:D

I'll have to check it out. Sorry about the giants - I saw them lose too.

And another broken leg for another Giant! Even of they make the playoffs they'll have no one left!

Giants chocked? No I think the 'Skins won!

When I first heard about the new Wildcards series, I decided to give the original a shot, so I started rustling through used book stores looking for them.
Like most I think, I became a fan of GRRM (or "you" if you're reading this, Mr. Martin) with ASOIAF, but I've kind of had mixed results with some of the older works. Loved Tuf Voyaging, couldn't quite get into Fevre Dream though I read most of it, and stalled out early on with Dying of the Light. (Though I'm not saying these aren't good books; I'm more saying steam-boating vampires might not be "my thing") So I kind of wanted to "test drive" the Wild Card Series with a cheap used book or two before I invested a lot in a new series.
Sadly, I just cannot seem to find the first book of the original series. Volume five seems especially prevalent for some reason - maybe there was a larger print run, but for some reason a lot of the used stores I've been to have multiple copies of #5 and very few if any of the others.
I know this may be a longshot, but what are the chances of putting the text of the first volume online at the official Wildcards website? Maybe one short story per week for a few weeks as a special preview for the new series? Copyright issues may or may not make it possible, but this sort of marketing has worked well in other medias. In addition, it's not like the writers are seeing any money off of used sales.
Plus, we all might be able to avoid that stink of old cigarette smoke that so many used fantasy and sci-fi books accumulate for some reason. lol

Thanks for the reply, Mr. Martin.
I guess it's just my nature, and I'm guessing the nature of a lot of your audience, to be sort of completest about these kinds of things. Not that I won't buy Inside Straight if I can't somehow wrangle up the entire older series, just that I'd prefer to.
There's a certain sense of smug happiness I get as a reader when I notice a little reference to another or previous work. No doubt there's bits like that in the new Wildcards book, and I'd like to be able to experience that.
Case in point: (spoilers ahead for those who haven't finished Feast for Crows) - when Aemon is dying and begins to ramble about Dunk and Egg, that moment was priceless. I don't want to miss moments like that.

I am officially excited about this latest book now that I know I will be able to enjoy it even if I don't manage to get my hands on any of the old books before it arrives :)