How Precious Was That While

By Piers Anthony

Book Overview

Piers Anthony tells his own remarkable life story in this candid autobiography, a volume that is sure to intrigue and entertain his many fans-and infuriate his critics. The book begins with a review of the author's early years, revealing new and telling details about his upbringing at the hands of two brilliant but often careless parents, including a riveting section about their harrowing experiences as expatriates in Spain just before the Second World War. But most of the book focuses on the past fifteen years since "Bio of an Ogre" (the first volume of his autobiography) was published, a time both of personal progress and professional frustration for Anthony, as his works became increasingly ambitious while his sales began to slow. He offers cautionary tales on the pitfalls of the "bottom line" publishing mentality, as well as scathing portraits of several well-known publishing figures. Candid, opinionated and endlessly fascinating, "How Precious Was That While i"s an intimate self-portrait by one of the most intriguing writers of our time.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812575431
• ISBN13: 9780812575439
• Release Date: June 2002
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Best critique of the SF book business I've ever read

Piers Anthony's nonfiction writing is first rate. He dissects the idiocy in printing too few copies of a book (a topic often discussed in PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY, but he makes it understandable to the layman), and shows the pitfalls and rewards of the writer's life. I wish I had the benefit of this advice when I married a writer--I could have been saved a lot of anguish and anxiety. His skewering of the sacred cows within the Science Fiction field--some of the editors, agents, fanzine editors, and writers--is first rate and meticulously backed up. There are parts of this book involving letters written to him from abused children that I found very hard going. I read those sections once, but found it hard to re-read. There are writers who insist the problem of sexual abuse of children is overblown but I suspect they don't seem to be as a sympathetic ear as Anthony is. If you find biographies of writers interesting, you'll probably enjoy this book. I found it utterly fascinating. I had never been a big fan of his before, now I eagerly anticipate going back and reading his work now that I have some background on it.

Absolutely Fantastic

For anyone who loves Piers Anthony, this is definitely a book to read. This is an in-depth look at the life of one of the most famous fantasy authors around. In particular, it is an excellent reference into the inner workings of the Publishing Industry (i.e. Parnassus). Piers Anthony talks about life, writing (publishing), and people that affected his life, for good or bad, and holds nothing back.

Piers writes best what he knows best

Very satisfying. His admission at the end that he's still open to well-reasoned persuasion is an inspiration. That the works of this man have never been filmed stuns me. If you like Piers Anthony at all you'll enjoy this quite personal book.

Behind the scenes, and ethics too

As a long-time Anthony reader, it was a delight to hear more about what makes this master wordsmith tick -- as well as ticked off. I've just reread it, and found the ethical discussion solid. He clearly does not take the easy path -- but this is one author who has come a long way, with his integrity intact. The world would be a whole lot better if more people thought things out as deeply as he does. The reader will find some interesting insights into the world of publishing and genre fandom, some thoughts about what the ethical way of dealing with various situations is, and plenty of conversational Anthony style, made popular in his author's notes. More than anything else, this autobiographical sketch allows us a while in his company, following his thoughts through their intricate paths and philosophical hoops, to a final statement of personal values. Indeed a precious while -- and an interesting read, too.

Piers Anthony tells it like it is!

In his second autobiography, popular science fiction and fantasy author Piers Anthony picks up right where he left off in his earlier "Bio of an Ogre."In this volume, Piers goes into more detail about his fans, attending conventions, meeting and dealing with other "professional" writers and takes on the giant publishing industry.If you want to find out what really goes on in the publishing world, and what it takes to even get a book published, you will really enjoy Piers' experiences. It is a wonder that ANY book makes it to publications. Dirty dealings, terrible tricks, and ugly underhandedness are revealed for all the world to see.Ever the forceful opponent, Piers was not one to just roll over and take it. He fought back, got blacklisted, and fought even harder.A truly enjoyable read. If you are a Piers Anthony fan, here is a rare chance to grab a detailed behind the scenes look at his life for the past 10+ years.