Archive for December, 2017

Library Addition: Signed First of Brain Aldiss’ Billion Year Spree

Monday, December 18th, 2017

This is one of those books I thought I already had, but didn’t.

Aldiss, Brain W. Billion Year Spree. Wiedenfield & Nicolson, 1978. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a touch of edgewear at bottom front. Non-fiction history of science fiction. Signed by Aldiss. Bought from Cold Tonnage Books for £12 plus shipping.

Shoegazer Sunday: Blankenberge’s “Somewhere Between”

Sunday, December 17th, 2017

We did some Blankenberge back in February, so here’s another shot off their new album Radiogaze.

Shoegazer Sunday: Tashaki Miyaki’s “Girls on T.V.”

Sunday, December 10th, 2017

Despite the name, this Shoegaze outfit hails from Los Angeles. Hope you like practical lights and glowing, superimposed lyrics.

“Directed by James Franco.” Really?

Library Additons: Two Signed Lettered Hardbacks of Postscripts

Wednesday, December 6th, 2017

In addition to having stories there, I used to have a subsciption to the signed hardback version of Postscripts magazine Back In The Day. Now I pick up individual issues to round out my collection when I find them cheap. Like these two, which I bought for $25 each from Camelot Books:

  • Crowther, Pete and Nick Gevers. Postscripts 18: This Is The Summer of Love. PS Publishing, 2009. First edition hardback, Letter D of 26 signed, lettered copies, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued.
  • Crowther, Pete and Nick Gevers. Postscripts 19: Enemy of the Good. PS Publishing, 2009. First edition hardback, Letter D of 26 signed, lettered copies, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued.
  • Unlike my contributor copy of Postscripts 24/25: The New And Perfect Man, these lettered copies did not come in a traycase, and indeed are not readily distinguishable from the regular signed/numbered editions

    I now have signed, numbered copies of all of Postscripts 1-19, 24/25, and 30/31. Which means I’m missing 20/21, 22/23, 26/27, 28/29, 32/33, 34/35, and 36/37.

    Sad News: Bill Crider Enters Hospice Care

    Tuesday, December 5th, 2017

    Well this plain sucks. Bill Crider’s cancer has stopped responding to treatment:

    Things could change, but I suspect this will be my final post on the blog. I met with some doctors at M. D. Anderson today, and they suggested that I enter hospice care. A few weeks, a few months is about all I have left. The blog has been a tremendous source of pleasure to me over the years, and I’ve made a lot of friends here. My only regret is that I have several unreviewed books, including Lawrence Block’ fine new anthology, Alive in Shape and Color, and Max Allan Collins’ latest collaboration with Mickey Spillane, The Last Stand, which is a collection of two novellas, “A Bullet for Satisfaction,” an early Spillane manuscript with an interesting history, and “The Last Stand,” the last thing that Spillane completed. It saddens me to think of all the great books by many writers that I’ll never read. But I’ve had a great life, and my readers have been a big part of it. Much love to you all.

    Bill is a prince among men, a fixture at Texas science fiction conventions, and beloved by all. He will be deeply missed…

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    Library Additions: Several Hippocampus Press Books

    Monday, December 4th, 2017

    These actually came in several months ago, I’ve just been too busy to catalog them. Most of these are still available through Lame Excuse Books.

  • Lovecraft, H.P. (edited by David E. Schultz and S. T. Joshi). Letters to C.L. Moore and Others. Hippocampus Press, 2017. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Non-fiction.
  • Lovecraft, H.P. (edited by S. T. Joshi). H. P. Lovecraft’s Collected Fiction: A Variorum Edition: Volume 4: Revisions and Collaborations. Hippocampus Press, 2017. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Companion to the three volume hardback Variorum edition volumes (but no hardback edition for this one, alas).
  • Lovecraft, H.P. and Clark Ashton Smith (edited by David E. Schultz and S. T. Joshi). Dawnward Spire, Lonely Hill: The Letters of H. P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. Hippocampus Press, 2017. First edition hardback, one of 500 copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Huge 800 page non-fiction volume of Lovecraft/Clark letters.
  • (Shea, Michael). Shea, Linda, and S. T. Joshi. And Death Shall have No Dominion: A Tribute to Michael Shea. Hippocampus Press, 2017. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. A miscellany related to Shea, including short stories, novel segments, verse, unpublished work, and several tributes to him by other writers.