Welcome to the newest weekly feature here at Bookshelf Fantasies… Shelf Control!
Shelf Control is all about the books we want to read — and already own! Consider this a variation of a Wishing & Waiting post… but looking at books already available, and in most cases, sitting right there on our shelves and e-readers.
Want to join in? See the guidelines and linky at the bottom of the post, and jump on board! Let’s take control of our shelves!
My Shelf Control pick this week is:
Title: River world
Author: Philip José Farmer
Published: 1971
Length: 448 pages
What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):
From award-winning author Philip Jose Farmer comes his most famous science fiction work: the first combined edition of the first two Riverworld novels, To Your Scattered Bodies Go and The Fabulous Riverboat.
Imagine that every human who ever lived, from the earliest Neanderthals to the present, is resurrected after death on the banks of an astonishing and seemingly endless river on an unknown world. They are miraculously provided with food, but with not a clue to the possible meaning of this strange afterlife. And so billions of people from history, and before, must start living again.
Some set sail on the great river questing for the meaning of their resurrection, and to find and confront their mysterious benefactors. On this long journey, we meet Sir Richard Francis Burton, Mark Twain, Odysseus, Cyrano de Bergerac, and many others, most of whom embark upon searches of their own in this huge afterlife.
How I got it:
I bought it.
When I got it:
About five years ago.
Why I want to read it:
Long story (okay, maybe not that long) — I reconnected with an old high school friend on Facebook after being out of touch for many years. We discovered that we shared a geeky love for all sorts of science fiction, and he began rather mercilessly pushing me to read the Riverworld series. I kept promising to do it, and even bought myself a copy. And then, well… it kind of fell off my radar. My old friend and I are still FB friends, but haven’t been in touch much lately. I do feel guilty every time I see this book on my shelf!
And since I do love sci-fi and haven’t started any new series in a while, maybe I should finally give this one a try. It sounds weird and trippy enough to be something I’d probably enjoy!
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Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:
- Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
- Add your link below!
- And if you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate a link back from your own post.
- Check out other posts, and have fun!
For more on why I’ve started Shelf Control, check out my introductory post here, or read all about my out-of-control book inventory, here.
And if you’d like to post a Shelf Control button on your own blog, here’s an image to download (with my gratitude, of course!):
Bookshelf Fantasies 
I don’t own a copy of this book, nor of the separate books included in it. But these two titles are part of the list of SF books I’ve been meaning to read for the LONGEST time. No one has prodded me to read them, but I still feel guilty about not reading them, since I love the genre so much.
Nice pick! Hope we get to read them soon; then we can compare notes! Have a great day!! : )
We should definitely compare notes! 🙂 I haven’t read enough classic sci-fi lately. Maybe it’s time!
This is a new to me book, but it does sound fascinating. I can relate to having a book on my shelf that was recommended by a friend I’ve yet to get to.
It’s one of the dangerous things about having friends who recommend books — if you don’t read what they recommend, their feelings get hurt!