I bought Jhereg because it had a cool cover art and even cooler first person writing. It felt like fantasy film noir in a sci-fi environment and I knew within moments that I was going to love it, and I did. (I liked Yendi, too, but I didn't walk in with any preconceptions for it. johne (phy) cook wisconsin, usa personal blog: http://breezeway.blogspot.com aerie blog: http://aeriepress.blogspot.com/ stormfort list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stormfort/ "Almost any act of (creative) expression is an act of courage. Whenever you write (something) and you show it to someone else, it's an act of courage because it's your life, it's who you are and you're laying it out on the table and you're either going to be rejected or accepted." Terry Scott Taylor >From: "Steve Hubbell" <usagigoya at hotmail.com> >To: dragaera at dragaera.info >Subject: Re: book by its >Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2003 20:43:38 +0000 > >I don't know what the ratio between "new" blurb is intriguing readers and >"continuing" true-blue-buying-in-hardcover-months-early-from-Amazoners (I >assume that is what you meant, since I prefer to support my local >bookstores). > >I can say that the blurb by Roger Zelazny was a large influence on my >buying Jhereg, Yendi and To Reign In Hell way back in the early eighties. >Zelazny's blurbs also influenced me to try Sheri Tepper's first book King's >Blood Four (and sequels). > >I loved the Stephen Hickman covers on Jhereg and Yendi and have to admit >that they also were a large influence. Back then, I think cover art was >very influental in trying new authors. (I still love the cover art being >selected for each new Vlad Taltos book.) > >Now-a-days, there are so many new authors out there all writing similar >stuff and all sporting similar looking cover art that it is hard to choose >what to try. An author whom you like recommending a new or previously >unknown author is STILL helpful in making a choice. > >>From: "Steven Brust" <skzb at dreamcafe.com> >>To: "Philip Hart" <philiph at SLAC.Stanford.EDU>, "Dragarea" >><dragaera at dragaera.info> >>Subject: Re: book by its >>Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2003 14:10:05 -0700 >> >> >> >> > Question for SKZB or the powers-at-Tor - any idea what the ratio of >> > hmm-the-Zelazny-or-T.Williams-blurb-is-intriguing purchasers to us >> > true-blue-buying-in-hardcover-months-early-from-Amazoners is? >> >>As I understand it, blurbs are less designed to appear to readers than to >>the buyers for various chains and major outlets. Er, if that doesn't >>answer >>your question, you'll have to rephrases it. >> >> >> > >_________________________________________________________________ >Instant message in style with MSN Messenger 6.0. Download it now FREE! >http://msnmessenger-download.com > _________________________________________________________________ Get MSN 8 Dial-up Internet Service FREE for one month. Limited time offer-- sign up now! http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup