I read quite a few books every year, and that means I also buy a lot of books. The same is probably true for a lot of bloggers. I’m sure there are also plenty of my colleagues who keep lists the way I do. From a book-buying perspective, one of the most important lists is the Word document simply titled BOOK LIST 2024. I make a new version of this list every year. It’s as simple as the name suggests. A list of books to keep an eye out for in the given year. I don’t just throw books onto it willy-nilly, however. There’s a bit more thought than that. Books only make it onto this list if I am actively planning to purchase them. As such, they fall into two categories.

• Books by authors I know and trust to deliver good stories.
• Books that continue series I am currently reading

Obviously, most books fall into both of those categories, and this is also where I track upcoming releases. I can see from a quick glance that Jack Campbell has a new book out on May 21st. It’s the start of a new series, but based on the strength of his Lost Fleet novels, I’m sure to pick it up at some point. Likewise, I can see that there are eleven novels left until I have completed the Star Trek: The Next Generation relaunch series

Yes, I like to be organised. This careful tracking of books and release dates does come with a downside, however. Committed as I am to a number of series, collecting the books can sometimes feel like an obligation. the books on my 2024 list could easily keep me supplied for more than a year. Yet this would put me in something of a rut. You can have too much of a good thing, as the old adage goes. I love Star Trek, but I don’t want to read a hundred Trek novels in a row. Like most science fiction fans, I crave new experiences.

Which is where excitement comes in. As I was scouting out eBay the other week, I came across a massive bundle of books. Some authors were known to me. David Brin, Stephen Baxter, Greg Bear, and others whose names do not begin with B. Seventy books, all mine. It was the most excited I’d been for a long time. Even those Peter F. Hamilton novels had never looked more appealing. I submitted a humble bid, and waited. That waiting turned into a frenzy of last minute clicks, until I was ultimately pipped to the post by another avid reader.

Heart-breaking, I think we can all agree.

Yet the fire was now lit, and I trawled eBay for a few more book bundles. Eventually, I cam out on top. You see, there was a time when I took more risks in my book buying. I’d buy entire trilogies in one go, and hope that I liked them. More often than not, these gambles paid off. So, thought I, why not take that approach again. That, my dear reader, is how I came by my latest four stage book haul.

The obvious winner here is Richard S. McEnroe’s Far Stars and Future Times trilogy. I read and enjoyed the first volume last year, and now I have the complete set. These books are pretty obscure, so snapping them up was a no-brainer. Being so short, they’ll also serve as a nice in-between read that isn’t Trek-related.

Then we have Peter F. Hamilton. Four massive books of him, each over a thousand pages in length. I have mixed opinions on Hamilton. His ideas are phenomenal, but his books feel like they could do with stricter editing. Nevertheless, I think this is a good purchase for the price they were. If nothing else, they’ll keep me busy for a while. As an added bonus, these enormous books come with a slender tome that serves as a guide to the universe, which is a very intriguing book in its own right.

Next up is David Brin. Again, I have a mixed history with Brin. Foundation’s Triumph was phenomenal, but Sundiver and Earth met a more muted reception. However, having looked at the dates of publication, it seems quite clear that Brin matured as a writer over time. Since I’ve heard that Sundiver is in every way weaker than its successors, I went all in and bought the entire Uplift saga. The covers on these, faded though they may be, are absolutely stunning, and I’m hopeful that the contents match.

Finally, we have Eric Brown. My only prior experience with Brown is a single short story that I didn’t really enjoy. That’s not enough to judge an author on, though, so he gets another chance. Plus, a recommendation by Stephen Baxter goes a long way to supporting a hard SF writer’s credentials. of these books, it’s only Helix that I’ve heard of before, and it sounds like Larry Niven’s Ringworld in all the right ways. It’ll be nice to have some standalone hard SF to dive into now and then. With a bit of luck, Brown might even feature in my upcoming ‘Best of British’ plans.

Not only are these books all looking good, and not only are they going to keep me nice and busy in the coming months, but they were also decently priced. At around £2.30 a copy, they’re definitely helping with my overall plan to spend less on books this year. Whether or not this turns out to be a wise investment, only time will tell. But when it does, I’ll be sure to share the news with you.