Archive for May, 2018

Library Addition: Michael Swanwick’s The Evolution of the Martini

Wednesday, May 30th, 2018

Swanwick, Michael. The Proceedings of the American Martini Institute: Report of the American Martini Laboratory: The Evolution of the Martini. Dragonstairs Press, 2018. First edition chapbook original, one of 60 signed numbered copies, a Fine copy, new and unread. Like a title says: A history of the development of the Martini cocktail.

I’ll have a small number of these available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, which should go out tomorrow…

Library Additions: Four Critical Volumes on J.G. Ballard

Tuesday, May 29th, 2018

I heard about David Pringle’s ongoing Ballard/Moorcock chronology from him on Facebook, which lead me to tracking down these.

  • (Ballard, J.G.) McGrath, Rick, editor. The JG Ballard Book. The Terminal Press, 2013. First edition, first printing hardback (stated, though actually a POD book), a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Oversized hardback (about the size and thickness of a high school yearbook) chock full of various Ballard tidbits, including an interview with David Pringle, additions to the Goddard bibliography, pictures of Ballard’s house, maps to the Shanghai of his youth, with many pages in color, etc.
  • (Ballard, J.G.) McGrath, Rick, editor. Deep Ends The JG Ballard Anthology 2014. The Terminal Press, 2014. First edition, first printing hardback (stated, though actually a POD book), a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Oversized hardback chock full of various Ballard tidbits, including a previously unpublished Ballard work (“Crystal of the Sea”), a David Pringle interview with one of Ballard’s daughters, and a remembrance of another, plus sundry critical essays and (ahem) “Why I Want To Fuck Rupert Murdoch.”
  • (Ballard, J.G.) McGrath, Rick, editor. Deep Ends The JG Ballard Anthology 2015. The Terminal Press, 2015. First edition, first printing hardback (stated, though actually a POD book), a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Oversized hardback full of even more Ballard tidbits, including the first part of David Pringle’s extensive Moorcock/Ballard chronology (indeed, hearing about that is what first made me track these volumes down), plus lots of critical essays, including one on Ballard, Dick and Baudrillard.
  • (Ballard, J.G.) McGrath, Rick, editor. Deep Ends The JG Ballard Anthology 2016. The Terminal Press, 2016. First edition, first printing hardback (stated, though actually a POD book), a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Oversized hardback full of even more Ballard tidbits, including the second part of David Pringle’s extensive Moorcock/Ballard chronology, an English bookseller’s notes on selling Ballard, an interview conducted by Paul Di Filippo, etc.
  • Please note that copies of all four will be available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, which should go out this week.

    Library Addition: Don Webb’s Deep Dendo 1/25 Hardbacks

    Monday, May 28th, 2018

    Here’s another book with a ridiculously small print run:

    Webb, Don. Deep Dendo and Other Poems. Dunham’s Manor Press, 2018. First edition hardback, one of only 25 hardback copies, a Fine copy, new and unread. Don’s latest poetry collection.

    Shoegazer Sunday: SPC ECO’s “Zombie”

    Sunday, May 27th, 2018

    Been a while since I put up any SPC ECO. I could have sworn I already posted “Zombie,” but I’m not seeing it anywhere.

    Gardner Dozois, RIP

    Sunday, May 27th, 2018

    Michael Swanwick just announced the death of Gardner Dozois on Facebook:

    It is my sad duty to note the passing of Gardner Dozois today, Sunday May 27, at 4:00 p.m. The cause was an overwhelming systemic infection. Gardner had been hospitalized for a minor illness and was expected to be released shortly. The decline was swift. He died surrounded by his family.

    Gardner was a swell guy, one of the funniest people in the field, a fine writer and a great editor, and bought not only my first story, but more of my stories than anyone else over the years.

    I’m about to rush off somewhere, but more extensive thoughts later.

    Library Addition: Clark Ashton Smith’s Strange Shadows

    Thursday, May 24th, 2018

    Here’s a book I’ve been looking for at an affordable price for a long time.

    Smith, Clark Ashton (edited by Steve Behrands, with Donald Sydney-Fryer and Rah Hoffman). Strange Shadows: The Uncollected Fiction and Essays of Clark Ashton Smith. Greenwood Press, 1989. First edition hardback, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Fragments, lists, variants, etc. Clute and Grant, The Encyclopedia of Fantasy, page 880. Reginald, Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, 1975—1991, 34170, page 909. Bought from a well-known online bookseller for $50.

    Library Additions: Nine NewCon Press Firsts

    Monday, May 21st, 2018

    Had an order from NewCon Press in the UK come in.

    First up: Novella Set Three: The Martian Quartet, set YY of 52 sets of four novella by four different authors, in a pictorial slipcase with a matching “YY” on it:

  • Brown, Eric. The Martian Simulacra. NewCon Press, 2018. First edition hardback, copy YY of 52 lettered copies, a fine copy in a fine dust jacket, new and unread.
  • Fenn, Jaine. The Martian Job. NewCon Press, 2017. First edition hardback, copy YY of 52 lettered copies, a fine copy in a fine dust jacket, new and unread.
  • McCormack, Una. The Greatest Story Ever Told. NewCon Press, 2018. First edition hardback, copy YY of 52 lettered copies, a fine copy in a fine dust jacket, new and unread.
  • Williams, Liz. Phosphorus: A Winterstrike Story. NewCon Press, 2018. First edition hardback, copy YY of 52 lettered copies, a fine copy in a fine dust jacket, new and unread.
  • Other books I picked up (all signed first edition hardbacks):

  • Constantine, Storm. Splinters of Truth. NewCon Press, 2016. First edition hardback, #57 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a fine copy in a fine dust jacket, new and unread.
  • Tem, Steve Rasnic. Twember. NewCon Press, 2013. First edition hardback, #89 of 125 signed, numbered copies, a fine copy in a fine dust jacket, new and unread.
  • Tuttle, Lisa. Twember. NewCon Press, 2012. First edition hardback, #104 of 125 signed, numbered copies, a fine copy in a fine dust jacket, new and unread.
  • Watson, Ian. The 1000 Year Reich. NewCon Press, 2016. First edition hardback, #22 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a fine copy in a fine dust jacket, new and unread.
  • Williams, Liz and Trevor Jones. Diary of a Witchcraft Shop 2. NewCon Press, 2012. First edition hardback, #79 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a fine copy in a fine dust jacket, new and unread. Non-fiction.
  • Note: I’ll have some of these available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, currently in preparation.

    Library Addition: The Ultimate Guide to Howardia

    Wednesday, May 16th, 2018

    A non-fiction reference chapbook I hadn’t seen before I chanced across it:

    (Howard, Robert E.) Warfield, Wayne (editor). The Ultimate Guide to Howardia 1925-1975. Hall Publications, 1976. First edition chapbook first edition (and perfect-bound, which is unusual for a chapbook of a mere 32 pages), a Fine copy. Early bibliography of Robert E. Howard, including much (then) unpublished work, but missing a few things (like the Herbert Jenkins A Gent From Bear Creek, which, to be fair, precious few Howard collectors had laid eyes on in 1975). Includes spot illustrations that range from “very solid” to “really not very good. Currey, page 254. Bought of eBay for $15.

    Library Addition: Michael Swanwick’s Blue Moon

    Tuesday, May 15th, 2018

    Here’s an interesting item: Another short-run Michael Swanwick chapbook, but with a difference:

    Swanwick, Michael. Blue Moon. Dragonstairs Press, 2018. First edition chapbook original, #18 of 69 printed copies, a Fine copy (there’s some slight phantom creasing to the cover, because the chapbook was mailed in a flat envelope, which meant the sewn bead on the outside pressed against the book in transit, and all copies seen so affected), new and unread. Bought for $10 direct from the publisher.

    Here’s the description of the project: “Five ‘flash’ stories, all with a lunar setting. Published in an edition of 69, released for sale on the second “blue moon” of 2018. 67 copies available for sale (publisher’s and author’s copies withheld) on March 31, 2018, for 24 hours only. All copies not sold by midnight, March 31, 2018 will be burned.” In fact, all copies sold out in a matter of hours, so none were burned.

    Since 69 is a pretty small print run for a Swanwick chapbook, I took the liberty of picking up additional copies, and will be offering them in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, now in preparation…

    Library Addition: Neil Gaiman’s Nothing O’Clock

    Monday, May 14th, 2018

    Here’s a nice book that may have two different fandoms scrambling to grab a copy:

    Gaiman, Neil. Doctor Who: Nothing O’Clock. Borderlands Pres/Gauntlet, 2018. First edition hardback, #109 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. Bought from the publishers at the usual dealer discount.

    Please note that I’ll have copies of this for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog (currently in preparation).