User talk:Dirk P Broer/Archive-2012

Olivia Howard Dunbar birthplace

Hi. I accepted your edits to Olivia Howard Dunbar, but I changed the birthplace a little. Bridgewater is a town, while Plymouth is the name of both a town and a county. So I added "County" to "Plymouth" (Bridgewater is in Plymouth County). That said, Massachusetts doesn't use counties as a geographic location identifier the way some areas of the United States do. It is not normal, for example, to describe a birthplace as "Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA". In fact, I'd bet that half the residents of Massachusetts couldn't tell you what county Boston is in. And no one from Massachusetts would ever describe a general birthplace as "Suffolk County, Massachusetts" (in contrast with other states; for example, "Macon County, Georgia" would be used as a general birthplace). But including the county is also not wrong -- the detail is accurate -- so I leave it to you to think about. --MartyD 12:56, 6 January 2012 (UTC)

Hi Marty. The added county in "Plymouth County" is alright by me.:) --Dirk P Broer 17:11, 6 January 2012 (UTC)

Michael Butterworth

I've changed the author credits for your verified pubs, The Time of the Hawklords, and Queens of Deliria, from Michael Butterworth, to Michael Butterworth (1924) per Contemporary Authors. Wikipedia article notes same.--Rkihara 02:30, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

Hi Rkihara, I'm afraid I must disagree with you. If I read wikipedia on Michael Butterworth (the one born in 1947), he is credited with The Time of the Hawklords and Queens of Deliria. On the page facing the title page for Queens of Deliria the Space 1999 books are mentioned as by the same author as Queens of Deliria (and a 3rd and 4th title are mentioned for the Hawkwind series). Reginald3 gives The Time of the Hawklords for BUTTERWORTH, Michael, 1947- (page 144) and also does so for Queens of Deliria (page 143). Same for Clute/Nicholls (page 181). Can you please change it back? --Dirk P Broer 09:24, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

the entry for Michael Butterworth (the one born in 1947) also sees him revise the Space 1999 titles in 2006, long after Michael Butterworth (1924) has died (1986). --Dirk P Broer 14:44, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

It seems the change was a mistake. Reverted per discussion.--Rkihara 18:27, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

It was at least a major update for all Mike and Michael Butterworth entries involved. --Dirk P Broer 20:12, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

The Destroyers of Lan-Kern Peter Tremayne 1983

The cover artist of this pub is Tim White (from this pub) BarDenis 20:19, 21 January 2012 (UTC)

It is even on the back cover! And I had forgotten the price as well. Thanks for reminding me.:) --Dirk P Broer 20:33, 21 January 2012 (UTC)

Ben Aaronovitch's middle name

I have your proposed change of Ben Aaronovitch's middle name from "Denis" to "Dylan" on hold. Can you find anything to corroborate the "Dylan"? Google only shows the SF Encyclopedia's entry with that name. The entire cyber universe seems to propagate Wikipedia's entry (which is using "Denis"), but I did find this, which seems to be an about-the-author blurb from a book. It uses "Denis". --MartyD 12:35, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

Hi Marty, as I have stated in the Biographic note I emailed David Langford about the discrepancy between Wikipedia (amongst others) and the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and asked whther he knew for sure it was Dylan instead of Denis. He replied "Yes, Ben Aaronovitch told us in personal email that his middle name is Dylan. best, David" . --Dirk P Broer 12:41, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

Sounds good, thanks. --MartyD 13:40, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

The contact is good as well, and to mutual benefit. --Dirk P Broer 21:11, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

Dick Donovan and J. E. Muddock

Since most of J. E. Muddock's SF -- at least the SF that we have cataloged so far -- appeared as by "Dick Donovan", I have set "Dick Donovan" up as the canonical name and "J. E. Muddock" as a pseudonym. It's a little counter-intuitive, but it's been known to happen in the SF world, e.g. Murray Leinster :-) Ahasuerus 16:17, 23 January 2012 (UTC)

We would indeed be frowned upon if we considered "Will F. Jenkins" a commonly known name for the writer most SF-readers know as Murray Leinster. --Dirk P Broer 21:05, 23 January 2012 (UTC)

P.S. Re: "James" vs. "Joyce", Wikipedia and the Wayback machine claim that he was born "James" and that "Joyce" was a pseudonym, but I don't know whether he changed his legal name to "Joyce". Ahasuerus 16:23, 23 January 2012 (UTC)

The 3rd edition of the Science Fiction Encyclopedia has this phrase: "UK writer, much travelled in early life, who published prolifically under his own name, sometimes giving his surname as Preston-Muddock (though Preston is absent from his birth records), and as by Dick Donovan" Seems -I am not 100% sure, but this looks convincing- he was born as James Edward Muddock, but later styled himself as Joyce Emmerson Preston-Muddock. --Dirk P Broer 21:05, 23 January 2012 (UTC)

Oh well, I guess his legal name will remain "James" until we can find a name change certificate or retain the services of one Anita Blake, animator :-) Ahasuerus 03:07, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

Might want to wait till the CERN laboratories have proved they can travel back in time. Meanwhile I'll assist them through BOINC. ---Dirk P Broer 11:25, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

D. N. Sims

I have approved the linking of D. N. Sims to the Robert Hale article over on SFE3, but it seems to be limited to her full name and the year of birth. Do you think it's worth a link? Ahasuerus 17:37, 25 January 2012 (UTC)

It is definitely more information than what you get under her entry in the Science Fiction Encyclopedia, which actually only refers you to the Robert Hale article (just like page 1111 of the 2nd edition only points you to page 1011 for D. N. Sims). I hope that I can persuade John Clute and his men to provide more detail in the future, I'm in almost daily contact with them now. --Dirk P Broer 23:01, 25 January 2012 (UTC)

The only better information is a very long link: Reginald2 on Google Books. --Dirk P Broer 23:06, 25 January 2012 (UTC)

Oh well, I guess we'll take what we can :) Ahasuerus 17:47, 27 January 2012 (UTC)

I'll notify the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction editors that this author deserves a better entry. If she is in Reginald2, she should be in SFE3. --Dirk P Broer 20:22, 27 January 2012 (UTC)

state of birthplace

Hello Dirk, I approved your submission Voltz but changed the state from Hesse into Hessen. Rudam 16:57, 28 January 2012 (UTC)

Hi Rudam, I try to keep the information in just one language: English, hence Hesse without 'n'. I know that the correct German is Hessen, but is is also Deutschland instead of Gemany, in't it? And Nederland instead of Netherlands, etc. --Dirk P Broer 23:57, 28 January 2012 (UTC)

Sorry my fault and your submission was completely correct! I've noticed how accurate you enter author datas Douglas Percy Bliss. But I really believed that there could not be another spelling of "Hessen" in english and it is only a typo. I will change it back into Hesse! Rudam 10:32, 29 January 2012 (UTC)

It is unbelievable sometimes what other languages will make of you city or province names. Will you believe that The Hague, known to the Dutch as either 's-Gravenhage or Den Haag has a different name in almost all world languages? (La Haye (French), La Haya (Spanish), L'Aia (Italian), Гаага (Russian), etc.). --Dirk P Broer 12:29, 29 January 2012 (UTC)

It seems everything is possible even Hesse. ;-) Rudam 13:46, 29 January 2012 (UTC)

Double Planet

Another editor has added a cover image to your verified record. Please check to see if it matches your copy. Thanks. Mhhutchins 22:57, 1 February 2012 (UTC)

A 100% match! --Dirk P Broer 22:59, 1 February 2012 (UTC)

webpage for Cyril G. Wates

Hi Dirk, you added for Cyril G. Wates this webpage [1] but I can't open it. Could you check what is wrong? Thanks! Rudam 18:53, 2 February 2012 (UTC)

Must be a temporary error. Link is still mentioned when searching google for "Cyril Geoffrey Wates 1883 Brixton", and a preview is generated as well. The link even mentiones the address of birth: 93 Tulse Hill, Brixton. --Dirk P Broer 22:06, 2 February 2012 (UTC)

You can use this as alternative. Looks like the site just changed the url's. I have already submitted the new one instead of the old. --Dirk P Broer 22:08, 2 February 2012 (UTC)

Now I can open it! Rudam 06:32, 4 February 2012 (UTC)

The Exiles Trilogy

Replaced amazon scan and added data (artist, pages) for your verified here. Hauck 17:47, 4 February 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! --Dirk P Broer 01:09, 6 February 2012 (UTC)

Brain Wave Poul Anderson 1977

Added cover artist for this pub BarDenis 17:53, 5 February 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! --Dirk P Broer 01:09, 6 February 2012 (UTC)

Futura ed. of Kinsman

According to Amazon.co.uk this was published in December 1979. Dating the record will make it clear that it wasn't the first publication of the title. Thanks. Mhhutchins 15:54, 7 February 2012 (UTC)

Done as suggested. The title is also "A Quantum Science Fiction" book, an originally US series, so the UK Futura edition could never have been the first. The UK Quantum Science Fiction books did not receive a number though, afaik. --Dirk P Broer 18:37, 7 February 2012 (UTC)

The change has been approved. Also, would you like to move "Quantum science fiction" to the Publication Series field? It already has about a dozen pubs, so this pub won't be so lonely. Ahasuerus 21:38, 7 February 2012 (UTC)

I'll do that for all Futura titles with the "Quantum Science Fiction" marking. So far the Publication Series only shows Dial Press and Dell titles. --Dirk P Broer 21:52, 7 February 2012 (UTC)

As long as it retains the series name, continue to use it, regardless of who publishes it. Years ago we decided to call these "publication series" instead of "publisher series" for this very reason. Mhhutchins 03:58, 8 February 2012 (UTC)

Gene Stewart > E. R. Stewart

Even though most of his earlier work was published as E. R. Stewart (10 titles, 1990-1995), it seems he's been using Gene Stewart (8 titles, 1999-2009) for the past decade. His website gives his name as "Gene Stewart". It would seem we should use that one as the canonical name. What do you think? Mhhutchins 16:23, 7 February 2012 (UTC)

Any choice is fine by me. I had opted for the record with the most publications, but "E. R. Stewart" only won by a few. If he currently is using "Gene Stewart", then let's use that. As long as all his work can be found under one record I am happy. --Dirk P Broer 18:30, 7 February 2012 (UTC)

You can cancel the submissions and resubmit. Or I can reject them and create you submissions. Your choice. Mhhutchins 21:12, 7 February 2012 (UTC)

I cancelled them and have resubmitted. --Dirk P Broer 00:15, 8 February 2012 (UTC)

Michael P. N. Sims

Because the one story credited to "Michael P. N. Sims" was a variant for an uncredited story, it was best to change the credit of that story to the author's canonical name, which negated the reason for creating a variant (of a variant). Mhhutchins 17:57, 9 February 2012 (UTC)

Found two more for this canonical, Mike and Mick Sims. Michael Sims is an entirely other author though, born in 1958. --Dirk P Broer 20:35, 9 February 2012 (UTC)

The listing for "Mick Sims" turned out to be based on a review which gave the informal names of all of the editors of this anthology. I've made corrections to the pub and title, so "Mick Sims" is no longer in the database. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Mhhutchins 23:02, 9 February 2012 (UTC)

Mike Sims

According to the page that you linked to in your submission to make "Warm as Snow" a variant by M. P. N. Sims, the story was written by both Maynard and Sims. So wouldn't "Mike Sims" then be a pseudonym of both? Mhhutchins 21:20, 9 February 2012 (UTC)

But now we have two "Warm as Snow"s. One written by Mike Sims (1987), the other by M. P. N. Sims and L. H Maynard (2002). Could it be that Sims and Maynard are the editors of this publication, containing stories by the two of them, sometimes in collaboration, sometimes not? --Dirk P Broer 10:45, 10 February 2012 (UTC)

There's no way of knowing the source of the contents in that record, because the editor who added them failed to note his source, and the moderator who accepted the submission didn't care enough to ask. According to the OCLC record, all stories were written by the two authors. Again, I'm going back to the webpage that you found that shows all of their work is a collaboration and neither one is given individual credit. I'm going to do more research to find the sources for the collection's contents and that of the 1987 horror anthology. Mhhutchins 16:30, 10 February 2012 (UTC)

I've approved the submission, as it seems in its 1987 appearance "Warm as Snow" was only credited to "Mike Sims". In the process I learned that a story credited to "Michael Sims" is also M. P. N. Sims ("Benjamin's Shadow"). I'm still trying to figure out how the stories in the collection were credited. Thanks. Mhhutchins 17:00, 10 February 2012 (UTC)

John Victor Peterson / John Lawrence Peterson

I'm not sure that an author who published in the sf magazines between 1938 and 1959, and a single 1970 novel, is the same author who wrote "The Littles" series (1967-2003). Do you have any evidence other than the fact that someone linked both authors to a single Wikipedia page? That reference mentions nothing about his science fiction. And he would have been 14 at the time of the first sf magazine appearance. (That's not entirely impossible, I admit.) Mhhutchins 19:01, 10 February 2012 (UTC)

Strange thing with these two entries is that when I came across them they hardly differed. John Peterson (full John Lawrence Peterson) vs John Vicor Peterson, both born on the same day, in the same place and died in the same month of the same year (only one of them has a date of death). Okay, and both linked to the same wiki-entry as well. --Dirk P Broer 23:16, 10 February 2012 (UTC)

Ah, we're not the first: "Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name", followed by an excellent link with ambiguities. Unfortunately it will not help us in this case. --Dirk P Broer 00:00, 11 February 2012 (UTC)

The problem is an editor updated the author data for John Victor Peterson with information for John Peterson. I'm going to remove the data from the first name and try to find more information on him, maybe ask if any of the magazine verifiers can see if any bio for him is included with any of his stories. Thanks. Mhhutchins 00:23, 11 February 2012 (UTC)

Terry Bisson's birthplace

Wikipedia states that he was born in Madisonville, Kentucky, but the author's Web page says "Terry Ballantine Bisson was born in Madisonville, Kentucky, and raised in Owensboro, 1942--1960". Would you happen to know of another source? Ahasuerus 11:53, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

Funny: I just checked SFE3, that mentioned Owensboro, then checked wikipedia that mentioned Owensboro, then checked the Owensboro entry on wikipedia, that mentions Terry Bisson. But if he says Madisonville himself...--Dirk P Broer 11:56, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

Yes, very sneaky of him! :) Ahasuerus 12:00, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

I corrected wikipedia and will inform SFE3. --Dirk P Broer 12:05, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

Georges Simenon

Was Georges Simenon really born in "Liége, Liège, Belgium "? Ahasuerus 13:33, 13 February 2012 (UTC)

Yes, see the entry for Liège on Wikipedia "Liège (French pronunciation: [ljɛːʒ]; Dutch: Luik, [lœyk] ( listen); Walloon: Lidje; German: Lüttich; Latin: Leodium; Luxembourgish: Léck; until 17 September 1946[2][3][4] the city's name was written Liége, with the acute accent instead of a grave accent)" (Now also in biographic notes). --Dirk P Broer 13:35, 13 February 2012 (UTC)

Ah, I see! You learn new things all the time :) Ahasuerus 13:53, 13 February 2012 (UTC)

Geïllustreerde Encyclopedie van de Science Fiction Brian Ash 1979

Added cover for this pub BarDenis 19:14, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! My copy is hopelessly discolo(u)red. --Dirk P Broer 19:51, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

Man Plus

Can you confirm the price and printing statement in this record? An editor just submitted another Panther edition of this title with a lower price and different cover artist. Both have the same ISBN and year of publication. Thanks for checking. Mhhutchins 22:33, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

Checked and corrected! (to 0000-00-00). My copy must be a later edition, but doesn't say so on the copyright page. Unfortunately I do not have a case full of Locus magazines to try to date my edition. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. --Dirk P Broer 09:48, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

Locus's coverage of British books was rather scant in the 70s and 80s so it wouldn't have helped in this case. Mhhutchins 18:32, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

Based upon WorldCat record 16604634 I would tentatively make my copy the 1982 edition. But you only see the 1982 when you ask for all English editions, not upon opening #16604634. --Dirk P Broer 10:05, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

When it comes to reprints, Worldcat has issues that make it less dependable (most librarians are not going to worry about what printing a book is). Let's leave it undated for now. Mhhutchins 18:32, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

Judged by the pricing lists on BLongley's page it can't have been later than 1982 (but then again it can be a 1979, 1980 or 1981 printing as well, who knows?). --Dirk P Broer 18:48, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

BCA ed. of The History of the Runestaff

Can you see if the spelling of the name of this record's cover artist is correct and, if so, make it into a variant by Bob Haberfield. Thanks for looking. Mhhutchins 23:47, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

Yes, it was really printed as 'Habberfield' (and not that that occured only once!). I made it into a variant as requested. --Dirk P Broer 01:21, 16 February 2012 (UTC)

Habberfield variant submissions

I'm holding these until I hear back from the primary verifier that the records are entered as stated. If he reports they're correctly entered, I'll accept the submissions to make variants. Thanks. Mhhutchins 19:05, 16 February 2012 (UTC)

I bet you all my double novel titles on this! --Dirk P Broer 19:06, 16 February 2012 (UTC)

I wouldn't take that bet. :) I just don't want to create variants until we're sure the credits are correct. Mhhutchins 19:10, 16 February 2012 (UTC)

It's not all that bad a bet. I have, amongst others, Stalking the Unicorn double since I bought a mass of PYR books. The 'Arrow' now awaits a new owner. --Dirk P Broer 19:18, 16 February 2012 (UTC)

That remark was based on the odds of winning, not the quality of the titles in the wager. I only bet when the odds are in my favor. Mhhutchins

And so do I! Bet you have some good titles double too. --Dirk P Broer 00:32, 17 February 2012 (UTC)

Very true. Back when I was a reader I could only afford paperbacks and book club editions. Most of my favorites I replaced with hardcovers (most first editions) that I've never read. I've even bought the same edition that I already had, because I'd forgotten I had them until I started entering them here on the ISFDB. Now that I'm a collector, I barely have time to read at all. 'Tis a pity. Mhhutchins 01:28, 17 February 2012 (UTC)

OCLC linking

FYI: Usually in searching OCLC for titles, the URL gives a full string of your search, but you can easily condense the URL. So http://www.worldcat.org/title/secret-people/oclc/16375219&referer=brief_results can be given as http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/16375219 and still link to the same record. Mhhutchins 01:19, 17 February 2012 (UTC)

Thanks, didn't knew that! I suspected the part after '&' was superflous, but that title/secret-people/ can be left out is entirely new for me. --Dirk P Broer 09:35, 17 February 2012 (UTC)

Indeed! When you open any OCLC record there is a little icon at the top right with 'Permalink' beside it. Click on that and an inset opens with the truncated bare bones link. Easier to copy that than use the full URL and trim it. Avoids unfortunate excessive trimming that might lead to an unusable link. --~ Bill, Bluesman 00:32, 2 March 2012 (UTC)

Mor Jokai

Hi. For your proposed edits to Mor Jokai, you left the last name "Jókai" but have the legal name using "Jókay". Should they both be using i/y? Thanks. --MartyD 12:53, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

I always thought that 'Last Name' was to reflect which part of the canonical name was the surname. There are lots and lots of entries where the 'legal name' is totally different from both canonical and last name. --Dirk P Broer 12:56, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

As an example I edited A. Den Doolaard for you, making clear by editing 'Last name' to Den Doolaard that Den Doolaard is the last name, and 'Den' is not a middle name. The man's legal name however (Spoelstra) bears no relation to both the canonical or last name. --Dirk P Broer 14:22, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

The "Last Name" field is only used to build the Author directory, which can be accessed via the navigation bar. The field is first populated automatically when a new author is entered, but sometimes the software guesses wrong, especially when the last name consists of two or more words, e.g. "van Vogt". Ahasuerus 14:36, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

I've edited more than 5500 authors, and seen more than 10.000 author records, but i've yet have to see one where the field 'Last name' holds different content from that of the last part of 'Canonical name'. There are plenty of entries, and I think especially about pseudonymious authors, where the field 'Legal name' holds an entirely different content than both 'Canonical name' and 'Last name'. I know that 'Last name' is used to build the author directory, but where do you want James Tiptree, Jr., at the "S" of Sheldon, the "B" of Bradley or at the "T" of Tiptree? I see no need to have a last name Jókay for an author that has as Canonical name Jokai, just as I do not see the advantage of having Sheldon as last name for Tiptree. Should Jörg Liebenfels be given as last name von Liebenfelß because his legal name ends with von Liebenfelß? (and is at the moment wrongly entered Liebenfelß, Georg Felicetti von)--Dirk P Broer 16:25, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

Easy, guys! I was only asking in case there was a typo or choice-of-transliteration of the "ai" / "ay" at play, nothing more. I didn't get a direct answer to my question, but I'm going to assume from the above that "ay" is as intended and will accept the submission. Thanks. --MartyD 16:58, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

But why didn't you just ask whether I made a typo? I might have pointed at the added wikipedia link containing just what you would have needed. --Dirk P Broer 18:46, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

(unindent) Sorry about the confusion! I wasn't referring to the Legal Name field, only to the relationship between the Canonical Name and the Last Name fields.

There are cases where the last name consists of two words, e.g. Patrick Nielsen Hayden and Theresa Nielsen Hayden should be listed in the Author Directory under "N" rather than under "H". Originally, the software set their last names to "Hayden" and the value had to be changed to "Nielsen Hayden" so that they would appear in the right place in the Directory. Ahasuerus 07:59, 20 February 2012 (UTC)

I know about 'double names'. These things tend to confuse both software and people. Most Dutch collectors/bookshops will already have Lester del Rey under the "R" of Rey and Van Vogt under the "Vo", because both the 'del' and the 'van' are seen as not belonging to the 'sort name'. Aa author like Roger MacBride Allen on the other hand is mostly found under "M" in Dutch shops -if they have in in stock at all-. Since I have the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (the 1981 Granada edition), I use its sorting as leading on my shelves, freaking out Dutch collectors who visit me and can't find their favourite authors at the places they expect. Speaking about double names: we have a secretary of transportation called Melanie Schultz van Haegen-Maas Geesteranus, in short Melanie Schultz. No software can cope with the likes of these... --Dirk P Broer 11:04, 20 February 2012 (UTC)

Exactly! And that's why Al added a special field for "Last names" so that humans could correct the software when it fails to parse monstrosities like "François VI, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marcillac" correctly :-) Ahasuerus 17:00, 20 February 2012 (UTC)

In my private opinion titles should not be in names anyway. Above person should be François de la (small 'l') Rochefoucauld, if it were up to me. Saw a Rev. Canon Edmund Gill Swain lately as well. --Dirk P Broer 17:54, 20 February 2012 (UTC)

We had a big debate about this a few years ago. There were various arguments on both sides of the divide, e.g. there are authors whose canonical names include titles as an integral part, e.g. Sergeant Saturn, which would look weird if we entered it as just "Saturn". In he end we decided to go with the "enter it as it appears in the pub" rule, although it leads to more pseudonyms and variant titles for people like [Sir] Arthur C. Clarke. Ahasuerus 09:38, 21 February 2012 (UTC)

Sergeant Saturn, when 'alive', was a pseudonym for Mort Weisinger (and later Sam Mines when he took over from Weisinger). He was 'killed' by Sam Merwin, when he took over as editor for those magazines where the Sergeant drank his Xeno. --Dirk P Broer 10:21, 21 February 2012 (UTC)

Oh, I know, I have a complete set of the Standard Twins sitting right here :-) I seem to recall that our magazine editors decided not to create pseudonyms and variant titles for Weisinger and Mines because it wasn't clear whether some of the articles may have been written by editorial assistants.

Anyway, whether we treat "Sergeant Saturn" as a pseudonym or not, we still have to enter the name in some fashion and it was felt that "Sergeant Saturn" was a better choice than "Saturn". Similarly, it was felt that it was better to enter Ex-Private X rather than just "X", in part because we have other "X"es on file. And once you do that, it becomes hard to argue against entering Capt. S. P. Meek, Colonel S. P. Meek, etc. Ahasuerus 11:03, 21 February 2012 (UTC)

Untechnological Employment

The addition of this Web page has been approved, but I moved it from the CHAPTERBOOK record to the SHORTFICTION title since it applies to the text itself rather than to its standalone appearance. Ahasuerus 16:57, 20 February 2012 (UTC)

Perfect. --Dirk P Broer 17:51, 20 February 2012 (UTC)

Desolation Road

What is the title as given to the afterword on page 356 in this publication? If it's titled, then you don't add the name of the book to it. Thanks. Mhhutchins 17:43, 25 February 2012 (UTC)

It is named "Author's Afterword- The Last Train to Kajiado Junction".--Dirk P Broer 17:47, 25 February 2012 (UTC)

Please update the record when you get a chance. Mhhutchins 18:09, 25 February 2012 (UTC)

Consider it done, with an em-dash (—) after Afterword, as in the book. --Dirk P Broer 21:28, 25 February 2012 (UTC)

Leigh Eddings

I approved the submission, but changed the Wikipedia link from the Finnish version to the Swedish version of the page since the latter has more data. Ahasuerus 17:46, 28 February 2012 (UTC)

You are right. Even the Bulgarian Wikipedia is more complete (but harder to read). --Dirk P Broer 20:50, 28 February 2012 (UTC)

Imago

Hi, could you please check if in this verified pub author's name indeed have middle initial. Cheers, P-Brane 00:19, 1 March 2012 (UTC).

I checked the complete VGSF Xenogenesis series: No, they have not. Not on the cover, nor on the title page. --Dirk P Broer 10:24, 1 March 2012 (UTC)

Ships to the Stars

Please have a look at [this] discussion/note. Thanks! --~ Bill, Bluesman 00:24, 2 March 2012 (UTC)

Yury Olesha

Just a quick note that I have changed "Cherson" to "Kherson Governorate" in Yury Olesha's record. Ahasuerus 18:08, 3 March 2012 (UTC)

Just a matter of transcription method. No problem. --Dirk P Broer 16:29, 4 March 2012 (UTC)

Eberhard David Hauber

When you get a chance, could you please double check that the data that we have for Eberhard David Hauber is correct? TIA! Ahasuerus 22:41, 3 March 2012 (UTC)

Hohenhaslach, Württemberg, Holy Roman Empire seemed to me more likely for 1695 A.D.--Dirk P Broer 16:43, 4 March 2012 (UTC)

Looks good, thanks! Ahasuerus 00:46, 5 March 2012 (UTC)

The Best of Eric Frank Russell

Changed cover attribution for this verified pub. Hauck 07:59, 4 March 2012 (UTC)

Ah! I thought as much about the wrong attribution when I selected the book in Goodreads and found out that the two Del Rey/Ballantine editions were both attributed to H. R. van Dongen. Thanks for finding Barclay Shaw as the real artist!. --Dirk P Broer 16:27, 4 March 2012 (UTC)

H.Beam Piper's Empire

I've added Michael Whelan as artist, his sigil is on the top left side of the throne. Thanks.--Teddybear 18:11, 5 March 2012 (UTC)

Thanks to you! --Dirk P Broer 20:12, 5 March 2012 (UTC)

Katharine Beutner

I have approved the submission, but are we sure that her legal first name is "Katherine" rather than "Katharine"? Ahasuerus 20:53, 5 March 2012 (UTC)

You are right: Katharine with two 'a's. My fault. Corrected it. --Dirk P Broer 21:02, 5 March 2012 (UTC)

Gerald Bishop and Google Books links

Hi. I accepted your Gerald Bishop edits, but I had to remove the link to the Google Books search of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, Volume II. I personally think linking to interior book search contents as "web page" is going a little too far -- that sort of reference might better be put on the author's Wiki page -- but my personal preferences aside, Google is reporting that the limit on the number of views of the book's interior has reached its limit. So this specific link is not reliable, and it appears links to Google scan contents may generally run into this sort of problem. --MartyD 11:22, 8 March 2012 (UTC)

Shame on Google....--Dirk P Broer 13:04, 8 March 2012 (UTC)

Pat Calif[i]a

Hi. I took a closer look at "Pat Califa". The only reference is in one unverified publication. There, the notes on Locus1 omit the "i". OCLC, on the other hand, includes the "i". An Amazon Look Inside of a different edition shows it with the "i". I think that is enough to go on to consider the original entry incorrect. I'm going to reject your pseudonym submission and correct the spelling, which will get rid of that entry entirely. --MartyD 11:30, 8 March 2012 (UTC)

Wikipedia talks about a name change. Whether from Pat Califa to Patrick Califia or from Pat Califia to Patrick Califia remains unclear though. --Dirk P Broer 13:04, 8 March 2012 (UTC)

Bloch introduction to The Best of Fredric Brown

Can you confirm that the title of Bloch's introduction is correctly recorded in this record? Thanks. Mhhutchins 22:18, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

Yes it is. to be precise:

Introduction: A Brown Study
Robert Bloch ix
But what is the problem? Do I smell a pun that so far eluded me, having English as second language? --Dirk P Broer 22:25, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

No problem. It's just that the first edition did not include "A Brown Study" in the introduction's title. So now I can create a variant because you've confirmed that the title as recorded is exactly as it appears on the title page (not the contents page). Thanks. Mhhutchins 22:27, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

First sentence: "I Hope they don't misspell his name" ;)--Dirk P Broer 22:30, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

BTW: the 'A Brown Study' can be found on the copyright page, the TOC and the title page.--Dirk P Broer 22:32, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

BTW, "A Brown Study" is indeed a pun -- see this page -- as you would expect from the famously pun-prone Bloch :-)

Also, when you get a chance, could you please check our Pieter Bruegel the Elder record and add his place of birth? It looks like he may have been born in Son en Breugel, but I am not sure which state it was a part of in 1525. Ahasuerus 05:26, 21 March 2012 (UTC)

According to some sources he was born in Breugel near the (now Dutch) town of Breda. There are however also records that he was born in Breda (Duchy of Brabant, Habsburg Netherlands), and there is some uncertainty whether the (now Belgian) town of Bree (Prince-Bishopric of Liège, Habsburg Netherlands), called Breda in Latin, is meant. There is no mentioning of Pieter Breug(h)el in either the English or the Dutch wiki about Son en Breugel.--Dirk P Broer 10:30, 21 March 2012 (UTC)

Only Breda claims Pieter Brueugel the Elder.--Dirk P Broer 10:32, 21 March 2012 (UTC)

Hm, so it sounds like the only thing that we can be more or less sure about is that he was born in "Habsburg Netherlands", right? Ahasuerus 20:50, 21 March 2012 (UTC)

Neither Breugel (of present Son en Breugel) nor Bree claim to be the birthplace of Breughel (the Elder). Breda does. --Dirk P Broer 09:17, 22 March 2012 (UTC)

Semi-colons in URLs

Our underlying implementation of multiple web page links (in author data, title data, etc.) stores all of them as one long string, using semi-colon ";" as the separator. So if you have a URL with a semi-colon in it, such as http://www.austlit.edu.au/run?ex=ShowAgent&agentId=A$;C, the semi-colon needs to be encoded or you end up with two links (one ending in "A$", the other simply "C"). I changed it to http://www.austlit.edu.au/run?ex=ShowAgent&agentId=A%24%3BC. --MartyD 10:34, 22 March 2012 (UTC)

Thanks, didn't see it while pasting. darn &agentId=A$;C --Dirk P Broer 10:36, 22 March 2012 (UTC)

Paradox Men

Scanned in a new image and expanded the notes for [this]. --~ Bill, Bluesman 22:36, 23 March 2012 (UTC)

Excellent. To the best of my knowledge the NEL SF Master series underwent only one printing, so this is a first printing, afaik.--Dirk P Broer 23:54, 23 March 2012 (UTC)

Herman Vestal

According to pulpartists.com, Herman Vestal's middle name was "Beeson" rather than "Beesom". Would you happen to know of another source to cross-check? Ahasuerus 15:43, 27 March 2012 (UTC)

As far as I could search, I couldn't find a single reference to "Beesom". I think it is a typo for "Beeson". --Dirk P Broer 19:11, 27 March 2012 (UTC)

Fixed, thanks! Ahasuerus 22:40, 27 March 2012 (UTC)

The Power of Time

Making a couple of corrections to your verified pub The Power of Time. This is the tp edition, but I think the corrections will also apply to the hc, which I also have to hand (somewhere). Will let you know. PeteYoung 07:18, 30 March 2012 (UTC)

Hello Pete, what changes do you have in mind? Apart from some capitalized words in the titles that are not in the TOC or titlepage I cannot see anything wrong.--Dirk P Broer 08:44, 30 March 2012 (UTC)

Found one. If you had by any chance already changed the number of pages, I have changed it back to the 222 it is in my copy. Otherwise it might be of of your upcoming edits, sorry!--Dirk P Broer 08:48, 30 March 2012 (UTC)

I'm holding PeteYoung's submission to change the title of the book. Please confirm the title as given on the title page. According to the OCLC record, the title is The Power of Time (no "and Other Stories") Mhhutchins 15:18, 30 March 2012 (UTC)

He's right: On cover, title page and copyright page there is no mentioning of "and Other Stories".--Dirk P Broer 15:26, 30 March 2012 (UTC)

Hazel Townson

I see that at some point in 2010 Wikipedia changed this author's date of birth from 1950-04-02 to 1928-04-02. 1928 does sound much more plausible given everything else that we know about Townson, but almost all of their links are broken and I can't find another source on the Web to confirm it. Would you happen to know of one? Ahasuerus 01:43, 3 April 2012 (UTC)

I found an obituary here, confirming both year of birth 1928 and year of death 2010.--Dirk P Broer 08:33, 3 April 2012 (UTC)

Looks good, thanks! Ahasuerus 15:45, 3 April 2012 (UTC)

Weirdbook 14

When you get a chance, could you please take a look at this pub? The Note field currently says:

• "The Way Back Home" originally published in German in 1973 as "De Doodkist in de Zee"

but "De Doodkist in de Zee" looks like Dutch rather than like German to me. TIA! Ahasuerus 17:09, 3 April 2012 (UTC)

Eddy C. Bertin is a bit of an enigma. He is a Belgian who mainly writes in Dutch, but who was born in Germany. You are quite right is thinking that "De Doodkist in de Zee" sounds Dutch, but I think it should be "De Doodskist in de Zee", with a 's' between Dood and kist. I haven't yet found it between his stories though.--Dirk P Broer 23:04, 3 April 2012 (UTC)

It is indeed "De Doodskist in de Zee", and it appeared in the magazine Apollo #11.--Dirk P Broer 23:30, 3 April 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! I have set up a VT, updated the pub and notified the verifiers, so we should be all set for now. Well, until we start entering these Apollo issues, that is :) I did notice that "Doodskist" seemed to be the preferred Dutch spelling, but some online sources suggested that "Doodkist" was a valid alternative, so I wasn't sure if it was a typo.

The beauty/horror of Dutch: there is often more than one way of writing a word. And when there isn't, a commitee of Dutch and Flemish comes together and decides to change the rules (look for 'tussen-n'). This has happened so much last 40 years that I have stopped entering dictation contests. Fortuntely nobody takes offense when I try to hold onto the rules I was taught at school and that follow the 1954 way of writing things.--Dirk P Broer 09:34, 4 April 2012 (UTC)

Earlier tonight I was changing a couple of Russian pubs to test the latest patch and discovered that Heinlein's Tunnel in the Sky has been translated as both "Тоннель в небе" and "Туннель в небе" :-) Ahasuerus 06:15, 8 April 2012 (UTC)

Also, I see that deboekenplank.nl lists the title as "De Doodskist in Zee" here and here. Is there a way to tell if there is a "de" between "in" and "Zee"? Ahasuerus 02:25, 4 April 2012 (UTC)

This Dutch source has the 'de', as has this Estonian. In Info SF Fan 27 the author says "Mijn eigen verhaal, De Doodskist in de Zee".--Dirk P Broer 09:34, 4 April 2012 (UTC)

Moderator?

Your submissions have been quite clean for a long time, so I wonder if you think that you are ready to become a moderator. At the very least you will be able to approve your own submissions which will make the process run smoother. What do you think? Ahasuerus 17:11, 3 April 2012 (UTC)

While I am not adverse to become a moderator -quite honored even- I have some (but not that much) moral objections as to approving my own submissions, from a methodological point of view.--Dirk P Broer 22:57, 3 April 2012 (UTC)

Well, ideally all submissions would be cross-checked prior to approval. However, that would slow down the editing process for everyone involved, so we have to compromise and let moderators approve their own submissions. It really speeds up the editing process quite a bit, especially when dealing with multi-step changes.

Here is the Help page for moderators -- Help:Screen:Moderator -- if you want to take a look. Ahasuerus 02:06, 4 April 2012 (UTC)

So, what do you think? Also, you may want to take a look at Moderator Qualifications before you take the plunge. Ahasuerus 23:23, 6 April 2012 (UTC)

As I wrote above, I feel honored by the request. So yes, I am willing -if the other moderators can agree about it of course.--Dirk P Broer 09:02, 7 April 2012 (UTC)

Great! The nomination has been posted on the Community Portal. Ahasuerus 15:11, 7 April 2012 (UTC)

Based on the Community Portal feedback so far, it looks like it would be best to try a mini-project to make sure that you get exposed to various and sundry areas of ISFDB design. Would you like to give it a shot? If so, what would be a good task to undertake? Perhaps some Dutch magazine that you would be well qualified to handle, e.g. Galaxis, including setting up VTs? Or how about the "Doc Savage" series that I mentioned earlier? Ahasuerus 06:11, 8 April 2012 (UTC)

Lol, My present concentration upon authors and artists is already a self inflicted 'mini'-project, when a previous proposal for giving me moderator rights didn't even make it to the 'let's vote for it' round. But I will gladly try to enter "Galaxis", I don't think it will give more problems than finding out which Portuguese Bob Shaw titles are VTs of the existing ones. --Dirk P Broer 11:09, 8 April 2012 (UTC)

Perhaps giving Dirk access to the clean-up scripts would show him some of the problems we deal with? BLongley 16:44, 8 April 2012 (UTC)

I am interested in what problems you are talking about, as I encounter some problems in the database myself, e.g. How to enter a date of birth before 0 A.D.? --Dirk P Broer 21:25, 8 April 2012 (UTC)

Unfortunately, our database software doesn't support dates before 1 AD. BTW, there was no year 0 AD :-)

Unless the birth of Christ took a year. But indeed: it is a point in time 0 A.D., not a year. Ovid is the guy who brought the problem to light.--Dirk P Broer 09:37, 9 April 2012 (UTC)

As far as giving Dirk access to the cleanup scripts goes, that's probably doable. I will take a look tomorrow. It will certainly be educational! Ahasuerus 05:22, 9 April 2012 (UTC)

Helen Hollick birthplace

Hi. I have on hold your proposed changes to Helen Hollick. According to her autobiography on her own website, she was born in "Walthamstow, North East London, in 1953". What makes you think we should change that to Chingford, Essex? It looks to me like Chingford and Walthamstow are adjoining-but-different places. Thanks. --MartyD 22:12, 13 April 2012 (UTC)

So much adjacent even that we need to know the streetname and house number of the place of birth to be certain whether it was Chingford, source 1 source 2 (citing 1) or Walthamstow. What is certain though, is that in 1953 both were Essex, and not yet London.--Dirk P Broer 20:44, 14 April 2012 (UTC)

I've send her a mail, asking whether she knows the exact location.--Dirk P Broer 01:15, 15 April 2012 (UTC)

I don't think she is going to answer, but I will settle for Walthamstow, Essex as correct place of birth and name of the location at that time.--Dirk P Broer 10:34, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

"Jack Limekiller" series question

Hi. I have on hold a pair of submissions that would remove the "Jack Limekiller" series membership from Manatee Gal, Won't You Come Out Tonight and Sleep Well of Nights, both of which appear in your 2-verified Avram Davidson: Collected Fantasies. What do you think? I asked Willem, who is primary verifier of that, but he has been ill, so if you'd care to offer an opinion, I'd appreciate it. Thanks. --MartyD 10:20, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

Never mind. I figured it out. The submissions are removing the variants from the series. Not enough coffee yet. --MartyD 10:23, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

I was just about to point you to Limekiller!. Besides, only Manatee Gal, Won't You Come Out Tonight appears in Avram Davidson: Collected Fantasies.--Dirk P Broer 10:32, 17 April 2012 (UTC)

Mag ik Nina even?

A question about this pub. Is it OK to change the author's name to "Kiril Boelitsjev" and the titles to their Dutch equivalent (as recorded in Notes)? Ahasuerus 05:53, 18 April 2012 (UTC)

It certainly is! It was never my intention to enter it as it has been done.--Dirk P Broer 08:18, 18 April 2012 (UTC)

Thanks, I have made the change -- could you please confirm that everything looks OK and, if it does, edit the Note field? (And I am so glad that we can now enter translations "as is" instead of following the old rules. Now I just need to find some free time to fix the rest of the bugs in language support...) Ahasuerus 06:30, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

Looks good on title-level and publication level. On author level though, only the English version is shown as variant title at the moment. No doubt one of those bugs.--Dirk P Broer 12:44, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

Have you not yet set your language preferences? These can be found on the homepage, under logged in as - my preferences - my languages. --Willem H. 13:56, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! That helped! I changed the default settings to 'show all translations' and there they were..--Dirk P Broer 14:21, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

We really must announce the software improvements more loudly - that feature went in months ago! I wonder how many people have missed that? There's more language-related improvements in the queue too, it'd be a shame to test and implement them if nobody notices.... BLongley 21:53, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

Author data for J. M. Smith

Your submission changes the legal name of J. M. Smith to "Maynard Smith, John", but it also wants to change the last name from "Maynard Smith" to just "Smith". Seems contradictory to me. If "Maynard" is his part of his legal last name, why remove it from the last name field of the ISFDB record? Mhhutchins 18:41, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

I see you kept "Fagundes" as part of the last name field of Lygia Fagundes Telles. Wouldn't "Maynard Smith" follow the same format? Mhhutchins 18:44, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

The difference is in the field 'Canonical name'. In the case of Lygia Fagundes Telles 'Fagundes' is in the canonical name. In the case of J. M. Smith 'Maynard' is not.--Dirk P Broer 18:49, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

I quote the Help: "Last Name - This field is used to build the Author Directory. When an author is added to the directory, the software parses the canonical name to determine the author's last name. For example, Robert Heinlein = Heinlein; L. E. Modesitt, Jr. = Modesitt. There are cases where the automated parsing fails, for example, R. Garcia y Robertson should be filed in the directory under "Garcia," not "Robertson." Similarly, Ursula`K. Le Guin should be filed under "Le Guin", not "Guin". The Last Name field allows the editor to supply the correct last name in these instances. The field should contain the only last name (surname) of the canonical name."--Dirk P Broer 20:41, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

Yes, so if "Maynard Smith" is the author's last name, why change it to Smith. --Willem H. 20:49, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

Because 'Smith' is the last name (surname) of the canonical name. There is no 'Maynard' in the canonical name. If you were to search for J. M. Smith you expect him to turn up under the 'S' of 'Smith'. Using 'Maynard Smith' as last name will let J. M. Smith turn up under the 'M'.--Dirk P Broer 21:16, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

That's right, the "last name" field is only used to build what we call "Author Directory". Basically, it's the name that you would expect to have an author's books shelved under in a bookstore. Thus, if it says "J. M. Smith" on the cover, a clerk will shelve it under "Smith". Perhaps we should call this field something other than "Last name"... Ahasuerus 21:23, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

I'd vote for 'Sort name'...But when you have lots of clerks you can bet on varying sorting methods. We Dutch will search for Lester del Rey under the 'R' and A. E. van Vogt under the 'Vo'...--Dirk P Broer 21:37, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

We've noticed the weaknesses in "Author Directory" and there is an outstanding change to allow for last names with an apostrophe as the second character to work. There are still going to be problems with names like "Peadar Ò Guilin" and probably with a lot more non-ASCII surnames - and the auto-creation of entries will still only deal with a subset of entries, so disambiguating authors by date of birth or country still needs a manual author edit afterward. But there's some hope for improvement still. BLongley 21:59, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

[unindent] I see your point. The "last name" field is not a visible part of the record, and its name should probably be changed. I'll accept the submission and let those who design the software "sort" out the rest of it. Mhhutchins 22:04, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

If you make puns like that, we might make you wait a bit longer! ;-) But I see from the "Authors with Invalid Last Names" cleanup script that this is beginning to become a bit of a problem. I'm afraid that my human language (or rather, human alphabet) skills are a bit too weak to take on the task - what we really need is somebody skilled in MySQL, Python, English, Cyrillic, Kanji, and a few other things like knowing which countries put "surnames" first. Moderating Hungarian edits tonight reminded me of my incompetence... BLongley 22:24, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

Hungarians have the habit of putting the surname first as I know of my speedskating statistics.--Dirk P Broer 22:34, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

I think Japanese and Chinese may have that problem too. I encountered those languages today as well, while finishing off my attempt to get Urania data up-to-date: there were Italian issues dedicated to them. It just goes to show that even after five years here, I'm not 100% competent and never will be. BLongley 22:43, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

You're forgetting Koreans. With all these names you have to check whether the names already exist in your database in another sequence, e.g. Young Ha Lee is the same person as Lee Young Ha. The surname is Lee (btw: North Koreans would use Li) and Koreans themselves usually have their surname first, as do Chinese and Japanese amongst themselves. Japanese nowadays present themselves western-wise to the outward world, but in the past that certainly was not the case.--Dirk P Broer 09:01, 20 April 2012 (UTC)

I'm not forgetting Koreans - I've just not had to deal with them yet. I'm quite glad that our language improvements are being taken up slowly - if all 94 were actually used from day one, I'd have quit moderating ages ago! Instead, I've taken the opportunity to learn a little more about Western European languages, and hope that others can take up the mantle of moderating the rest or finding new moderators for such. BLongley 13:15, 20 April 2012 (UTC)

Theodore Pratt

Hi. I accepted your Theodore Pratt modifications but removed the proposed web page: http://fauarchon.fcla.edu/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=109&q=&rootcontentid=34920#id34920 -- there's no information viewable there. It's only an index of the materials they have, and all you can do with them is register to view them at the library. --MartyD 10:22, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

I had included it because it is a rather official website that makes mentioning of his date of death occuring in 1969, and not 1970 as we had previously. Later I also found the IMDb page, but that is not always 100% accurate.--Dirk P Broer 10:26, 26 April 2012 (UTC)

Robert Clarke

Hello. I rejected your submission concerning Robert Clarke. The author is not a pseudonym of Charles Platt but more likely the french scientific journalist see here. If you've got positive data proving the contrary, please re-submit with appropriate data. Hauck 09:47, 4 May 2012 (UTC)

Hm, half an hour ago there was just Robert Clarke, the writer of e.g. Less than Human (Avon, 1986) (see also Goodreads). Now there is also Robert Clarke (French Journalist). Seems to me that whoever credited it originally to the Charles Platt pseudonym did make the mistake and that you have created Robert Clarke (French Journalist) to correct it.--Dirk P Broer 10:15, 4 May 2012 (UTC)

I've created the "other" Clarke in the purpose of disambiguation. The initial credit was mine but It's the variating that alerted me. Hauck 10:18, 4 May 2012 (UTC)

New Worlds, May 1966

I'm entering biblio data received from Michael Butterworth and his biblio entry for the story "Girl" in New Worlds #162 lists an illustration for this story by Harry Douthwaite. As the primary verifier can you verify the existence of this illustration? Thanks!--Rkihara 22:12, 6 May 2012 (UTC)

There is an (uncredited) illustration on the title page (page 113).--Dirk P Broer 22:56, 6 May 2012 (UTC)

New Worlds SF, October 1966

See this discussion. I've added the interior art to New Worlds SF, October 1966. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 12:03, 7 May 2012 (UTC)

The Commodore at Sea / Spartan Planet

I added a cover scan to this verified pub. --Willem H. 20:10, 7 May 2012 (UTC)

Impulse 4

Hello, can you have look at your copy of this magazine ? On my copy the short story _George_ is by Chris Boyce and not Chris Bunch (which is more logical). Can you confim ? Hauck 09:51, 17 May 2012 (UTC) Note also that I'm going to add some notes and interior art to some of the other issues of the magazine.
Hauck 10:14, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

It is indeed Chris Boyce, I don't know how Chris Bunch got there (auto-complete??).--Dirk P Broer 12:05, 19 May 2012 (UTC)

"Apearant"

I'm not sure if we should be assuming that a publication is the first printing unless it's stated. It doesn't add value to the data by doing so. (That's just my personal opinion, of course.) But if you choose to do so, consider using "Probably" or "Likely". By "Apearant" I assume you mean "apparent" and that means "clear" which it isn't. Thanks. Mhhutchins 16:39, 19 May 2012 (UTC)

I mean that it apears to be the first edition...it does not actually say so, but I haven't foud any evidence that the publisher had another printing of the same title.--Dirk P Broer 18:31, 19 May 2012 (UTC)

Brontomek!

Added artist for your verified here. Hauck 16:52, 19 May 2012 (UTC)

Ah, Thanks! And now that I know it, it is indeed easy to see...--Dirk P Broer 18:32, 19 May 2012 (UTC)

Fury

Hi, could you please add to this verified pub thr essay by Conklin on page 7. Cheers, P-Brane 04:42, 23 May 2012 (UTC).

Done as suggested, thanks for catching! --Dirk P Broer 10:01, 24 May 2012 (UTC)

Cover art credit for The Snow Queen

According to a new editor, the artist's signature "PAJ" is visible on the cover art of this edition, and that it is the signature of Peter A. Jones. Thanks. Mhhutchins 21:59, 24 May 2012 (UTC)

That is correct.--Dirk P Broer 14:59, 26 May 2012 (UTC)

Worlds

Added an image to [this]. --~ Bill, Bluesman 00:59, 29 May 2012 (UTC)

Hi Bill. Close, but no cigar. You've added the cover of a later printing, which is not by Peter A. Jones. The cover bears more likeness to the Arrow series of 'Cities in Flight', where Chris Foss was the artist. I will replace the cover with a scan of my copy, so you'll see the difference. --Dirk P Broer 11:10, 29 May 2012 (UTC)

Added your scan to Worlds (Orbit, 1984) btw. --Dirk P Broer 21:03, 5 June 2012 (UTC)

Pebble in the Sky

In your verified pub Pebble in the Sky, I changed the publication date of Afterword (Pebble in the Sky) from November 1985, to November 1983, Matching its first appearance in the first Ballantine Books edition. I also noticed that the afterword appears on page 231 in my copy, (and you've listed the same in yours), but you've only listed the book as having 230 numbered pages. My copy has a page number at the bottom of 231. (I didn't change the page count in your pub, I'll leave that for you to verify, etc.) Thanks Kevin 16:45, 10 June 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for spotting, must have been a typo! I bought the copy on the 9th of April 1984, so why it was having a foreword dated November 1985 is beyond me. The page number may have been a leftover from the original entry, I've corrected it to 231 (there is also an uncredited 'About the Author' essay on unnumbered page [233] in my copy).--Dirk P Broer 08:05, 11 June 2012 (UTC)

Karma

Karma cover is indeed by Jim Burns -- that interior art appears in Lightship.Ofearna 05:53, 15 June 2012 (UTC)

Silver Screen

I added some notes to this verified pub. --Willem H. 17:54, 19 June 2012 (UTC)

End of the Century

In this verified pub I changed the publication date from 2009-01-00 to 2009-02-00 (source Locus #579), page count from 483 to 485 (last numbered page) and added the "author's notes" and some notes. --Willem H. 18:14, 19 June 2012 (UTC)

PYR itself claims January 2009. --Dirk P Broer 21:46, 19 June 2012 (UTC)

There was no source mentioned in the notes. --Willem H. 07:18, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

Stalking the Unicorn: A Fable of Tonight

In this verified pub I changed the publication date from 2008-08-01 to 2008-07-00 (source Locus #572), the price from $15.98 to $15.00 (same source), pagecount from 310 to 280, ISBN from 1-59102-648-2 to 978-1-59102-648-8 and added the (4page) "about the author" essay and notes. --Willem H. 19:38, 19 June 2012 (UTC)

My copy is not dated, nor priced. The date, price, ISBN-10 (giving the correct ISBN-13) and (wrong indeed) page count were already there, coming through Amazon. --Dirk P Broer 21:37, 19 June 2012 (UTC)

PYR itself claims August 2008 for the book, but the price seems to have risen to $17.00. --Dirk P Broer 21:44, 19 June 2012 (UTC)

When you verify a pub, it's a statement that the database reflects exactly what's in the publication, and data from other sources are mentioned in the notes. Again, there were no sources mentioned, so I searched for these myself. --Willem H. 07:25, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

I remember checking each of the PYR titles at the PYR website for missing data. This might account for the different dates as compared to Locus. Question then is what takes precedence, Locus or the publisher itself. I have no means of checking Locus after 2007, so when there is already a date present in the record and it matches the data found at the publisher's website I see no reason to change anything. How many titles are there in the database bearing your verifiction, without mentioning a source? --Dirk P Broer 07:33, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

If you had added a note about your source, I wouldn't have had to look for one. Perhaps some of my early verifications have unsourced data, but not many. --Willem H. 08:15, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

New Dreams for Old

In this verified pub I removed two of the notes ("Contents listing and artist (source: <a href="http://www.locusmag.com/index/yr2006/t34.htm#A1915">Locus index</a> as of 2008-02-28) added to existing record." and "Locus index stated: page count 417, date Jun 2006. 'About the Author' p. 419. Previous page count in this record: 400."). These data are in the publication. I changed the pagecount from 417 to 419 and added other notes. --Willem H. 07:54, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

In doing so you should have added 'About the Author (New Dreams for Old)' by uncredited on page 419 to the contents, which would be in line with your previous edits. --Dirk P Broer 08:12, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

Could have, but it's not very substantial (only 8 lines). I never include those blurbs. --Willem H. 08:19, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

Been to the book fair 'Boekenfestijn' in Leeuwarden last week? By the looks of your last edits they still have the PYR titles in stock. I went January (Rotterdam) and February (Nieuwegein) and have just recuperated, financially. Bought dozen(s) of books, literally. --Dirk P Broer 08:26, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

Exactly. There were some 20 interesting titles left, I could hardly carry the weight :-). --Willem H. 08:38, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

With me it was more in the neighbourhood of around 100 titles, spread over three visits. Still missing some titles I could not carry anymore when visiting the fair in Rotterdam. They had about 90% of all present titles in the PYR catalog. --Dirk P Broer 08:42, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

The Buntline Special: A Weird West Tale

I added some notes and the "about the author" essay (4 pages) to this verified pub, and changed the pagecount from 300 to 321. --Willem H. 09:32, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

I'll never trust a record again when it comes to a page count that is already given. I was too hasty entering the books and should have given the values that were already there more attention (how do these glaring errors get even entered?). --Dirk P Broer 14:03, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

Most new pubs are entered by Fixer from Amazon data before publication. All data should be distrusted. --Willem H. 14:14, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

As is illustrated by the page count edits you've done on the titles below. I'll check all PYR titles I bought this winter, I fear that you have just scrathed the surface. --Dirk P Broer 07:16, 21 June 2012 (UTC)

The Dervish House

I added some notes to this verified pub. --Willem H. 13:31, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

Cyberabad Days

I added some notes to this verified pub. --Willem H. 13:53, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

Ares Express

Added notes and changed the page count from 332 to 389 for this verified pub. --Willem H. 14:52, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

Summertide

Added cover for your verified here. Hauck 16:54, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

Gardens of the Sun

I added some notes to this verified pub. --Willem H. 18:10, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

Cowboy Angels

Added notes and changed the page count from 370 to 365 for this verified pub. --Willem H. 18:27, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

Hurricane Moon

Added notes and changed the pagecount from 397 to 399 for this verified pub. --Willem H. 18:43, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

The Horns of Ruin

I added some notes to this verified pub and changed the pagecount from 340 to 268. That was the last of my Pyr purchases. Might go for more next september in Utrecht. --Willem H. 12:38, 22 June 2012 (UTC)

See you there perhaps then! I've just come down with the flu, so cannot reach all PYR titles on the shelves to edit. --Dirk P Broer 17:30, 22 June 2012 (UTC)

Pyr / Prometheus covers

I replaced the Amazon links with new coverscans for The Horns of Ruin, Silver Screen, End of the Century, Stalking the Unicorn, The Buntline Special, Cowboy Angels, Hurricane Moon and Cyberabad Days. --Willem H. 19:07, 22 June 2012 (UTC)

Perfect. One never knows how long the correct cover stays at Amazon, if it stays at all. --Dirk P Broer 20:11, 22 June 2012 (UTC)

The Badger of Ghissi

Hello, Dirk! I have deleted the series from the corresponding title of your verified pub: apparently there never was a second part, and even then it would be the second part of the novel 'Die Kinder der Finsternis' and there wouldn't be a so titled series. I hope that's Ok for you - it would have the unwelcomed side effect of having the original German novel as the only part of its own series. Stonecreek 19:03, 24 June 2012 (UTC)

That side effect is one to avoid, by all means. I can read it now, not having to wait till I find part two, and hunt for the complete German original when I like it. --Dirk P Broer 20:04, 24 June 2012 (UTC)

About the Author

Are these pieces substantial, both in length and quality? Otherwise, it'a waste of time and effort to record them, and all they do is just clutter the database. The fact that they are uncredited means they wind up on a summary page with thousands of uncredited works. And the way that you've titled them, "About the Author (TITLE OF WORK)" will mean that no one looking for a bio of the author will be able to find it in the database. Also, two of them are entered as SHORTFICTION, which I assume is an error. I'm going to accept them because you've updated other fields in the submission. Just consider this when making future submissions of this kind. Thanks. Mhhutchins 12:52, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

I've entered the 'About the Author' pieces as Willem H. told me above he'd added them to my verified publications in likewise publications. The SHORTFICTION is an easy made mistake because of it being the default value in that field. I would prefer no default values to avoid this mistake. --Dirk P Broer 13:40, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Not if you were entering an anthology with dozens of fiction records. I'd prefer that there were more drop-down menus restricting the entry values. Mhhutchins 14:12, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

But I have nothing against drop-down menus restricting the entry values, far from that (I'd really would like to see it in e.g. 'format'!). It is just that I don't like default values because they can give you the false impression that you've finished a record.--Dirk P Broer 14:15, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Found 609 times "About the Author (TITLE OF WORK)" when searching for 'About the Author' (All Titles). --Dirk P Broer 13:56, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

That only tells us that there are 609 bios which can't be searched by the subject author. And I'd bet that many of them are of little value. It's a judgement call. Mhhutchins 14:12, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

If you have a suggestion to make them better searchable, give it a shot and I'll re-work them. --Dirk P Broer 14:15, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Again, if they're substantial, you can always add the author to the parenthetical disambiguation. Otherwise, I don't see it worth the effort. Mhhutchins 21:23, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Map interiorart records...

should be entered in this format: "Title of Work (map)". The map in this record will have to be re-titled to "Tracato (map)". Thanks. Mhhutchins 12:55, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

This record's map will also have to be changed. And this record, too. Mhhutchins 12:56, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Done as suggested. --Dirk P Broer 13:45, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Julian May notes

You recently created Bio:Julian May. However, Bio pages are supposed to be for biographical sketches of authors (or artists). Bibliographic notes are normally placed on the Author: pages and in this case Author:Julian May already exists. Any objection to moving the content there, and either deleting the Bio page or creating an actual short biography? -DES ^Talk 17:12, 10 July 2012 (UTC)

According to me bibliographic means that the information on that page has to be about the publications of the author. The information I give "Legal name via Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1977: January-June: Index. The entry for May, Julian is followed by "See Dikty, Julian May"" is clearly biographic (about how the legal name of the author should be written), so according to me, on the right page. The bibliographic page already contains bibliographic content "internal consistency pass done." (about the bibliographic content on our pages from this author) from Ahasuerus. --Dirk P Broer 22:36, 10 July 2012 (UTC)

According to ISFDB:Policy#ISFDB:Policy: "...When such a biography is not available, a short, neutral, factual article, professional in tone, may be posted to a "Bio:" page."

According to Help:Contents/Purpose#Biographies:

"The "Author:" pages of the ISFDB Wiki are not for recording biographies of authors. They are for bibliographic notes about the work of an author (or artist), and for discussing how that work should be recorded in the ISFDB. ... For those authors who do not have and are not eligible for Wikipedia articles, or whose Wikipedia articles might plausibly be deleted in future, a brief, neutrally-written biographical article can be placed on the page Bio:<name of author>. ... When an author Bio page is posted on the ISFDB Wiki, it should be professional in tone, not facetious, "cutesy", or blatantly promotional. Some authors engage in jokes in printed "About the author" sections of books, or on their own websites, but the ISFDB is not the place for such writing. The purpose of any Bio page on the Wiki is to inform users and other editors briefly about the facts of the author's life. Bio pages should not include blurbs from or summaries of the author's works. Bio pages ought to be factual in content and the facts ought to be verifiable. If a matter is questionable, sources can be cited."

I do see your point, but notes such as the ones on May have, I think, more often been posted on the author: pages. However, If we were to post a brief BIO sketch, these might well be supporting notes to that sketch. -DES ^Talk 23:00, 10 July 2012 (UTC)

Can you run a query on 'legal name' on both the author: pages and Bio: pages? That might produce a result that you did not forsee, I'm afraid.--Dirk P Broer 23:18, 10 July 2012 (UTC)

See this result 80 out of 118 on Bio vs author pages. A lot of corrections needed I fear. I'll see about making them when I can. -DES ^Talk 23:33, 10 July 2012 (UTC)

As long as we're consistent, I do not really care on which of the two pages the information is presented, but I thought that bibliographic meant 'about books' and biographic 'about the person'.--Dirk P Broer 23:37, 10 July 2012 (UTC)

At All Costs new pub

You edited a publication of David Weber's At All Costs, on which you are a primary verifier. I have approved it as pub #148441. However there were two issues with it.

No, that's not what I have done. I've imported content from another At All Costs record. --Dirk P Broer 17:30, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

The record exists for about a year.--Dirk P Broer 17:31, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

And, by the way: the extra imported content (Glossary, afterword etc.) has not come through.--Dirk P Broer 17:33, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

• You mentioned, in the notes, a Canadian price, which you listed as "CA$9.99". But Help:Screen:EditPub#Price says "Enter Canadian dollars with a leading C, for example, C$3.95.".

Oké. --Dirk P Broer 17:30, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

• You entered the cover image as <http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1416544143.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg >. The LZZZZZZZ amazon images are notoriously unstable and should be avoided. Please either scan your own copy and upload the image, or down load the amazon image and upload it to the ISFDB, or find the more stable Amazon image, as described inISFDB:Image linking permissions#List of sites granting permission (probably not the best location for this information, I know).

The mass market paperback actually has a radically different cover, and I've got it ready! --Dirk P Broer 17:30, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

If you have problems making the latter correction, let me know, and i will do it or assist you as you prefer. -DES ^Talk 00:48, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

Sorry to butt in, but (as it were): That text is a template an appears in a variety of places. Help:Screen:EditPub#ImageURL and Help:Screen:NewPub#Image_URL, for example. --MartyD 13:37, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

I know how to upload cover art, I really do. For what's it worth: I uploaded between 700 and 800 covers to the ISFDB database. I dislike the Amazon links for changing the correct cover into the wrong one, or deleting it altogether. --Dirk P Broer 17:50, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

Great! Uploading your own scan is almost always better, when it is possible. I have the MMPB of At All Costs also, and I don't recall the cover as being radically different, but i don't have it at hand, and perhaps it is more different than i recall. My apologies for misunderstanding at first what you were doing. In any case, uploading a new cover scan will deal with the amazon url issue.

Oh, FYI, the import feature mostly imports content such as the stories and/or essays from a collection or anthology, or the interior art and any essays (such as intros and afterwords) from a novel. I'm not sure why the items you mention didn't come over. Which record were you importing from? -DES ^Talk 20:42, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

I was importing content from At All Costs (Bean, 2005) into At All Costs (Bean, 2007). --Dirk P Broer 21:03, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

I'm not sure why it didn't come through properly before. I just re-did the import and it worked. I also removed the mis-spelled titles. Since they didn't have the exact same names they wouldn't auto-merge. See if this lets you go forward, and thanks. -DES ^Talk 21:21, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

I had in the meantime edited the record to my satisfaction. We may have a disagreement about "mis-spelled" here. I simply had not credited the extra material to David Weber himself, but to 'Uncredited', because his name goes not with the titles.

They were misspelled in that the parenthetical disabiguator was "(At All Ctosts)" if I recall rightly, in any case there was a misplaced t. If (as I am pretty sure) the texts are in fact the same, the records ought to be the same, or if they appeared with different credits they should be variant titles. If Weber was not credited in either hc or pb, then perhaps both should be attributed to "uncredited" but it doesn't make sense (IMO) to have the one in the hc credited to Weber but the one in the pb to uncredited, would you agree? I am sorry if I caused problems for you -- perhaps I should have done a merge rather than a re-import, or asked you to do a merge. -DES ^Talk 16:05, 13 July 2012 (UTC)

I do indeed find it strange that the hc credits the extra's to Weber, while for all we know it is an editor at Bean's. I would very much appriciate it when the verifiers of the hardcover would make their attribution 100% sure by contacting Bean and/or David Weber. A merge would have served no purpose as I want a separate 2007 edition in the database containing *all* the content, and there was already a separate record (mine) with part of the content, at the very least since last summer (considering the existing Amazon scan the actual record might be even older), when I bought the book . Now I've started reading it. --Dirk P Broer 17:42, 13 July 2012 (UTC)

We don't generally go behind the printed credits. If the HC credits David Weber, then so do we. (indeed we do this even in cases where it is known that a work was written after the death of the credited author, when there is no printed or sourced attribution of the ghost writer.) If the pb does not credit him but the text is the same, either we simply record that in the notes, that or we create a separate record with the author as "uncredited" and make that a variant of the first, to indicate that it is the same text.

Were there two separate versions or states of the pb with different contents? If not, we should not have different records but should correct an incomplete record to make it complete. (Multiple records for multiple printings may still exist, of course.) AAC is not my favorite of the Honor Harrington series, but it is better than many, IMO. I think I have read the entire series published to date. -DES ^Talk 18:06, 13 July 2012 (UTC)

I just re-read the afterword in my ebook copy which I have now verified. It is written in the first person and is IMO clearly by Weber, or at least claiming to be by Weber, although it is not signed. The glossary is not signed. I strongly suspect it was written by Weber (from what I am told by a friend who used to work for an SF publisher, publishers don't do that sort of thing), but "uncredited' would be justified based on the absence of any explicit credit, IMO. There is also an oddity about the map credits, see the notes in my pub record. -DES ^Talk 18:42, 13 July 2012 (UTC)

That is very odd indeed, as At All Costs (Bean, 2007) says on the map: "Hunter Peddicord, 1999
revised 2005, NCH" NCH standing for N.C. Hanger. --Dirk P Broer 11:29, 14 July 2012 (UTC)

Poul Anderson - There Will Be Time

Added cover artist Peter Elson for this publication. Horzel 12:57, 13 July 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! Found an confirmation here. --Dirk P Broer 17:46, 13 July 2012 (UTC)

Polar City Blues

Added a cover scan to your verified pub. Thanks. PeteYoung 03:20, 17 July 2012 (UTC)

Thanks!--Dirk P Broer 20:09, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

Two Geary Gravel novels

Added Canadian cover price details to two of your verified pubs, A Key for the Nonesuch and Return of the Breakneck Boys. PeteYoung 02:54, 20 July 2012 (UTC)

A for Andromeda / Andromeda Breakthrough

Just added cover artist Patrick Woodroffe to this and this publication. Horzel 14:19, 23 July 2012 (UTC)

Thanks!--Dirk P Broer 20:10, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

Kadrey's Metrophage

Does the VGSF edition of this give the subtitle "(A Romance of the Future)" as it does in the Ace first edition and the Gollancz hardcover edition? Thanks for checking. Mhhutchins 20:46, 25 July 2012 (UTC)

Checked title page and can confirm: No, it does not. --Dirk P Broer 20:12, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for looking. They must have reset just the title page for the pb edition, because the page count for both the pb and hardcover editions are the same. Mhhutchins 20:27, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

Stylish cover, the hc, by the way. Pity the designer is not known.--Dirk P Broer 20:32, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

That was the generic Gollancz cover design circa 1988. It seemed to be a stylish variation of the familiar yellow non-illustrative covers. Mhhutchins 02:11, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

The same design that features on the 50 year anniversary editions, by the way.--08:54, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

Polar City Blues

Hi. Take a look at your Polar City Blues submission, which I have on hold. It doesn't change anything. I'm not sure what happened. --MartyD 22:04, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

I only added verifications (including the OCLC, which was in the remarks I found, after the verification).--Dirk P Broer 22:18, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

Ah, ok. I'll accept it, then. --MartyD 22:44, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

The Wizard of Venus / Pirate Blood

I am proposing changing the title of the first three Ace printings of Burroughs' The Wizard of Venus / Pirate Blood in this discussion. I'm also curious as to how your copy of the NEL edition is presented. I note that the cover has the title as simply "The Wizard of Venus". However, the Worldcat record for the first NEL printing lists the title as "The wizard of Venus ; [and, Pirate Blood]". Could you let me know what is on the title page of your copy? If it is simply "The Wizard of Venus", would you object to my changing the title of the NEL editions. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 00:41, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

Hi, Pirate Blood is only mentioned on the copyright page of The Wizard of Venus (NEL edition) and on the back cover, and presented as an extra there. The tile is not even mentioned on page65, where the story begins... So I do object in changing the title of the NEL editions, but when it tuns out I am the only one I will not stand in the way. --Dirk P Broer 08:53, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for checking. I'm not sure if I understand your objection. I may not have been clear on what I am proposing. I think that our records for first three Ace printings and all of the NEL printings should be titled simply "The Wizard of Venus" which is how the book is titled on their respective title pages. My understanding of our policy is that we should reflect what is on the title page. If you do think the NEL printings should maintain the title "The Wizard of Venus / Pirate Blood", could you please explain your reasoning. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 11:43, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

A misunderstanding: I thought you wanted to name the NEL editions The Wizard of Venus / Pirate Blood as well. Please go ahead. --Dirk P Broer 11:46, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

Robert Ray

I changed the name from "Robert Ray (2)" to "Robert Ray (I)". You can proceed to change the other short stories. Thanks. Mhhutchins 15:59, 28 July 2012 (UTC)

I had used Robert Ray (2) for the writer of "If Tomorrow Be Lost" because that is the name under which he appears in SFE3. All other stories are by Robert Ray, unless proven otherwise. --Dirk P Broer 18:32, 28 July 2012 (UTC)

We disambiguate using one of several methods, none of which are involve arabic numbers. Here are the standards. If you feel we should align our names with those of the SFE3, that will have to be brought to the Rules & Standards discussion page. Mhhutchins 19:29, 28 July 2012 (UTC)

I've got a far more elegant way of distinguishing between the two Robert Ray's: one using the -arabic- number 1918 and the other the -arabic- number 1928, signifying their birth years. Far more logical than assigning the second occurence with (I). --Dirk P Broer 00:20, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

Al Bernstein

Unless he wrote the story in vitro, this author is not the same as the person in the Wikipedia article. Mhhutchins 16:52, 28 July 2012 (UTC)

An entirely different Bernstein, indeed. I'll remove the wikipedia link. --Dirk P Broer 18:33, 28 July 2012 (UTC)

Manchester, Lancashire

According to Wikipedia, Manchester was part of the county of Lancashire until 1974. So wouldn't the 1944 birth place for Andrea Spalding be correct? Mhhutchins 01:25, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

And all of the others that you're submitting changes to remove Lancashire? Mhhutchins 01:26, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

I read the same info differently: "In 1889, the city became the county borough of Manchester, separate from the administrative county of Lancashire, and thus not governed by Lancashire County Council", and have removed 'Lancashire,' for all persons born in Manchester after 1889. --Dirk P Broer 08:47, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

I interpreted the part you quoted to mean that although Manchester remained within the county of Lancashire, it had its own city council separate from the council that governed the county. I grew up in the city of Atlanta, which is in Fulton County. There are two separate governments: one for the city (Atlanta) and one for the county (Fulton). A person born in Atlanta is also born in Fulton County. You can't say a person born in the city is not also born in the county. This appears to be the case for Manchester until 1974 when it became the county of Greater Manchester. I ask our local Brit to join in the discussion to give his interpretation. Mhhutchins 01:00, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

1974 was the year that the Greater Manchester Area was separated from Lancashire. That is a much greater area than the City of Manchester, and includes Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the cities of Manchester and Salford. --Dirk P Broer 00:41, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

I'm not sure if this is relevant to the discussion. Aren't we talking about the authors whose biography state they were born in Manchester? I've not seen any reference to a Greater Manchester in any of the ISFDB records. If Greater Manchester was separated in 1974 wouldn't that mean that the city of Manchester was also separated from Lancashire? Would not any person born before 1974 in Manchester (Greater or otherwise) be also born in Lancashire? Mhhutchins 01:00, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Washington, DC is within Maryland, but does form part of it. Within the Dutch borders there exists parts of Baarle-Hertog, but that is a Belgian village, and not a part of the Netherlands. I interpret the text above as such. Manchester lies within Lancashire from 1889 till 1974, but does not fall within the administrative county of Lancashire and is not governed by Lancashire County Council and therefore is not part of Lancashire. But I will await the verdict of a real Britton on this. 1889 is the same year that -a part of present- London became a separate entity btw. --Dirk P Broer 01:27, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Sorry, Washington DC is not within the state of Maryland. It is not located in any state. Mhhutchins 02:19, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Redefine "within". DC has only borders with Maryland and the river that forms the border between Maryland and Virginia. It may constitutionally not be a part of any state, but geographically speaking it lies 'within' Maryland, just as foreign embassies in the USA are geographically within the USA, but the ground on which they are built belongs to their country and is legally not a part of the USA. --Dirk P Broer 08:26, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

By "within", I mean "part of." Washington DC is "within" the USA, but it has never been "within" the state of Maryland, geographically, or politically. Land was donated from Maryland to create the district. So from its conception DC has never been part of the state. Mhhutchins 13:42, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

I live in a town that has its own council separate from the county one - Luton, Bedfordshire - and would still say we're part of Bedfordshire. The political separation is quite common when a town or city reaches a certain size - and in fact counties may have several self-administrating subsets. I'd stick with the geographical definition rather than the political one, but it's not a big deal either way: the main reason to include a county is for disambiguation - there is a Luton, Devon for instance that I wouldn't want to be confused with. BLongley 09:26, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

As long as airline pilots are not confused which Luton to use to land their jets...or tourists wanting to get their plane going to Devon...(BTW: Watch it when flying to Frankfurt, Germany. There's two Frankfurts with airfields, one on the Polish border). --Dirk P Broer

locals do not agree either. I will abort all 'Lancashire' edits. --Dirk P Broer 10:24, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

The Still, Small Voice of Trumpets

Just added cover artist Patrick Woodroffe to this publication. Horzel 09:48, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Thanks!--Dirk P Broer 10:08, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

The Secret People

Just added cover artist Colin Hay to this Coronet 1977 edition. Horzel 10:53, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

West of the Sun

Just added cover artist Colin Hay to this Star 1976 publication. Horzel 10:33, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

You're doing a great job, thanks again! --Dirk P Broer 10:37, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Exiles on Asperus

Added cover artist Colin Hay to Exiles on Asperus (Coronet 1979). Horzel 13:27, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Thanks again, quite a bit of familiar cover art there! You know you can place a link to the webpage in the remarks field? In theis case: {a href="http://www.chameleon-arts.com/colin-hay/jacketfolio.html"}your text{/a}, and replace the {} with <>.

If you mean the Notes field of the publication? Yes, I know.

In the Hall of the Martian Kings

Just added cover artist Tony Roberts to this Futura 1978 publication. Horzel 14:22, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

Paul Bryers

I could find nothing in the website you linked to (on this page) which supports the change of birthdate for Paul Bryers. Am I missing something? Mhhutchins 17:34, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

You mean you missed this: (diff) (hist) . . Bio:Paul Bryers‎; 12:59 . . (+172) . . Dirk P Broer (Talk | contribs) (Year of birth from 1945 to 1953 I was born in Liverpool, England, in the mid-fifties) ? --Dirk P Broer 20:10, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

No, I read that. I'm wondering how you can use that as a source to "re-set to 01 August 1953". How did "mid-fifies" turn into August 1, 1953? Why link to a source that doesn't corroborate the actual change you're making in the data? Mhhutchins 20:21, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

I've used the author remark "I was born in Liverpool, England, in the mid-fifties" as proof that he was not born in 1945. Most sources for this author name 1953 as year of birth, some 1954. Wikipedia -which is already linked in the author's record- even manages to mention both. You might want to Google using Paul Bryers 1953 as search term, and they will appear, but they all seem to literally copy the text of the wikipedia article (and not the info-box that mentiones 1954). --Dirk P Broer 23:10, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

If you will re-read my original message you'll see that I'm not disputing the date. I was questioning your use of the website to support a statement that it doesn't make. Perhaps you might want to add links that you discovered in your Google that actually support the statement. Or you can re-write the bio to make clear the intention behind linking the article to the ISFDB bio. Mhhutchins 23:27, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

Why? The year 1945 is clearly wrong -and the links supports that-, but I'm not disputing the month or day of the month, that were already there.--Dirk P Broer 23:40, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

You're either trying to be obstinate or you just don't see my point. I've updated the bio to indicate that the source that you linked doesn't give the date of birth. Mhhutchins 00:02, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

I'm afraid I don't see your point. Rkihara states "Birthdate set to 01 August 1945 per Contemporary Authors, differs from entry in the Wikipedia". With my link I invalidate the information of Contemporary Authors, so we default to Wikipedia which mentions two different years, but the same date (1st of August). The phrase "Paul Bryers, born in Liverpool in 1953" can be found on at least 30 different webpages (all copying wikipedia), whereas "Paul Bryers, born in Liverpool in 1954" gives no hits. --Dirk P Broer 06:15, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

The Strange Invaders by Alun Llewellyn

Uploaded new cover art for this pub. BarDenis 20:01, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

Nice! --Dirk P Broer 20:08, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

Clement's Iceworld

Can you confirm the ISBN is correctly given in this record? Some sources give the 1981 printing as 0-345-30082-3. Thanks for checking. Mhhutchins 00:48, 9 August 2012 (UTC)

It is indeed 0-345-30082-3, looks like we had the ISBN of the 1977 printing originally.--Dirk P Broer 08:06, 9 August 2012 (UTC)

A Mile Beyond the Moon

Added an image [not the greatest but better of the two I found] to [this] --~ Bill, Bluesman 01:53, 20 August 2012 (UTC)

Other Worlds, Other Gods

The submission adding this record was accepted. You should give the source for your data in the Note field, not the Note to Moderator field. Also, it would have been better to clone the Doubleday edition in order to get the contents in one submission. I went back and imported the contents to the new record. Thanks. Mhhutchins 19:56, 22 August 2012 (UTC)

I had and have no source for the pagination of the NEL hardcover. I know for sure that the NEL paperback (of which I hold a copy) does not follow the Avon paperback. --Dirk P Broer 20:00, 22 August 2012 (UTC)

Look at the record. You'll see it has been OCLC verified with a link to the record from which I verified it. OCLC gives the page count (not the pagination), which matches the Doubleday edition. So I assumed it was a exact reprint of the US edition. Mhhutchins 20:05, 22 August 2012 (UTC)

I accepted the submission to add the NEL paperback edition but, again, it would have been better to clone an existing record that included the contents, and then go back later to remove or make changes in the contents. Mhhutchins 20:09, 22 August 2012 (UTC)

Dhalgren

I added a cover artist to Delany's Dhalgren and a note as to the source. Thanks. --Ron ~ Rtrace^Talk 23:01, 27 August 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! BTW: that cover was used for at least 16 other printings of this title alone.--Dirk P Broer 09:51, 28 August 2012 (UTC)

Memoirs of a Spacewoman by Naomi Mitchison

Uploaded new cover art for Memoirs of a Spacewoman by Naomi Mitchison BarDenis 10:45, 2 September 2012 (UTC)

I see you've done have a scan of the NEL hardcover edition as well, thanks! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Dirk P Broer (talk • contribs) .

Collection contents

Although not a requirement for verification, it's ISFDB etiquette to enter the contents of a record before doing a primary verification. When you get a chance, please consider adding the contents to this record. In this case, it should be easy to import the contents from an earlier printing. Thanks. Mhhutchins 03:27, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

Done so. Might have made that omission more often during that period with collections.--Dirk P Broer 08:43, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

Inverted World

Just added cover artist Terry Oakes to this publication, after I saw this cover. Horzel 11:18, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

Nice one! --Dirk P Broer 11:20, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

Lieut Gulliver Jones: His Vacation by Edwin L. Arnold

There are some links (abebook, flickr 1, flickr 2) that give Joe Petagno as cover artist for Lieut Gulliver Jones: His Vacation by Edwin L. Arnold. BarDenis 19:07, 10 September 2012 (UTC)

Thanks!--Dirk P Broer 22:50, 10 September 2012 (UTC)

Linking reviews to titles

Please join this discussion to give your opinions on the matter. Thanks. Mhhutchins 22:06, 11 September 2012 (UTC)

Geïllustreerde Encyclopedie van de Science Fiction (contents)

I added contents for Geïllustreerde Encyclopedie van de Science Fiction (from the Isaac Asimov's Boeken en verhalen uitgegeven in Nederland). Could you please, check it? BarDenis 19:38, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

I've added the Dutch variant titles.--Dirk P Broer 09:58, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

There seem to be various people working against each other here. Hervé rejected the addition of contents, MartyD approved the variant creations, but the Dutch variants don't appear in any publication yet. BLongley 11:07, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

Had to wait until they existed before I could add them (without having them to merge afterwards).--Dirk P Broer 11:11, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

No, if you added the contents then did the variants of existing titles you'd have saved a step. BLongley 11:38, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

Rats! My mistake. Been pointed out to me before that I didn't need to enter all titles by myself because it gave the moderators so much work, so I thought to do it in reverse. So I found another detour...--Dirk P Broer 11:43, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

Thank you. But you have done two variants of variants (for Brian Aldiss and Kenneth Bulmer)Denis 19:27, 17 September 2012 (UTC)

Geïllustreerde Encyclopedie van de Science Fiction

As I've indicated to BarDenis here, the (famous) authors listed didn't write the essays but only the introductions (the signed part). If the participation of these authors to the encyclopedia seems important enough for you to be entered, the correct way is probably to to add "(Introduction)" at the end of each essay. Do you want to update each one or do you prefer to cancel your sub ? Hauck 13:31, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

But it is exactly the essays (the signed parts) by the authors that I am crediting, not the intervening parts (most probably done by Brian Ash). The last essays (two by Brian Ash himself, one each by Edmund Cooper, George Turner, Damon Knight, L. Sprague de Camp) are somewhat more substantial than others, but some have been included in the work of the authors thermselves (e.g. Farmer, Ballard).--Dirk P Broer 13:58, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

On the page opposite the title page (in the french translation), you'll find that the "signed parts" are clearly labelled "Introductions à 02: Les Thèmes", meaning that they're clearly that : Introductions. As I suppose that's the same for the dutch translation, this data should be part of the pub data, lest some casual browser think that, for example, Niven wrote the bulk of the essay on Psi powers. Note that, as I said, the real authorship is given by Harbottle and indicates that Ash was not very "active" as a writer. Hauck 14:11, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

With the TOC there is indeed the addition 'Ingeleid door' (Not however on the title pages). Can't you make the French edition to your liking (also giving the real authors of the articles), so we can edit the Dutch and English versions to give a better representation of the true authorship?--Dirk P Broer 21:08, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

Disambiguating foreign language titles

It was determined back when we were started to add translated titles, that all disambiguation would be done in English. That includes introductions, maps, excerpts, etc. In that case, "(Introductie)" should be "(introduction)". If you feel this discussion should be opened again, please feel free. I will personally oppose the use of a foreign language in any field other than what is stated in the book or the actual title of the content, e.g. unless "introductie" is actually used in the printed title of the work. Mhhutchins 21:32, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

Sorry, I thought Hervé had done the complete titles -including disambiguation- in French. The French word for introduction is the same as the English. Je m'excuse...--Dirk P Broer 21:35, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

I have another question: why do these title records exist without a pub? Did you realize that you're going to have to go through the trouble (and a moderator has to handle each of the submissions) to update the Dutch record, adding each of the contents again, and then merge each of these new records with records you're updating and varianting now? Starting from scratch would have saved you much time. Mhhutchins 22:09, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

Wasn't it you that opposed a previous edit of me where I started from scratch? So I tried to do it otherwise.--Dirk P Broer 22:48, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

As I'm a classic contrarian, it may have been, but you'd have to point me toward the actual instance before I claim it. If it had anything to do with a translated title, I can't imagine I would have told you anything other than starting from scratch. There's a bug that causes all contents added to a title record to default to a non-language title record. If you start from scratch all contents default to the language set by the publication's title record's language. You will have to update every content record you add to this publication record to set the language. Mhhutchins 23:11, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

And as you see with Hervé's edit of the French version, there is additional work to be done there as well. Just my 2c.--Dirk P Broer 22:51, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

Ryman's The Unconquered Country

Does your copy of this publication give the subtitle "A Life History" on its title page? The Bantam pb does so I've changed the pub record, but won't create a variant. If all of these turn out to have the same subtitle, I'll correct the title record. Thanks. Mhhutchins 22:02, 17 September 2012 (UTC)

The title page has a textbox containing The Unconquered Country and Geoff Ryman and a subtitle "A Life History" below the text box.--Dirk P Broer 22:11, 17 September 2012 (UTC)

I forgot to ask: does your edition contain an afterword? Mhhutchins 22:06, 17 September 2012 (UTC)

It does indeed have an afterword, starting on page 129. I'll edit the record, thanks for catching.--Dirk P Broer 22:11, 17 September 2012 (UTC)

Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement

Uploaded new (wraparound) cover art for Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement and added cover artist (Eddie Jones) from Steve Holland's blog Denis 14:28, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

Perfect! Thanks.--Dirk P Broer 19:19, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

The Paradox Men by Charles L. Harness

Uploaded new (wraparound) cover art for The Paradox Men by Charles L. Harness and added cover artist (Gordon C. Davies) from listing on abebooks Denis 19:15, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

Perfect! Thanks again.--Dirk P Broer 19:20, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

Galaxies Like Grains of Sand

Hi Dirk, can you check the cover of this verified pub? The image of the 1979 Panther edition is now showing, but Don Erikson has uploaded this image. Which one is right? Thanks, --Willem H. 20:31, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

The right cover is the one now uploaded (this image), the 1985 edition does not share its cover with the 1979 edition. I do not know how that cover came there, I have never seen it before (beginning my Aldiss collection in the 1980ies). Thanks for catching! --Dirk P Broer 21:06, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

Jesco von Puttkamer

Hello, Dirk! I deleted the biographical commentary for this author - his author page doesn't reflect any of the issues you adress there. For the use of 'German Empire': I seem to have mistakenly translated Reich with Empire: I concede that the latter has some other connotations. On the other hand, the official name for Germany was Deutsches Reich from 1871-1945, so this name hadn't changed - although the content had; so we would have a change in the English name while the German one hadn't . Nevertheless I renamed it into German Reich, following this wikipedia page. I hope you can live with this. Stonecreek 10:43, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

There's a substantial difference in the state form of Germany after 1918. Before 1918 it is an Empire, after that it becomes a republic. We tend to have the author's details in English for as much as possible (e.g Köln becoming Cologne), so would you please rename it into Germany. I even write the Dutch Provinces with an English name in the English way myself, and use 'Netherlands' instead of 'Nederland'.--Dirk P Broer 10:51, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

You refer to a page named 'Weimar Republic' when you want 'German Reich'...That same logic would give us 'Nazi Germany' for authors born 1933-1945. I prefer the more neutral 'Germany' for the period 1918-1945. I would also use 'Japan' for the whole existence of Japan and not use 'Empire of the Sun', even though the latter was the formal name for a time.--Dirk P Broer 10:51, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

Well, for me it'd be totally OK if we'd use the term 'Germany' from 1871 until today (maybe with a differentiation into West and East during the time of two states). But we seem to have the generalization to use the official names of the states in question and that was the bullshitty 'Reich' up to 1945. They should have renamed Germany into 'German Republic' in 1918, but they didn't. I hate the term 'Reich' much as you do, but that seems to me the policy for ISFDB now. von Puttkamer was born in 'Deutsches Reich' as was this author, for example. So, if we want to avoid the term 'Reich' you better start here and submit changes for all the authors born there (German Empire --> Germany).

I do whenever I encounter them for the 1918-1945 period.--Dirk P Broer 12:57, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

'Weimar Republic' only is the historical name for the period from 1918 to 1933 (not for the state Germany) if you study the wiki page. From this page it seems that 'German Reich' is the official English name for 'Deutsches Reich' from 1918-1933. Stonecreek 11:23, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

The word 'Reich', in combination with either 'German' or 'Deutsches', has extremely unpleasant connotations outside Germany, mainly to do with the 1933-1945 period. Please feel free to take it up with other moderators: I am dead against the use of it and prefer the far more neutral 'German Empire' (1871-1918) or 'Germany' (1918-1945).--Dirk P Broer 12:57, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

Hello, Dirk! I stumbled on wikipedia over 'German Realm' as name for Germany from 1918-1945 and would tend to use this. What do you think of this possibility? Stonecreek 12:50, 25 September 2012 (UTC)

Realm? Really? Sounds too much like a Fantasy term to me. Goods made in that realm just had 'Made in Germany' stamped onto them....--Dirk P Broer 13:15, 25 September 2012 (UTC)

Just found out that the realm stops in 1943 to be taken over by (sic!) the Greater German Reich (German: Großdeutsches Reich), another term to avoid like the plague.--Dirk P Broer 13:19, 25 September 2012 (UTC)

Multiple Wikipedia links

I'm afraid the Wikipedia link field doesn't allow for multiple links. I've moved one of them for Lutz Rathenow to the webpage field, which does. Feel free to swap them around. BLongley 11:40, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

Locus links

I removed http://www.locusmag.com/index/b206.htm#A2777 web page link from Stephen Gresham. The Locus links are not stable -- when they regenerate the indices, those numbers change, so we can't use them for anything permanent. --MartyD 10:44, 23 September 2012 (UTC)

Oké, noticed that from google-supplied links, failing to point at the right page. I had hoped that the #A2777 suffix would help.--Dirk P Broer 11:14, 23 September 2012 (UTC)

Tijdlijner

I changed the publication date for this verified pub from 1972 to 1971. Worldcat and the Dutch royal library have that date (I bought the book on October 30, 1971). Kees Buijs has the (wrong) date probably from Fantasfeer/SFLexicon/Fandata. I'll try to correct Fandata (most of the dates for the Tijgerpockets are wrong there) before they go online. I also added notes, the one about the cover artist is interesting I think. --Willem H. 20:12, 25 September 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for catching the publication date error, and additional thanks for the note about cover art! --Dirk P Broer 21:40, 25 September 2012 (UTC)

Planeet der Gevangenen

I added some notes to this verified pub, including a source of the cover art credit (there was no source mentioned). --Willem H. 19:23, 27 September 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for correcting my omission of the cover credit.--Dirk P Broer 22:46, 27 September 2012 (UTC)

Hazel Adair

You added a note to the Hazel Adair biography to the effect that "If the wikipedia entry and the imdb entry describe the same person (wikipedia claims born in Darjeeling, 1920) than it is not the isfdb author." Thanks for pointing out that Wikipedia page, which I see was created last Thursday. I don't think that the Wikipedia entry is intended to be about a different person by that name, since it includes many aspects of the Hazel we list, but rather that the author of that page is rather confused about some things. Since the page is unsourced, it's hard to figure out where they think they got those facts from. I've changed Hazel's bio page to add more source info to it, and to warn against believing that Wikipedia page. Chavey 00:10, 2 October 2012 (UTC)

If you're convinced they -the wikipedia entry and 'our' Hazel Adair- are the same person, I will change the wikipedia page, pointing out there that she married in 1926, so can't have been born in 1920.--Dirk P Broer 08:36, 2 October 2012 (UTC)

The two articles agree on the attribution for the shows "Compact", "Crossroads", "Champion House", "Emergency – Ward 10", "Virgin Witch", "Game for Vultures", and "Dentist on the Job" (a.k.a. "Get on with It!"). So they have to be talking about the same person. There is an independent reference to this page's unsourced remarks about being a writer for Dr. Who (even though that credit's not in IMDB). So Wikipedia pretty much has to be writing about the same person. The only independent source I can find for the interracial kiss claim is at WordPress.com, not exactly an authoritative source. There are a few other claims in that Wikipedia page that I didn't check. Glad to see you've corrected the birth date and added some sourcing data. Chavey 14:43, 2 October 2012 (UTC)

I found a reference to Hazel Adair being involved in -an unproduced- Dr. Who episode at The Tardis Wiki, the interracial kiss is mentioned in her granddaughter blog here.--Dirk P Broer 23:14, 2 October 2012 (UTC)

Very useful. You should probably update our bio on her, and include some of that sourcing. (Or just put it all in the Wikipedia article.) Chavey 05:08, 3 October 2012 (UTC)

Tetsu[o] Yano

For your author data research mill: I noticed we have 1923-10-05 as the birth date on Tetsuo Yano, which matches what Wikipedia and IMDB have, but we have 1923-12-10 as the birth date on Tetsu Yano. Don't know where that came from, even if month and day were transposed somewhere along the way. I also see SFE says 1923-2004 but then gives the birth date of Osamu Sakata as 1931-10-05. --MartyD 11:57, 13 October 2012 (UTC)

The various dates for this author are indeed very much conflicting with each other. I took the Japanese Wikipedia as leading, as I explained in the biographic note. I cannot -as yet- give an explanation for the difference in dates. --Dirk P Broer 15:47, 13 October 2012 (UTC)

Der Neue Adam

According to the Goodreads page and the OCLC record which are sourced in this publication record, the author is Stanley G. Weinbaum, not S. G. Weinbaum, despite how the book is credited on the cover. Mhhutchins 21:28, 14 October 2012 (UTC)

We could ask Stonecreek whether he has access to the title to verify the title page. I have no great faith in some of the WorldCat data, owning titles with more than 5 different OCLC numbers, despite being the sole printing. Seems every country can get its own record of a given title sommetimes.--Dirk P Broer 21:31, 14 October 2012 (UTC)

If you don't trust OCLC, you should not use it as the source for the record.(Also, having different OCLC numbers is not related to the number of printings. It's likely that different librarians each created records for the same publication without the records being reconciled into one. Different OCLC numbers don't indicate different publications; they indicate the record not the publication.) Mhhutchins 22:03, 14 October 2012 (UTC)

I own this book and on the front cover is stated "S. G. Weinbaum", but on the title page and the spine is stated "Stanley G. Weinbaum". Rudam 17:39, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

Perfect! You illustrate all the advantages of the working of isfdb with this.--Dirk P Broer 19:26, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

"A Spaceship Built of Stone and Other Stories", by Lisa Tuttle

In your verified edition of this collection, the contents listed "The Birds of the Moon"], but the story here was titled "Birds of the Moon". I changed the listing here and made it a VT of the original title. Chavey 18:42, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

Nice catch!--Dirk P Broer 09:32, 17 October 2012 (UTC)

Best Served Cold

I accepted the submission to add this record to the database. What is the source for your data? The OCLC doesn't refer to a second printing, and the BLIC link is bad (BTW, all of them are bad and should be removed when you come across one). If you're working from a book in hand, you should notify the moderator in the "Note to Moderator" field. Is the publication date stated in the actual book? If not, it should be zeroed out, which is how most undated reprints are entered into the database. Thanks. Mhhutchins 15:04, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

It is indeed a copy in hand, how else could I quote a number line? I wil completely zero-out the publication date.--Dirk P Broer 15:10, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

From an Amazon "Look Inside", perhaps? Or from a Google Books scan? Or from a Project Gutenberg file? Or from an inquiry made to a bookdealer? Mhhutchins 16:16, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

I've never made new entries based upon those as you describe above.--Dirk P Broer 17:12, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

A moderator wouldn't know that. Editors use those sources all the time. Mhhutchins 17:19, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

BTW, in the original message I meant you should remove the BLIC link, not the BLIC reference. Thanks. Mhhutchins 16:18, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

What purpose is being served by placing a link which does not connect to a page with information? Best remove it altogether then.--Dirk P Broer 17:12, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

I repeat: remove the link, not the reference. The BLIC record referenced actually exists on the British Library website, and that was the source for the record's information. It's just that the person entering the record numbers wasn't aware that, unlike the OCLC, the links he added from the ISFDB record to the BL record are user-sensitive and expire after a day or so. Mhhutchins 17:19, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

I do not deny that the BLIC record excists, but it certainly was not the source for this record's information, so I do not see the point in mentioning a mere number if it provides no link. Could enter the LCCN as well, and a host of other numbers I did not use. It says nowhere that you HAVE to provide the BLIC#.--Dirk P Broer 17:43, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

You're right. I thought you'd removed it from the record which you updated, and then used to clone a record of your copy. (But then at the time I made the remark, I didn't know you were working from an actual copy.) I see now that you only removed it from your record and not the original. My point is still valid. It was just incorrectly directed. I apologize.

But to get back to your last point, why keep the link to the OCLC record, a source of which you "have no great faith"? And adding the LCCN to a record's note field doesn't indicate that it's the source of the data. It's the number of a record in another database which is directly quoted from the book itself. Mhhutchins 18:57, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

That is because we do use OCLC as a verification source, and when I check that another moderator will ask me why I did not mention the OCLC# in the note field. As to "have no great faith": This book has two OCLC entries (316426135 and 768649348) for the given ISBN 978-0-575-08246-5, but neither make mentioning of the 2nd print of the edition. --Dirk P Broer 10:23, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Please re-read what I said above: having two OCLC records has nothing to do with the number of printings. There is no one-to-one correspondence. OCLC rarely even records later printings, only later editions. I don't think there's even a field in the OCLC data-entry form for printing numbers, just like the ISFDB. Mhhutchins 15:26, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

I know, but I think it is a weak point of WorldCat, not having no one-to-one relationships, but not even having any obligatory one-to-many relationship. A given book can have n OCLC numbers for its m ISBN numbers/printings/translations, n not being based upon any of those. It would be much better when same instances of a book would be combined.--Dirk P Broer 19:38, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

I have more book hobbies and it is sometimes astonishing how bad the information of OCLC can be (missing names, wrongly spelled names, publishers, wrongly cited languages, etc.). The ultimate proof is the publication itself, not it's OCLC record(s).--Dirk P Broer 10:23, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

When you're doing a primary verification of a record, there is no need to do an OCLC verification (or any other secondary verification for that matter), nor is there need to record the OCLC record number in the note field. As you say, nothing's better than the actual book, so why cite secondary sources? I know there's one editor who insists on recording the OCLC number in every record he touches, even those that have been primary verified. And I see that as just a waste of time and resources. I personally only use the OCLC as a secondary source and have found it extremely helpful. If I felt it was as bad as you do, I'd stay away from it. Mhhutchins 15:26, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Next time I find a glaring error I will point it out to you, promise.--Dirk P Broer 19:38, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Next time I find a glaring error anywhere, I'll smile and think "We're all human" and then go on my merry way. Mhhutchins 03:58, 20 October 2012 (UTC)

To paraphrase the famous cartoon, on the internet nobody knows that you are human! :-) Ahasuerus 06:56, 20 October 2012 (UTC)

About BLIC links. Maybe this link is good. Denis 17:17, 21 October 2012 (UTC)

Nice try, but unfortunately no cigar: "The page requested is unavailable. Please try again later. If the problem persists please contact your system administrator."--Dirk P Broer 23:00, 21 October 2012 (UTC)

This is intresting. For me on another PC all work. Denis 09:11, 22 October 2012 (UTC)

As I explained above, BLIC links are not permanent. They only work for the single user, and only reside in that user's cache for a day or so. Mhhutchins 00:28, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

A Vinda do Futuro

I accepted the submissions updating this pub, but wondered what was the source of the ISBN-13, especially for a 1996 publication. Thanks. Mhhutchins 00:27, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

It -the source- was mentioned in the Moderator's Note. The source gave only the ISBN-13.--Dirk P Broer 00:51, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

I saw that you'd sourced Goodreads, went to it, checked, and found nothing. I just checked again, and see that the user has to click for further details. Any source that gives an ISBN-13 to a 1996 publication is obviously wrong and the number should not be used in the ISFDB record. Goodreads also gives the date as June 1997, and I'll note that without changing the record. (I don't know what is the source for the current date. The editor who entered it didn't give a source.) BTW, I may have mentioned this before, but, if not, I'll say it here: do not enter sources for data in the Note to Moderator field. Sources should be recorded in the Note field. I'll correct the record. Mhhutchins 01:29, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

Most (all???) of the Portuguese publications in the database were entered by DataThief/Bill Longley from this site. I think the date (Bibliowiki only mentions the year of publication) was a typo, and the ISBN (9723816040) forgotten. You have to understand some Portuguese to navigate this site. This is the publication's page, that also has the contents of the collection and there's this site that has the coverscans. --Willem H. 15:22, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

I knew that Bill entered the original records, and I remember asking him if he would source them. I guess he never got around to it. But those are some pretty good sources that you've located, Willem. Maybe someday, someone will have the time to fill in the missing data for the series, and source them. In the meantime, I'm going to update the publication series and add a link to those sources, before this conversation gets lost in the aethersphere. Thanks, Willem. Mhhutchins 16:12, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

The Caltraps of Time by David I. Masson

Uploaded new (wraparound) cover art for The Caltraps of Time by David I. Masson Denis 20:44, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

EAN and ISBN-13

The 13 digit number used on barcodes is not the ISBN-13 unless actually stated. Starting some time in the 1980s, a product was assigned a UPC and an EAN so that a unique barcode could be generated. When the ISBN-13 was created it was made back-compatible with the EAN-13. So an EAN-13 printed on a barcode of a book before 2005 should not be considered an ISBN-13. I rejected the submission to update this record, but went back to add the ISBN, sourcing Google Books, but without a link to it because it doesn't give an actual scan that showed the number. Mhhutchins 16:59, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

Wikipedia article about EANs. Mhhutchins 17:41, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

I was merely pointing out how the Goodreads entry could have gotten its -wrong- ISBN-13 number. Apearantly somebody took the code under the barcode instead of the one above it. Note that our auto-generated ISBN-13, based upon the ISBN-10, is the exact same number as the wrong code on goodreads.--Dirk P Broer 10:09, 3 November 2012 (UTC)

I wasn't questioning the "Note" in the record, but responding to your "Note to the Moderator" in the submission, in which you said that you have books with a barcoded ISBN-13 that were published before 2005. I was trying to explain how the barcoded 13-digit numbers on pre-2005 books are not ISBNs but EANs and should not be entered into the ISFDB record's ISBN field. Mhhutchins 22:51, 3 November 2012 (UTC)

And that's exactly why I was pointing out how such a number could have been entered. Remember Livros do Brasil is not a US publisher (and not Brasilian either), and that European use of both EAN-13 and ISBN-13 -and he transitioning of one into the other- may have gone different from that in the US. I have here before me, ready to be scanned, a copy of 'Some Will Not Die', published by Methuen in 1986. The EAN-13 below the barcode is exactly the same as our auto-generated ISBN-13. Do I make a point, or don't I? Would you like a scan from the backcover in order to be convinced? For the point of argument: I bought the book on the 25th of May 1988 -I always date my books- way before the introduction of ISBN-13, so It is not a later reprint.--Dirk P Broer 09:58, 4 November 2012 (UTC)

I'm not arguing with you. The facts are this: a 1986 publication doesn't have an ISBN-13. I don't need to see a scan of the barcode or a dated sales receipt to know that. And again, I was not responding to this particular publication or the source for its data. I was responding to your "Note to Moderator" in which you stated you have pre-2005 books that have an ISBN-13. Those are barcoded EANs. They are not ISBNs. The Wikipedia article explains how the ISO made ISBN-13s back-compatible with EAN standards. Regardless, that doesn't make a pre-2005 EAN into an ISBN-13. If you want to continue to believe that, I can't stop you, but if you choose to enter the 13-digit EAN into the ISBN field of a pre-2005 publication, I will reject the submission. I also choose to discontinue my part of this conversation. Mhhutchins 18:00, 4 November 2012 (UTC)

I repeat: I was merely pointing out how the Goodreads entry could have gotten its -wrong- ISBN-13 number. And there is a 1-to-1 relation between EAN-13 and ISBN-13, so the 'wrong' code is the exact code that gets generated by our own software as ISBN-13 when you enter the good ISBN-10. Entering the 'wrong' ISBN-13 also autogenerates the good ISBN-10, so from the point of the database itself you are taking a too hardlined view on the matter. Any book that is entered in our database with a ISBN-10 also has a ISBN-13 and vice-versa. And according to ISBN itself: "The EAN bar code is already a 13 digit ISBN without hyphens". --Dirk P Broer 10:32, 5 November 2012 (UTC)

Innervisions

Added cover scan to http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?18279.SFJuggler 22:13, 3 November 2012 (UTC)

Artist for Future City ed. by Roger Elwood

This is Angus McKie for Future City ed. by Roger Elwood (from The Flights of Icarus). Denis 20:07, 7 November 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! I long suspected it, but could not prove it. --Dirk P Broer 10:03, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

The Best of Fritz Leiber

Added cover artist Tony Roberts to this publication, based on an SF artist interview in SF Monthly describing the cat's paw smashing onto a spaceship. Horzel 11:10, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

The HTML that linked to the source lacked a closing >, which caused a problem with display. I've fixed it. (I didn't moderate the original submission adding the link.) Mhhutchins 17:45, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

Die Welt der zwei Monde

I have a submission to add a new edition of this title which sources with a link to what appears to be a book-selling website. We ordinarily don't link to such sites based on an assumption that once the book is sold it will be removed from the linked page. (We don't even link to databases with unstable anchors like Locus1.) Are you certain this is a stable link? For a non-commercial alternative for German language publications, I've found Bibliographie deutschsprachiger Science Fiction-Stories und Bücher to be quite reliable. Thanks. Mhhutchins 17:41, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

I see that another submission giving this source was accepted earlier. I will notify the moderator. Mhhutchins 17:50, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

I've removed the ZVAB and other sources from that record, giving a link to the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek record and another for the cover art credit. Mhhutchins 19:00, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

I'm capable of doing it myself actually.--Dirk P Broer 19:04, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

At the time I made the submission to remove the link, I was not aware that you'd already made another one. No one is questioning your abilities. Mhhutchins 19:17, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

Sorry for not taking an exact look at the submission. For data on German publications the most reliable source is Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, although there is no cover artist mentioned. The above mentioned 'Bibliographie' is also reliable but has its weaknesses with 'Umlaute' (ä, ö, ü) and the 'ß'. I also do think that we shouldn't link to commercial sites: they are always only as reliable as the worker who entered the information and who often is under time pressure. So, better to remove this. Stonecreek 18:31, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

re-submitted using Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.--Dirk P Broer 18:43, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

Submission accepted here. You didn't change the name of the link (it's still ZVAB.com). Also, that is a search link and brings up several records. This one is a link to the actual record: http://d-nb.info/810637804, and it's much simpler to enter. Christian, do you know if there are permanent links to Deutsche Nationalbibliothek records, like the one I give here? Mhhutchins 18:53, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

Yes, to my knowledge and experience they are permanent: what is entered remains entered. Stonecreek 19:51, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

The Twilight of Briareus

I've added cover art credit to The Twilight of Briareus since the cover is at Chris Achilleos' website... Ofearna 04:27, 9 November 2012 (UTC)

Change accepted, based on the submitter's sourcing of the data added to the record. Mhhutchins 04:37, 9 November 2012 (UTC)

Benedict's Planet

Hello, I've replaced the amazon scan, modified number of pages (from 169 to 170) and deleted price (none that I can find on the book) for your verified here. Hauck 13:49, 10 November 2012 (UTC)

Can't help you with the price, my own copy came without cover. The person who created the record must have entered it. Likewise with the publication date, though perhaps that came from amazon.co.uk, which claims 1976-07-26. Original price must have been between £4.50 and £4.95.--Dirk P Broer 21:17, 10 November 2012 (UTC)

My copy is complete, there's no price on the dj as is customary with this series (except for the Farmer). Hauck 21:22, 10 November 2012 (UTC)

I was quoting the prices I found for the books of the Elmfield Press that were published in 1976. I could not find a price for this title, but perhaps the person who entered the record could.--Dirk P Broer 09:53, 11 November 2012 (UTC)

The Deep Range by Arthur C. Clarke

Added cover artist (David Bergen) for The Deep Range by Arthur C. Clarke from The Flights of Icarus. Denis 11:49, 11 November 2012 (UTC)

Thanks!--Dirk P Broer 11:50, 11 November 2012 (UTC)

Sleepers of Mars by John Wyndham

Added cover artist (Coli Hay) and new (wraparound) cover for Sleepers of Mars by John Wyndham. Denis 18:19, 11 November 2012 (UTC)

I love those wrap-around scans of paperbacks, but I won't try it with my own, as it's real back-breaking work.--Dirk P Broer 20:21, 11 November 2012 (UTC)

Cooper's All Fool's Day

You want to add a new publication record for a Walker edition of this work, but with a different title: All Fools' Day. First, you have entered it under the wrong title record (the one I linked above which is for those editions published as All Fool's Day). Also, you have not sourced your data. The links in the cloned record are the same as for the original record. They all lead to secondary sources that don't corroborate your claim that Walker had a printing under this title. I'll hold the submission until you can source your data. Mhhutchins 15:43, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

Walker edition of All Fools' Day. and another source. Only the comma has changed place compared to the edition we already have. I discovered it while replacing the cover scan (which I reverted). Various publisher have played around a bit with this title, Coronet has managed to publish both of them.--Dirk P Broer 16:26, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

Cover art should not be used as a basis to create a new record. The title page may not match. Until we have definitive proof that the book was published under a new title, I would suggest updating the current Walker record with a note to say that covers with the different title exist. There are several dealer listings on Abebooks that give the Fools' title. Perhaps contacting them to confirm the title page might provide proof. Mhhutchins 18:35, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

Agreed.--Dirk P Broer 18:44, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

I changed your note in Goldmann's edition of Unter den Strahlen von Altair to 'second edition'. There was one Heyne edition with several printings (at least three). Deutsche Nationalbibliothek hasn't got all printings - only the most (the second one is missing for the Heyne edition and there may have even be one or two more: only time will tell). But thank you very much for this welcome adition! Stonecreek 11:22, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

Entering french publications

Hello, I see that you're entering some french translations. It'll be better to respect the french capitalization rules (first word and proper nouns in captial only) and to avoid inferring data from diverse sites (e.g. at €18.00, _Le jour des fous_ published by Terre de brume is a tp), note also that regarding noosfere, some informations must be taken with caution : some prices are imaginary (generaly a french book has none, the price given by noosefere are the price paid by a given customer at a given date), the number of pages is not counted as we do, the binding is absent and some phantoms titles are sometimes present. Note also that noosfere must not be used to determine the printing rank by a given publisher. Hauck 14:24, 13 November 2012 (UTC)

Hervé, I have not changed any capitalization that was not already there, I just added two older editions to the _already existing 2008 edition_ (to which I only added a cover) and have always sought the corresponding WorldCat entry (and looked them up at amazon.fr), where I looked up the measurements of the book to determine whether is is a 'pb' or a 'tp' (>18cm). You have carte blanche to make any alteration to my edits you seem fit, I can't see my own edits once they are submitted.--Dirk P Broer 15:46, 13 November 2012 (UTC)

Black Easter and The Day After Judgement

Just added cover artist Chris Moore to this Arrow 1981 publication. Horzel 15:24, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

Cooper's Erreger P 939

Can you confirm the title as given in the title field of this record? Your sources and image cover give a different number in the title. Mhhutchins 16:12, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

Hi, I know what you mean, but the sources that give the different title (WorldCat and Deutsche Nationalbibliothek) give a very long title that gives the numeral value also in text bewteen [these brackets] and even includes the English one (Erreger P 939 [neunhundertneununddreissig] : Science-fiction-Roman = Kronk). BTW: 939 is the same as 'Neunhundertneununddreissig', but written-out German. In Dutch it would be negenhondernegenendertig. We -Dutch and Germans- count different as compared to other countries. 39 becomes neununddreissig in German and negenendertig in Dutch. It would be the first task for a verifier to look at the title page to see what is really there of the string "Erreger P 939 [neunhundertneununddreissig] : Science-fiction-Roman = Kronk", but I am very confident about the numeric value of 939.--Dirk P Broer 16:28, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

Very confident, but very wrong as well, Thanks for catching!.--Dirk P Broer 16:51, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

New Worlds

Hello, I've made some adjustements (scans, essays, interior art) to some of your verified issues of New Worlds. Hauck 18:17, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

I added the Canadian price

I added the Canadian price to your verified [2].Don Erikson 20:55, 14 November 2012 (UTC)

The Weapon Shops of Isher and The Weapon Makers by A. E. van Vogt

Added information about background artist for this pub. Denis 15:04, 19 November 2012 (UTC)

Shouldn't you be linking to this pub instead of this?--Dirk P Broer 23:45, 19 November 2012 (UTC)

Yes. My mistake. Denis 08:53, 20 November 2012 (UTC)

Avery's / Cooper's Kureitosu no kyodai seibutsu

Hello, Dirk! I have put your sub. to make a Japanese variant of Avery's novel on hold. It should be made instead into a variant of this title, I guess. (I approved a similar case of making an Italian variant shortly before by mistake, I also guess). Stonecreek 13:42, 20 November 2012 (UTC)

That's what I submitted yesterday, but there was no action upon it.--Dirk P Broer 13:44, 20 November 2012 (UTC)

Well, I accepted it only moments before the other submission and it is now in fact varianted as described above (maybe you need to load the page anew: it's quite unnerving with my browser to do this every time anew). Stonecreek 14:37, 20 November 2012 (UTC)

The italian now stands as a lone novel under Edmund Cooper, there's still one submission for it to process. The Japanese might go in one time (I cancelled the one you had on hold).--Dirk P Broer 15:25, 20 November 2012 (UTC)

Welcome Chaos vs Welcome, Chaos

Could you check title of this pub, please. Denis 20:25, 20 November 2012 (UTC)

Welcome, Chaos. Thanks for catching!--Dirk P Broer 21:38, 20 November 2012 (UTC)

Add new Novel

Hi Dirk! When you enter a new non-english novel, don't forget to change the language! Rudam 14:42, 22 November 2012 (UTC)

They should not set it default to [English], and you should not be allowed to enter it when it is not filled-in. Thanks for catching! --Dirk P Broer 20:33, 22 November 2012 (UTC)

You should bring this to the attention of the group on one of the community pages if you feel this strongly about an English language database, which is exactly what the ISFDB is. (Otherwise you would have said this in a different language and I would not have understood your complaint.) Mhhutchins 01:49, 23 November 2012 (UTC)

English is our "lingua franca", but when entering a given title it is not necessarily an English title. The field 'Language' must be filled though, but from a methodological side I am against default values for the exact reason that Rudam caught me with.--Dirk P Broer 08:39, 23 November 2012 (UTC)

Story in Beyond the Safe Zone

Can you confirm that the story in this collection is titled "Entropy's Jaws" and not the canonical name "In Entropy's Jaws"? Thanks for checking. Mhhutchins 04:18, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

I can confirm "In Entropy's Jaws" in both TOC and on title page. Also, I could not locate "Ishmael in Love" in this edtion. Added pagination.--Dirk P Broer 09:17, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

I have removed "Ishmael in Love" and "Entropy's Jaws" and added "In Entropy's Jaws". Thanks. Mhhutchins 15:32, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

One more question: does the title page of the collection credit the publisher as "Collins" or "HarperCollins"? (Both Locus1 and OCLC give the latter credit, but they could both be wrong.) Mhhutchins 15:56, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

HarperCollinsPublishers to be exact.--Dirk P Broer 17:24, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

We normalize that quirkiness to just "HarperCollins". Thanks for looking. Mhhutchins 17:27, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Just added cover artist Peter Elson to this Sphere 1979 publication. Horzel 22:06, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

Thanks!--Dirk P Broer 08:58, 27 November 2012 (UTC)

I added the Canadian price

I added the Canadian price to your verified [3].Don Erikson 20:23, 28 November 2012 (UTC)

Sturgeon's Case and the Dreamer

There's pretty good circumstantial evidence that this edition was published in 1977. The catalog numbers above and below this one were published that year. And the graphic design of the cover (the way the author's credit is presented) was used in 1977. Also Amazon.co.uk dates it as 1977-01-14. Mhhutchins 23:34, 28 November 2012 (UTC)

I think you are right, even though WorldCat has it as published in 1974 (which is the year for the original Signet edition), perhaps because of 1974 is the last year mentioned on the copyright page (This collection © Theodore Sturgeon 1974). Prices as mentioned on the cover are not 1974 prices though. Also found evidence for Gino d'Achille as cover artist. Is Mike Christie still active, being first verifier?--Dirk P Broer 10:14, 29 November 2012 (UTC)

10,000 or Ten Thousand

Can you confirm that the title given in this record matches the book's title page? If so, we'll have to remove it from its current title record and place it under the correct one. Will you also check to see if the story is titled "Mamma Come Home" or "Mama Come Home". Another editor has confirmed this variant spelling in the British hc edition. And if you get a chance, can you also add the content pages as well? Thanks. Mhhutchins 06:31, 29 November 2012 (UTC)

Cover says '10,000'; Title page says 'Ten Thousand'. "Mama come home" (capatalization used in TOC) starts on page 44. Contents added, guess you want to do the title edits and separation/re-merge?--Dirk P Broer 09:56, 29 November 2012 (UTC)

You can make the corrections if you wish. 15:40, 29 November 2012 (UTC)

Raymond E. Banks

I have removed the Rootsweb link from the author's summary page, and added it to his Wiki biography page. The latter page can be used to link sources of biographical data. Links on the summary page should be to webpages about the author and his work. Mhhutchins 15:38, 29 November 2012 (UTC)

Printing history on copyright page of your Panther printing of "Cryptozoic"

Hi. You have PV'ed this pub, could you please do me a favor and have a look at the copyright page of this book? Do you see some sort of printing history in there? For instance, I just added a new Panther publication of "Cryptozoic" to ISFDB where the copyright page states

• Published by Panther Books 1979
• Reprinted 1985

If you find something like that, could you please write it down here? Secondly, could you also please doublecheck that the price for your book is indeed £1.25? I am trying to clear up some confusion I have about Panther publications, and your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Patrick -- Herzbube ^Talk 16:15, 7 December 2012 (UTC)

Hi, I double checked : It merely states:

• Published by Panther Books 1979

price for your book is indeed £1.25, which does not check with 1979, so it must be what I verified: an undated reprint of the 1979 edition. --Dirk P Broer 00:17, 8 December 2012 (UTC)

Ok, so my copy is more like a third printing. I will amend the note in my pub accordingly so that it mentions your book. What a pity that Panther cannot be trusted... so far I always believed that they were accurate, but I have just been robbed of my illusions :-( Anyway, thanks for your help. Patrick -- Herzbube ^Talk 02:42, 8 December 2012 (UTC)

All My Sins Remembered: Episode prefix for novelettes?

You PV'ed this pub. I also have a copy of the book, and I noticed that three of the content records are missing an "Episode" prefix. For instance, the pub record contains the novelette To Fit the Crime, but in my book the story actually appears as Episode: To Fit the Crime (both on title page and in TOC). The same goes for "The Only War We've Got" and "All My Sins Remembered". To accurately record what is in the book, I originally believed we should replace the canonical titles (no "Episode" prefix) with variant titles (with "Episode" prefix), the same as it was done in this pub. I am not so sure anymore, since I have found this 5 years old discussion, where the editors decided against recording variant titles. What do you think? Have you considered variants when you PV'ed, but for some reason rejected the idea? BTW: I have invited Rudam, the other verifier, to join the discussion here. Patrick -- Herzbube ^Talk 03:26, 8 December 2012 (UTC)

Hi, I did not consider using variants at the time, but I do see your point. Especially when I noticed that the original publiction of each of the episodes does have the "Episode" prefix. But do they have the exact same content as the stories published in the fix-up?. According to the discussion they do not.--Dirk P Broer 13:28, 8 December 2012 (UTC)

True. There is even a paragraph on the copyright page that states as much. Would you mind then if I added a pub note that refers to the copyright page statement and explains the situation to the next editor like me who is not used to fix-ups? Patrick -- Herzbube ^Talk 21:35, 8 December 2012 (UTC)

It would sure be enlightning to the next editor/moderator who faces this problem.--Dirk P Broer 21:57, 8 December 2012 (UTC)

Hi, it has become a common development to use the exact title of a publication. Your proposal is correct to add "Episode:" to the title. It'd have made sense to make them into a variant title, if the pub would have been a collection. But this pub is actually a fix-up novel and this five year old discussion wasn't final. Fix-up novels are usual handled like this: The Mixed Men If you like you can start a new discussion about the state of "All My Sins Remembered" (collection vs. fix-up) on the 'Community Portal'. Rudam 11:54, 9 December 2012 (UTC)

Tiptree's Out of the Everywhere

I've uploaded a cover image, adjusted the notes, and corrected the title (from the title page) for this record. Mhhutchins 19:42, 9 December 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! That very present comma on the cover sure fooled me (and the first verifier as well).--Dirk P Broer 11:01, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

The Best of Randall Garrett

I added notes to this verified pub, changed the three "Parodies Tossed" entries from shortfiction to Poem and varianted them to their original appearance. Also added Vicki Ann Heydron as author of "Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions: A Calypso in Search of a Rhyme" and changed the author credit for "A Little Intelligence" from Robert Randall to Randall Garrett (as on the titlepages). Please check the changes. Thanks, --Willem H. 21:35, 11 December 2012 (UTC)

While I fully approve of the two former (the "Parodies Tossed" edits and the addition of Vicki Ann Heydron), I'd like to point out that the latter introduced a variant title to "A Little Intelligence", as it was published in 1958 under the joint pseudonym 'Robert Randall', as explained on page 137. Were the titlepage meant to be correct it should have either said 'Randall Garrett and Robert Silverberg' or 'Randall Garrett and Robert Silverberg writing as Robert Randall'. The now introduced variant title however is fully in accordance with the way titles ought to be entered in isfdb though.--Dirk P Broer 11:05, 12 December 2012 (UTC)

Yes, sometimes it looks illogical, but that's how it's done here. --Willem H. 20:29, 12 December 2012 (UTC)

Wells' contribution to Apeman, Spaceman

Hello, Dirk! Your opinion would be welcome here. Stonecreek 15:12, 16 December 2012 (UTC)

Paul Adler

I changed "Edler, Paul" to "Edler, Peter on your Paul Adler submission. I was going by the SFE entry to which you added the link. Apologies if that wasn't right. --MartyD 00:54, 20 December 2012 (UTC)

You're 100% right! But you must know that already, as you also did my Peter Edler submission. I discovered it too then, but the first submission was still to be processed by then. Which will be the pseudonym for this author?--Dirk P Broer 11:57, 20 December 2012 (UTC)

Yes, I then later saw the other submission. I made Paul A. the pseudonym of Peter E. I found one other book by Peter Edler on Amazon. And since SFE says Adler is the pseudonym of Edler, I figured we may as well follow their lead. I did leave all of the details in both places in case you disagree and think it should be the other way. I did not spend much time researching, I admit. --MartyD 12:43, 20 December 2012 (UTC)

J. Schlossel

What do you think about leaving J. Schlossel's birthplace blank, instead of the existing USA or your proposed Toronto? SFE seems to be just guessing, and it doesn't seem right to me to propagate a guess as fact (since we have no way to denote a guess). Unless we could find something else corroborating that he's that Joseph Schlossel, who was born in Toronto. --MartyD 12:16, 21 December 2012 (UTC)

I think it's a pretty well-educated guess, but we should mention it in the biographic note.--Dirk P Broer 19:48, 21 December 2012 (UTC)

Can we do anything with a Social Security Number 086-03-8609 ?--Dirk P Broer 22:45, 21 December 2012 (UTC)

I don't know how to, at least, not without paying money. We know it's a New York-issued number, and a Google hit matches it to Joseph Schlossel, born 21 December 1902 and died December 1977. My wife has an Ancestry.com membership. I will see if she can find anything. --MartyD 12:05, 22 December 2012 (UTC)

Sigh... It was free when I added it to Sources of Bibliographic Information a while back :-( Ahasuerus 05:36, 27 December 2012 (UTC)

Eric Van Lustbader

"Van" is Eric Van Lustbader's middle name, not part of his last name. The bio on his official website refers to him as "Mr. Lustbader". Also, there is a question on his FAQ in which he confirms this. I've corrected the author data back to "Lustbader" as the last name. Mhhutchins 01:37, 27 December 2012 (UTC)

Remarkable, especially his reference to his paternal grandmother being of Dutch ancestry and named "van Blurkhom"/"van Blurkham". Those names do not exist in the Netherlands, nor can they be found anywhere else than in Lustbader interviews using Google.--Dirk P Broer 21:32, 28 December 2012 (UTC)

Found a Blurkham family living in Yorkshire between (at least) 1793-1841. Not Dutch and not carrying 'van'. --Dirk P Broer 21:53, 28 December 2012 (UTC)

It sounds as if he may be either misinformed or hiding something. Mhhutchins 22:02, 28 December 2012 (UTC)

Also funny that he claims to be filed under 'V' and pronounced 'van Loostbader' in Europe. In the Netherlands we will file him under 'L' because though 'van' is part of surnames, it is not used to order them alphabethically (nor are 'de', 'van der', 'van het' and other so-called "tussenvoegsels"). In Dutch the meaning and pronounciation of 'Lust' is the same as in English. Guess he was never here to search for the family of his paternal grandmother....--Dirk P Broer 22:39, 28 December 2012 (UTC)