This is an upgrade, replacing an unsigned copy of he trade edition with a signed copy of the trade edition:
Bloch, Robert. Screams. Underwood -Miller, 1989. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with a $39.95 overprint pricing sticker on flap (as issued). Signed by Bloch. Omnibus edition of The Will To Kill, Firebug, and The Star Stalker, being the first hardback editions of each. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 440. Bought off eBay for $25.
Most SF readers think Ward Moore only published four books: Bring the Jubilee, Greener Than You Think, Joyleg (with Avram Davidson), and Caduceus Wild. However, Moore publshed two mainstream novels before any of those, Cloud by Day and the book below:
Moore, Ward. Breathe the Air Again. Harper & Brothers, 1942. First edition hardback (stated), an Ex-Lbrary copy with all the usual flaws, including spine sticker, stamps, pocket, internal stamps and stickers, etc., with touches of wear, some mild page-block soiling, points blunted, etc., lacking the dust jacket. Really only a reading/placeholder copy, but this seems to be a genuinely rare book; the only other copy I’ve seen pop up in all that time was about the same condition, but offered at over 10 times the cost. Reportedly a mainstream novel of labor organizing. Bought from a multilister for $18.63.
Including two Armchair Fiction magazine reprints, I have all Moore’s books except the Tachyon Press hardback of Lot and Lot’s Daughter.
Only in reading the February Ansible did I learn that artist GAK died mid-January. His real name was evidently Gregg Kanefsky (edited to add: probably not; that seems to be a different GAK), though I also knew him as Glenn Denny Gak (the name he used on Facebook), and an obituary linked from his Facebook page referenced Glenn A. Klinger. He was obviously a man of many mysteries.
Back when I edited Nova Express, GAK became my go-to guy for cover art. His spikey style seemed a good fit for what I wanted to publish. Among his best covers was the one for the Tim Powers issue:
As well as the one for the Neil Gaiman issue, the original artwork for which I have matted and hanging in my house above a copy of the issue:
After Nova Express, he went on to illustrate a number of horor works, including the Dead Cat Bounce series.
I only met GAK once, at the 2002 World Fantasy Convention in Minneapolis, where I had dinner with him and Nova contributor Hank Wagner. I had no idea he was sick until I read that he had died.
Here’s his ISFDB listing.
One more for the road:
Three more Lansdale first editions:
Picked up two signed Manly Wade Wellman firsts off eBay to replace unsigned copies:
This was bought up by a commenter on an older thread, but I thought it worth a post on its own, even if it falls into the “old news is so exciting” category.
National Books Auction owner David Hall was arrested for fraud by the New York State Police late last year:
David Hall, the long established auctioneer who runs National Book Auctions and Worth Auctions in Freeville, New York near Ithaca, has been arrested and charged with second degree grand larceny. This comes on the heels of persistent reports over the past several years of non-payment to consignors. On Ithaca.com a story on this development describes the indictment as “adding credence to the growing number of people in Tompkins County and across the country who say they’ve been cheated by his business.”
Such issues are hardly front page news as auction houses in every generation encounter such disputes as they maneuver between consignors and buyers, changing markets and occasional problems collecting from winning bidders. Almost all such issues are settled privately. It is rare for auctioneers and auction principals to be arrested.
Mr. Hall was taken into custody on November 19th on the charge that he handled the sale of an estate valued at over $500,000 and subsequently failed to fully pay the consignor.
He was remanded to the Tompkins County jail after arraignment and held on $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 property bond.
The investigation into Hall by the New York State Police began late last year, in which he was accused of selling an estate valued at over $500,000, but failed to pay what was owed to the original owner after the auction sale. Eventually, he began to pay back the money but by Monday afternoon [November 19th], when he turned himself in, he still allegedly owed the consignor over $200,000.
I didn’t hear about this when it happened, but it does explain why a lot of recent NBA auctions have seemed to have been filled with “junk lots” of little real interest.
I sent an email to NBA asking if there were any additional news on the case, but they haven’t written back, and their news page hasn’t been updated since January 3, 2016…