Another book from that Heritage Auctions H. G. Wells lot, and this one with a very pleasant surprise!
Wells, H. G. The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth. Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1904. First edition hardback, first state (Currey A) binding (green cloth with cover lettered in gold, top edge in gilt) in first issue (Currey (1) state (16 page catalog at rear dated 20.7.04)), a Very Good+ copy with wear along bottom boards, at head, heel and points, and just a trace of foxing to insider covers, with PRESENTATION COPY blindstamp on title page and inscribed and initialed by Wells: “Henry Newbolt/ 26 [August? Sept?] 1904/[line]/from H.G.W.” The signature matches examples online of Wells’ signing with just initials. Newbolt was a writer and poet contemporary of Wells, with one fantasy novel, Aladore, to his name. On page 761 of Experiment in Autobiography, Wells stated that Newbolt was a member of his club the “Coefficients,” a Fabien Socialist dining club.
The exact same copy previously sold in an earlier Heritage Auction for $1,625, coming from the John McLaughlin/Book Sail Collection. They obviously did not check carefully enough to see that it had come back to them in this lot, as there was no indication that any of the books in that lot were signed. And the earlier listing didn’t mention the “Coefficients” connection.
H. G. Wells: A Comprehensive Bibliography 24. Scheck and Cox, H. G. Wells: A Reference Guide, page xxiv. Williamson, H. G. Wells: Critic of Progress, pages 39-43. Parrinder, H.G. Wells: The Critical Heritage, pages 103-109. Currey, page 519. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, page 226. Locke, Science Fiction First Editions, page 56. Bleiler, Checklist of Science Fiction & Supernatural Fiction (1978), page 205. 333, page 68. Anatomy of Wonder 4 1-99. Magill, Survey of Science Fiction, pages 807-812. Heritage Rare Book Auction ##6094 catalog, page 115 (this copy).
Filmed twice, if you count Roger Corman’s The Village of the Giants. Burt I. Gordon’s version in 1976 looks only marginally more faithful, and not any better. Maybe someone should try filming the original novel…
This is the second signed Wells in my collection, the first being the signed, limited three volume edition of The World of William Clissold.
It’s always nice when one book from a multibook lot turns out to be worth more than you paid for the entire lot.
