House of Stratus

Citation

James, S. (2001), "House of Stratus", Library Review, Vol. 50 No. 4, pp. 211-212. https://doi.org/10.1108/lr.2001.50.4.211.12

Juggernaut

Desmond Bagley

ISBN 1 84232 013 0

Mystery in the Channel

Freeman Wills Crofts

ISBN 1 84232 405 5

The Case of the Musical Cow

Erle Stanley Gardner

ISBN 1 84232 085 8

Return to Auschwitz

Kitty Hart‐Moxon

ISBN 0 7551 0136 7

£8.99

This is the Schoolroom

Nicholas Monsarrat

ISBN 84232 158 7

Those of us of a certain age who have been avid readers since childhood are well aware of just how many very good, readable, enjoyable, even inspiring, books seem to have slipped out of fashion over the years, and more‐or‐less out of sight. Browsing through second‐hand bookshops often brings back a sudden recognition, and memories, as a once‐familiar title or volume is found: only last year such an impulse led me to buy a set of Pan Books paperback editions of the novels of Nevil Shute (his autobiography, Slide Rule, is among the titles available from the House of Stratus). These “lost” treasures can still be found when wanted, but there is a certain degree of chance in finding (or failing to find) particular titles we seek, and then in some cases the physical qualities themselves may present problems. The standard of printing and the quality of paper used for trade publishing in the last century, especially during and after the Second World War, were not always of a quality likely to last; my prized collection of green Penguin crime novels is becoming dilapidated to the extent that some volumes seem likely to fall apart now as fast as (or faster than) I re‐read them.

So there is an obvious opportunity for an enterprising publisher which can either acquire or negotiate rights to the various copyrights involved in re‐issuing such works. The House of Stratus seems to have grasped the opportunity. They make available in modern paperback guise numerous out‐of‐print titles. The firm and its range may be examined further at its Web site, which also allows for direct online purchase of volumes; the initial strategy seems aimed especially at online or mail‐order sales. The firm was founded in August 1999 and launched its first titles on 25 September 2000. More than 100 titles of once best‐selling twentieth century authors were issued, with an initial concentration on thrillers, crime fiction, science fiction and children’s books. But the Web site reveals the firm’s ambitious range, advertising as categories:

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  Beliefs and creeds.

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  Biography and memoirs.

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  Children’s fiction.

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  Children’s non‐fiction.

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  Commentary and criticism.

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  Crime and suspense.

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  Current affairs.

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  General fiction.

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  Historical fiction.

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  History and reports.

• •

  Lifestyle.

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  Mystery and thrillers.

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  Poetry.

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  Reference.

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  Science fiction.

There seems to be a logical inconsistency in resurrecting old titles under “current affairs”, but we know what they mean; there are aspects of lifestyle from my own lifetime I would not wish to see brought back, although the popularity of television programmes on social conditions in the last century suggests that this category could prove a good seller. The reference category has obvious interest, but when I last checked the Web site had not yet been opened: we look forward with particularly keen interest to titles in that category. It seems that once rights have been negotiated something approaching the whole output of particular authors is being made available. As far as selection of titles is concerned, one man’s meat is another man’s poison so I shall not venture to criticise; certainly, I was pleasantly surprised that in five volumes submitted for review one of them proved to be a murder mystery by an author I much enjoy, and a title which I had not previously read.

The representative five volumes seen for review show the merits of the enterprise as far as physical products are concerned. The designs are elegant, the page layout and printing clear, the volumes easy to handle and robust. Each has an individual well‐designed colour cover which will catch the eye of the potential reader (in bookshop, library or Web site) and encourage them to discover or re‐discover a whole range of titles worthy of interest today. This is an ambitious and interesting publishing‐on‐demand enterprise which is well worth the attention of librarians seeking to replenish their stocks in many areas.