Many, many years ago, I was introduced to a novel that remains in my mind still. Tanith Lee's meditation on the nature of the soul in a electric age, The Silver Metal Lover, has been out of print for more than a decade now, fading copies being passed hand to hand among friends with an insistent "you've gotta read this...!", read and re-read until they're literally loved to death. And as we slip farther and farther into a cybered world, its themes become more urgent even as the pages crumble...

This page is an invitation to petition DAW Books in the hope that enough voices clamoring together as one on this subject might lead them to consider reissuing this "lost classic". [I am not in any way affiliated with DAW myself, I just love this darn book and I need a new copy to replace the one I just lost in a move. ;) ] Some thoughts on how to make your voice heard:

1. Write to DAW:
   
   
   • by snailmail:

     DAW Books
     375 Hudson Street
     New York, NY 10014

     preferred: as in the world of television fandom, taking the trouble to send a paper letter carries more weight than email.
     
     
     
   • by email: DAW@penguin.com . Please don't harrass them with a deluge of identical emails, that will only make them angry...
   
   
   
2. Visit DAW's website. Rather sketchy but generally has current addresses just in case.
   
   
3. sign our guestbook petition form and if there are enough entries to indicate real interest, I'll periodically forward them to DAW. (And if there's a lot of interest, I may print the list out and send them a hardcopy to look like a proper petition... ;) )
   
   
4. Webmasters: link to us! The more publicity we can generate, the more letters can be inspired...

Remember, be very polite, and try not to gush; simply make the point that it was a very nice book that might benefit from being reissued now that it's becoming timely. (I'd provide an example letter, but those tend to get copied verbatim and the recipients get suspicious. ;) ) I don't know that there are any precedents for this sort of campaign working in the literary world, but they have worked in some analogous cases for television shows, so we can but try it and see...

(Have to read or reread TSML right now? Amazon.com may be able to find you a copy if your local used-book shops turn up dry. They also maintain a display of reader reviews for this title.)

Want to share your thoughts and observations on the book? Visit our message board!

other information on Lee and her works

Daughter of the Night

a bibliography of Lee's writings, and one of the most comprehensive I've seen for any author done on the Web.

Paradys

A discussion list for Lee's works.

Also rumored is that TSML has been optioned for a film treatment. While one deals with news from Hollyweird with skepticism at best, this would be an interesting development if it comes to pass...

Roswell: Support Roswell

A campaign to send a message to the WB -- via six thousand bottles of Tabasco sauce?!?!? Sounds screwy perhaps, but it worked.

Sailor Moon: Save Our Sailors

Say what one will about the show itself or the SOS organizers, "Sailor Moon" was returned to American television more than once, and this campaign is cited as a significant factor in the programming decisions. The website occasionally links to sites conducting letter-writing efforts on behalf of other anime and manga properties.

Star Trek (classic): One Million Letters

The granddaddy of fan protests; letters convinced the network to reconsider the series' cancellation... for a while.

The Sentinel: Support Our Sentinel

After much hectoring, UPN resumed production of the series as a midseason replacement.

Highlander: the Series

An organized effort at the end of this series' second season convinced the producers of its continued viability, and a later drive at the end of season five also helped to buy a partial extension of the original run, as well as demonstrating general interest in a spin-off.

Now and Again: Save Now and Again

Mystified by the cancellation of a show that apparently had every chance of being renewed, fans seek, if not renewal, at least a sense of resolution.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Satellite News clearinghouse, Save MST3k Again, Forever MST3K

Saved from limbo before by its devoted followers, can the Satellite of Love stay airborne this time? Or will August 1999 bring the end of the world a few months ahead of schedule? Stay tuned...

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: Bring Back Dr. Quinn!

A current campaign on behalf of the recently discontinued show. Excellent example of the anatomy of a campaign's progress.

Animaniacs: SOAK (Save Our Animaniacs Kampaign)

A current campaign to induce production of new episodes in this animated series. Includes examples of letters actually sent in the campaign.

Highlander: write Richie into Highlander 4

An example of a campaign that, like ours, has a specific and finite end-goal: an appearance by a "lost" character in the upcoming feature film.

Doctor Who: Save Doctor Who

This effort has fought on doggedly for years with sporadic successes, most recently a return of the existing series to some PBS stations.

Forever Knight: Kickstart the Knight

So far, efforts to resurrect this undead show have been unsuccessful, but work continues on its behalf; the latest project is a drive for a TV-movie.

On production and fandom in the 21st century

An essay on why -- and whether -- Doctor Who should be returned to the air, and in what form, examining similar cases such as Alien Nation and the TV-movies fan efforts procured for that series.

If anyone knows of similar campaigns on the internet, please tell me...

(theoretically) Coming soon: downloadable campaign flyers to post at conventions and your local SF-centric bookstore!

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