Heads-up: Ron Miller Classics of Science Fiction Series

[fjtorres]

BAEN is going to be offering ebook bundles (and presumably individual titles) of a very interesting project documenting the deep roots of Science Fiction.

http://baen.com/RonMillerSpaceCollection.asp

I expect I'll be investing in the full set.
(The first bundle is now up for sale.)

This particular bit has me drooling:

Special attention has been paid to Jules Verne in this regard, who is not only one of my favorite authors but has historically suffered from ridiculously poor translations. For instance, the “standard” translation of 20,000 Leagues was created by a British Protestant minister, and Verne was a French Catholic liberal. Anything of which the translator didn’t approve was simply cut out. The result was that nearly 20 percent of the book was eliminated! To make things worse, he had a slippery command of French and no grasp at all of science. The result was literally thousands of errors. . .errors which for nearly a century had been blamed on Verne by his American and English readers. Because this translation has been in the public domain for generations, it’s the one most likely to be reprinted

For my new edition of the book, I replaced the missing text and corrected all of the translation errors and factual mistakes (for instance, having Professor Arronax return from the “Badlands” of Nebraska instead of the original version’s “disagreeable territory”). The book also includes numerous maps, appendices, and a detailed schematic of the Nautilus.

From the Earth to the Moon and Round the Moon have been translated entirely from scratch, with thousands of words of text restored that have never before been seen in any other English edition. Like the other Verne titles, they contain extensive notes and appendices.

Journey to the Center of the Earth is another new translation that also includes maps and some three hundred notes. The new editions of Off on a Comet! and Purchase of the North Pole are based on vintage nineteenth century texts which have been carefully edited for errors and missing text. In addition to the Verne novels I’ve included a brand-new translation of Doctor Omega (1906), by Arnould Galopin. This will be the first time this classic novel about a trip to Mars has appeared in English complete and unabridged. The original illustrations are also included.

Hopefully the books will live up to the billing.
(Fingers and assorted limbs crossed.)

[Ralph Sir Edward]

Got 'em!!! (Only 32 bucks.)

[jgaiser]

Damn you fjtorres... I'll probably pick them up also.

[fjtorres]

Misery loves company!
I just hope they don't wait too long to get to Verne.

[JSWolf]

So where are these new Jules Verne editions? The bundle has none of them.

[fjtorres]

It's a hundred-book set.
More bundles to follow.
Good business practices suggests they'll spread the Vernes around.

[Ralph Sir Edward]

I wonder if he'll include The Pharoah's Broker...(It'd be nice to seen one of my scans reach the big time...)

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

It's a hundred-book set.
More bundles to follow.
Good business practices suggests they'll spread the Vernes around.

Actually, looks like they're all together in bundle 7

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne, translated and edited by Ron Miller. Illustrated
A Journey to the Center of the Earth, translated, annotated and edited by Ron Miller. Illustrated
Off on a Comet!, Jules Verne, edited by Ron Miller, illustrated
From the Earth to the Moon (includes Around the Moon), Jules Verne, translated and edited by Ron Miller. Illustrated
The Purchase of the North Pole, edited by Ron Miller, illustrated

[poohbear_nc]

Damnation fjtorres! I couldn't stop myself! Arghh!

[You will post here when new bundles come out, right?]

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Damnation fjtorres! I couldn't stop myself! Arghh!

[You will post here when new bundles come out, right?]

As long as Baen promotes them in the email newsletter.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

It's a hundred-book set.
More bundles to follow.
Good business practices suggests they'll spread the Vernes around.

I might consider a purchase if the Verne books are all in one bundle. I don't want to have to pay for each Verne book in a different bundle. Bad business practice for those that want the Verne books.

[fjtorres]

Second bundle is up.
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-1848-ron...undle-two.aspx

[Dr. Drib]

So how does the FIRST bundle seem?

Any members here who are happy with it?

Thoughts? Comments?

(I'm thinking of buying Bundle 1.)




Don

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I might consider a purchase if the Verne books are all in one bundle. I don't want to have to pay for each Verne book in a different bundle. Bad business practice for those that want the Verne books.

If they don't all end up in a bundle you could buy them separately. The books (so far) are all $3.99 each and there is no price break for buying them as a bundle.

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

So how does the FIRST bundle seem?

Any members here who are happy with it?

Thoughts? Comments?

Haven't read any, though I have looked through most of them.

Well formatted, no obvious OCR problems. Some interesting added information. They *are* historical documents and as such will not have a lot of interest as a general Science Fiction read.

That said, I'll be picking up the second and subsequent bundles.