... Saying "goodbye" to old friends! ...

 

I am aghast! A book that I recommended for a scifi staff pick in April of 2009 is already out-of-print!

Here's the story: I have been reading Kristine Kathryn Rusch's 'Retrieval Artist' series since it first came to my attention in … say … 2002. I came to care about Miles Flint, a principled man with a past, and the universe that Ms. Rusch created (that was much more diversely populated than ours seems to be now.)  All manner of  dicey, painful, and seemingly unresolvable conflicts arise because of the juxtaposition of alien populations and the blundering homo sapiens.

There have now been about six novels in the collection, and I have read them all. But along the way the earlier books started dropping off the in-print wayside. Still, I was holding onto the idea that the new paperback editions would keep on coming ... but alas they have not.

I wouldn't have known about the later part of this story if Nancy, my ebullient coworker at UBS, hadn't brought to my attention that a customer, whom she says enjoys my staff picks (how delightful is that!), was unable to secure a copy of the most recent 'Retrieval Artist' book or even order it through us.

So, for now until maybe the 25th Anniversary publication of this series revives this book or we receive used copies (yes, please, do bring them in to sell to us!), we must bid Miles, the flint man, adieu. Kristine Kathryn Rusch has not stopped writing, nor have I stopped noticing all of her scifi works, but I shall take a moment (here) to sigh.

~~Jan