Hill House

[Scoogs]

This was in today's Gauntlet newsletter.


Update on THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES

The Hill House website has been taken down, and therefore we have to assume that Hill House is now out of business. We are making every effort possible to find out what will happen with Ray Bradbury's THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES. When we learn additional information we will be sure to alert you. As there are bound to be rumors flying in regards to the whereabouts of Hill House, feel free to contact us and we’ll try to sort out fact from fiction. As of now no publisher has been selected to publish the book. Attempts will be made, we are told, to assure those who paid for their book either get a book (without additional cost) or get a refund. Those who purchased the book, of course, should seek restitution from Hill House.

Sad news if true. They made very nice editions of the books that they published and their lettered editions were really awesome.

[herbertwest]

Good luck for those which have orders...

In France, the customers are the really last persons to get their money back when a business is of. So individual customers..

[Nerak]

MMM, I sent that to Robert, Mayhap we can do something with it!

[Randall Flagg]

The page where Collecting King is discussed is archived here (http://web.archive.org/web/20070608015119/http://hillhousepublishers.com/hh-collectingking01.htm).
The pic links are broken, but the text is there.

[pickle]

That is sad news :(

I hope everyone is refunded

[jhanic]

Here's the link to Gauntlet's website:\

http://www.gauntletpress.com/cgi-bin/gauntletpress/perlshop.cgi?ACTION=ENTER&thispage=psdbi/GMainPg.html&ORDER_ID=!ORDERID!

John

[pickle]

Its ok John i realised i was allready on it lol

[willie3]

I hate to come off as the unfeeling bastard here, but let me pose a question to the members...

I take payment in full from you to build you a house.
The drawings of the house are BEAUTIFUL.
There is even a large library with bookshelves from floor to ceiling.
THE house of your dreams.

After two years I still haven't started building your PAID FOR house.

My infrequent (at best) communication with you I have cited numerous excuses why building hasn't commenced, but I keep telling you the house will be done in three months.

Then NO communication from me.
For almost A YEAR.

Finally you hear through a THIRD PARTY, that I am sick.
You are not going to get your house or your money back.
The third party told you I used your money for (maybe) medical bills.

Now you are supposed to let me just walk away...

WTF?

[carlosdetweiller]

Finally you hear through a THIRD PARTY, that I am sick.


willie3,
I assume you are talking about Peter Schneider? Were you given any details regarding his illness?
I have been trying to get in touch with him without success for a long time to discuss some Stephen King publishing questions. It is really out of character for him to not reply to my e-mails and, if he is really ill, that might explain it.

[willie3]

I have been trying to get in touch with him without success for a long time...

Bob,

Roy from Bad Moon Books stated in another forum that "Peter does suffer from a severe case of Lyme's Disease".

I am not trying to dispute he is ill.
Just that when you are holding several hundred thousand dollars of other people's money you have a responsibility to communicate with the parties involved.
And illness does not relieve you of that responsibility.

I find it hard to believe that Mr. Schneider has no one to act as his advocate.

I wish I could remember where I saw pictures of Mr. Schneider and his wife at a convention, I thought took place earlier this year.

[willie3]

This was posted in Neil Gaiman's Journal on December 10th

"Yes, I know that the Hill House website is dark. A Neverwhere Limited Edition Bail Out is still being organised and is being put into effect in back rooms currently. It's taken a lot longer than I expected to get to the point where we're able publicly to announce the details. Soon. Very soon. Thank you for your Job-like patience."

Good news on that front, but still no word on Bradbury's TMC :(

[Patrick]

I'd buy that Neverwhere Bail Out limited edition.

Good luck with the Bradbury book. I hope Hill House gets back on its feet.

[Rahfa]

Yeah, I think Hill House is all done...the only question is whether somebody can take the projects over without extra cost to current customers.

[jhanic]

I hope this is not a preview of Cemetary Dance!

John

[Cutter]

This was posted in Neil Gaiman's Journal on December 10th

"Yes, I know that the Hill House website is dark. A Neverwhere Limited Edition Bail Out is still being organised and is being put into effect in back rooms currently. It's taken a lot longer than I expected to get to the point where we're able publicly to announce the details. Soon. Very soon. Thank you for your Job-like patience."

Good news on that front, but still no word on Bradbury's TMC :(
Yea I saw that. Neil is really an awesome author when it comes to his fans. I hope this happens, as I am owed a Lettered and Limited of this book.

[pickle]

Any more news on this? Or on the takeover

[Randall Flagg]

Hill House's site is still dead. After > 6 months I'd say there is little hope for a revival.

[swintek]

"He's dead, Jim."

[e_taylor]

I don't know how much hope there was in the first place.

Hopefully some of the unpublished books are picked up by other presses.

"Ouroboros" which was to be published days after Humdrumming Press went under was picked up and will be published by the new "Arcane Wisdom" imprint.

Theres still hope for many of these books!

[Cutter]

Hill House is done. They never returned money to the people who pre-ordered, so there is no hope of revival unless they plan on paying back everyone that they owe money. Also Sub Press is doing the Martian Chronicles and Neil Gaiman's publisher William Morrow is doing Neverwhere, the only two books that they were taking money up front for. There was only one other book announced and that was Neil Gaiman Fragile Thing's but Hill House never took money for that book.

I still feel very sad about this, the Neil Gaiman limited editions done by Sub Press are just lightweight in style compared to the one's that Hill House did. I was very disappointed in the Graveyard Book by Sub Press. It was an $85.00 book being sold for $200. :(

[swintek]

Hill House is done. They never returned money to the people who pre-ordered, so there is no hope of revival unless they plan on paying back everyone that they owe money. Also Sub Press is doing the Martian Chronicles and Neil Gaiman's publisher William Morrow is doing Neverwhere, the only two books that they were taking money up front for. There was only one other book announced and that was Neil Gaiman Fragile Thing's but Hill House never took money for that book.

I still feel very sad about this, the Neil Gaiman limited editions done by Sub Press are just lightweight in style compared to the one's that Hill House did. I was very disappointed in the Graveyard Book by Sub Press. It was an $85.00 book being sold for $200. :(

I seem to remember some Terry Pratchett fans being burned on the Discworld reprints as well. Don't know for sure how that worked; whether people paid upfront as series subscriptions that never got filled, or what.

Re: Subpress' Graveyard Book: It's actually $250.00! And, although a very nice book, certainly not on the level of the Hill House books offered for less than that. I still love and support Subpress, but yeah- that book kind of stung me- more the price, than the actual book, which- as I said- is very nice.

Ron