These days I rarely — if ever — come across a decent copy of any Charles de Lint books in a used book store. It was a shock, when this past weekend I came across a near-fine copy of Spirits in the Wires, in a hardcover edition for just $5.99. Until now I’ve seen just the occasional trade paperback edition of this title, and none in a decent condition. Any time that I come across a de Lint book that I don’t have, it’s a moment of celebration.
Published in 2003 — over 20 years ago now! — Spirits in the Wires touches upon the early moments of the Internet. How bizarre it is, for someone like myself who witnessed the birth of the internet, who delved into the World Wide Web back when it first was formed, to now look back and almost wish it never was invented. Yet, here we have almost 450 pages of a novel centered around the idea that some of the spirits of faery have moved to the aether of ones and zeros, bits and bytes.
Although I own a mix of paperback, hardcover, and specialty press books by Mr. de Lint, there’s still over 20 of his books that I lack. Recently, I’ve added a few of those missing books. Some of those additions remain unread. Isn’t that the best part about owning books, finding books that have yet to be discovered? Sometimes I think so. Having read close to 30 of de Lint’s books, I love the fact that there are still nearly two dozen that I haven’t read. I may never read them all, but I so envy anyone who reads his fiction for the first time. Treasure it, for there are few writers (if any) like him.
