Tuesday, January 28, 2025

NO MORE SFBC? SIGH.
Tuesday, January 28, 2025

I read an article today that reports that the Science Fiction Book Club has apparently closed down as of the start of 2025.

To be honest, I haven't thought about the SFBC for probably decades. But that doesn't change how important it was to my buying and reading books back when I was building my library into the array of overflowing bookshelves (or bookshelves and many, many boxes currently) that it is today.

The SFBC produced hardcover exclusives of books that were published in paperback, book club editions of book published in hardcover, and omnibus editions of series of books. The original focus included science fiction books that today would be considered classics from the 50's and 60's, and as time went on book club editions and omnibuses of then-current books. Prices were typically less than half the cost of the original books (and the omnibuses, in addition to be exclusive to the book club, were often even better deals.) The "Join the Book Club" offers were especially attractive - usually 3, 4, or 5 books for $1 or less (plus shipping.)

Another bonus to my early days with the SFBC was availability. When I was a teenager there was one book store that I was able to visit on a semi-regular basis (usually when my family went shopping at the grocery and department stores in Greenport, on the outskirts of Hudson. Originally my focus there was comic books, but as I started having some disposable income and began buying books, I appreciated BookLand's somewhat limited selection of science fiction and fantasy books. Eventually I discovered Waldenbooks during a visit to Colonie Center but that was much more difficult to get to, even when I finally had my own car. So having a way to have books delivered right to the house was great. (Imagine how happy I was years later when I discovered the NYC based Science Fiction Shop's mail order  service!)

I'm not sure why I eventually drifted away from the SFBC, other than having many more options for purchasing books (as Waldenbooks died a slow death, Barnes & Noble and Borders expanded into areas I had access to) and probably increasing lack of interest in the books the SFBC was offering as my reading tastes changed. But eventually I cancelled my membership, and like I said I haven't thought about the SFBC in decades.

One of the hazards of getting older is having to adjust to the world changing around you. Just thinking about my book-buying history illustrates that - many of the stores that I used to frequent (BookLand, Waldenbooks, Borders, Recycled Reading, Caldor, and whatever the small book store next to the Vassar campus was called - the owner was a scifi/fantasy reader, so he almost always stocked a good selection of books I was interested in) are long gone, and these days I get most of my books from Amazon (there's that home delivery again!) It's a lot more convenient, and odds are I wouldn't be visiting any of those stores more than a couple of times a year at most - I can't remember the last time I walked into Barnes & Noble - but I have a lot of happy memories associated with discovering books at those stores, and it does make me a little sad that I can't visit them today and relive those memories more directly.

I'm thankful for all the good books the SFBC made it easier for me to add to my library, and I'm sorry to hear the business model has run its course.