Well, I don't have one to hand to say for sure, but presumably David Dyer-Bennett knows of what he speaks, and he said so. DDB is a noted pic-hound (we once had some unpleasantness over it, in fact), and I don't doubt he winced seriously over it.

I'm not currently planning any east coast trips after NASFiC this year, which happens just ten days or so before the release. I wonder if Herb can be chivvied into getting the USNA to host a speakign engagement or release party (I've asked Tor to send review copies to the Naval Institute Press, but that's not quite the same thing). They do have an endowed chair in Heinlein's name there . . .

No -- I'm a little surprised DDB didn't realize that he got a bound uncorrected galley. They often don't have the photo inserts, which are typically printed separately and bound with the corrected text. It gives the Art Director a little more time to work with the photos. There is a 16-page photo insert that contains something like 32-35 photos.

Ahhh, very glad to hear that. The possibility occurred to me, but then I thought someone as experienced as DDB would have queried/confirmed before saying it in print if he was looking at gallies. Are you going to nudge him for a correction?

I'm sad that it isn't coming out for a month, as I'm hoping to stop by and see you at Comic-Con this week. Would have been an excellent opportunity for getting a signature

I believe that is just in the advance copies, right Bill?

Btw, Bill, are you going to create the "I Remember When Robert. . . " sticky thread you referenced?

Also, Deb did put some pictures up on the Biography Sources page at whpjr. No idea if there is any overlap at all with the pics actually in the biography.

Just heard today from Stacy Hague-Hill that they are today sending an advance copy to the Prize Trust and to me. Unfortunately it won't arrive in time to take one to Comic-Con, but there will be one of the uncorrected bound galley sets there (Bruce).

In theory I am also getting from Tor/MacMillan's PR department poster(s) and postcards to sign, but those haven't shown up in the mail yet, either. I think Robert and I are going to have to make a mad dash by my mail service on the way out of town tomorrow.

Stacy also pointed out that there is a second "reminiscence of RAH" now on the Tor site to accompany Brin's, this one by David Drake. http://torforge.wordpress.com/2010/07/1 ... /#comments
This is the first time I've ever seen anyone say the F&SF condensation of Starship Troopers wastheir first Heinlein. One, as they say, for the books, as it were.

The editor at NY Review of SF kindly provided me with a link to the review of the biography by Wessells -- and it's highly complimentary though a little strange, as he essentially summarizes Heinlein's life. I've asked, but I don't know that a link will be up, though, as NYRSF is a subscription magazine.

Forgot to mention that this issue of NYRSF also has a longish piece on Farnham's Freehold by Joe Sanders, who handles books and magazines for SFRA. Sanders seems aware of much of the more intelligent discussion of the book that's been going on for the last ten to fifteen years (possibly because he receives comp copies of the JOURNAL, though Jim Gifford's ARC is the only part of that conversation he cites. It's a scene-setting discussion piece, rather than a polemic, so there is no strong conclusionary argument, but it's a nice indication that at least some of the goals of the new Heinlein Studies is penetrating even unto the Hyperborean. I added it to my collection of critical material about Heinlein in the Retrieval Guide which they will never use at the UC Santa Cruz Archive.

Thanks, Bill. Look forward to meeting you!