# Free Live Free Two texts *The Urth list — 8 messages, 3 voices, 10 May 2014* > Exported from an unofficial mirror of a public mailing list. Copyright > in each message remains with the person who wrote it. > Email addresses are obscured as `user at host`, the form the original > archive published. This file was rebuilt from parsed fields rather than > retained headers, so it is faithful in content but not byte-exact. --- ### Austin Hackett *10 May 2014, 05:41* Hi, new member here. I joined up to find out which version of *Free Live Free* is preferable to read? I haven't read *Free Live Free* but plan on doing so soon. It just so happens I have both the 1984 Mark V. Ziesing small press edition and the standard 1986 Tor mass market version on my shelf. Several places online say the Tor is shorter by about 4000 words. I also notice that it contains a chronology (which, it says, was requested by the publisher) and the title of the first chapter is different. The order of some parts may also be different between the two versions according to vague reports. Does the Tor edition represent an editorially truncated text or the author's final revisions? Some might think "longer = better" but I don't want to assume anything. Maybe Wolfe shortened the book at the behest of the publisher, but he may have just revised it for his own artistic purposes. Even if the cuts were mandated, he may have taken the opportunity to make different changes as well. And none of these factors actually determine which version is *better*. So has anyone read both, or at least knows a little about the backstory? I can't find any info online. Thanks! --- ### Antonin Scriabin *10 May 2014, 16:03 · in reply to Austin Hackett* I just finished the 1984 version, and can't imagine doing without 4000 words. I haven't read the Tor version. I would say have the best of both worlds; read the longer version with the benefit of the chronology when you need it. It was fantastic by the way, one of my favorite of his stand alones. > On May 10, 2014 1:41 AM, "Austin Hackett" wrote: > Hi, new member here. I joined up to find out which version of *Free Live > Free* is preferable to read? > > I haven't read *Free Live Free* but plan on doing so soon. It just so > happens I have both the 1984 Mark V. Ziesing small press edition and the > standard 1986 Tor mass market version on my shelf. Several places online > say the Tor is shorter by about 4000 words. I also notice that it contains > a chronology (which, it says, was requested by the publisher) and the title > of the first chapter is different. The order of some parts may also be > different between the two versions according to vague reports. > > Does the Tor edition represent an editorially truncated text or the > author's final revisions? Some might think "longer = better" but I don't > want to assume anything. Maybe Wolfe shortened the book at the behest of > the publisher, but he may have just revised it for his own artistic > purposes. Even if the cuts were mandated, he may have taken the opportunity > to make different changes as well. And none of these factors actually > determine which version is *better*. > > So has anyone read both, or at least knows a little about the backstory? I > can't find any info online. > > Thanks! > > _______________________________________________ --- ### Marc Aramini *13 May 2014, 23:56 · in reply to Antonin Scriabin* There are a few differences like chapter headings - "selling weather" becomes "four roomers of war" in the first chapter a man named Norris identified by his first name comes in looking for candy rather than sgt Proudy looking for Free ... Words like might are changed to would, etc. I may read them side by side when I get to 1984 in my review of Wolfe's fiction... I don't plan on doing new sun unless the spirit strikes me and I have something new to say. > On Saturday, May 10, 2014, Antonin Scriabin > wrote: > I just finished the 1984 version, and can't imagine doing without 4000 > words. I haven't read the Tor version. I would say have the best of both > worlds; read the longer version with the benefit of the chronology when you > need it. It was fantastic by the way, one of my favorite of his stand > alones. > On May 10, 2014 1:41 AM, "Austin Hackett" > > wrote: >> Hi, new member here. I joined up to find out which version of *Free Live >> Free* is preferable to read? >> >> I haven't read *Free Live Free* but plan on doing so soon. It just so >> happens I have both the 1984 Mark V. Ziesing small press edition and the >> standard 1986 Tor mass market version on my shelf. Several places online >> say the Tor is shorter by about 4000 words. I also notice that it contains >> a chronology (which, it says, was requested by the publisher) and the title >> of the first chapter is different. The order of some parts may also be >> different between the two versions according to vague reports. >> >> Does the Tor edition represent an editorially truncated text or the >> author's final revisions? Some might think "longer = better" but I don't >> want to assume anything. Maybe Wolfe shortened the book at the behest of >> the publisher, but he may have just revised it for his own artistic >> purposes. Even if the cuts were mandated, he may have taken the opportunity >> to make different changes as well. And none of these factors actually >> determine which version is *better*. >> >> So has anyone read both, or at least knows a little about the backstory? >> I can't find any info online. >> >> Thanks! >> >> _______________________________________________ --- ### Marc Aramini *14 May 2014, 00:04 · in reply to Marc Aramini* Also, some subtextual clues have been layered into the tor version like the sounds of an airplane when free is just sitting there watching tv, etc. which will make sense as a detail when you finish the story. > On Tuesday, May 13, 2014, Marc Aramini wrote: > There are a few differences like chapter headings - "selling weather" > becomes "four roomers of war" in the first chapter a man named Norris > identified by his first name comes in looking for candy rather than sgt > Proudy looking for Free ... Words like might are changed to would, etc. I > may read them side by side when I get to 1984 in my review of Wolfe's > fiction... I don't plan on doing new sun unless the spirit strikes me and I > have something new to say. > > On Saturday, May 10, 2014, Antonin Scriabin > > wrote: >> I just finished the 1984 version, and can't imagine doing without 4000 >> words. I haven't read the Tor version. I would say have the best of both >> worlds; read the longer version with the benefit of the chronology when you >> need it. It was fantastic by the way, one of my favorite of his stand >> alones. >> On May 10, 2014 1:41 AM, "Austin Hackett" >> wrote: >>> Hi, new member here. I joined up to find out which version of *Free >>> Live Free* is preferable to read? >>> >>> I haven't read *Free Live Free* but plan on doing so soon. It just so >>> happens I have both the 1984 Mark V. Ziesing small press edition and the >>> standard 1986 Tor mass market version on my shelf. Several places online >>> say the Tor is shorter by about 4000 words. I also notice that it contains >>> a chronology (which, it says, was requested by the publisher) and the title >>> of the first chapter is different. The order of some parts may also be >>> different between the two versions according to vague reports. >>> >>> Does the Tor edition represent an editorially truncated text or the >>> author's final revisions? Some might think "longer = better" but I don't >>> want to assume anything. Maybe Wolfe shortened the book at the behest of >>> the publisher, but he may have just revised it for his own artistic >>> purposes. Even if the cuts were mandated, he may have taken the opportunity >>> to make different changes as well. And none of these factors actually >>> determine which version is *better*. >>> >>> So has anyone read both, or at least knows a little about the backstory? >>> I can't find any info online. >>> >>> Thanks! >>> >>> _______________________________________________ --- ### Austin Hackett *18 May 2014, 07:48 · in reply to Marc Aramini* Give the nature of these differences, it seems to me like the Tor version may be preferable, as it represents the author's final intentions... still a tough call. > On Tue, May 13, 2014 at 5:04 PM, Marc Aramini wrote: > Also, some subtextual clues have been layered into the tor version like > the sounds of an airplane when free is just sitting there watching tv, etc. > which will make sense as a detail when you finish the story. > > > On Tuesday, May 13, 2014, Marc Aramini wrote: >> There are a few differences like chapter headings - "selling weather" >> becomes "four roomers of war" in the first chapter a man named Norris >> identified by his first name comes in looking for candy rather than sgt >> Proudy looking for Free ... Words like might are changed to would, etc. I >> may read them side by side when I get to 1984 in my review of Wolfe's >> fiction... I don't plan on doing new sun unless the spirit strikes me and I >> have something new to say. >> >> On Saturday, May 10, 2014, Antonin Scriabin >> wrote: >>> I just finished the 1984 version, and can't imagine doing without 4000 >>> words. I haven't read the Tor version. I would say have the best of both >>> worlds; read the longer version with the benefit of the chronology when you >>> need it. It was fantastic by the way, one of my favorite of his stand >>> alones. >>> On May 10, 2014 1:41 AM, "Austin Hackett" >>> wrote: >>>> Hi, new member here. I joined up to find out which version of *Free >>>> Live Free* is preferable to read? >>>> >>>> I haven't read *Free Live Free* but plan on doing so soon. It just so >>>> happens I have both the 1984 Mark V. Ziesing small press edition and the >>>> standard 1986 Tor mass market version on my shelf. Several places online >>>> say the Tor is shorter by about 4000 words. I also notice that it contains >>>> a chronology (which, it says, was requested by the publisher) and the title >>>> of the first chapter is different. The order of some parts may also be >>>> different between the two versions according to vague reports. >>>> >>>> Does the Tor edition represent an editorially truncated text or the >>>> author's final revisions? Some might think "longer = better" but I don't >>>> want to assume anything. Maybe Wolfe shortened the book at the behest of >>>> the publisher, but he may have just revised it for his own artistic >>>> purposes. Even if the cuts were mandated, he may have taken the opportunity >>>> to make different changes as well. And none of these factors actually >>>> determine which version is *better*. >>>> >>>> So has anyone read both, or at least knows a little about the >>>> backstory? I can't find any info online. >>>> >>>> Thanks! >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ --- ### Marc Aramini *20 May 2014, 05:22 · in reply to Austin Hackett* Yes I think the tor version is the one to go with as the final draft. There are a few scenes which are shorter in that version and one chapter taken out that changes stubb's character a little bit. I have jotted down most of the significant differences and when you are done with the novel you can read my upcoming post, maybe I will finish it by the end of this week, but it will have spoilers so wait until you are done with the novel. A few of the interesting but minor changes: Barnes' age goes from 41 to 34. A character asked about communing with demons gives an unqualified yes in the ziesing text but in the tor version hedges them as having "other, and better, names." --- ### Austin Hackett *22 May 2014, 01:13 · in reply to Marc Aramini* Thanks-- can't wait to see your enumeration of the significant variances. That is exactly what I was looking for but couldn't find, leading me to this mailing list. Clearly the right path! > On Mon, May 19, 2014 at 10:22 PM, Marc Aramini wrote: > Yes I think the tor version is the one to go with as the final draft. > There are a few scenes which are shorter in that version and one chapter > taken out that changes stubb's character a little bit. I have jotted down > most of the significant differences and when you are done with the novel > you can read my upcoming post, maybe I will finish it by the end of this > week, but it will have spoilers so wait until you are done with the novel. > > A few of the interesting but minor changes: Barnes' age goes from 41 to > 34. A character asked about communing with demons gives an unqualified yes > in the ziesing text but in the tor version hedges them as having "other, > and better, names." > > _______________________________________________ --- ### Marc Aramini *22 May 2014, 02:09 · in reply to Austin Hackett* It is under the section titled "revisions" of my post earlier today located here http://lists.urth.net/pipermail/urth-urth.net/2014-May/054808.html ... But as I said don't read it until you are done or you will be super spoiled. > On Wednesday, May 21, 2014, Austin Hackett wrote: > Thanks-- can't wait to see your enumeration of the significant variances. > That is exactly what I was looking for but couldn't find, leading me to > this mailing list. Clearly the right path! > > > On Mon, May 19, 2014 at 10:22 PM, Marc Aramini > wrote: >> Yes I think the tor version is the one to go with as the final draft. >> There are a few scenes which are shorter in that version and one chapter >> taken out that changes stubb's character a little bit. I have jotted down >> most of the significant differences and when you are done with the novel >> you can read my upcoming post, maybe I will finish it by the end of this >> week, but it will have spoilers so wait until you are done with the novel. >> >> A few of the interesting but minor changes: Barnes' age goes from 41 to >> 34. A character asked about communing with demons gives an unqualified yes >> in the ziesing text but in the tor version hedges them as having "other, >> and better, names." >> >> _______________________________________________ ---