Possible New Limited Edition Set


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just_kyle
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Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by just_kyle »

Centipede Press, one of my personal favorite small press publishers, is currently looking into publishing a limited edition set of the 6 Dune novels.

Jerad, the owner, is currently thinking that each book would feature a new introduction by a major sci-fi writer and new artwork by a different artist for each book. (probably signed by one or both) The edition would be limited to 300 copies of the set, probably in the $750+ range. Dune may be a slightly larger edition to allow for collectors that only want the first book.

The Easton Press set will cost you $660 and has no limitation. CP's books are far beyond Easton's in quality and the pricing is not off mark for small press limited editions.
I've posted some photos of their recent editions of Ender's Game and Logan's run in a gallery here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/scoogs/7V9Bi8.

Are there any particular features you would like to see in this set? What would it need to be considered comprehensive?
Let me know and I will pass your feedback on.
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Hunchback Jack
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by Hunchback Jack »

Wow, that sounds really exciting! Centipede Press do some amazing work. Some thoughts on what I'd like to see:
  • Definitive texts of the six novels. Frankly, I've no idea what this means - particularly in light of the difference between UK and US editions. But trying to reconcile those differences - or capture both versions - would be interesting.
  • There is a lot of supplementary material that *could * be included - letters, discarded chapters, essays about writing Dune, interview transcripts - and I think including as much of this as possible in this set would be an attractive feature - even if some of it is available elsewhere. I would suggest, though, that:
    • everything be primary source material, written by Frank Herbert. No text reconstructed from notes, no "Spice planet" by KJA, BH and FH
    • the supplementary material should be in a separate, seventh volume. The six novels should be unsullied by non-canonical material - even if written by Frank.
    • the Dune 7 notes could be included :)
I'm sure others have better suggestions; I'm really just starting the discussion.

HBJ
"The sky calls to us. If we do not destroy ourselves, we will one day venture to the stars."
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I'm still very proud of The Quarry but … let's face it; in the end the real best way to sign off would have been with a great big rollicking Culture novel.
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georgiedenbro
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by georgiedenbro »

Sounds exciting! The only thing I can think of is...maybe don't have funny hats or pugs on the cover art :o
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Serkanner
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by Serkanner »

Great idea ... I hope the NEVER EVER let those hacks near it, but then again to have Dune in a new set they will need the HLP's approval. :(
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Hunchback Jack
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by Hunchback Jack »

One other idea would be to have each novel introduced by Frank himself - using essays and/or interview transcripts from around the time each novel was released. This would be an interesting alternative to having other authors introduce them.

To be honest, I don't think author's introductions add much value to a text unless the "introducer" had some personal relationship or experience with the author, and can give insights into the writing of the novels. But I may be in the minority here.

HBJ
"The sky calls to us. If we do not destroy ourselves, we will one day venture to the stars."
- Carl Sagan

I'm still very proud of The Quarry but … let's face it; in the end the real best way to sign off would have been with a great big rollicking Culture novel.
- Iain Banks
georgiedenbro
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by georgiedenbro »

You know, HBJ, I thought of exactly the same thing, but my conclusion was that any content other than the books themselves would detract from the content rather than add to it. For those of us interested in Frank's thoughts about various things his writings are no doubt fascinating, but I feel the books should speak for themselves. While his ideas are obviously contained in the books, the books themselves aren't about him or his thoughts per se, if you catch my meaning. I would love to see a published book containing FH essays and other content, though, maybe part of a compilation set or something.
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just_kyle
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by just_kyle »

Some good ideas so far.
My first suggestion was to include The Road to Dune as a small chapbook and design it to fit the pilgrim's guidebook thematic.

I like the idea of supplemental material, such as deleted chapters in a 7th volume.

The CP edition of Ender's Game included a second book that reproduced Scott's original manuscript with all of his markups and notes in it.
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lotek
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by lotek »

Hunchback Jack wrote:
  • everything be primary source material, written by Frank Herbert. No text reconstructed from notes, no "Spice planet" by KJA, BH and FH
  • the supplementary material should be in a separate, seventh volume. The six novels should be unsullied by non-canonical material - even if written by Frank.
  • the Dune 7 notes could be included :)

Word.

It does sound like a cool idea, but although I understand it's worth the price, I couldn't afford a full set.

How about notes from dedicated fans? ^^
Spice is the worm's gonads.
just_kyle
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by just_kyle »

I've been thinking about this more based on the suggestions here.

I'd like to see some of Frank's original notes. Give me his original Spice Planet chapters, not the reconstructed version and it is legitimately interesting.
Anything else that shows his process and what he abandoned along the way is pretty intriguiing to me.
I like that stuff. Call it the "DVD extras" seventh volume. I wonder how much more there is beyond what was collected for The Road to Dune. Are there other deleted chapters that anyone knows of?

Dune 7 notes would be great, but I'm guessing the odds against that are pretty high.
georgiedenbro
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by georgiedenbro »

The odds are zero. Those notes will never be released under present conditions.
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by Omphalos »

I owned a few Centipede books throughout the years, but have always sold them. Just too much money sitting on the shelf. Hopefully he will one day revive the Millipede imprint and bring some less pricy versions out.

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Cpt. Aramsham
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by Cpt. Aramsham »

I feel like the "deluxe" aspect of an edition like this conflicts a bit with the idea of adding lots of extras, which I agree would tend to sully the "purity" of the texts. There are lots of extras you could add, but I think they're more suited to a mass-market edition than to deluxe collector's volumes. It would be a different matter if FH were still alive and could approve additional things to include. A separate volume might be more appropriate, but I guess I don't see the appeal of presenting such a book in deluxe format.

In order to set the content apart, one interesting possibility would be to reprint the magazine text (of the first three) rather than the book text, since they differ in a number of places. Of course, that too would make them less "definite"; and in that case only they should be published as a set, not the other three.

I would be very interested in a scholarly, annotated edition that included comments and analyses by others as well as various essays by Frank Herbert, and maybe earlier drafts and notes, but then the books shouldn't be presented as exclusive art objects.

Or Centipede could try to get the rights to publish the Moebius storyboards for the Jodorowsky movie instead! Now that would be something...
just_kyle
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by just_kyle »

I need to go back and look at my copy of the Salems' Lot that Centipede published.
There are a lot deleted and alternate chapters included in that. I'm pretty sure they were all at the back of the book so they were distinctly separate from the primary text.
That's a pretty common approach for these types of limited editions if they are technically reprints. The publishers see the extras as a nice way to distinguish the deluxe edition from the content already available in a cheap paperback and give the buyer something new.

Reprinting the magazine text would be really interesting, I like that idea a lot.
just_kyle
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by just_kyle »

How about a gallery of cover art from previous editions?
Centipede did that in their edition of Logan's Run. I thought that was a nice add on and Dune has a lot of great artwork form the past 50 years.
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Hunchback Jack
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Re: Possible New Limited Edition Set

Post by Hunchback Jack »

Cpt. Aramsham wrote:I feel like the "deluxe" aspect of an edition like this conflicts a bit with the idea of adding lots of extras, which I agree would tend to sully the "purity" of the texts. There are lots of extras you could add, but I think they're more suited to a mass-market edition than to deluxe collector's volumes. It would be a different matter if FH were still alive and could approve additional things to include. A separate volume might be more appropriate, but I guess I don't see the appeal of presenting such a book in deluxe format.
Despite my earlier suggestions to the contrary, I tend to agree with you, Capt. Having extra stuff in the novels themselves can come across as a bit "gimmicky" - I like the idea of the original novels being unembellished, but in gorgeous volumes.

Having additional material in an additional volume could work, though, I think.
just_kyle wrote:How about a gallery of cover art from previous editions?
That's an appealing idea, if you can get the rights. Some of the recent stuff done for the 50th anniversary is stunning, and there's the classic stuff by Schoenherr and Pennington. (Love, love, love the Pennington NEL covers, although they might be a bit garish for something like this).

HBJ
"The sky calls to us. If we do not destroy ourselves, we will one day venture to the stars."
- Carl Sagan

I'm still very proud of The Quarry but … let's face it; in the end the real best way to sign off would have been with a great big rollicking Culture novel.
- Iain Banks
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