I haven't had any adventures since I won the prize at the Eagle Park aviation meet in my sky racer

[sovay]

I have just been given an original hardcover of Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle (1911). It was on the "Reserved" shelf at Raven Used Books. It wasn't being held for anyone; it had just fetched up there. I didn't know: I asked the clerk. He said I was the first person who'd shown any interest in it. After a moment, he asked if I wanted it. No charge.

Well, yes, obviously.

(Its subtitle is Daring Adventures in Elephant Land. I cannot imagine this will be handled well.)

Oh, and it's the inspiration-namesake of the Taser.

I love used book stores.

Comments

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

I can only imagine how amusingly daft this is bound to be.

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

Seriously? The Taser is "named" after a Tom Swift book? Wow.;)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

On the topic of books, I am at last reading Linnets and Valerians, and loving it every bit as much as you said I would.

(I just got to the part you quoted me about golden hearts and black hearts and silver hearts)

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

Kick that 'un into the synchronicity file, I think?

Sounds positively serendipitous. Did you get anything else? I keep meaning to send you after a copy of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, omnibus with the original illustrations, for your godchild. (They've just done a pablum-ized rerelease and the pictures are not scary. WTF.)

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Highly fabulous.

Nine

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

That's brilliant.

I'm delighted and amazed, particularly with the knowledge that a) the Taser's name was inspired by a Tom Swift book and b) that you now have a copy of that book. And with the story of how you got it as well--the closest I've ever come was when I was ten or twelve and the library in the next town over from where I grew up rang up my mother and said "Your son is the only person who's checked this book out in the past fifty years. Would he like to have it?"

The book was a battered copy of Saxton Pope's Hunting With the Bow and Arrow* ETA:(1923).** I have it still.

(Its subtitle is Daring Adventures in Elephant Land. I cannot imagine this will be handled well.)

I can't imagine it will be, either. Still, I hope you enjoy the experience, at least in an ironic postmodern sort of way.

*I can't seem to locate the date of first publication anywhere on the internet, and my copy is at home. I'm thinking it's somewhere in the first half of the 1920s.
**I don't know if mine is a first edition or not, but there's no publication history beyond the copyright date.

[moon-custafer.livejournal.com]

The only Tom Swift I've read was from the mid-century rebooted series. It was quite impressive that his skywriting "Graphicopter" was controlled by a graphics tablet interface.

[thistleingrey.livejournal.com]

ha! Awesome. I read half a dozen Swift titles via Project Gutenberg at one point. Bit dizzying to bounce amongst different decades' (ghost)writers and styles without notice, since I'd loaded them onto a PDA and couldn't scroll up easily to check publication date mid-story.

[sovay]

I can only imagine how amusingly daft this is bound to be.

My father seems to have snaffled it, but I will get it back.

[sovay]

Seriously? The Taser is "named" after a Tom Swift book?

So the OED tells me!

"Etymology: Acronym < the initial letters of Tom Swift's electric rifle (a fictitious weapon), after LASER n.²."

[sovay]

On the topic of books, I am at last reading Linnets and Valerians, and loving it every bit as much as you said I would.

I am very glad! I hope you'll write it up if you continue to.

[sovay]

Sounds positively serendipitous. Did you get anything else?

Presents for my mother (which she seems to like), and a memoir by Ed Wood, Jr. for Rob (ditto). I snagged for myself a copy of Cyril Connolly's The Unquiet Grave (1944), because it was there in the biography section and why not?

I keep meaning to send you after a copy of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark omnibus with the original illustrations, for your godchild. (They've just done a pablum-ized rerelease and the pictures are not scary. WTF.)

Er. Sure. Traumatizing those entrusted to me is probably in my job description . . .

[sovay]

And with the story of how you got it as well--the closest I've ever come was when I was ten or twelve and the library in the next town over from where I grew up rang up my mother and said "Your son is the only person who's checked this book out in the past fifty years. Would he like to have it?"

That's not bad either!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Oh, I very much intend to.

[sovay]

The only Tom Swift I've read was from the mid-century rebooted series. It was quite impressive that his skywriting "Graphicopter" was controlled by a graphics tablet interface.

We had a lot of Tom Swift, Jr. in the house when I was growing up, although I can't remember most of the titles now except for Tom Swift and his Subocean Geotron, because you don't forget a thing like that. I am also fairly certain about Tom Swift and the Caves of Nuclear Fire. I suspect I would find they're extremely Cold War-era books if I went back. Also, probably terrible. It didn't matter; I am fond of saying that I read everything that wasn't nailed down and some things that were, but it's really true. I read Asimov's Lucky Starr and the Pirates of the Asteroids (1958). And its sequels.

[sovay]

I read half a dozen Swift titles via Project Gutenberg at one point. Bit dizzying to bounce amongst different decades' (ghost)writers and styles without notice, since I'd loaded them onto a PDA and couldn't scroll up easily to check publication date mid-story.

I kind of want to try that now!

[sovay]

Highly fabulous.

Completely unexpected. Usually I have to give stores money for that sort of thing!

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

Not enough people use the word "snaffled" these days.

I think I can remember some Tom Swift books in British editions from the early 80s, but I've no idea if I liked them.

[sovay]

Not enough people use the word "snaffled" these days.

We aim to differ!

I think I can remember some Tom Swift books in British editions from the early 80s, but I've no idea if I liked them.

See reply to moon_custafer; I don't imagine they would hold up if I went back to them, but I'll probably re-read the next one I run across anyway.