Weekly Comics Spotlight #039 Feedback

[hauberk]

Hey guys!

Just got finished with Episode 39 (yeah, I'm that far behind) and wanted to provide a little info about the WildCards books. The books went out of print in the mid-90s when the new Card Sharks cycle was being published by Baen. Baen apparently didn't do a particularly good job of marketing their trilogy and as a result, the books sort of got lost for a good long time (and as a result, the last book in the Card Sharks trilogy is particularly hard to find).

Around 2000-2001, the original cycle was being reprinted by iBooks in a really terrific illustrated TPB dress. Unfortunately, they only got about 5 books in before they decided to change formats to something less expensive and soon after went belly-up. Before finally collapsing, they managed to get out two original volumes - Deuces Down (not sure of the actual print run) and Death Draws Five (which I'm told only about 600 individual copies made it out of their warehouse before the doors got locked on them - I've got mine!).

Tor now has distribution rights for new material like Inside Straight, and are working on the reprint rights but, due to the way that iBooks collapsed, Martin and the WildCards Consortium are having a bit of difficulty in getting everything cleared for more readily available reprints.

Overall, it's rather unfortunate, and probably merits a bit more of a "what has gone before" page than the typical comic, but since it's really more closely tied with the newest arc (specifically, Inside Straight) it should be relatively accessible without reading the older books (though I assume that's helped me with my enjoyment of the series).

[BobBretall]

Cool info! If you have a chronological listing of all the novels, feel free to post it here!

PS: I have my HC of "Deuces Down", but never saw "Death Draws Five"

[hauberk]

Original Cycle (From Bantam books, 1-6 were reprinted by iBooks, SFBC editions were issued for at least 1-3)

Wild Cards (1987) George R.R. Martin, ed.
Aces High (1987) George R.R. Martin, ed.
Jokers Wild (1987) George R.R. Martin, ed.
Aces Abroad (1988) George R.R. Martin, ed.
Down and Dirty (1988) George R.R. Martin, ed.
Ace in the Hole (1990) George R.R. Martin, ed.
Dead Man's Hand (1990) George R.R. Martin, ed.
One-Eyed Jacks (1991) George R.R. Martin & John J. Miller (I think)
Jokertown Shuffle (1991) George R.R. Martin, ed.
Double Solitaire (1992) Melinda Snodgrass
Dealer's Choice (1992) George R.R. Martin, ed.
Turn of the Cards (1993) Victor Milán

"New Cycle" (Baen Books)
Card Sharks (1993) George R.R. Martin, ed.
Marked Cards (1994) George R.R. Martin, ed.
Black Trump (1995) George R.R. Martin, ed.

(iBooks)
Deuces Down (2002) George R.R. Martin, ed. - this one is something of a retrosepective on Deuces (characters with an ability of very limited utility through out the history of the Wild Card Virus)
Death Draws Five (2006) John J.

Tor Books revival
Inside Straight (2008) George R.R. Martin, ed.
Busted Flush (to be released 12/2008?) George R.R. Martin, ed.
Suicide Kings (to be releassed) George R.R. Martin, ed.