ISFDB:Research Assistance

ISFDB Discussion Pages and Noticeboards
Before posting to this page, consider whether one of the other discussion pages or noticeboards might suit your needs better. If you're looking for help remembering a book title, check out the resources in our FAQ. Please also see our Help pages.
Help desk Questions about doing a specific task, or how to correct information when the solution is not immediately obvious. • New post • Archives	Research Assistance Help with bibliographic projects. • New post • Archives	Rules and standards Discussions about the rules and standards, as well as questions about interpretation and application of those rules. • New post • Rules changelog • Archives	Community Portal General discussion about anything not covered by the more specialized noticeboards to the left. • New post • Archives	Moderator noticeboard Get the attention of moderators regarding submission questions.   • New post • Archives • Cancel submission
Roadmap: For the original discussion of Roadmap 2017 see this archived section. For the current implementation status, see What's New#Roadmap 2017.

Archive Quick Links
Archives of old Research Assistance.

---

1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11

---

Expanded archive listing

Tarzan meeets King Kong

I sent this novel by Owen R. Leonard, the author published it on Kindle and took it down, he later published a novel called Tzaryd Meets Simian, I couldn't find any source, but from the synopsis, it seems to be a new version of the other novel, can I publish this in the notes?Hyju (talk) 09:17, 4 October 2022 (EDT)

Yes, notes like that are great. ···日本穣 · 投稿 · Talk to Nihonjoe 12:58, 13 December 2022 (EST)

Breakthrough: The Fall of the Wall

I found this pub but I've got the idea that's not an eligible fiction title. Edit history doesn't show any user but me, who did minor edits. I couldn't find any valid informations or sources in www. Does anybody know more about this title? --Zapp (talk) 06:36, 13 December 2022 (EST)

It does not look eligible to me. I wonder if Neil Gaiman's having something in it is what led to someone adding it. --MartyD (talk) 09:54, 13 December 2022 (EST)

With both editors specialists for comics I do think that it's very likely that there are comics on the downfall of the Berlin Wall assembled in this title. However, there is the quite remote possibility that there's some kind of speculative fiction enclosed (or an illustrated story). I'd think it's best to leave it as it is, until someone gets hold of a copy (or of the original or another translation), and can have a final look. Christian Stonecreek (talk) 12:03, 13 December 2022 (EST)

Futures Forestalled ... for Now: South African Science Fiction and Futurism

I don't know, what that nonfiction is for? --Zapp (talk) 11:11, 25 February 2023 (EST)

It was entered as a nonfiction publication. However, as far as I can tell, it is an essay that appeared in the non-genre magazine Current Writing. I will ping the handling moderator just in case they saw something I didn't. -- JLaTondre (talk) 15:44, 26 February 2023 (EST)

John Richards

Artist 'Roger Davis' is NOT John Richards although Richards did use the name 'Davis' on several covers. Roger Davis is a real person, not a pseudonym for John Richards. The only other name used by Richards was 'Rik' on BLACK-WING OF MARS - Vargo Statten (Scion 1953); DE BRACY'S DRUG - Volsted Gridban (Scion Feb 1953); DRUMS ALONG THE AMAZON - Victor Norwood (Scion Mar 1953); REVERSE UNIVERSE - Volsted Gridban (Scion Dec 1952). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Clockrocker (talk • contribs) .

Adding image credit , please

Good day,

I need help.

I would like to have an INTERIOR ART CREDIT added for Author record # 269730 ; Carl Lavoie.

It’s in the recent

Vastarien: A Literary Journal. Vol. 6, Issue 1

and it’s the frontispiece illustration, ‘The Evil Eye'.

Here’s a link to a sample of the issue, the illustration is right after the cover page:

https://www.amazon.com/Vastarien-Literary-Journal-vol-issue/dp/B0CBT4B6D1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=28D1CYLFVH4XL&keywords=vastarien+literary&qid=1692175645&sprefix=%2Caps%2C152&sr=8-1&asin=B0CBT4B6D1&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1

And here’s a link to the publisher, listing the content of the recent issue:

https://grimscribepress.com/issues/

Thank you. And have a wonderful day.

-Carl Lavoie

Suspect book listed on Amazon.

Someone on Facebook's Terran Trade Authority group posted a link to this publication which looks decidedly iffy. Book is 30 pages of well known illustrations presumably culled from the Cowley pictoral volumes and maybe other sources. The one image viewable is unhelpful but isn't a very good illustration either. If anyone happens to come across a copy somewhere (like a library or bookshop) a quick leaf through and appraisal would be welcome. --Mavmaramis (talk) 15:07, 5 November 2023 (EST)

The author's name is listed as "Aderyn Alexander". Amazon UK lists 202 photo books and coloring books with this credit. Since adult coloring books were massively popular a few years ago, I suspect that the publisher decided to capitalize on the trend, grabbed some images and put a bunch of books together. Here is what a reviewer says about the same author/publisher's 70’s Sci-Fi Art Photo Book: Amazing Artworks Science Fiction Colorful Pictures For Fans:

• I thought this was going to be a great book. Turns out it is a print on demand piece. The images are not credited. You don't know who did the art work. They are cropped all wrong. Normally art books have information on the art work. This has none. I feel they did a Google search found high resolution images from the 70s and made this book. Very disappointed.

On the plus side, the books apparently do exist and even have ISBNs, so they are apparently eligible for inclusion even if we don't know what they reprint. Ahasuerus (talk) 16:11, 5 November 2023 (EST)

Looking through the entries by this person, I suspect at least some of the work is AI generated, and I doubt the known IP coloring books are properly licensed. The wording on the titles Amazon uses are too marketing-savvy, too. For example the entry for the 70’s Sci-Fi Art Photo Book is "70’s Sci-Fi Art Photo Book: Eroticism Colorful Pages For Adults Men Boys To Relax And Unwind | Ideal Gift For Birthday". I'd be cautious about entering anything from this "Aderyn Alexander". ···日本穣 · 投稿 · Talk to Nihonjoe 14:27, 6 November 2023 (EST)

The general concenus on the TTA Facebook group is that the "sci-fi" books listed by this author are highly suspect at best. Cover images use art from Peter Elson, Tim White and Fred Gambino. They are not publications I personally will be spending money buying so won't be entering those publications here. --Mavmaramis (talk) 16:12, 6 November 2023 (EST)