Laser Books was a line of 58 paperback
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
(SF) novels published from 1975 to 1977 by Canadian romance powerhouse
Harlequin Books
Harlequin (; it, Arlecchino ; lmo, Arlechin, Bergamasque pronunciation ) is the best-known of the ''zanni'' or comic servant characters from the Italian ''commedia dell'arte'', associated with the city of Bergamo. The role is traditionally b ...
. Laser published three titles per month, available by subscription as well as in stores. The books were limited to 50,000-60,000 words. They were numbered as a series, though each was a standalone novel. All the covers were painted by
Hugo Award
The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...
winning
Winning may refer to:
* Victory
Film
* ''Winning'' (film), a 1969 movie starring Paul Newman
* '' Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman'', a 2015 documentary by Adam Carolla and Nate Adams
Music
* ''Winning'', an album by Ten Foot Pole, 2022 ...
artist
Kelly Freas
Frank Kelly Freas (August 27, 1922 – January 2, 2005) was an American science fiction and fantasy artist with a career spanning more than 50 years. He was known as the "Dean of Science Fiction Artists" and he was the second artist inducted b ...
.
Editorial problems
Tim Powers
Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy fiction, fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels ''Last Call (novel), Last Call'' and ''Declare''. ...
, whose first book was published by Laser, has said that ''Epitaph in Rust'' was "mangled" by the editors at Laser Books. An unedited version was later issued by a different publisher.
Tim Powers: An Epitaph In Rust
/ref> Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob (born 6 August 1934) is an American author in the science fiction and Fantasy (genre), fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is best known for his :Xanth books, long-running novel series set in ...
had problems with their publication of his novel ''But What Of Earth?''. This novel was also issued later, through Tor Books
Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles, and is the largest publisher of Chinese scien ...
.
Harlequin edited the Laser books to conform to the standards then imposed on the Harlequin Romances. This included prohibition of blasphemous and scatological words and explicit sexual scenes, but not of sexual situations and implied sex. There was also a tendency to edit to correct grammar and exclude slang in exposition but not in dialogue.
When Harlequin closed the Laser line, all rights were reverted to the authors. Several works including Jerry Pournelle's ''Exile to Glory'' had been accepted and the acceptance payment made, but the book was not yet published. Those were also returned to the authors without any attempt to reclaim the advances paid. The Laser line was important to many beginning writers and greatly expanded the market for 50,000 to 60,000 word books. Many Laser books were later published by Pocket, Ace Books, and Tor. Some remain in print.
Titles
:0. ''Seeds of Change'' by Thomas F. Monteleone
Thomas Francis Monteleone (born April 14, 1946) is an American science fiction author and horror fiction author."Monteleone, Thomas F(rancis)", by Don D'Ammassa in David Pringle, ''St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost & Gothic Writers''. London : S ...
, 1975,
::: This book was not numbered, and was not part of the actual series. It was a "Laser Books Limited Collector's Edition", not available for sale, given away at selected bookstores to launch the series and then given away with subscriptions to Laser Books or with mail-in orders. This novel was also given away at science fiction conventions in 1975, starting many science fiction fans collecting them.
:1. ''Renegades of Time'' by Raymond F. Jones, 1975,
:2. ''Herds'' by Stephen Goldin, 1975,
:3. ''Crash Landing on Iduna'' by Arthur Tofte, 1975,
:4. ''Gates of the Universe'' by Robert Coulson
Robert Stratton "Buck" Coulson (May 12, 1928 – February 19, 1999) was an American science fiction writer, well-known fan, filk songwriter, fanzine editor and bookseller from Indiana.
Biography
He served as Secretary of the Science Fic ...
with Gene DeWeese
Thomas Eugene DeWeese (January 31, 1934 – March 19, 2012) was an American writer of science fiction, best known for his ''Star Trek'' novels. He also wrote Gothic, mystery, and young adult fiction, totalling more than 40 books in his caree ...
, 1975,
:5. ''Walls Within Walls'' by Arthur Tofte, 1975,
:6. ''Serving in Time'' by Gordon Eklund
Gordon Eklund (born July 24, 1945 in Seattle, Washington) is an American science fiction author whose works include the "Lord Tedric" series and two of the earliest original novels based on the 1960s '' Star Trek'' TV series. He has written under ...
, 1975,
:7. ''Seeklight'' by K. W. Jeter
Kevin Wayne Jeter (born March 26, 1950) is an American science fiction and horror author known for his literary writing style, dark themes, and paranoid, unsympathetic characters. He has written novels set in the '' Star Trek'' and '' Star Wa ...
, 1975,
:8. ''Caravan'' by Stephen Goldin, 1975,
:9. ''Invasion'' by Aaron Wolfe (pseudonym of Dean R. Koontz), 1975,
:10. ''Falling Toward Forever'' by Gordon Eklund, 1975,
:11. ''Unto the Last Generation'' by Juanita Coulson
Juanita Ruth Coulson (née Wellons) (born February 12, 1933) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer most well known for her ''Children of the Stars'' books, published from 1981 to 1989. She was a longtime editor of the science fiction ...
, 1975,
:12. ''The King of Eolim'' by Raymond F. Jones, 1975,
:13. ''Blake's Progress'' by Ray Nelson, 1975,
:14. ''Birthright'' by Kathleen Sky
Kathleen Sky (born Kathleen McKinney, August 5, 1943) is the pen name of Kathleen McKinney Goldin, an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her pen name is her former married name from her marriage to first husband Karl Sky. From 1972 to ...
, 1975,
:15. ''The Star Web'' by George Zebrowski
George Zebrowski (born December 28, 1945) is an American science fiction writer and editor who has written and edited a number of books, and is a former editor of The Bulletin of the Science Fiction Writers of America. He lives with author Pamela ...
, 1975,
:16. ''Kane's Odyssey'' by Jeff Clinton, 1976,
:17. ''The Black Roads'' by J. L. Hensley, 1976,
:18. ''Legacy'' by J. F. Bone, 1976,
:19. ''The Unknown Shore'' by Donald Malcolm, 1976,
:20. ''Space Trap'' by Juanita Coulson, 1976,
:21. ''A Law for the Stars'' by John Morressy, 1976,
:22. ''Keeper'' by Joan Hunter Holly, 1976,
:23. '' Birth of Fire'' by Jerry Pournelle
Jerry Eugene Pournelle (; August 7, 1933 – September 8, 2017) was an American scientist in the area of operations research and human factors research, a science fiction writer, essayist, journalist, and one of the first bloggers. In the 1960s ...
, 1976,
:24. ''Ruler of the World'' by J. T. McIntosh, 1976,
:25. ''Scavenger Hunt'' by Stephen Goldin, 1976,
:26. ''To Renew the Ages'' by Robert Coulson, 1976,
:27. ''The Horde'' by Joseph Green, 1976,
:28. ''The Skies Discrowned'' by Timothy Powers, 1976,
:29. ''The Iron Rain'' by Donald Malcolm, 1976,
:30. ''The Seeker'' by David Bischoff
David F. Bischoff (December 15, 1951 – March 19, 2018) was an American science fiction and television writer.
General background
Born in Washington D.C., Bischoff wrote science fiction books, short stories, and scripts for television. He beg ...
with Christopher Lampton, 1976,
:31. ''Galactic Invaders'' by James R. Berry, 1976,
:32. ''Then Beggars Could Ride'' by Ray Nelson, 1976,
:33. ''The Dreamfields'' by K. W. Jeter, 1976,
:34. ''Seas of Ernathe'' by Jeffrey Carver
Jeffrey A. Carver (born 1949) is an American science fiction author.
He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland, graduated from Brown University,
and lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts with his family. His 2000 novel ''Eternity's End'' was a n ...
, 1976,
:35. ''I, Aleppo'' by Jerry Sohl
Gerald Allan Sohl Sr. (December 2, 1913 – November 4, 2002) was an American television scriptwriter and science fiction author who wrote for ''The Twilight Zone'' (as a ghostwriter for Charles Beaumont), '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'', '' The Out ...
, 1976,
:36. ''Jeremy Case'' by Gene DeWeese, 1976,
:37. ''The Meddlers'' by J. F. Bone, 1976,
:38. ''Ice Prison'' by Kathleen Sky, 1976,
:39. ''Brandyjack'' by Augustine Funnell, 1976,
:40. ''Master of the Stars'' by Robert Hoskins, 1976,
:41. ''Future Sanctuary'' by Lee Harding, 1976,
:42. ''Cross of Empire'' by Christopher Lampton, 1976,
:43. ''Spawn'' by Donald Glut
Donald F. Glut (; born February 19, 1944) is an American writer, motion picture film director, and screenwriter. He is best known for writing the novelization of the second '' Star Wars'' film, ''The Empire Strikes Back''.
Filmmaker Amateur c ...
, 1976,
:44. ''But What Of Earth?'' by Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob (born 6 August 1934) is an American author in the science fiction and Fantasy (genre), fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is best known for his :Xanth books, long-running novel series set in ...
and Robert Coulson, 1976,
:45. ''Finish Line'' by Stephen Goldin, 1976,
:46. ''Dance of the Apocalypse'' by Gordon Eklund, 1976,
:47. ''Epitaph in Rust'' by Timothy Powers, 1976,
:48. ''Rebels of Merka'' by Augustine Funnell, 1976,
:49. ''Tiger in the Stars'' by Zach Hughes, 1976,
:50. '' West of Honor'' by Jerry Pournelle, 1976,
:51. ''Mindwipe!'' by Steve Hahn, 1976,
:52. ''The Extraterritorial'' by John Morressy, 1977,
:53. ''The Ecolog'' by Ray Nelson, 1977,
:54. ''The River and the Dream'' by Raymond F. Jones, 1977,
:55. ''Shepherd'' by Joan Hunter Holly, 1977,
:56. ''Gift of the Manti'' by J. F. Bone and Roy Meyers, 1977,
:57. ''Shadow on the Stars'' by Robert B. Marcus Jr., 1977,
References
External links
* {{isfdb series s
Laser Book 247
Science fiction book series
Books with cover art by Frank Kelly Freas