Man tells an AI to generate visions of Hell. Here are the results:
Of course, AI Hell is different from Robot Hell. For one thing, there’s less singing:
Halloween Horrors: Welcome To AI Hell
October 14th, 2022Library Addition: Urish’s Hoard: The Guide to Elric Collectables
October 13th, 2022I read about this on a Michael Moorcock group on Facebook, and went “Why yes, this is relevant to my interests!”
(Moorcock, Michael) Kirkland, James. Urish’s Hoard. Dreaming City Books, 2021. First edition? (no printing indicated, and it may well be a print-on-demand book) trade paperback original, a Fine copy. There was a Kickstarter for this back in early 2021, but after it was funded this was almost immediately available on Amazon, which is where I bought this.
Though the first edition information can be had in more comprehensive forms elsewhere, there is a wealth of information on Elric comic book adaptations, art portfolios, music, games and RPG supplements, and even miniatures! There’s also a discussion of the foul-up behind the Melniboné Mythos section in the AD&D Deities and Demigods. I’d always thought TSR had done it without permission, but Mike had given his permission, not realizing that his agent had already sold RPG rights to Chaosium. Oops…
There’s a ton of information gathered here (illustrated with color scans) you’re not going to find in other reference sources, so if it interests you, you might want to click the Amazon hyperlink on the title. Also, you’ve got to love the retro DAW Books inspired design of the cover.
It does remind me that someone needs to do a comprehensive Moorcock bibliography, as Tanelorn Archive is over 40 years old, and Moorcock is very prolific…
Halloween Horrors: National Museum of Funeral History in Houston
October 12th, 2022This should be a Halloween non-horror, as this actually looks like a pretty cool place to visit:
The museum is open seven days a week at 415 Barren Springs Dr, Houston, TX 77090.
Library Addition: Lyle H. Wright’s American Fiction 1774 – 1850
October 11th, 2022I have a lot of science fiction reference works and bibliographies, but fewer general bibliographies. The following was something I’d seen Lloyd Currey reference for many older books, and I thought I should pick up a copy, especially since I got it at a bargain price.
Wright, Lyle H. American Fiction 1774 – 1850: A Contribution Toward a Bibliography. The Huntington library, 1969. Second Revised Edition, a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel in a Near Fine dust jacket with two 1/4″ closed tears to front, a slight age darkening to spine, and a trace of dust soiling to rear. Wright compiled two more volumes that go up through 1900, which I intend to pick up as targets of opportunity. Bought online for $5; a good deal for the price, but I was miffed that the eBay seller mailed it without any padding whatsoever, just in wrapping paper. This is not acceptable.
Library Additions: Six Signed Ray Bradbury Firsts
October 10th, 2022Someone had a lot of eleven Ray Bradbury firsts listed on eBay for $420, and accepted a $300 offer. These are the ones going into my library (two replacing unsigned copies), the rest will be offered for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Library Addition: First Edition of Robert A. Heinlein’s Rocket Ship Galileo
October 6th, 2022I am slowly gathering a complete collection of Robert A. Heinlein first editions. Rocket Ship Galileo, his very first, was one that got too expensive for me to pick up for a long time, and all that were listed online where either well over a grand, or fairly crummy copies they still wanted close to a grand for. So I waited, and was finally able to snag a pretty nice copy in my price range.
Heinlein, Robert A. Rocket Ship Galileo. Scribner’s, 1947. First edition hardback (Scribner’s seal and “A” printing code, as per Currey), a Near Fine copy with non-authorial inscription on FFE and mild blocks of foxing to inner covers and endpapers, in a Near Fine first state (unclipped $2.00 price) dust jacket with a pinhead-sized hole near heel and spine fading, and a tiny bit of wrinkling to bottom rear flap, otherwise a bright, vibrant example of the dust jacket. It’s a really attractive copy, and because the area of the hole and the board color are both dark, it doesn’t jump out at you. Currey, page 234. Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy, page 109 (he calls for “light yellow” endpapers, but these are really more of a light tan). Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 4, *5-62. Franklin, Robert A. Heinlein: America as Science Fiction, pages 75-76. Not in 333. Not in Magill’s Survey of Science Fiction Literature. Bought off a fellow Biblio dealer for $360.
Library Addition: Joe Hill’s NOS4A2
October 5th, 2022Another Half Price Books find:
Hill, Joe. NOS4A2. HarperCollins, 2013. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a slight bit of crimping at head and heel. Magic girl vs. Rolls Royce-driving vampire. Basis of a TV show. Bought for $13.04.
Library Addition: Library of America’s H.P. Lovecraft Tales
October 4th, 2022This was one of my rare impulse purchases. I chanced across it looking for something else, saw it was at an attractive price, made an offer at even lower price, and picked it up.
Lovecraft, H. P. (Peter Straub, editor). Tales. Library of America, 2005. First edition hardback (and First printing stated), a Fine copy in a Fine subscribers copy slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. Has just about every one of Lovecraft’s greatest hits. Bought off eBay for a make offer price of $15.
Halloween Horrors: Caving Gone Wrong
October 1st, 2022What can go wrong when exploring the deepest cave on earth?
Plenty.
This is a really gripping scary story, and somebody should make it into a movie.
Library Addition: Gardner Dozois’ In His Own Words
September 30th, 2022Another Dragonstairs chapbook:
Dozois, Gardner (Michael Swanwick, interviewer). In His Own Words. Dragonstairs, 2022. First edition chapbook original, #56 of 60 numbered copies signed by Swanwick, a Fine copy. Condensed transcription of an interview Swanwick conducted with Gardner at the 2001 Capclave. Instantly out of print from the publisher.
I will have an extremely small number of these available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.