems that you own a copy of the book, please think of becoming its primary verifier.Hauck 10:06, 15 February 2016 (UTC)

Hello Hauck. How quick! Thanks.

Yes, I have the book and I'd perform primary verification in a shortwhile.

I have a doubt however: the record was for 1998-07-00 and all the details but this fit, i.e. I cannot find a reference to July as the month of publishing in the printed version I have. It simply states reprinted 1998. (Orcolat)

A secondary source was likely used but not given (bad idea) probably locus or worse amazon. In such cases, I add a note along the lines of "origin of pub month unknown, none on book". Hauck 10:47, 15 February 2016 (UTC)

Lazarus Long l'immortale (1987)

I uploaded a bad-phone-camera-taken scan of the cover due to actual scanner not working. I'll replace it asap. --Orcolat 10:03, 16 February 2016 (UTC)

I also have a note for the missing ISBN and price warnings of this reprint: there are none on the book, definitely. Don't know how to cope with this. --Orcolat 10:05, 16 February 2016 (UTC)

Just a short hint: It's better to address issues like that on the help page or on the talk/discussion page of a distinct editor (that way that person gets the message of new content - placed on your talk page a new note might be easily overlooked). If there is no ISBN, please add a note with this content to the publication in question. Thanks, Stonecreek 11:12, 16 February 2016 (UTC)

Took note of the hint and set note editing the publication. Orcolat 11:23, 16 February 2016 (UTC)

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. or Kurt Vonnegut?

You state that the author is 'printed as Kurt Vonnegut'. We do catalogue an author's name as stated on the title page (and then variant it to the canonical name, if a pseudonym is used). So, what is the name on the title page of Mattatoio n.5 o La crociata dei bambini (I've put your submission on hold while waiting for an answer). Thanks, Stonecreek 13:32, 24 February 2016 (UTC)

it's Kurt Vonnegut alone, sorry, forgot to make the right change on submission. Orcolat 13:35, 24 February 2016 (UTC)

I approved the submission, changed the author, unmerged it and varianted it to the original. I also added the translator to the title, which should be added in case there are different translations using the same title or different titles that use the same translation (best to add it anyway as you never know what the future might bring). Stonecreek 13:56, 24 February 2016 (UTC)

Thanks. I uploaded the cover scan for completeness. Orcolat 15:12, 24 February 2016 (UTC)

Robot - Rivista di Fantascienza, Anno II, n. 12, Marzo 1977

Hello, I've approved your submission. Some points: 1) for a magazine there's no need to enter some of the data => series number = it's implict in your title; same for the publication series and its number and the ID# (a magazine is in fact its own publication series); 2) You'll perhaps need to adjust your title to have a "nicer-looking" grid here (everything just after the comma appears in the grid, IMHO you could delete the anno part to have a grid like this one or just left the number like here); 3) you're right the recuring essays (editorial, letter column, etc...) will have to be disambiguated after you choose a "definitive" title (as here); 4) the non linked reviews (without an hyperlink) will have to be treated (either by entereing into the db the corresponding book if eligible or by transforming them into ESSAYs); 5) the translated texts will have to be varianted (please ask if you need help). It's a lot of things but magazines are one of the more complicated part of the db. Result is title level, publication level. Hauck 17:02, 26 February 2016 (UTC)

Thanks for the check and first changes.

• 1&2 I modified the title to improve the issue grid
• 3 Thanks for taking care of that, I'll use that solution for the other issues of the same magazine.
• 4 I'll work on the review/essay part, I'll see if I find the right volume info somewhere, otherwise I'll move to essays.
• 5 it seems that translated titles are linked correctly already (is it automatic or did you do it?). Should I edit them to enter the translator in a note?

They were probably linked by another moderator (it's not automatic). The translator should go in the notes at title level because of our rule: one translation=one title.Hauck 14:39, 29 February 2016 (UTC)

I'm happy I'm starting to understand how a magazine fits into the DB.

Some more questions

A) is it ok to submit minimal magazine issue stubs and then resubmit the full content? Or is it better to go full content since the first submission?

IMHO it's better to procede by small increments (even if it means more work for the moderators), you can add in notes to moderator something along the lines of "work in progress". Hauck 14:38, 29 February 2016 (UTC)

B) Robot changed publisher, after a long time gap, going from #39 to #41, 1979 to 2006, will that be a problem to keep the Series as a whole?

It's not a problem, magazines like Astounding/Analog changed publishers many times.Hauck 14:38, 29 February 2016 (UTC)

Thanks again, please note I'm travelling these couple of weeks, so I won't be promptly reacting.

Here I am again. I finished my searches for the REVIEW items. It seems someone else took care of linking them, but...

1. 2 out of 4 are correct (Le primavere del mostro and Macaluso alla Casa Bianca)
2. King Kong points to a wrong one, I found the correct one on the renewed (quite) Vegetti catalogue: here. Am I correct I have to enter it as a VARIANT since author is different?

Your link seems to be incorrect. Hauck 13:48, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

Oh, my! I apologize, I messed up the copy&paste and badly used the external link button. Here it it.

1. L'anno del sole quieto points to a 2007-07 Urania Collezione edition, but I suppose it's better to point it to the Libra 2nd edition of 1976-01, it's nearer in time and makes more sense.

I can operate both changes if you address me to a wiki page help that explains how to do the right linking, adding the variant I think I know how to manage.

Go to the review's page here, choose the "Link Review to Title" hyperlink on the left, replace in the "Title #" the present ID by the correct one (in this case 1435709), then submit the lot. Hauck 13:48, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

I'll anyway wait for your reply before going on. Orcolat 13:14, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

Ok, I submitted the change in the link to the review for L'anno del sole quieto to what I suppose is the correct title (I confirm is the one you reported above).

I also submitted the variant title for the King Kong. When/If it comes up I'll add to it at least one publication from the NILF (refurbished Vegetti) catalogue and do the review to title linkage.

King Kong

Hello, I've approved your submission and changed format to tp (as per dimensions given), I've also "simplified" the authorship awaiting a future primary verification. Hauck 14:04, 3 March 2016 (UTC)

Thanks! With some delay due to other business, I linked the review of Robot #12 to it. Orcolat 12:09, 10 March 2016 (UTC)

Galassia #224

Hello, I've put your submission on hold as the artist credit that you gave is likely wrong. This artwork is usually credited to Angus McKie. Can you check? Thanks. Hauck 06:49, 2 May 2017 (UTC)

Hello, I'm actually not sure of the answer. The back cover, where author, title, original title and a synopsis of the work are reported, says (translated from Italian) "Original cover by Christopher Foss (Sphere B., London)". Checking all other pages in the volume shows no other reference to the cover image. In short: I'm not sure what's the right credit here. --Orcolat 08:31, 2 May 2017 (UTC)

BTW, I checked on the "NILF" (Vegetti's catalogue), where I think info to ISFDB originally came from, and it states Christopher Foss as the cover artist for Rogoz, Morphy Orcolat 14:00, 2 May 2017 (UTC)

Other sources confirm that the artwork is indeed not by Foss. I've rejected the submission and adjusted the data. Hauck 14:25, 2 May 2017 (UTC)

Thanks! Orcolat 07:29, 3 May 2017 (UTC)

The Cosmic Eye

Hello, as you correctly surmised, this is not the right sequence. The first thing to do is to enter the italian version of the novel (via the "Add New Novel" link). After this is done and approved, there will be a later varianting phase. Hauck 10:38, 3 May 2017 (UTC)

Hope one day I'll find time to read carefully the help online...my fault.

Anyway, publication submitted. Wait for response before proceeding with scanned cover (rather than linked one) and title variant. Orcolat 12:02, 3 May 2017 (UTC)

Ok, added the scanned cover, thanks for merging it to its parent! Orcolat 07:34, 4 May 2017 (UTC)

Robot - Rivista di Fantascienza, #80

Hello, I've approved your submission but had to make some changes:

• deleted SeriesNum date (it's useless as such), see above for the same remark.
• change date to simply 2017, we do not "invent" a month to put the issue into the grid, such result is less pleasing to the eye but more more exact bibliographically speaking.

I've also tried to streamline the magazine grid. Hauck 08:39, 19 July 2017 (EDT)

Sorry for SeriesNum, I'll try to keep it in mind.

Not sure about the publishing date change. I mean, that issue was actually published in May, so it's not invented per se. I can understand the grid thing, but then, the "season" reference drops out and I'd like to see it in the grid.

Is there no way to have the "no month" turn into the appropriate season/seasons (sometime I guess it's spring/summer issue)?

Alternative, can we change the "#80" into a "(Spring) #80" after the comma separating the series from the issue number? In that case leaving the publication date to 2017-05-00 will save all the relevant info. --Orcolat 08:58, 19 July 2017 (EDT)

Well, in the case of magazines, we go by the stated date (and not the "real" date) so, even if we know the precise publication date, we do not use it (the only case where we would use 2017-05 is if the issue is dated "May 2017"). In order to keep the season's data, you can alter the title accordingly (a bit like here). Note that the seasons' names can be kept in italian. As the sole owner of copies (for now), it's your choice. Hauck 09:29, 19 July 2017 (EDT)

Ok, tried with a new format for the title, while adding content.

Since I'm here, can I ask a, maybe, silly question. This magazine had also a small number of "Special Issues". Would this be a subseries? How should I deal with it? Can I set them in the same grid, let's say putting the titles like Robot - Rivista di fantascienza, Speciale #1?

I've approved your submission, I've just changed starting page numbers for some stories, when there's an accompanying interior art placed just before it, we set the page number of the story proper to the interior art page number (it just means that if artwork of story is on page 44 and the story starts on page 45, you should enter 44 for both items). For your question, you can either create a new series (even an anthology one if you think it's different enough, a bit like this magazine and its derivative) or try to insert it in the grid. Hauck 03:32, 20 July 2017 (EDT)

Translator template

Hello, in order to save some typing (and to prepare possible evolutions of the db), it's better to use our tranlstaor template: typing {{Tr|xxx xxx}} will read as "Translated by xxx xxx" after approval. Hauck 03:40, 21 July 2017 (EDT)

Thanks, Hauck! I'll try it while linking the other variants for Robot #80. --Orcolat 03:45, 21 July 2017 (EDT)

Urania #1643

Hello, I've approved your submission (result is here). To put the publication in the series, just enter it in the Title Series field. You entered Le Variazioni Gernsback as an ANTHOLOGY, this is not correct. What is exactly this text? Thanks. Hauck 04:04, 17 August 2017 (EDT)

I set it as ANTHOLOGY following this existing record. This is because its contents is a set of shortfiction, i.e. an anthology of works, selected upon a common theme in this case.

(I've transformed into a SHORTFICTION record, ANTHOLOGY should be used for a whole book). After seeing other records, I've simply deleted the lot. The problem is that Urania should either be a magazine (that contains only SHORTFICTION or SERIAL records) or a Publication series that contains NOVEL or (in this case) ANTHOLOGY records with their own contents. It can't be both.(Hauck 04:34, 17 August 2017 (EDT)

I remember the discussion on Urania as a magazine, won't change that after one attempt or so. It's only a pity this way the title of the anthology is nearly lost in the note only. -- Orcolat 06:30, 17 August 2017 (EDT)

I also have a doubt: Urania #1643 is listed alone instead of being into an Urania - 2017 title. Should I fix this to make it homogeneous in this list? (If so, how do I do it?) -- Orcolat 04:22, 17 August 2017 (EDT)

As you wish, I personnally tend to change the title to a yearly one only after more than one publication is included, but it's your call. To do it just update this record. Hauck 04:34, 17 August 2017 (EDT)

Thanks for the info, I'll care when I'll have added more volumes. -- Orcolat 06:30, 17 August 2017 (EDT)

Robot - Rivista di Fantascienza, #81 - Estate 2017

Sorry about the delay with processing Robot - Rivista di Fantascienza, #81 - Estate 2017! It's been approved and its EDITOR title has been merged with the one in #80. Also, I have changed Pierfrancesco Prosperi's name to "Piero Prosperi", his canonical name. As per Help, interviewees and "reviewees" are handled differently due to software limitations:

• The canonical name of the person being interviewed, whether or not it matches the form(s) of the name used in the interview. This is done so that the interview is displayed on the interviewee's summary bibliography page.

Everything else looks good -- please feel free to create variant relationships for the translated titles. Thanks for editing! Ahasuerus 14:26, 23 August 2017 (EDT)

No problem with the timing, it's also summer time.

Thank you for correcting the interview details, I still have to catch up a lot with the way of working with ISFDB, so, please, be patient.

I added the cover scan, linked the interview and two shortfictions translations to their original works and put it under the "2017" flag the two (#80 & #81) issues of the magazine.

I only have a doubt about how I set the uncredited translation of the interview. -- Orcolat 03:08, 24 August 2017 (EDT)

Submissions approved (just slightly changed the formalism), for the uncredited translation your solution is OK (there is no fixed rule for this). Hauck 04:03, 24 August 2017 (EDT)

Fantasy & ScienceFiction - Edizione Italiana

Hello, I've approved your numerous submissions for this magazine. Just for the record, I'm not sure that submitting the whole lot in one go is the best way to proceed. This will leave you with a lot of ancillary tasks to perform for each issue, from inserting the title in a series, varianting texts, correcting disambiguation (the whole title should be used) and managing all the resultant problems (e.g. verify if really "Anthony Bouche" is credited as such and if yes, create a pseudonymistic link). Hauck 06:48, 25 August 2017 (EDT)

You're right, but it's the only way to force me to do so. I've already seen something that'll cause me some extra-work (e.g. is Plumage from Pegasus more an essay or short-fiction?). Since it's "only" 17 issues, if you don't complain I'll go on like this -- Orcolat 06:52, 25 August 2017 (EDT)

OK, let's go... Plumage from Pegasus seems a fiction series.Hauck 06:53, 25 August 2017 (EDT)

Uhm, added all the magazines. I changed the title of #1 to create the series. Two group publications by year, is it enough to change their titles adding the Series name and changing the Title name to "Fantasy & Science Fiction - Edizione Italiana - 201X" (with X spanning 2013-2017)?

It's a bit more complicated and is faster by merging first all the titles of the same year then change the title. I've done this for you. Hauck 08:58, 25 August 2017 (EDT)

Thanks for doing it, I've already seen it. -- Orcolat 09:03, 25 August 2017 (EDT)

As for Plumage from Pegasus I think I'll let it to fiction, because it's actually so, even if it's written as it were a column. -- Orcolat 08:41, 25 August 2017 (EDT)

You'll have to disambiguate them more clearly (enter the full title of the publication) or find a kind of subtitle. Hauck 08:58, 25 August 2017 (EDT)

Sure, I think they all have subtitles, but are not reported on the publisher's web pages. I will fix it moving on with this task.

Thanks again, now I'll create the parent series and add the the existing series blocks. -- Orcolat 09:03, 25 August 2017 (EDT)

Urania #1645

Thanks for submitting Urania #1645! After approving the submission, I made only one change. Since "Kiteworld: il Mondo degli Aquiloni" is apparently a translation of the full novel, I appended "(Complete Novel)" to the title as per this rule. I then set it up as a variant of the English language novel.

Thank you, Ahasuerus. I simply forgot the "complete novel" in the title, I had it in my task list when the publication were accepted. You directly solved also the varianting. Now I'll upload the cover scan to complete it.

Re: your question about merging the new EDITOR title with "Urania - 2017", the easiest way to do it is to run an Advanced Title Search using the following selection criteria:

• Title starts with Urania
• Title Type is exactly EDITOR
• Title Year is exactly 2017

The results page should let you merge the two matching EDITOR records. Ahasuerus 19:24, 11 November 2017 (EST)

Did that also for the other 2: Urania #1646 and Urania #1647. Hope I hadn't messed records up. --Orcolat 02:05, 13 November 2017 (EST)

Looks great, thanks! Ahasuerus 09:52, 13 November 2017 (EST)

Happy to have learned something new to me on the ISFDB operations. --Orcolat 02:15, 15 November 2017 (EST)

Reviews in F&SF

Hello, I've approved your submissions to add reviews to F&SF. As you probably saw, there is an automatic linking system (quite strict) that may left some dangling (unlinked) reviews. What you must now do is to finish the task. You may face:

• a problem of spelling this review is probably for this title and you (or the reviewer) entered the wrong first name, you'll have to correcte the review's title and then link it.

I made the error, now I corrected the Pub, after approval I'll remove the wrong ReviewTitle and link properly.

Oh, ok, don't need to remove, it's fixed directly. Thanks! Orcolat 12:29, 14 February 2018 (EST)

I also mistaken the page number...

• a reviewed book that falls inside the scope of the db but is not yet entered, in this case you should enter the reviewed books (with the data provided by the review) then link it.

Ok, I'll do that. I wasn't sure what details to enter, I'll stick to what's on the magazine.

• a book that falls outside the scope of the ISFDB (e.g. a graphic novel), in this case you shoudl transform the REVIEW record into an ESSAY like this one, the simplest way being to delete the review (and its title record) in two steps via "Remove Titles From This Pub" and "Delete This Title" and then adding the ESSAY record.

Ok, got it, I'll take more care since now on to identify graphic novels, they review them quite offen.

Note that all this unlinked records will appear on our diverse cleanup reports (and also the authors that exist only due to a review). Hope this helps you. Hauck 11:39, 14 February 2018 (EST)

Ok, so I'll try not to forget things around Orcolat 12:27, 14 February 2018 (EST)