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Photo Gallery: Writers at the 2014 London Worldcon Part 1

Monday, September 8th, 2014

Leigh Kennedy, who I had lunch and dinner with the Monday before the con. We have loads of common friends, but knew them at different times, so there was a lot of trading stories…

In profile.

Cory Doctorow, exhibiting his unique sense of style…

…and with an actual top to his head.

John J. Miller of Wild Cards fame, with Gail Gerstner-Miller.

Kim Newman, in his usual natty, multilayered attire.

Jonathan Strahan and David Hartwell.

Pat Murphy, all scarfed-up.

With scarf and shoes.

Lavie Tidhar, who used to do reviews for me back in the Nova Express days.

Ian Watson and Lavie Tidhar, signing books at the PS Publishing table in the dealer’s room. I asked Watson what the genesis of the Watson-Aldiss feud was. “I’ve gotten to the age when I’m not sure I remember it properly anymore…”

Connie Willis.

Liz Hand.

And looking slightly less crazed.

Ellen Datlow and Liz Hand fan themselves and look down upon the peasantry.

Elle Datlow solo.

Guest of honor John Clute.

Adam Roberts.

Geoff Ryman peers at me suspiciously.

Gary K. Wolfe.

Andy Duncan.

Didn’t get all the names, but this is something like 75% of the Israeli SF publishing industry.

Kim Stanley Robinson.

John Gibbons.

Michael Swanwick, Geoff Ryman, and Ellen Datlow.

Michael Swanwick and Gordon Van Gelder, looking way too befuddled for the first day of the con.

Lisa Tuttle, who I had lunch with, joined by…

…George R. R. Martin.

George R. R. Martin and the Spanish George R. R. Martin.

Michael Swanwick and George R. R. Martin, enjoying fine dining in an atmosphere of unpretentious ambiance.

Parris McBride Martin.

Alastair Reynolds.

Pat Cadigan.

Pat Cadigan in green.

Pat Cadigan with fan-drawn cyberpunk.

Finally, Pat Cadigan with her spiffy Doc Martin boots.

The elusive Richard Calder.

Michael Swanwick showing off his outfit. “This shirt is bespoke! Bespoke, I tell you!”

Finally, Michael Swanwick showing off the t-shirt for MidAmericon II, the 2016 Kansas City Worldcon he’s Guest of Honor at. (Pat Cadigan is Toastmistress.)

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Photos From the 2014 Armadillocon

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014

We interrupt this cavalcade of books, Slowdive covers and tanks to offer up some pics from the 2014 Armadillocon, which occurred a little more than a week before I flew off to London.


Howard Waldrop. Actually a pretty good picture of him.


Claude Lalumiere


The elusive Robert Taylor. Like most pictures of him taken in the wild, it’s a bit blurry…


Ian McDonald. I would say he’s signing one of the way too many of my own books I had him sign, but since I own the Simon & Schuster UK (true first) edition of River of Gods, not the Pyr first American edition, obviously it’s someone else’s book…


Arch-villain Denman Glober caught outside her secret underground lair.


Ted Chiang.


One of these men had a role in Once Upon A Time in China VI.


Martha Wells.


Mark Finn, describing his wrestling match with the gorilla.


Patrice Sarath.


Ian McDonald and Ted Chiang at the bar.

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Library Additions: Books Bought From Cold Tonnage Books

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014

On my London Worldcon sojurn, I took a day to visit Andy Richards of Cold Tonnage Books, who I’ve been buying from and trading with for a quarter century. In addition to swapping old bookseller stories (and it was a shock to realize I’m considered one of the “old timers” by now), I went over his stock and picked out a few things, some to buy and some for Lame Excuse Books stock. Below are just the items for my own library.

  • de la Ree, Gerry. Fantasy Collectors Annual—1974. Gerry de la Ree, 1974. First edition hardback, #78 of 80 signed, hardbound copies, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of bumping at head and heel, sans dust jacket, as issued. Odd miscellanea of SF/F/H-related items, including facsimiles of various SF author’s inscriptions, an unpublished letter from H. P. Lovecraft to Virgil Finlay, the text of an unpublished letter from Edgar Allen Poe (that may be a forgery), black and white artwork from Finlay, Stephen Fabian and Malhon Blaine (if that third name isn’t as well known as the first two, well, there’s a reason for that…), etc. De la Ree was an important publisher, book dealer and collector. In his introduction, he said he wanted to do one of these every year. According to Chalker/Owings, there was one more in 1975.

    fantasy Annual

  • Dozois, Gardner. The Peacemaker. Pulphouse, 1991. First edition hardback, #97 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Part of the short story hardback line, which was in turn a simultaneous extension of their short story paperback line. I thought at the time (and still think) that this was a stupid idea, that $1.95 for a single short story (the price point for the paperback) was a bad idea, and that this was symptomatic of the wild overproduction that help killed Pulphouse off. But I have been picking up the short story hardback for writers I collect when I stumble across them cheaply.

    Peacemaker

  • Durbin, Frederic S. Dragonfly. Arkham House, 1999. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Just for a complete Arkham House collection. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House, 191.
  • Ellison, Harlan. The Fantasies of Harlan Ellison. Gregg Press, 1979. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with boards just a tiny bit bowed and a few traces of dust soiling to page block edges, sans dust jacket, as issued. Inscribed by Ellison: “To Dane! Harlan Ellison”.
  • Hall, Hal W., editor. Science Fiction and Fantasy Reference Index, 1878-1985: Volume 1: Author Entries and Science Fiction and Fantasy Reference Index, 1878-1985: Volume 2: Subject Entries. Gale Research Company, 1987. First edition hardbacks, Very Good+ in decorated boards with bumping to extremities, slight wear at heel, and slight crease to second volume’s spine, sans dust jackets, as issued. Two large science fiction reference works. Massive two-volume reference index to non-fiction critical articles, reviews, books, etc. covering science fiction and fantasy. Hall was the long-time director of the Science Fiction collection at the Texas A&M Cushing Library, which has amassed a massive and impressive collection.

    P1000894

  • Heinlein, Robert A. (David Hartwell, editor). Destination Moon. Gregg Press, 1979. First edition hardback, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Includes the novella “Destination Moon,” “Shooting Destination Moon“, numerous reproduced newspaper clippings on the movie, photo stills from the movie, and a new introduction by David Hartwell, who edited the volume.

    Gregg Ellison Heinlein

  • Langford, David. Irrational Numbers. Necronomicon Press, 1994. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy. Got this inscribed to me by David at the London Worldcon.
  • Newman, Kim and Ian Freer. The First Empire Movie Almanac. Empire magazine, no date (but 1988). First edition trade paperback original, a Fine- copy with slight waviness to pages due to glue bunching (probably a binding flaw common to the run). Signed by Newman. Freely distributed subscriber extra from Empire magazine (the British film magazine, not the American SF writing magazine), a non-fiction miscellanea of lists and movie trivia. It’s also an example of why the Internet isn’t an acceptable substitute for book scouting, since I had no idea this existed until I came across it in the Cold Tonnage stacks…

    Empire Movie Guide

  • “Sarban” (pseudonym for John William Wall). The Sound of His Horn. Peter Davies Ltd., 1952. First edition hardback, a Very Good copy with some wear at head and heel, front free endpaper missing, and an inked name on half-title page, in a Very Good- dust jacket with shallow staining to head and heel, dust soiling to white rear panel, and two small blue ink spots to front flap. Actually a fairly attractive copy of this alternate history set after the Nazis win World War II. Pringle, Modern Fantasy, 12. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, page 189.

    Sound of His Horn

    • Just noticed my cheap all-in-one HP scanner/printer/etc. is starting to develop streaks. Might need to get a new one before too long…

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    Book Addition: Paperback of Philip Jose Farmer’s Down in the Black Gang Inscribed to Bruce Sterling

    Wednesday, August 27th, 2014

    I picked this up before Armadillocon through one of Half Price Books’ coupon sales:

    Farmer, Philip Jose. Down in the Black Gang. Signet, 1971. First paperback edition (Currey says the SFBC hardback, which I also have, precedes), a Very Good+ copy with faint spine creasing, very slight spine lean, edgewear, and darkening to pages. Inscribed by Farmer to Bruce Sterling.

    Black Gang

    Black Gang Sig

    I thought that was a nice association copy to pick up for $12…

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    Posted in Books, pics, Science Fiction | 1 Comment »

    Book Additions: Various SF Reference Works on Sale

    Monday, August 25th, 2014

    The final batch of books I bought from Lloyd Currey, all reference works.

  • Clareson, Thomas D. (editor). Voices for the Future Volume Two. Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1979. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in Fine dust jacket. Reference work of essays on science fiction writers, including Robert Silverberg, Philip Jose Farmer, Walter M. Miller, Jr., J. G. Ballard, John Brunner, Mack Reynolds, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Roger Zelazny. Tymn, The Science Fiction Reference Book, page 75. Bought for $10.

    Voices Future 2

  • Clareson, Thomas D. and Thomas L. Wymer (editors). Voices for the Future Volume Three. Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1984. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in Fine dust jacket, with review slip laid in. Reference work of essays on science fiction writers, including Gene Wolfe, Damon Knight, Cordwainer Smith, Mervyn Peake, Frederik Pohl, C. S. Lewis, Samuel R. Delany and Thomas M. Disch. (No picture because the cover is identical to Volume 2 except for the editors names and saying Volume Three.) Bought for $10.

    (Lovecraft, H.P.) Brennan, Joseph Payne. A Select Bibliography of H. P. Lovecraft. Self-published, 1952. First edition chapbook, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of wrinkling. Joshi, Lovecraft Bibliography, III-B-8. Bought for $10.

    Brennan Lovecraft Bib

  • (Lovecraft, H.P.) Wetzel, George (editor). Commentaries: Volume VI The Lovecraft Collector’s Library. SSR Publications, 1955. First edition oversized side-stapled mimeographed paperback, #46 of 75 copies, a Near Fine, age-darkened copy. Joshi, Lovecraft Bibliography, III-C-27. Tymn Schlobin Currey, 295. Bought for $25.

    Lovecraft Commentaries

  • Wells, H.G. Experiment in Autobiography (Volumes I and II). Gollancz, 1934. First edition, a Very Good copy with dust soiling to boards and crimping at head and heel, in good only dust jackets with significant chipping at extremities. Text of J. B. Priestley’s eulogy delivered at Wells’s funeral clipped from newspaper tipped in on front free endpaper of volume 1. Bought from L.W. Currey for $10 for the set.

    Wells Experiment 2

    Wells Experiment 1

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    Pictures from the Bovington Tank Museum: German Tanks

    Tuesday, August 12th, 2014

    (Cross-posted from BattleSwarm to here for non-political tank buffs.)

    I hope you like tanks.

    Here’s the first batch of pictures taken at the Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset, which I visited on Saturday as a gift to my inner 12-year old. (There are few prospects more pleasing to the preadolescent male mind than being encased in a 30 ton metal killing machine.) The first batch is all German tanks and tank destroyers from World War II. Let’s face it, the Germans had far and away the best tanks, and shortly after the allies managed to catch up, Germany would be about ready to introduce something better. Germany’s problem (as compared to America or the Soviet Union) was an inability to manufacture enough of them. (Good thing for us.) They had an enormous array of German tanks, and probably the best collection outside Germany’s own tank museum in Munster.

    The first picture of the first of two King Tigers (AKA Tiger II, AKA Königstiger, Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B) they had on display. The most powerful tank Germany produced during the war, its 88mm main gun could destroy any tank on the battlefield. It didn’t get on the battlefield until 1944, and Germany produced less than 500 of them.

    The other Tiger II they had there.

    Here you can see the Zimmerite anti-magnetic mine coating the Germans used.

    Selfie, with tank.

    The first of several tank destroyers.

    This is a German tank destroyer that ended up in Finland. Stalin thought he could walk all over Finand, but the Finns tore the Soviets nine different new assholes in the Winter War, though this tank destroyer obviously post-dates 1940.

    Alternate barrel used for the Sturmtiger close assault variant.

    Here’s an early Panzer Mark I command tank. It’s amazing to realize that the initial German blitzkrieg was carried out with relatively slow, under-armed, and underpowered Mark I and Mark IIs, that, with Heinz Guderian’s new tactics of mechanized warfare, were simply Good Enough.

    A Mark II.

    I think this is the Mark III, would would be the mainstay of the Wehrmacht armored divisions through the end of the war.

    A muzzle-eye view.

    Armoured car.

    An 88mm field canon.

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    Library Additions: Three Art Books

    Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014

    Three more items from L. W. Currey’s $10 sale, all art books (for certain values of the word “book”):

  • Fabian, Stephen. Women & Wonders. Charles F. Miller, 1995. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, still in shrink wrap.
  • Finlay, Virgil. An Astrology Sketch Book. Donald M. Grant, 1975. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Oddly enough, $10 is the actual cover price…

    Finlay Astrology

  • Finlay, Virgil. Finlay’s Illustrations for Weird Tales. Showcase Art Productions, 1976. First edition art portfolio of 9 illustrations (one in color) in a cardstock cover, a Fine copy.

    Finlay Weird Tales 1

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    Library Additions: Two Stephen King Related Books

    Tuesday, July 22nd, 2014

    Two more books from L. W. Currey’s $10 sale:

  • King, Stephen. The Dark Half. Hodder & Stoughton, 1989. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Precedes the American edition.
  • (King, Stephen) Collings, Michael. Stephen King as Richard Bachman. Starmont House, 1985. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards (the covers from the trade paperback attached to the front cover). Reference work.

    King as Bachman

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    Library Additions: January 1—June 30, 2014

    Monday, July 7th, 2014

    Here’s all the books I added to my professional science fiction library over the first half of the year. All these are Fine first edition hardbacks in Fine dust jackets unless otherwise noted.

  • Allston, Aaron. Doc Sidhe. Baen, 1995. First edition paperback original, Very Good with multiple spine creases and spine lean. Signed and dated 5/25/01 by Allston. His Doc Savage homage. Found at a Half Price Book for half cover price a couple of months after he died.
  • (Anderson, Poul) Gardner Dozois and Greg Bear, editors. Multiverse: Exploring Poul Anderson’s Worlds. Subterranean Press, 2014. First edition hardback, one of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine slipcase, new and unread. Poul Anderson tribute anthology, including stories using his characters and settings.
  • (Anderson, Poul) Gardner Dozois and Greg Bear, editors. Multiverse: Exploring Poul Anderson’s Worlds. Subterranean Press, 2014. One of 1,500 copies trade copies.
  • (Ballard, J. G.) Baxter, John. The Inner Man: The Life of J. G. Ballard. Weidenfield & Nicolson, 2011. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Critical biography.
  • (Bester, Alfred) Wendell, Carolyn. Alfred Bester: Starmont Reader Guide 6. Starmont House, 1982. First edition hardback, a Fine copy- copy with slight rubbing, sans dust jacket, as issued. Signed by Wendell.
  • Bloch, Robert. American Gothic. Simon and Schuster, 1974. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with a couple of large, faint light brownish stains on front free endpaper and one much smaller one on the rear free endpaper, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Bloch, who actually mentions the stain: “Clean up this page/immediately! ——->/ Robert Bloch” (with the arrow pointing toward one of the stains). Replaces an unsigned ex-library copy in my collection. Price paid: $30.00.

    Bloch Inscription

  • Borst, Ronald V. Graven Images. Grove Press, 1992. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Oversized art book reprinting science fiction, fantasy and horror movie posters, production art, etc., from Borst’s own extensive collection. Signed by Ray Bradbury, who provided the introduction to the chapter on the 1930s. Amount paid: $26.24. This is actually not hard to find signed by Bradbury, but it usually goes for about twice that.
  • Bradbury, Ray. Bradbury Speaks: Too Soon from the Cave, Too Far From the Stars. William Morrow, 2005. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of spine-join haze rubbing. Signed by Bradbury: “MARK!/Ray/Bradbury”. Collection of essays.
  • (Bradbury, Ray). Nolan, William F. and Martin H. Greenberg, editors. The Bradbury Chronicles: Stores in Honor of Ray Bradbury. Roc, 1991. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of wrinkling at head. Signed by Bradbury. Anthology.
  • Burroughs, William S. Interzone. Viking, 1989. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine- dust jacket with traces of wear and slight dust soiling along spine join. Shoaf, Collecting William S. Burroughs in Print, 60.
  • Card, Orson Scott. The Folk of the Fringe. Phantasia Press, 1988. First edition hardback, #140 of 400 signed numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine slipcase, new and unread. Supplements a trade copy. Bought for $10. (Original list price was $75.)
  • De Camp, L. Sprague and Fletcher Pratt. Wall of Serpents. Avalon, 1960. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with some bending at head and heel in a Very Good+ dust jacket, with crimping and rubbing at head and heel and slight dust staining to back cover. Signed by De Camp. Currey (1979), page 135. Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $17.50
  • (Clement, Hal) Hassler, Donald M. Hal Clement: Starmont Reader Guide 11. Starmont House, 1982. First edition hardback, a Fine copy- copy with slight rubbing, sans dust jacket, as issued. Signed by Hassler.
  • Coover, Robert. A Child Again. McSweeney’s, 2005. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket (as issued), still in shrinkwrap with cards attached. Bought at Half Price Books for $6.99.
  • (Delany, Samuel R.) Weedman, Jane Branham. Samuel R. Delany: Starmont Reader Guide 10. Starmont House, 1982. First edition hardback, a Fine copy- copy with slight rubbing, sans dust jacket, as issued. Signed by Delany: “Samuel R. Delany/Madison/2006”.
  • Del Rey, Lester. The World of Science Fiction, 1926-1976: The History of a Subculture. Garland, 1980. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight crimping at head and heel, sans dust jacket, as issued. A history of science fiction fandom by someone who witnessed it.

    Del Rey World of SF

  • Denton, Brad. Sergeant Chip and Other Novellas. Subterranean Press, 2014. First edition hardback, one of 750 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread.
  • Diaz, Junot. The Brief Wonderful Life of Oscar Wao. Inscribed by the author: “To Lance/Oscar Wao.”
  • Ellison, Harlan. Flintlock. Charnel House, 2013 (actually 2014). First edition hardback, #55 of 274 signed and numbered copies, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Unproduced screenplay for James Coburn’s Derek Flint character.

    Flintlock

  • Farmer, Philip Jose. The Dark Heart of Time: A Tarzan Novel. Del Rey, 1999. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Evidently this is pretty hard to find…
  • Farmer, Philip Jose. River of Eternity. Phantasia Press, 1983. First edition hardback, #81 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase, new and unread.
  • (Farmer, Philip Jose) Brizzi, Mary T. Philip Jose Farmer: Starmont Reader Guide 3. Starmont House, 1980. First edition hardback, a Fine copy- copy with slight rubbing, sans dust jacket, as issued.
  • Gaiman, Neil (illustrated by Eddie Campbell). The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains. Morrow, 2014. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Illustrated story.
  • (Gilliam, Terry) McCabe, Bob. Terry Gilliam, The Brothers Grimm, and other cautionary tales of Hollywood. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with what appears to be “delamination” of otherwise shiny area at base of the spine, in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Book on the making of the Terry Gilliam film The Brothers Grimm.
  • (Haldeman, Joe) Gordon, Joan. Joe Haldeman: Starmont Reader Guide 4. Starmont House, 1980. First edition hardback, a Fine copy- copy with slight rubbing, sans dust jacket, as issued. Signed by Haldeman (and also an unreadable signature that I take to be either Gordon’s or the cover artist).
  • Howard, Robert E. and Richard A. Lupoff. The Return of Skull Face Fax Collector’s Editions, 1977. Lupoff’s expansion of an unfinished Howard manuscript.
  • Griffith, Nicola. Hild. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2013.
  • (Heinlein, Robert A.) Thorner, J. Lincoln. A Guide Through the Worlds of Robert A. Heinlein. Gryphon Books, 1989. First edition trade paperback chapbook original, a Fine- copy with touches of wear along the spine. 48 pages critical guide, including a small bibliography of reference works in the back.

    Worlds of Heinlein

  • Lafferty, R. A. The Man Who Made Models: The Collected Short Fiction Volume 1 Centipede Press, 2014. First edition hardback, one of 300 copies signed by Michael Swanwick, John Pelan, and cover artist Jacob McMurray, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Ape Man’s Brother. Subterranean Press, 2014.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Drive-In: The Bus Tour. Subterranean Press, 2005. First edition hardback, #223 of 350 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase, new and unread. Supplements a signed trade edition.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. Hot in December. Dark Regions Press, 2013 (though I don’t believe it was released until 2014). First edition hardback, one of 300 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread.
  • Le Guin, Ursula K. Four Different Poems. Longhouse, 2007. First edition chapbook original, a 3″x5″ card with an accordion foldout attached and a title band signed by Le Guin wrapped around, one of only 24 signed copies, a Fine copy. An odd item with a very small limitation. Bought for $20 off the Internet.

    Le Guin 4

  • Leiber, Fritz. Gummitch and Friends. Donald M. Grant, 1992. First edition hardback, #237 of 1000 signed, numbered copies (though not signed by Leiber, who died before the book was finished), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase, new and unread. Contains both Leiber’s cat stories, as well as memorial appreciations of Leiber by Stephen King, Robert Bloch, etc. bound at the front of the volume. Also, for some reason, an unsigned limitation number plate for the Grant edition of Stephen King and Peter Straub’s The Black House is also laid in.
  • Leiber, Fritz. Our Lady of Darkness. Berkley Putnam, 1977. First edition hardback (no statement of printing on copyright page, as per Currey), a Near Fine copy with slight dust staining and wear to bottom boards and small white abrasion to bottom rear boards, in a Near Fine, price-clipped dust jacket. Inscribed by Leiber in purple ink: “For my Dear Friend/Doris Cornejo with/my very best/wishes. Enjoy!/Fritz Leiber/March 4, 1977”. At the bottom of the name Grace Cornejo has been written in red ink, possibly by a different hand. Supplements an unsigned copy (also, alas, with an imperfect dust jacket) in my library. Price paid: $33.74.

    Leiber Inscription

  • Ligotti, Thomas. The Spectral Link. Subterranean Press, 2014. First edition hardback, #333 of 400 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread.
  • Ligotti, Thomas. The Spectral Link. Subterranean Press, 2014. Trade edition.
  • Lovecraft, H.P. (S.T. Joshi and David E. Schultz, editors. O Fortunate Floridian: H.P. Lovecraft’s Letters to R. H. Barlow. University of Tampa Press, 2007. First edition hardback (stated), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread.
  • Lovecraft, H. P. Envelope Addressed to Robert Barlow, with Lovecraft’s return address on the back, in Lovecraft’s own handwriting. Postmarked December 4, 1931. Bought for $328 off eBay. More details here.

    Lovecraft Envelope Front

    Lovecraft Envelope Back

  • MacDonald, John D. The Girl, The Gold Watch, & Everything. Robert Hale, 1974. First hardback edition, a near Fine+ copy with a ex-ownership plate inside the front cover, in a Fine dust jacket. Pringle, Modern Fantasy 100 26. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, page 146.

    Girl Gold Watch

  • Matheson, Richard. Matheson on Matheson: A Conversation With Dennis Etchison. Bad Moon Books, 2013 (actually 2014). First edition hardback, #22 of 100 copies signed by Etchison and Richard Christian Matheson, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued.
  • Matheson, Richard. 7 Steps To Midnight. Tor Forge, 1993.
  • Moskowitz, Sam. The Immortal Storm. The Atlanta Science Fiction Organization Press, 1954. First hardback edition, a very good+ copy with slight rubbing to spine ends, slight bump at top rear board, and slight crimping at head and heel, in very good dust jacket with shallow chipping at head, heel and top front, and slight age-darkening to white areas. His acclaimed book on the early history of science fiction fandom. This is the first hardback edition, having been preceded by a mimeographed edition. Currey (1979), page 380. Chalker/Ownings (1991), page 51. Interestingly, Currey and Chalker/Ownings disagree on the print run, with Currey citing 1000 copies printed, but Chalker/Owings saying only 500. Bought for $36 off a major SF book dealer.

    Immortal Storm

  • (Moskowitz, Sam) The Sam Moskowitz Collection of Science Fiction b/w Comic Books and Comic Art. Southbys, 1999. First edition oversized trade paperback original, Fine. Auction catalog for the Sam Moskowitz’s science fiction collection held June 29, 1999 (plus a collection of rare comics sold the next day).
  • Pohl, Frederik. The Early Pohl. Doubleday, 1976. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with remainder speckling at heel in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Pohl: “To Fred—/Cordially/Fred Pohl/(No relative!)/Fred Pohl/198-” Bought for $10.
  • (Pohl, Frederik) Clareson, Thomas D. Frederik Pohl: Starmont Reader Guide 39. Starmont House, 1987. First edition hardback, a Fine copy- copy with slight rubbing, sans dust jacket, as issued. Signed by Pohl.
  • Powers, Tim. The Anubis Gates. Centipede Press, 2014. First edition hardback thus, a Fine copy save two flaws (the slipcase keyhole cutout is about 1/4″ misaligned between the two halves, and it lacks the signature page) bound in decorated red and black velvet with a lenticular image embedded in the front cover, in a Fine slipcase. The thing is ginormous, resting in a 2-half red velvet slipcase which houses the book and an accordion portfolio of the color art plates in the book, and includes an appendix of deleted scenes from the original manuscript and a fold-out map of 1810 London.

    Anubis Case

    P1000144

    P1000146

  • Radner, Gilda and Alan Zweibel. Roseanne Roseannadanna’s Hey, Get Back to Work! Book. Long Shadow Books, 1983. First edition trade paperback original, a Near Fine copy with a few small sports to page block edges. Inscribed by Radner and Zweibel: “Thanks/a lot to/Tim/Gilda Radner” and “”To Tim-/You just brought back/a million great/memories when you/handed me this book./Al”

    Roseanne Roseannadanna's

    Radner Sig

    • Bought in a lot with:

  • (Radner, Gilda) Zweibel, Alan. Bunny Bunny: Gilda Radner: A Sort of Love Story. Villard Books, 1994. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with a clipped price. Early Saturday Night Live writer’s memoir of working with Radner. Bought for $40.49 for the pair.
  • Resnick, Mike. Adventures. Signet, 1985. First edition paperback original (PBO), Near Fine with interior stamps.
  • Reynolds, Mack. Looking Backward From the Year 2000. Elmsfield Press, 1973. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Pringle, SF 100 70. Currey (1979), page 417.
  • Roberts, Keith. The Passing of the Dragons. Signet, 1977. First edition paperback original (PBO), Near Fine with light yellow line at head and traces of wear. Short story collection. Currey (1979), page 419. Short story collection. Bought from Half Price Books for 49¢.
  • Shea, Michael. The Mines of Behemoth. Baen Books, 1997. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Signed by Shea. Price paid: $4.49.
    DAW

  • Shepard, Lucius. The Jaguar Hunter. Kerosina, 1988. First edition hardback thus (contents differ from the Arkham House edition), #128 of 250 signed numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine slipcase, new and unread. Supplements a signed copy of the Arkham House first edition. Bought for $22.50. (Originally issued at £40.00.)
  • Shepard, Lucius. Life During Wartime. Bantam Books, 1987. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format, of the trade paperback original, a Fine- copy with the title and author written on the spine in ballpoint pen, with a proof of the cover laid in. Signed by Shepard. I have the UK first hardback edition, but I never picked up the TPO when it came out because I had already read most of the stories that make it up in Asimov’s…
  • Shepard, Lucius. The Scalehunter’s Beautiful Daughter. Mark V. Ziesing, 1988. First edition hardback, a #104 of 300 signed numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Supplements a signed trade copy. Bought for $10.
  • Shirley, John. Demons. Del Rey, 2002. Novel-length expansion of the earlier novella (which I also have). Bought for $7 at the Austin book show.
  • Silverberg, Robert. Thebes of the Hundred Gates. Axolotl Press/Pulphouse, 1991. First edition hardback, a #78 of 300 signed numbered hardbacks, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Supplements a signed trade copy. Bought for $10. Pulphouse wildly overpriced a number of titles, including this one, but $10 (down from the initial list price of $35) seems about right…
  • (Silverberg, Robert) Gardner Dozois and William Schafer, editors. The Book of Silverberg: Stories in Honor of Robert Silverberg. Subterranean Press, 2014. First edition hardback, #165 of 250 signed, numbered copies, signed by all contributors except the late Kage Baker, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Tribute anthology.
  • (Silverberg, Robert) Gardner Dozois and William Schafer, editors. The Book of Silverberg: Stories in Honor of Robert Silverberg. Subterranean Press, 2014. trade edition.
  • (Silverberg, Robert) Clareson, Thomas D. Robert Silverberg: Starmont Reader Guide 18. Starmont House, 1983. Second Printing hardback, a Fine copy- copy with slight rubbing, sans dust jacket, as issued. Signed by Silverberg.
  • Simmons, Dan. Prayers to Broken Stones. Dark Harvest, 1990. First edition hardback, #329 of 500 signed numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine slipcase, new and unread. Supplements a signed trade copy. Bought for $37.50. (Originally issued at $75.)
  • Smith, Edward E., PhD. The Skylark of Space. Buffalo Book Company, 1946. First edition hardback, a VG+ copy with slight bumping at head, heel and corners and faint dust staining at heel, in a VG- dust jacket missing a small 1/4″ triangular chip from center of dj spine, plus about 1/4″ of chipping loss at head and heel, and slight overall rubbing, otherwise intact with $3.00 price on flap. The very first of Doc Smith’s famous space operas. Currey (1979), page 457. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 78. One of two books done by the Buffalo Book Company (the other of which, John Taine’s The Time Stream, I picked up in December). Bought for $237 from Heritage Auctions.

    Smith Skylark

  • Stephenson, Neal. In the Beginning was the Command Line. Avon Books, 1999. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy. Long essay on the history of computing, the Internet, and cyber culture.
  • Straub, Peter. Mrs. God. Donald M. Grant, 1990. First edition hardback, #179 of 600 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket (as issued) in a Fine slipcase, new and unread.
  • (Tiptree, Jr., James) Siegel, Mark. James Tiptree, Jr.: Starmont Reader Guide 22. Starmont House, 1986. First edition hardback, a Fine copy- copy with slight rubbing, sans dust jacket, as issued.
  • Vance Jack. Araminta Station. Tor, 1988. First U.S. trade hardback, a Fine- copy with pinhole cracks to front gutter in a Fine- dust jacket with slight dust soiling to rear cover. First book in the Caldwell Chronicles. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A79c.
  • Vance Jack. Ecce and Old Earth Tor, 1991. First trade hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket with crinkling and wrinkles along extremities. Second book in the Caldwell Chronicles. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A84b.
  • Vance Jack. Throy. Tor, 1992. First trade hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Third book in the Caldwell Chronicles. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A85b. Price for all three Caldwell volumes: $52.49.
  • Vance Jack. The Five Gold Bands. Underwood/Miller, 1993. First hardback edition and first edition thus, originally published in pulp paperback as The Space Pirate, a Near Fine copy with small orangeish spots to all three page block edges, in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A2k. Price: $37.49.
  • Vane, Jack. Galactic Effectuator. Underwood/Miller, 1980. First edition hardback, one of 800 trade copies, a Fine- copy with slight spotting at head in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A63. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 432. Price: $26.24.
  • Vance, Jack, and Tony Russell Wayman. The Last Castle b/w World of the Sleeper. Ace Books, 1967. First edition paperback original (H-21 and 60¢ on cover, as per Currey and Hewett), a Very Good+ copy with long faint crease on the Russell side and slight overall wear. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A30. Currey (1979), page 499. Price: $8.99.
  • Vance, Jack (edited by Miguel Lugo). The Wit and Wisdom of Jack Vance. AuthorHouse, 2011. First edition trade paperback (POD) original, a Fine copy. Selection of excerpts from Vance’s works. Signed by Vance (though the signature (see below) is very shaky, as Vance was pretty much completely blind by the time this book came out). I was unaware of this before I saw the listing for it, and I can’t imagine that Vance signed terribly many. Price: $29.99.

    Wit Wisdom Vance

    IMG_0146

  • Vance, Jack. Minding the Stars: The Early Jack Vance Volume Four. Subterranean Press, 2014. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread.
  • Vance, Jack. Son of the Tree. Underwood/Miller, 1983. First hardback edition, #183 of 200 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a tiny bit of wrinkling at head and heel. Hewett, A13g.

    Son of the Tree

  • Vance Jack. Vandals of the Void. John C. Winston, 1953. First edition hardback, Very Good- with a two inch split to outer back spine join and dust soiling to page edges, lacking the dust jacket. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A3. Currey (1979), page 501. Price: $29.99.
  • (Wolfe, Gene) Borski, Robert. Solar Labyrinth: Exploring Gene Wolfe’s BOOK OF THE NEW SUN. iUniverse, 2004. First edition hardback (no additional printings listed, though I believe iUniverse is a POD outfit), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Critical guide to Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun. Supplements a trade paperback edition in my library. Bought for $20 off an Internet bookseller.
  • Wolheim, Elizabeth (Betsy), and Sheila Gilbert, editors. DAW 30th Anniversary Box Set (including 30th Anniversary DAW Science Fiction and 30th Anniversary DAW Fantasy). DAW, 2002. First edition hardbacks, Fine leatherbound copies with gilt endpapers, #312 of 350 sets so produced, in a Fine slipcase, sans dust jackets, as issued. (I have not been able to determine if the leather binding state is simultaneous with the trade editions or not.) Signed by editor Sheila E. Gilbert and contributors Michael Shea, Tad Williams, C.S. Friedman, Melanie Rawn, Mercedes Lackey, Larry Dixon, Kate Elliott, and Irene Radford. This set was originally offered at $125 (though copies can now be found on Amazon for considerably less). The sets were not, as far as I can tell, offered in a signed state; these were signed independently by the contributors. Price paid: $59.99.
  • Zelazny, Roger. A Rose for Ecclesiastes. Rupert Hart-Davis, 1969. First edition thus and first hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with very slight spine fading. First hardback edition of Four For Tomorrow. Levack, 17b. Kovacs, V11c/V20. Zelazny’s first short story collection.

    Rose for Ecclesiastes

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    Library Additions: Three Science Fiction Reference Works

    Friday, June 13th, 2014

    Additions to my non-fiction reference library continues apace. Here are three science fiction reference works I picked up recently:

  • Del Rey, Lester. The World of Science Fiction, 1926-1976: The History of a Subculture. Garland, 1980. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight crimping at head and heel, sans dust jacket, as issued. A history of science fiction fandom by someone who witnessed it.

    Del Rey World of SF

  • (Heinlein, Robert A.) Thorner, J. Lincoln. A Guide Through the Worlds of Robert A. Heinlein. Gryphon Books, 1989. First edition trade paperback chapbook original, a Fine- copy with touches of wear along the spine. 48 pages critical guide, including a small bibliography of reference works in the back.

    Worlds of Heinlein

  • (Wolfe, Gene) Borski, Robert. Solar Labyrinth: Exploring Gene Wolfe’s BOOK OF THE NEW SUN. iUniverse, 2004. First edition hardback (no additional printings listed, though I believe iUniverse is a POD outfit), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Critical guide to Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun. Supplements a trade paperback edition in my library. Bought for $20 off an Internet bookseller.

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