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April 12, 2010

Mike Ford’s Heat of Fusion
Posted by Patrick at 08:25 PM * 57 comments

John M. “Mike” Ford’s last story collection, Heat of Fusion (2004) is, alas, no longer reliably easy to find, but an outfit called BookCloseouts.com claims to (as of this minute) have 56 hardcover copies, which they’re selling for $5.99 each.

Given Mike’s association with Making Light up until his death in 2006, it seems to me that some folks hereabouts might want to get over there and buy themselves a copy. It’s a terrific collection, featuring a great deal of Mike’s formidable range.

(Via apostle_of_eris posting in the LJ community nemesis_draco.)


ETA: It appears they’re all sold out now.

Comments on Mike Ford's Heat of Fusion:
#1 ::: Earl Cooley III ::: (view all by) ::: April 12, 2010, 09:01 PM:

Done.

#2 ::: Natalie L. ::: (view all by) ::: April 12, 2010, 09:35 PM:

Thanks for the tip! Copy purchased!

#3 ::: siriosa ::: (view all by) ::: April 12, 2010, 09:46 PM:

Done. (And some Pratchett for presents as well.)

#4 ::: philsuth ::: (view all by) ::: April 12, 2010, 09:57 PM:

Thank you Patrick. That book had been on my watchlist for a while now - now it is on the "eagerly await the mailman" list instead.

#5 ::: David Wald ::: (view all by) ::: April 12, 2010, 11:05 PM:

Good timing: I'm in the middle of reading Growing Up Weightless right now. Ordered. (The count is now down to 42 copies.)

#6 ::: Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey ::: (view all by) ::: April 12, 2010, 11:11 PM:

43 copies left. Also snagged a Scalzi novel for two bucks.

#7 ::: CaseyL ::: (view all by) ::: April 12, 2010, 11:39 PM:

Snapped Heat of Fusion up when it first came out: Ford had been on my buy-it-immediately-whatever-it-is list ever since his Trek books.

I remember he was working on a novel when he died. I said at the time that I didn't care what shape it was in or how (un)finished, I would happily buy a copy.

Whatever happened to that one?

#8 ::: Kevin Riggle ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 12:18 AM:

Thank you. My library doesn't have a copy, and it needs one.

#9 ::: Bruce Cohen (Speaker To Managers) ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 12:40 AM:

Thanks very much letting us know. My order left 34 copies, and I got a copy of Jheagala for $2 besides.

#10 ::: Lee ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 12:48 AM:

Heh. They're probably going to wonder why that book is flying out the door so fast! I snagged one as well.

#11 ::: Mishalak ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 12:52 AM:

Thanks for the tip, but I have one and I got it signed the last time I was lucky enough to run into Mr. Ford at Minicon. At night I take it off the shelf and stroke its spine. <g>

#12 ::: MacAllister ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 01:05 AM:

They're now reporting 31 copies left - and yes, thanks for the tip, Patrick.

#13 ::: cherish ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 01:06 AM:

Thanks so much. Done.

#14 ::: Neil in Chicago ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 01:35 AM:

heck, now I have to hurry up!

#15 ::: Clifton Royston ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 01:39 AM:

28 now. (Well, 27 now after mine.) Thanks for the tip - it's been on my wish list and I hadn't realized it was getting hard to find.

#16 ::: Brooks Moses ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 02:14 AM:

Likewise to Clifton's comment -- it said 26 left when I purchased.

Speaking of John M. Ford story collections, I'll note that NESFA Press still has copies of From the End of the Twentieth Century. I picked up a copy of that a few months ago.

#17 ::: Harry Payne ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 03:32 AM:

21 copies left, after I ordered one. Postage to GB is surprisingly reasonable.

#18 ::: abi ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 03:41 AM:

So only after I place the order do I go browsing and find that they've also got Bad Magic, which I've never read.

Another time, I guess...

#19 ::: mcz ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 03:45 AM:

19 copies now.

Thanks, Patrick.

#20 ::: Daniel Klein ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 05:43 AM:

I have that hardcover. It's so very very pretty. This is one of the collections I keep coming back to, getting more and more out of the stories every time I read them. I must admit the density of some of the pieces confused me at first, with some stories seemingly not really making sense, but they all reward repeat readings richly. (This quadruple alliteration brought to you by the letter R)

#21 ::: Cadbury Moose ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 07:26 AM:

9 left

#22 ::: Graydon ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 07:27 AM:

Abi @18 --

Oh, do try not to have that other time be too far off. Bad Magic is splendidly and grimly demented.

(I've had a copy of Heat of Fusion since approximately 11 seconds after I first saw one available for sale.)

#23 ::: Ann ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 08:20 AM:

6 left. Thank you very much for the post - not only was I delighted to get this, but I also managed to buy John Crowley's Three Novels for $7, about a quarter of the price I've seen it over here.

#24 ::: David Harmon ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 08:27 AM:

Down to 9 copies left. That's in 12 hours, overnight!

You know, if you did want to advertise for bookstores, incidents like this would probably get you some kick-ass rates.

#25 ::: Scott Taylor ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 09:11 AM:

One copy left, after mine was confirmed. Move quickly!

Scott

#26 ::: abi ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 09:19 AM:

Just refreshed the URL to find that there are zero copies left. Sorry, anyone who didn't get one.

That took less than 13 hours. Patrick, have you considered going into the bookselling business? You seem to have some kind of knack for it.

#27 ::: Beth Friedman ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 11:41 AM:

Well, that cost me $45 or so. Didn't buy Heat of Fusion because I already had a copy, but I went through all their other fantasy and SF offerings and ended up with 10 books, mostly hardcovers. I was prepared for shipping to be a huge chunk, but it was only $8.

Nice site; I'll try to remember it.

#28 ::: Madeleine Robins ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 11:41 AM:

Damn. All gone. Serves me right for going to bed last night and missing out.

I note with amusement that when I did a search for Heat of Fusion I got a message asking if perhaps I was looking for "heat of cushion." Mind boggling, right there.

#30 ::: dcb ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 12:12 PM:

David Harmon @ 24 "That's in 12 hours, overnight!" Well, there's the global readership effect (says she from the UK, who saw this post this morning and was pleasantly surprised not to be too late - unless I get an e-mail tomorrow saying there was a mix up and I've not got a copy after all).

#31 ::: Paul A. ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 12:37 PM:

I seem to have missed out, alas. It would have gone nicely with The Dragon Waiting, which I finally got to read recently, and The Princes of the Air, which I am now in the midst of.

#32 ::: Clifton Royston ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 01:04 PM:

Wait, they had Bad Magic? Back I go... BTW, I also picked up Ken MacLeod's The Execution Channel for $1.99, and determinedly passed up a number of other treats.

#33 ::: David Harmon ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 03:15 PM:

I very carefully did *not* buy anything else there, since I have a towering "to read" pile from the recent book fair and library sale. Even if that meant I was paying over $10 instead of $6 for one book....

Currently reading: God's Demon, by Wayne Barlowe. According to the introduction, he more usually does painting and drawing (but then he got the Milton bug ;-) ), and this is certainly a very visual book.

#34 ::: Earl Cooley III ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 03:41 PM:

We should do this more often.

#35 ::: Leroy F. Berven ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 03:43 PM:

Clifton Royston @ 32: Thanks for tipping me to the listing for The Execution Channel; the site now has one less copy available. (Likewise for several other volumes by assorted SF writers.)

Additional note for Charles Stross fans: this site has HB copies of his Family Trade series #3, 4, and 5 for USD 5.99 to 6.99 each.

#36 ::: Erik Nelson ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 03:59 PM:

#28:
Or hind boggling.

#37 ::: beth meacham ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 05:00 PM:

Mike Ford's unfinished novel ASPECTS is awaiting the completion of some supplementary material before being scheduled for publication.

#38 ::: Kevin Riggle ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 05:02 PM:

Graydon @22: Oh good. I was padding my order by going through the other Tor books represented, checking my library's online catalog, and buying the SFnal-looking ones we didn't have, and that was one I was waffling over because of the price. Did end up buying it, though, and now I'm glad I did. The blurb certainly caught my attention.

abi @26: He knows his audience. That's key insight #1.

#39 ::: Cally Soukup ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 05:04 PM:

beth meacham @ 37

Oh, I'm SO glad to hear that!

#40 ::: CaseyL ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 05:18 PM:

beth meacham @ 37

I am thrilled to hear that. May one pre-order?

#41 ::: lorax ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 05:25 PM:

beth meacham @37, that is wonderful news indeed. Thank you.

#42 ::: moe99 ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 06:11 PM:

www.abebooks.com still has copies if anyone is interested.

#43 ::: Marilee ::: (view all by) ::: April 13, 2010, 08:13 PM:

When I've bought from BookCloseouts.com, I've gotten a bookmark with a discount offer on it -- so maybe you guys will, too.

Beth, I thought the family wouldn't let any of Mike's stuff be published.

#44 ::: beth meacham ::: (view all by) ::: April 14, 2010, 12:10 AM:

No, you can't preorder it, because it's not in the schedule yet. Sorry about that! The foreword and afterword will be worth the wait, I promise. (mutters to herself and makes a note to prod the writers tomorrow morning)

Marilee, since Aspects was already under contract to us, it is just a matter of accepting the manuscript as it stands.

#45 ::: Kip W ::: (view all by) ::: April 14, 2010, 05:37 PM:

I'm late to the party and couldn't buy one from these guys, but Cathy went to bookfinder.com and has turned up a number of copies. We've just ordered one for me, used in good condition, for about $5 postpaid, and more are waiting for a good home.

#46 ::: Clifton Royston ::: (view all by) ::: April 14, 2010, 11:11 PM:

Mine is supposedly shipped! (Happy dance!)

#47 ::: Ed ::: (view all by) ::: April 15, 2010, 12:00 AM:

I've come across various references to the late John M. Ford's family/heirs/estate/whatever being determined to keep his work supressed and from ever being republished, but I've had a very difficult time finding any details.
Bluntly, what the aitch is their effing problem?

#48 ::: Marilee ::: (view all by) ::: April 15, 2010, 12:04 AM:

Ed, there are people here who are closer to the point, so either they'll post or not.

#49 ::: DCB ::: (view all by) ::: April 16, 2010, 04:20 AM:

And meanwhile, I ordered a copy from bookcloseout.com back when there were 16 copies left, via another website because they listed the postage much cheaper, got an order confirmation and a shipping confirmation, only to find an e-mail this morning (i.e. three days after placing the order) from bookcloseout.com saying the order is shipping with zero copies of the book. Very frustrating (bookfinder.com doesn't have any left now either, of course).

#50 ::: Peter Hentges ::: (view all by) ::: April 16, 2010, 09:36 AM:

Don't know if anyone will be checking in, but I am blessed with two copies of this collection of Mike's. The first person to send me their mailing address and money for shipping via PayPal is welcome to my second copy. Address is jbru at mac dot com.

#51 ::: Ed ::: (view all by) ::: April 18, 2010, 05:05 PM:

Nothing, eh? Am I to conclude that they've been known to sic vicious lawyers on anyone who speaks of them as harshly as they deserve?

#52 ::: abi ::: (view all by) ::: April 18, 2010, 05:14 PM:

Ed @51:

Surely you realize that that's an unanswerable question, like one of those weird paradoxes where some people lie all the time and others tell the truth all the time and everyone's buried neck-deep with a limited field of view.

#53 ::: Earl Cooley III ::: (view all by) ::: April 18, 2010, 06:05 PM:

So, we have to wait 70 to 120 years for his unpublished but uncontracted works to become public domain?

Hmmm, unless they burned all of his papers and took a belt sander to the platters of his hard drives. In that case, we'll just have to wait until someone invents a time machine.

#54 ::: Earl Cooley III ::: (view all by) ::: April 24, 2010, 04:23 PM:

The book was delivered in bubble-wrap packaging, in perfect condition. I predict that I will use that web site again.

Thank you for bringing this opportunity to our attention.

#55 ::: Craig Helfgott ::: (view all by) ::: May 07, 2010, 02:09 PM:

Going through old bookmarks, I found this one.

One more for the list.

#56 ::: TexAnne sees spam ::: (view all by) ::: December 18, 2010, 04:22 PM:

But it reminded me it's time to reread HoF.

#57 ::: Benjamin Wolfe sees a spam probe ::: (view all by) ::: December 18, 2010, 04:23 PM:

And here's the other one.

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