I knew this didn't sell well

[james_davis_nicoll]

I had no idea there was only one printing. But the evidence suggests that is the case.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I've read a lot of Brunner, but I'd never heard of that book.

William Hyde

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

By an odd coincidence I was talking about Brunner with several other British fans yesterday - the way I understand it happened is that Brunner spent a LOT longer than usual on his big and justifiably famous novels (Stand On Zanzibar, The Jagged Orbit, The Sheep Look Up, etc.) but his earnings from them were poorer than the dozen or so pot-boiler SF novels he could have written in the same period.

So, inspired by John Jakes' success in becoming a historical novelist, he wrote this. Well researched, actually a reasonably good book... but poorly marketed, and came out shortly after George R. R. Martin's Fever Dream. Which was as good or better a book, appealed to SF / fantasy fans as well as the historical / steamboat market, and wasn't a complete break with Martin's existing reader base.

There was a huge initial print run but it sold poorly; for some reason they weren't all pulped, which is why there are still plenty of copies around today.

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

I don't have Martin's Quartet to hand but I believe in it he says Fevre Dream bombed. In fact, my memory is GRRM had a couple of poorly received books in a row. I don't think FD stole TGSR's thunder. I think people didn't want to buy books about steamboats that year.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

You're probably right, but I suspect that the earlier book didn't improve GSR's chances.

[seth ellis (from livejournal.com)]

Wasn't the relative failure of Fevre Dream one of the reasons he quit novels for some years, before returning with That Series of Bricks?

On actually doing research, I find that I'm thinking of Armageddon Rag. Still, I think he was generally a respected underperformer back then.

[w. dow rieder (from livejournal.com)]

Not steamboat time.

[were-gopher.livejournal.com]

That's my understanding of it too. If his editor had only managed to persuade him to do this as a side project while churning out paying copy he wouldn't have entered the massive slump he did.As it was the length of time he took over it plus the sharp change of direction meant he lost all the momentum from his earlier success.

[celestialweasel.livejournal.com]

[HIPSTER] I prefer his earlier work [/HIPSTER]

I think Armageddon Rag is my favourite 'rock band novel', though somehow all rock band novels end up being more or less the same (give or take the *SPOILER* demonic possession, obviously).

[celestialweasel.livejournal.com]

What is it with SF / Fantasy and steam-boats?
This is the one that was nagging me until I worked out what it was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Showboat_World

[rozk.livejournal.com]

I think that something awful happened in the warehouse and that's why this enver sold - didn't get out to the shops. I think the copies around are all the review copies that never got sent out.

I read an Ms - a few weeks after I read Fevre Dream - and liked both. I mentioned my regard for it to John Brunner the last time I saw him and he promised me a copy. This was a few weeks before his untimely death and so it never happened.

I found a copy a month later - I choose to regard this as the copy John Brunner promised me.

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

Kitchener Public Library had a copy.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

There do seem to be quite a few around - Amazon UK lists 17 second hand copies available, for example, mostly from the USA, and I've seen several in charity shops etc. over the years.

I'm pleased to say I got mine when it was originally launched so hopefully John got some royalties from it.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

The cover art is not selling the "race" bit at all.

[scentofviolets.livejournal.com]

This is weird. I'm doing my autumn reading[1], which includes RW: I-IV. I'd have to say The Fabulous Riverboat is clearly the best of the quartet.

[1]This includes stuff like The October Country (http://www.zomboscloset.com/.a/6a00d83451d04569e20148c850b0fd970c-320wi) and The Goblin Reservation (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lt8McwcqkTQ/ToKqW-a9kfI/AAAAAAAACic/Ha2rF41AAAw/s1600/goblin%2Breservation.JPG). I'm surprised James hasn't done a thematic review series on this one yet.

[scentofviolets.livejournal.com]

Damn the lack of any editing function. I meant to also include the fact that I was not aware of this before, but now TGSR is on my acquire list, thanks to your bringing it to my attention.

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

Two reasons:

Last year's October theme was not popular.

I didn't think of it.

(golf clap)

[asyouknow-bob.livejournal.com]

Well played!

[pauldormer.livejournal.com]

I recall visiting New Orleans - I think it was in 1986 before going to the Atlanta worldcon - and seeing lots of copies on sale in a shop specialising in New Orleans related stuff.

[pauldormer.livejournal.com]

What a coincidence. I was talking with British fans about Brunner on Saturday too. :-)

[(Anonymous)]

I bought Armageddon Rag in PB when it came out in the 1980s and liked it a lot. I should see if I can get Martin to autograph it at Balticon next year.

[lyle-hopwood.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tip. I just ordered Armageddon Rag.

(Unrelatedly, last night I watched Only Lovers Left Alive, which is a great entry into the rock-band-film genre. Certainly the only one where vampires and rock musicianship actually meshes together and makes sense. IMNSHO.)

[ilya187.livejournal.com]

So what is the answer to your nagging question?