The Virtue Of Shelfieness

THE VIRTUE OF SHELFIENESS Hey, Objectivists, see what I did there? I’ve been seeing so-known as “shelfies” all over social media for a while now, and have even shared a few glimpses of my own cabinets every so often, however this week, I wish to go full shelfie and reveal my personal library/no kill e-book shelter in all its gloryâ€"and to me, it is superb! Let’s start upstairs, and the 4 bookcases that line a wall of my office loft, going left to right… The prime shelf shops a bunch of notebooks and a provide of creator copies of some of my published work. The rest of this (with a number of exceptions on the best facet of the second shelf down and the underside shelf) homes what I’ve kept of forty-two years of enjoying, accumulating, and otherwise being a part of the interest, life-style, and enterprise of function-playing video games. Yes, that's the original Traveller box set. Yes, that is my copy of the first printing of Deities & Demigods, with the Cthulhu and Melnibonéan Mythos intact. Yes, there’s Judges Guild aplenty. The prime shelf and the third shelf down comprise extra of the books I’ve written or anthologies that include a narrative by meâ€"also a small supply of pet training pads, however that’s a submit for another day. Dig my globes of Mars and the Moon. The second shelf down sports the complete Berserker collection by Fred Saberhagenâ€"I plan to work my method via that… finally. The backside two cabinets include books on writing and numerous reference books. Next up is my Star Trek shrine. Just… don’t even. And finally my prized collection of Ace science fiction Doubles, fastidiously shelved in chronological order, in protective plastic luggage. The middle shelf is another collection “to learn” collection: the remainder of the expanded Dune series, and some others, including a partial assortment of Iain Banks’s Culture collection. I’ll get to it! Moving downstairs, we've one whole wall coated in observe cabinets. Again, working left to p roper… This is my science fiction, fantasy, and horror section. Of course they’re alphabetized by creatorâ€"what do you're taking me for, some type of savage? In the center is a shelf that includes a couple of collection I’m still working to collect all of, together with the basic Tom Swift, Jr. and authentic Tom Swift books, and Perry Rhodan. If you need to ask, you’ll never get it. And sitting on their sides, a couple of books I’ve acquired just lately and haven’t shelved but. Below that, comics and graphic novels. And yes, these are the unique Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes books, and Son of Origins of Marvel Comics, which have been with me for decades. Do not even try to step to my nerd cred, bitches. Above the TV, from top to bottom: books about motion pictures and tv, and performs. Then poetry, literary magazines, a couple of art books, and full-on miscellaneous. On the underside: faith, philosophy, and mythology. And then the remainder of the wall. I know… ye s, that is an autographed picture of Majel (Nurse Chapel) Barrett. Still not getting the entire Star Trek thing? The top four rows are all fiction of varied genres except science fiction, fantasy, and horror (mostly). Below the Clockwork Angels clock I designed for Brilliance Audio is historical past. Then beneath that, biographies, general non-fiction, house, science, animals, and a stack of pulp era fantasy and SF paperbacks that have to find a more permanent residence. Finally, on the underside, all things pulp fiction, including a large portion of the Bantam Doc Savage books, and a section of writer biographies and autobiographies. In the underside left corner of this last photo you'll be able to see some larger format books stacked underneath the cable box. There are two extra shelves under that (not pictured) of the same. Another little shelf unit holds some books my spouse’s been that means to learn, and a set of books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, a few in editions now greater than 100 years old. And then there’s the SF paperback grab bag box next to my desk upstairs, and another field stuffed with SF, fantasy, and horror paperbacks marked OVERFLOW BOOKS in my closet. Okay, so perhaps you don’t have this many books at home. You could not have gone to Book Expo America for a couple of years and sent back three or 4 packing containers of free books for yourself yearly. You may not have spent a good portion of your share of stock option payouts from a corporate merger on a 3-year e-book buying spree. I get it. Hell, maybe you could have extra books than meâ€"it’s not a race! I love books, man. I just actually, truly do. I literally surround myself with them, live within them. Okay, then: shelfies shared. â€"Philip Athans In my 4-week on-line Pulp Fiction Workshop we’ll be taught storytelling strategies that transcend the pulp genres and make writing fun again. Write a 6000-word short story, with edit, in any style! Next class begins Thursday March 5. About Philip Athans Nice! I am especially envious of the Star Trek shrine. I used to have simply as many books, but after moving 3 times in the past five years, I’ve actually needed to reduce down. If I did a shelfie, it might be pathetic compared to yours. Fill in your particulars under or click on an icon to log in: