Posts Tagged ‘Harlan Ellison’

Library Additions: Three Harlan Ellison Omnibus Firsts

Monday, May 8th, 2017

Here are three volumes of the Harlan Ellison Edgeworks series I bought off eBay (along with a fourth, Edgeworks 2, that I already had a signed first of, so the extra will go in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog). I think I have first editions of almost all of these, so this is a matter of “title completeness.”

  • Ellison, Harlan. Edgeworks 1: Over the Edge/An Edge in My Voice. White Wolf, 1996. First edition hardback thus (and first hardback edition of Over the Edge, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
  • Ellison, Harlan. Edgeworks 3: Harlan Ellison’s Hornbook/Harlan Ellison’s Movie. White Wolf, 1997. First edition hardback thus, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Supplements the two-volume Mirage Press set of these same titles.
  • Ellison, Harlan. Edgeworks 4: Love Ain’t Nothing But Sex Misspelled/The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World. White Wolf, 1998. First edition hardback thus, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
  • The four volumes were the only ones to appear out of the projected 20 volume series. All four volumes bought off eBay for $25.

    Library Additions: Two Signed Harlan Ellison Books

    Thursday, May 4th, 2017

    Two library additions of Harlan Ellison non-fiction books from two different purchases.

  • Ellison, Harlan (edited by Andrew Porter). The Book of Ellison. Algol Press, 1975. First edition hardback, one of only 200 hardbacks, a Near Fine copy with bumping at head and heel, sans dust jacket, as issued. Inscribed by Ellison: “For Malcolm, Friend, from/Harlan Ellison.” Collection of essays. Bought from a UK dealer for £33.
  • (Ellison, Harlan). Slusser, George Edgar. Harlan Ellison: Unrepentant Harlequin. Borgo Press, 1977. First edition chapbook original (“First Edition———April 1977”), a Fine copy. Signed and dated (“4/18/95”) by Ellison. Critical work on Ellison. “The Milford Series Popular Writers of Today: Volume Six.” Bought of eBay for $13.05.

    Unrepntent Harlequin

  • Library Addition: The Illustrated Harlan Ellison

    Friday, January 13th, 2017

    I already had the Illustrated Zelazny volume, so I kept an eye out for this one:

    Ellison, Harlan. The Illustrated Harlan Ellison. Baronet Publishing, 1978. First edition hardback, #2014 of 3000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine- copy with wear at tips, otherwise intact with inset color cover illustration still affixed and 3D glasses still attached in the middle, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought off eBay for $24.99 (the opening bid).

    Illustrated Ellison

    Lame Excuse Books December 2016 Catalog

    Thursday, December 15th, 2016

    Welcome once again to another installment of “Lawrence Just Posts The Latest Lame Excuse Books Catalog as a Giant Text File.” If there’s anything here you want to buy, drop me a line at Lawrence Person (lawrenceperson@gmail.com).


    Greetings, and welcome to the Lame Excuse Books catalog for December 2016!

    I’m going to be honest with you: This is a pretty weird catalog. It’s got the usual small press firsts from Subterranean Press, Tachyon, Dragonstairs Press, etc., but it’s also got some William F. Buckley spy thrillers (one signed), some werewolf books (both from some auction lots), and random beat-up reading copies, as well as a big bunch of markdowns to existing stock (including a whole lot of Subterranean Press books). Plus new books by Joe R. Lansdale, James P. Blaylock, Bruce Sterling, Michael Swanwick, Greg Egan, Robert Silverberg, a new Charnel House Harlan Ellison limited, etc.

    The picks of the list:

    * James P. Blaylock’s The Further Adventures of Langdon St. Ives
    * Joe R. and John L. Lansdale’s Hell’s Bounty and Zombie Gold
    * Alastair Reynold’s Beyond the Aquila Rift
    * Bruce Sterling’s Pirate Utopia

    The URL for the main Lame Excuse Books webpage is:

    https://www.lawrenceperson.com/lame.html

    My blog, where I do a lot of book geeking (including new additions to my own collection) is:

    https://www.lawrenceperson.com

    I’m still doing a Lame Excuse Books Twitter feed:

    https://twitter.com/LameExcuseBooks

    Also note that TomFolio books is shutting down, and I haven’t picked a new book listing service yet.

    Payment, Contact & Shipping Information

    Email me at lawrenceperson@gmail.com. I can hold books ten days on email or phone requests (please leave a message on my voice mail for the latter: (512) 569-9036). U.S. shipping is $5.00 for the first book, and $1.00 a book thereafter. Foreign shipping is at cost (please inquire; for most locations, First Class International starts at $22.50 now). Books may be returned in the same condition sent for any reason within 10 days of purchase for a full refund. Please make checks payable to Lawrence Person. I can also take PayPal payment to this email address at http://www.paypal.com, and I can take MC and Visa directly through my merchant account.

    Please mail checks to:

    Lawrence Person
    Lame Excuse Books
    P.O. Box 27231
    Austin, Texas 78755

    Finally, if you want me to take you off this mailing list, please let
    me know. I hate spam just as much as the next person.

    Now the books!

    Hardbacks

    LP2382. Abraham, Daniel. Balfour and Meriweather in The Incident of the Harrowmoor Dogs. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, #124 of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Steampunky-looking mystery novella. List price is $45. For you? $20.

    LP2170. (Anderson, Poul) Gardner Dozois and Greg Bear, editors. (Larry Niven, Greg Benford, Tad Williams, etc.) 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. $70.

    LP2171. (Anderson, Poul) Gardner Dozois and Greg Bear, editors. (Larry Niven, Greg Benford, Tad Williams, etc.) Multiverse: Exploring Poul Anderson’s Worlds. Subterranean Press, 2014. First edition hardback, one of 1,500 trade copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Poul Anderson tribute anthology, including stories using his characters and settings. $30.

    LP2514. Armstrong, Kelley. Driven. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, one of 1000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with fill-color endpapers and several full color plates, new and unread. Her latest werewolf novel. Half off cover price. $20.

    LP2383. Armstrong, Kelley. Forsaken. Subterranean Press, 2015. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Otherworld. Werewolves. How about 75% off cover price? $10.

    LP2063. Baker, Kage. Black Projects, White Knights. Golden Gryphon, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Short stories about The Company. $12.

    LP1621. Baker, Kage. The Empress of Mars. Subterranean Press, 2009. First edition hardback, one of 500 copies signed by Baker, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread. A full length novel, and not to be confused with the earlier novella from Night Shade. Out of print from the publisher. $45.

    LP1115. Baker, Kage. Mother Aegypt and Other Stories. Night Shade Books, 2004. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread. includes an original, never before published novella. LAST COPY! $15.

    LP2064. Banks, Iain M. Against a Dark Background. Orbit, 1993. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight haze rubbing (which means the glossy black areas seem to have a bit of haze on them if you move them back and forth under a strong light), otherwise new and unread. Banks first “pure” non-Culture SF novel. Banks was a phenomenally talented writer who died way too young. $125.

    LP2065. Banks, Iain M. Consider Phlebas. Macmillan, 1987. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of bend at edge of head and heel, in a Fine, Mylar-protected dust jacket. Read once, by me. The first Culture novel, and Banks’ first “pure” SF novel. Recommended. I’m not seeing a single unsigned first of the Macmillan Consider Phlebas anywhere online. $300.

    LP2066. Banks, Iain M. Excession. Orbit, 1996. First edition hardback, a Fine copy (though with the characteristic slight page darkening of Orbit books of this era) in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Banks: “To Narayan/-best wishes/Iain M. Banks”. Recommended. A Culture novel. For some reason I can’t find a single signed Excession on Bookfinder. $175.

    LP1622. Banks, Iain M. Matter. Orbit (UK), 2008. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy in a Near FIne dust jacket with bumping at head and heel and associated wrinkles. Culture novel. $12.

    LP2173. Banks, Iain. The Quarry. Little Brown (UK), 2013. Fourth printing of the hardback first edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Banks’ last novel, alas. $8.

    LP1939. Bear, Elizabeth. ad eternum. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, one of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Part of her New Amsterdam series. Also included in this edition is the 9,000 word chapbook Underground. $35.

    LP2118. Bear, Elizabeth. The White City. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Magic alternate history thing. $20.

    LP2386. Benford, Gregory. The Best of Gregory Benford. Subterranean Press, 2015. First edition hardback, #123 of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Another huge career retrospective collection. $55.

    LP2387. Benford, Gregory. The Best of Gregory Benford. Subterranean Press, 2015. First edition hardback, trade edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Another huge career retrospective collection. $35.

    LP2515. Blaylock, James P. The Adventures of Langdon St. Ives. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, one of 200 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Omnibus edition of four Lagdon St. Ives steampunk novellas. “The Here-and-Thereians” plus a short coda (“Earthbound Things”) are original to this volume, so you need this even if you have the previous Subterranean Press Langdon St. Ives volumes. List price: $60. For you: $55.

    LP2516. Blaylock, James P. The Adventures of Langdon St. Ives. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Omnibus edition of four Lagdon St. Ives steampunk novellas. “The Here-and-Thereians” plus a short coda (“Earthbound Things”) are original to this volume, so you need this even if you have the previous Subterranean Press Langdon St. Ives volumes. Trade edition. PICK OF THE LIST. List price: $40. For you: $35.

    LP2013. Blaylock, James P. Zeuglodon. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Set in the same universe as The Digging Leviathan and takes place in the hollow earth. Trade edition is sold out from the publisher. LAST COPY. $35.

    LP2517. Bloch, Robert. Flowers from the Moon. Arkham House, 1998. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with very slight fold to the very top 1/16″ of the front inner flap, otherwise pristine. Collection of early Bloch stories, including the title werewolf story and four Cthulhu Mythos stories. $25.

    LP1625. Bloch, Robert (Gahan Wilson). Skeleton in the Closet, and Other Stories (The Reader’s Bloch Volume 2). Subterranean Press, 2008. First edition hardback, one of only 750 copies, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dj, as issued, new and unread. More uncollected Bloch. Illustrated by Gahan Wilson. $30.

    LP1626. Bradbury. Ray. Marionettes, Inc. Subterranean Press, 2009. First edition hardback, one of 2000 copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. A collection of Bradbury’s robot stories, including two previously unpublished works. Now sold out from the publisher. Only have one. $30.

    LP1519. Bradbury, Ray. Moby Dick: A Screenplay. Subterranean Press, 2008. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. The basis of the John Huston movie. No out of print from the publisher, and I only have one. $30.

    LP2068. Bradbury, Ray. Nemo! Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Previously unpublished Ray Bradbury screenplay set in Winsor McCay’s Little Nemo in Slumberland comic strip. Now sold out from the publisher, but I still have it at less than cover price. $30.

    LP2518. Buckley, William F., Jr. Brothers No More. Doubleday, 1995. First edition hardback, a Very Good copy with slight dampstaining to last few pages at heel lifting some of the binding dye to the page edges, in a near Fine dust jacket with slight surface wear and slight crease to inner top flap. Thriller that starts in World War II. Earlier this year, I won a Buckley lot at auction quite cheaply, about half of which were signed. The non-signed books in the lot I’m blowing out cheap as reading copies. $3.

    LP2519. Buckley, William F., Jr. Elvis in the Morning. Harcourt, 2001. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Near Fine dust jacket with a touch of surface wear/soiling (especially along spine join) and slight edge curl. Novel of Elvis in the 50s and 60s. Certainly when I think of Elvis, Buckley is the first novelist that comes to mind. (Actually this did get better reviews than, say, Tender…) $ 3.

    LP2520. Buckley, William F., Jr. High Jinx. Doubleday, 1986. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a few pinpricks of dust staining at head in a Very Good+ dust jacket, with shallow chipping at head, heel and along the top edge of the front. A Blackford Oakes spy thriller. $3.

    LP2521. Buckley, William F., Jr. Marco Polo, if You Can. Doubleday, 1982. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with very slight dust staining at head, in a Near Fine- price-clipped dust jacket with 1/8″ chipping at head and a tiny bit at heel and points. Inscribed by Buckley: “1/14/82 /For Roger Bink/Warm regards/Wm F. Buckley Jr.” $10.

    LP2522. Buckley, William F., Jr. Spytime: The Undoing of James Jesus Angleton. Harcourt, 2000. First edition hardback, a Very Good with spy concave, in a Near Fine dust jacket. Novel based on Angleton’s real0life hunt for a communist mole in the CIA. $3.

    LP2523. Buckley, William F., Jr. A Very Private Plot . First edition hardback, a Very Good- copy with dampstaining at heel and associated black dye trasnfer from boards, in a Very Good- dust jacket with dampstain warping to front and rear. A Blackford Oakes spy thriller. $3.

    LP477. Chizmar, Richard, editor (Jack Ketchum, John Shirley, David B. Silva). Night Visions 10. Subterranean Press, 2001. First Edition hardback, Fine in a Fine dj, new. All new stories by Jack Ketchum, John Shirley, and David B. Silva done in a uniform format with the Dark Harvest Night Visions series. $12.

    LP755. Crowley, John. Daemonomania. Bantam, 2000. First edition hardback, Fine in Fine dj, new and unread. The third book in the Aegypt sequence. Back in stock. $10.

    LP1683. Crowley, John. Endless Things. Small Beer Press, 2007. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Concluding novel of the Aegypt series. CHEAP! $10.

    LP1777. De Lint, Charles. Eyes Like Leaves. Subterranean Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, signed by De Lint. This last copy has hung around a while, so let’s sell it cheap. $20.

    LP2524. Donaldson, D. J. Blood on the Bayou. St. Martin’s Press, 1991. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacet with a bit of haze rubbing to the rear cover. Werewolf mystery novel set in New Orleans (“An Andy Broussard/Kit Franklin Mystery”). $20.

    LP1686. Egan, Greg. Crystal Nights and Other Stories. Subterranean Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Short story collection. Now sold out from the publisher. $32.

    LP2525. Egan, Greg. The Four Thousand, The Eight Hundred. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, one of 1,000 copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Hard science fiction novella set on the asteroids of Vesta and Ceres. Only have one. $37.

    LP1527. Egan, Greg. Incandescence. Gollancz, 2008. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dj with a tiny bit of crimping at head, new and unread. Far future SF novel. Precedes the Night Shade edition. Gollancz seems to have cut back drastically on their hardback print runs; this came out May 15, and was already OP in hardback on June 1, and I had to scramble around to find some in the UK. $30.

    LP1836. Egan, Greg. Zendegi. Night Shade Press, 2010. First U.S. edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Novel set in a post-theocracy Iran and a popular virtual reality game. $10.

    LP2542. Ellison, Harlan. Coffin Nails. Charnel House, 2016. First edition oversized hardback, a Fine copy, one of 200 signed, numbered copies, sans dust jacket, as issued. The usual lavish Charnel House production, an attractive brown patterned (“crackle paper”) binding, with embossed silver nails spelling out “HE” on the front cover, and a giant silver nail on the cover. Features 25 uncollected Ellison stories from across his career. Sure to be a lust object for all your bibliophile friends. Only have one. $5 off cover price. $295.

    LP2123. Ellison, Harlan. The Deadly Streets. Subterranean Press, 2013. First hardback edition, one of 750 copies of the trade edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Early Ellison collection now available in hardback. Cover price: $45. Your price: $30.

    LP2306. Gaiman, Neil and Michael Reaves. Interworld and The Silver Dream. Subterranean Press, 2014. First limited hardback edition, each #344 of 500 signed copies, both Fine copies in Fine dust jackets, new and unread. Two young collaborative young adult novels involving parallel worlds. Offered at $20 off cover price, and I only have one set. $100.

    LP1400. Garton, Ray. Night Life. Subterranean Press, 2005. First edition hardback, one of 400 signed and numbered copies bound in leather, in a Fine, Mylar protected dust jacket, new and unread. Garton’s sequel to Live Girls, sold out pre-publication within mere hours of Subterranean announcing the book. $45.

    LP2525. Haining, Peter. The Dracula Centenary Book. Souvenir Press, 1987. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a tiny bit of crimping at points. Illustrated non-fiction book about various Dracula facts, real, fictional and on screen. $10.

    LP2526. Hughes, Winifred. The Maniac in the Cellar: Sensation Novels of the 1860s. Princeton University Press, 1980. Presumed first edition hardback (no additional printing stated), a Fine copy in a near Fine-, price-clipped dust jacket with spots of rubbing to matte black rear cover. Non-fiction on Victorian sensation novels of the 1860s. $5.

    LP1640. King, Stephen. Stephen King Goes to the Movies. Subterranean Press, 2009. First edition hardback, one of 2000 copies (and the only hardback edition), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Includes five stories by King that were made into movies (“1408,” “The Mangler,” “Low Men in Yellow Coats” (made into Hearts in Atlantis), “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” “The Mist” and “Children of the Corn,” each with new introductions by King about how the moves were made and what he thought of them. Illustrations by Vincent Chong. With two color printing and heavier than usual paper, this is a lavish production beyond even the usual high Subterranean Press standards. I haven’t read all the stories in here, but the ones I have are among King’s best. Recommended. $26 off cover price! $49.

    LP2527. Kuznia, Yanni, editor (Jacqueline Carey, Kevin Hearne, Laura Bickle, Aliette De Bodard). A Fantasy Medley 3. Subterranean Press, 2015. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Trade edition of this short fantasy anthology, now sold out from from the publisher, but I’m still offering it at 50% off cover price. $10.

    LP1846. Lake, Jay. The Sky That Wraps. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 1,000 signed copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Short story collection by the author of the Hugo-nominated Mainspring, and a swell guy to boot. $5 off cover price. $29.

    LP1959. Lansdale, Joe R. Act of Love. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback thus, with a new novelette, “A Bone Dead Sadness,” and interview with Lansdale not included in any previous edition, one of 200 signed, numbered slipcased copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase, new and unread. Only have one. $100 List. For you, $90.

    LP1848. Lansdale, Joe R. By Bizarre Hands Rides Again. Morning Star Press, 2010. Expanded edition with new stories and story notes, one of 300 copies signed by Lansdale, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. The original was a great short story collection, and thus new edition has everything in the original and more. Highly recommended. $65.

    LP2482. Lansdale, Joe R. (Pete Von Sholly, illustrator). Christmas Monkeys. PS Publishing, 2015. First edition hardback, one of 300 copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and decorated boards, with bookmark signed by the author and artist laid in (as issued). Illustrated children’s book (for certain values of “children”). LAST COPY! $34.

    LP18840. Lansdale, Joe R. Christmas With the Dead. PS Publishing, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 300 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Now out of print from the publisher. $34.

    LP2195. Lansdale, Joe R. Devil Red. Knopf, 2011. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Signed by Lansdale. Hap and Leonard novel. Recommended. $12.

    LP2484. Lansdale, Joe R. Fender Lizards. Subterranean Press, 2015. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Even though this is the trade edition, I got Joe to sign it at Armadillocon, and it’s sold out from the publisher, but still cover price. $40.

    LP2528. Lansdale, Joe R. and John L. Lansdale. Hell’s Bounty. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, one of 1,000 copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Weird western about demons, bounty hunters and the end of the world. Sold out from the publisher, and only have one of this true first edition. However, see the next item… $65.

    LP2529. Lansdale, Joe R. and John L. Lansdale. Hell’s Bounty with Zombie Gold. Short, Scary Tales (SST) Publications, 2016. First edition hardback thus for Hell’s Bounty, true first edition for Zombie Gold, one of 200 signed, numbered sets with matching numbers, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Hell’s Bounty is by and signed by both Lansdales, while Zombie Gold is by John L. Lansdale solo. Two weird westerns, heavy on the action and bloodshed. For the set: $95. (One dealer has this set at $140.)

    LP2530. Lansdale, John L. Zombie Gold. Short, Scary Tales (SST) Publications, 2016. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Trade edition of this weird western. $30.

    LP1850. Leiber, Fritz. Strange Wonders. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Collection various work, some previously unpublished or uncollected. 25% off cover price. $30.

    LP2531. Levy, Edward. The Beast Within. Arbor House, 1981. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a bit of curl and head and heel and a trace of dust soiling to back cover, in a near Fine dust jacket with haze rubbing along spine join. “A modern day Jekyll and Hyde in the clothes of a werewolf…a lupine incubus.” $5. Given when this was published, there’s a good chance David Hartwell edited it. $5.

    LP2532. Lupoff, Richard. Lisa Kane. Bobbs-Merrill, 1976. First edition hardback, a Fine- with a few dust marks to front board, in a Near Fine- dust jacket with crinkling at head and heel, slight curl at top front edge, slight creases to inner flaps, and slight darkening to top of rear cover. Werewolf novel. $5.

    LP2533. Mieville, China. This Census-Taker. Subterranean Press, 2016. First limited edition hardback thus (the Del Rey trade edition precedes), #443 of 750 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Now sold out from the publisher, and I only have one. $60.

    LP1853. Niven, Larry. The Best of Larry Niven. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Another huge Subterranean career retrospective collection. LAST COPY. $35.

    LP2534. Novik, Naomi. Blood of Tyrants. Del Rey, 2013. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. The eight Temeraire book about the Napoleonic War with dragons. $10.

    LP1968. Powers, Tim. The Bible Repairman and Other Stories. Subterranean Press, 2012. First hardback edition, one of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. $10 off cover price. $65.

    LP2082. Powers, Tim. Salvage and Demolition. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, one of 350 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Powers latest novella, about a rare book dealer. Now sold out from the publisher, but I’m offering it at $5 off cover price. $60.

    LP2083. Powers, Tim. Salvage and Demolition. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. This trade edition is also sold out from the publisher, and also offered at $5 cover price. $22.

    LP2207. Prachett, Terry. Raising Steam. Doubleday, 2014. First American edition, hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, with review materials laid in. Discworld goes Steampunk. $10.

    LP1642. Resnick, Mike. Kilimanjaro: A Fable of Utopia. Subterranean Press, 2008. First edition hardback, one of 1000 signed copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Companion volume to his Kirinyaga stories, in which the Maasai try to create their own Utopia. Only have one. $28.

    LP2535. Reynolds, Alastair. Beyond the Aquila Rift. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, trade state, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Another huge career retrospective collection, and at 781 pages, I think it’s the largest yet. $42.

    LP2399. Reynolds, Alastair. Slow Bullets. WSFA, 2015. First hardback (and first signed) edition, one of 1000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Produced for CapClave, where Reynolds was Guest of Honor. $35.

    LP1742. Scalzi, John. God Engines. Subterranean Press, 2009 (actually not shipped until 2010). First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Trade edition. $15.

    LP1976. Shepard, Lucius. The Dragon Griaule. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. All Shepard’s Dragon Griaule stories in one volume. $35.

    LP1977. Silverberg, Robert. The Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg Volume Six: Multiples 1983-1987. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. The earlier volumes are gone baby gone… $30.

    LP2136. Silverberg, Robert. The Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg Volume Eight: Hot Times in Magma City: 1990-95. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, a Fine copy, new and unread, sans dust jacket, as issued. The latest and greatest volume by the legendary Grandmaster. I sold a lot of the collected Silverberg volumes at Worldcon, and this trade edition is now sold out from the publisher. $30.

    LP2536. Silverberg, Robert. Early Days: More Tales from the Pulp Era. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, #168 of 1000 signed, numbered copies. Collection of early Silverberg stories. Only have one, $5 off cover price. $35.

    LP2137. Silverberg, Robert. The Last Song of Orpheus. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Original 30,000 word novella. $10 off cover price. $25.

    LP2209. Simmons, Dan. Muse of Fire. Subterranean Press, 2008. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Original science fiction novella. Out of print from the publisher. $30.

    LP1288. Smith, Clark Ashton (edited by Scott Connors and Ron Hilger). Star Changes: The Science Fiction of Clark Ashton Smith. Darkside Press, 2005. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. $32.

    LP1887. Stephenson, Neal. Zodiac: The Eco Thriller. Subterranean Press, 2011. First hardback edition, one of 500 copies signed by Stephenson, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, in slipcase. First hardback of Stephenson’s second novel, and the usual quality Subterranean Press production. Now sold out from the publisher, but still $25 off the publisher’s price. $120.

    LP1480. Sterling, Bruce. Islands in the Net. Arbor House, 1988. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with very slight bumping at heel and the ownership stamp of Louis Mackey on FFE, in a Near Fine, price-clipped (but otherwise pristine and Mylar-protected) dj. Signed by Sterling (who has also written “Copyright 1988” and “2007”). Mackey was a well-known professor at the University of Texas and something of a minor celebrity, having played a role in the film Richard Linklater film Slacker (he’s the professor complaining that he missed Charles Whitman’s shooting spree). Since Bruce attended UT, it would have been nice if this had been some sort of association copy, but no, Bruce said he had never heard of him when I had him sign this. So whether the Mackey signature is a plus or a minus depends on the eye of the beholder. $35.

    LP2537. Sterling, Bruce (Warren Ellis, Christopher Brown, Rick Klaw). Pirate Utopia. Tachyon, 2016. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Novella in which the Italian Futurists set up their own state after World War I. Includes H.P. Lovecraft and Houdini as characters. Includes an Introduction by Warren Ellis, and interview with Sterling by Rick Klaw, and an afterword by Christopher Brown. $18.

    LP1856. Straub, Peter. The Juniper Tree and Other Blue Rose Stories. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 1,500 trade copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Collection of novellas set in the same world as Koko, Mystery, and The Throat, along with an interview conducted by Bill Sheehan. $22.

    LP1425. Stross, Charles. Missile Gap. Subterranean Press, 2007. First edition hardback, one of 1000 signed, numbered copies, Fine in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. A very alternate Cold War novella. This first printing is now out of print from the publisher. $27.

    LP1981. Stross, Charles. Palimpsest. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, one of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. His Hugo-winning, far-future novella. $30.

    LP197. Tepper, Sheri. Gibbon’s Decline and Fall. Bantam, 1996. First edition hardback, Fine in a Fine dj, new in dj. Get this off my shelf. $1.

    LP2538. Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of The Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King). Houghton Mifflin, 1965. Fifth Printing of this edition (the Second U.S. hardback edition, with all the all the appendices at the back of The Return of the King, and fold out maps of Middle Earth (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers) and Mordor (The Return of the King) present, a Very Good- set, well read, all three spines slightly dull, spine on The Fellowship of the Ring slightly concave, map in The Fellowship of the Ring with one small tear near attachment point reinforced with tape, lacking the dust jackets, in a Very Good- slipcase with significant rubbing at heel, slight wear/abrasion at points and to attached slipcase frontispiece, with about 1/4″ loss to top right corner, affecting very edge of end line of elvish script. A well-worn set that was formerly my father’s. He read these to me and my sister in our youth, and then we read the hell out of them in our teen years. Still, the front cover embossing for all three books (depicting the eye of Sauron, the one ring, and the Tengwar/Black Speech inscription on the ring) is still quite bright and attractive on all three volumes. My father died in January of 2016, and my mother gave these to me as part of downsizing from a house to an apartment. Since I already own a copy of this edition with the dust jackets, I’m offering this up here. Highly recommended as the most important work of fantasy of all time. Sets of this edition in dust jacket tend to go for about $150, so let’s offer this up at 1/5th that. $30.

    LP2539. Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of The Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King). Houghton Mifflin/SFBC, 1986 (the ISFDB IDs the 10259 code on the back of The Fellowship of the Ring as belonging to the SFBC edition that year). Book club reprint hardback, Near Fine copies with slight spotting at head, in Near Fine- (The Fellowship of the Ring)/Very Good+ (The Two Towers, The Return of the King) dust jackets with slight spine fading wear at head, heel and points, a 1/2″ tear at head of The Two Towers, and three 1/4″ closed tears and two small black marks on rear cover of The Return of the King. Just sturdy reading copies of the definitive epic fantasy trilogy of the 20th century. Another thing downsized from my mother’s move. $5.

    LP2041. Vance, Jack. Desperate Days: Selected Mysteries Volume 2. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Thick omnibus edition of three Vance mystery novels (The Fox Valley Murders, The Pleasant Grove Murders, The Dark Ocean), and a companion to Subterranean’s earlier Dangerous Ways volume. Sort of surprised I have two left, as the Vance stuff usually disappears pretty quick. $40.

    LP2540. Varley, John. Demon. Putnam, 1984. First edition hardback, an ex-library copy with all the usual flaw; call it a Very Good- Ex-Lib copy with pages yellowing (as usual), spine concave, wear along bottom boards, plus all the usual stamps, pocket, etc., in a Very Good+ dust jacket with sticker to spine, and spots of wear where Mylar dj protector has been worn through. Third book in the titan trilogy. Space-filler first of a book that reportedly had a smaller print run than the first two volumes. $5.

    LP2144. Varley, John. Good-bye, Robinson Crusoe and Other Stories. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, one of 1,000 copies signed numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. $15 off cover. $30.

    LP2541. Varma, Devendra P. The Gothic Flame: Being a History of the Gothic Novel in England: Its Origins Efflorescence, Disintegration and Residuary Influence. The Scarecrow Press, 1987. First edition thus, being the reprint of a work first published in 1957, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Non-fiction work on the development of the Gothic novel. Includes bibliography at back. $20.

    LP2542. Windsor, Patricia. The Blooding. Scholastic Press, 1996. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Werewolf novel. I see precisely one copy listed online, and it’s not as nice as this one. $25.

    LP1988. Willis, Connie. All About Emily. Subterranean Press, 2011. First edition hardback, one of 400 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Sold out from the publisher. Only have one. $40.

    LP1447. Willis, Connie. D. A. Subterranean Press, 2007. First edition hardback, one of only 400 signed/numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread. Sold out from the publisher. Only have one. $34.

    LP2405. Zafon, Carlos Ruiz. The Prisoner of Heaven. Subterranean Press, 2014. First limited edition hardback, #339 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. This edition is sold out from the publisher, and I’m not seeing any copies of it listed online. $125.

    Trade Paperbacks

    LP2543. Chabon, Michael. The Yiddish Policeman’s Union. Harper Perennial, 2008. First trade paperback edition, preceded by the hardback, a Near Fine+ copy with 1/8″ white abrasion at heel. Inscribed by Chabon: “For Delois/Happy Mother’s Day/Michael Chabon.” Read once. Hugo and Nebula Winner for Best Novel. Another book from my mother’s household downsizing. $7.

    LP2124. Gunn, James. The Unpublished Gunn Part 2. Chris Drumm Books, 1996. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy. $5.

    LP2544. McCammon, Robert. Blue World. Subterranean Press, 2015. Trade paperback reprint, a Fine, unread copy. Short story collection. $5.

    LP2545. Lansdale, Joe R. Hap and Leonard. Tachyon. 2016. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy. Signed by Lansdale. All the Hap and Leonard short fiction, including three novella’s (Veil’s Visit (with Andrew Vachss), Hyenas, and Dead Aim) previously published as stand-alone novellas. Only have one. $16.

    LP2507. Swanwick, Michael. 5 Seasons. Dragonstairs Press, 2016. First edition chapbook original, one of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Five one page stories about the seasons. All these Dragonstairs press chapbooks tend to disappear pretty quickly, so here’s a chance to pick it up while it’s still cover price. $6.

    LP2508. Swanwick, Michael. Seasons Greetings. Dragonstairs Press, 2015. First edition chapbook original, one of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. The 2015 Swanwick Christmas chapbook, now out of print from the publisher. $10.

    LP2547. Swanwick, Michael. Solstice Spirits. Dragonstairs Press, 2015. First edition chapbook original, one of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy new and unread. Four brief seasonal tales. Though dated 2015, I was only able to order this recently, and it’s already sold out from the press. $15.

    Mass Market Paperbacks

    LP2548. Effinger, George Alec. Planet of the Apes 2: Escape to Tomorrow. Award Books, 1975. First edition paperback original, a Very Good+ copy with creasing and a tackhead-sized abrasion to upper right corner and a stamped “2” at head, two small wrinkles along spine, and general wear. Based on the short-lived CBS TV show, one of four Effinger did. $5.

    LP2549. Farmer, Philip Jose. Tarzan: The Dark Heart of Time. Del Rey, 1999. First edition paperback original, a near Fine copy with slight spine creasing and a touch of edgewear. A surprisingly uncommon PBO, given the author and subject matter. $35.

    LP2550. Kuttner, Henry. Lancer, 1973. Paperback reprint, a Poor copy with the page blocks failing out, held together with two rubber bands, but otherwise intact. All Kuttner’s Gallagher stories, in which an inventor creates robots while blind stinking drunk, and then can’t remember what he made them for. Only reason I’m bothering to sell it is that these are GREAT, HILARIOUS stories and this hasn’t been reprinted nearly often enough. Reading copy only. Highly recommended. $3.

    LP2541. Leiber, Fritz. The Wanderer. Ballantine Books, 1964. First edition paperback original, a Very Good copy with creasing and wear along spine, a long crease along top front corner, and general wear. Hugo Winner for best novel.

    Since Sherri Tepper died recently, I thought I’d list which books of hers I have, all marked down a bit:

    LP1586. Tepper, Sherri S. The Flight of Mavin Manyshaped. Ace, 1985. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with just a trace of wear at top outer corner, otherwise new and unread. A really beautiful copy. $20.

    LP2291. Tepper, Sheri S. The Bones. Tor, 1987. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Very Good+ copy with one spine crease, top front corner crease, and touches of edgewear. Believe it or not, there was once a time when science fiction and fantasy novelists looked at switching to horror as a good career move… $4.

    LP2292. Tepper, Sheri S. King’s Blood Four. Ace, 1983. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Very Good+ copy with one spine crease, 1 1/2″ thin crease along bottom front spine join, edgewear, and small abrasion to top rear cover. First book in the True Game series. $4.

    LP1675. Tepper, Sheri S. Jinian Footseer. Tor, 1985. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Very Good+ copy with crease along spine join, partial crease and wrinkle on spine, small crease to lower back corner, and touches of general wear. True Game novel. $4.

    LP1869. Tepper, Sheri S. Marianne, the Magus and the Manticore. Ace, 1985. Third printing, a VG copy with spine creasing, spine line, number stamp at head, and general wear. The Marianne titles are probably the least common of all Tepper’s books. $8.

    LP1618. Tepper, Sheri S. The Revenants. Ace, 1984. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Very Good+ copy with spine-creasing and edgewear, but otherwise square. Standalone fantasy novel involving a Sphinx’s riddles. $4.

    LP1586. Tepper, Sherri S. The Search of Mavin Manyshaped. Ace, 1985. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine- copy with just a trace of edgewear, otherwise new and unread. A really beautiful copy. Third book in the Mavin trilogy. $35.

    LP2293. Tepper, Sherri S. The Song of Mavin Manyshaped. Ace, 1985. Second printing, a Near Fine copy lines at head and heel, a small name on blurb page, and a few touches of edgewear. The first Mavin book. $4.

    LP2294. Tepper, Sheri S. Wizard’s Eleven. Ace, 1984. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Near Fine copy with small date stamp at heel, edgewear, and one tiny wrinkle near base of spine, otherwise tight and square. Third book in the True Game series. Man, Tepper must have been a writing machine in the mid-1980s… $4.

    Library Addition: Harlan Ellison’s Coffin Nails

    Thursday, December 8th, 2016

    Here’s another beautiful Charnel House limited edition:

    Ellison, Harlan. Coffin Nails. Charnel House, 2016. First edition oversized hardback, a Fine copy, #73 of 200 signed, numbered copies, sans dust jacket, as issued. The usual lavish Charnel House production, an attractive brown patterned (“crackle paper”) binding, with embossed silver nails spelling out “HE” on the front cover, and a giant silver nail on the spine. Features 25 uncollected Ellison stories from across his career.

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    This came in just before I sent out the latest Lame Excuse Book catalog went out. I still have one copy for sale if you want one SOLD.

    Library Additions: Fiction Books Bought from Cold Tonnage’s £5 Sale

    Tuesday, February 16th, 2016

    Cold Tonnage Books had a sale where all £10 books were £5, so I picked up a fair number. This post covers fiction titles.

  • Aylett, Steve. The Inflatable Volunteer. Phoenix House, 1999. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with a publicity postcard signed by Aylett laid in.
  • Aylett, Steve. Toxicology. Gollancz, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with a postcard laid in.
  • Blish, James. A Dusk of Idols and Other Stories. Severn House, 1996. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
  • Constantine, Storm. The Monstrous Regiment. Orbit, 1989. Trade paperback original, a Fine- copy with a touch of edgewear at head and heel, signed by Constantine.
  • Ellison, Harlan. Edgeworks 2: Spider Kiss/Stalking the Nightmare. White Wolf, 1996. First edition hardback omnibus thus, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. When the Edgeworks series first came out, I didn’t pick them up because I already had all the individual works they contained. But at £5 it’s worth picking up for title variant completeness…
  • Newman, Kim. Moriarty: The Hound of the D’Urbervilles. Titan Books, 2011. Fine, signed by Newman.
  • Library Additions: July 1 through December 31, 2015

    Thursday, January 7th, 2016

    Here’s a list of all the books I picked up between July 1 and December 31 of 2015.

    Many of the paperback originals here were bought for approximately 25¢ each from Houston bookstore Twice Told Tale’s going out of business sale in November, where prices were $15 a paper grocery sack full of books.

    For some reason, the last half year of book purchases has been heavy on Normans. Go figure…

  • Anderson, Poul. The Unicorn Trade. Tor, 1984. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Near Fine- copy with light crease along front spine join. Twice Told Tales purchase.
  • Armstrong, Anthony. Wine of Death. Stanley Paul & Co. (London), no date [1925]. First edition hardback, a Very Good copy with moderate bend at head and heel at head and slight spotting to page block edges and first few pages, and slight foxing to front and rear free endpapers, with 32 page catalog dated 1924-1825 at rear, lacking the dust jacket. Tietler & Locke, By the Book World Remembered, pages 37 and 119. Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy, page 22. Tietler, By the World Forgot, 55 (where it’s compared to Robert E. Howard’s Conan tales). Not in either edition of the Bleiler Checklist. Bought for $32.04 plus transatlantic shipping. Last year Lloyd Currey listed a better (but not perfect) copy, still lacking the dust jacket, for $1,250, and noted it was “Rare.”

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  • Asimov, Isaac. Gold. HarperPrism. One of 1226 copies (though, despite the statement of the limitation page, this one is not numbered), Fine copy in a Fine slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. Posthumous short story collection.
  • Asimov, Isaac. Three By Asimov. Targ Editions, 1981. First edition hardback, one of 250 signed copies, a Fine copy in a Near Fine- tissue paper dust jacket with a 7/8″ semi-closed tear on the top right front cover, with associated wrinkles (the white streaks at left and top are reflection glare from the dust jacket protector). All the pages seem to be made of hand-made paper with ragged edges. Bought for $107.79 off eBay.

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  • Bacigalupi, Paolo. The Drowned Cities. Little Brown, 2012. Signed by Bacigalupi.
  • Baker, Denys Val. The Face in the Mirror. Arkham House, 1971. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a trace of wear at bottom edge (probably do to an old fold-around dj protector that doesn’t encase the edges). Joshi, 60 Years of Arkham House, 112. Jaffery, Horrors and Unpleasantries, 118. Nielsen, Arkham House Books: A Collector’s Guide, 118. Chalker & Owings (1991), page 39. Not in Bleiler’s Guide to Supernatural Fiction (an odd omission). Bought for $12.50
  • Ballard, J. G. Super-Cannes. Flamingo, 2000. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with bumping at points, a 1/8″ closed tear at bottom rear fold point, and very slight haze rubbing to reflective silver dust jacket. Inscribed by Ballard: “To Jane,/J.G. Ballard”. Bought for £24 plus shipping.
  • Beagle, Peter S. The Innkeeper’s Song. Roc, 1993. Twice Told Tales purchase.
  • Benford, Gregory. The Best of Gregory Benford. Subterranean Press, 2015. #124 of 250 signed, numbered copies.
  • Benford, Gregory. The Best of Gregory Benford. Subterranean Press, 2015. Trade edition.
  • Bishop, Michael. Eyes of Fire. Pocket Books, 1980. First edition paperback original (PBO) this, a revision of A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire, a Fine copy. Twice Told Tales purchase.
  • Bradbury, Ray. The Cat’s Pajamas: Stories +5. Hill House Publishers, 2004. First limited edition and first edition thus (containing five stories not in the trade edition), #352 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine die-cut cloth slipcase with an extraction ribbon to pull out the book. Contains five stories not found in the William Morrow trade edition. Bought for $35 off eBay.

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  • Bradbury, Ray (illustrated by Gary Gianni). The Nefertiti-Tut Express. The RAS Press, 2012. First edition oversized oblong (9″ x 12″ long) chapbook edition, a Fine copy, new and unread. Oversized illustrated edition of a longish poem. Signed by Gianni. Bought for £12.
  • Bradbury, Ray, editor. Futuria Fantasia. Graham Publishing/Blood and Guts Press, 2007. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Bradbury, and containing a picture of him signing copies laid in. Reprints four issues of the fanzine of the title Bradbury produced just after graduating high school. Includes contributions from Robert A. Heinlein, Henry Kuttner, Hannes Bok, Damon Knight, Forrest J. Ackerman, etc. A fascinating glimpse into Bradbury’s early life, and the beginnings of several illustrious science fiction careers. Bought off eBay for $30. Replaces an unsigned copy.

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  • Breen, Walter. The Darkover Concordance: A Reader’s Guide. Pennyfarthing Press, 1979. A Fine copy, in decorated boards, as issued. Non-fiction reference guide to Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover books. Despite the fact that this used to go for several hundred dollars, I bought this for $1 (plus buyer’s premium and shipping) off Heritage Auctions. Funny how accusations of (Bradley) and convictions for (Breen) pedophilia will drive down the value of a book…
  • Brunner, John. Times Without Number. The Elmsfield Press, 1974. First hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed and dated by Brunner in 1987, with his usual peace symbol. Currey (1979), page 24. Bought for £18.

    Brunner Times Without Number

  • Bujold, Lois McMaster. Memory. Baen, 1996. Bought for $5.99 at a Half Price Books in Houston.
  • Clarke, I. F. Voices Prophesying War. Oxford University Press, 1990. First edition hardback (of this new expanded and updated edition), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket with slight wear on rear points. Non-fiction. The standard reference on future war fiction. Bought for £10.8.
  • Davidson, Avram and Grania Davis. Marco Polo and the Sleeping Beauty. Baen, 1988. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Very Good copy with spine wrinkly and slight front cover creasing. Twice Told Tales purchase.
  • De Vet, Charles V. Special Feature. Avon, 1975. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Near Fine- copy with small bottom front corner crease. Twice Told Tales purchase.
  • Dick, Philip K. World of Chance. Rich and Cowan, 1956. First hardback edition and first thus under this title (the first hardback edition of Dick’s first published novel, published earlier in the U.S. as the paperback original Solar Lottery), an Ex-Library copy with tape ghosts to inside covers, slight signs of pocket removal from FFE, inner front hinge half-cracked, slight dust staining to page block edges, in a dust jacket that has about 1/8″ trimmed from top and bottom, and a larger amount (possibly 1/4″ to 1/2″) trimmed from inner flaps, not removing any text, but trimming the flap edges right to the edge of the text block, plus tape ghosts and a touch of edgewear; call it a Very Good-/Good+ Ex-Library copy, though it presents much better than that list of flaws would lead you to believe. Currey (1979), page 159. Levack, 38b. One of the rarest Dick hardcovers.

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  • (Dick, Philip K.) Williams, Paul. Only Apparently Real: The World of Philip K. Dick. Arbor House, 1986. First edition trade paperback original, a Near Fine+ copy with some non-breaking indentations on the cover, as the book were used underneath a piece of paper someone wrote or scribbled on, otherwise apparently unread. Signed by Williams (the signature matches those found online for the limited edition of Ubik: A Screenplay). The biography of Dick by his close friend and designated literary executor. Supplements a Fine unsigned copy. Bought for $3.98 at a Half Price Books in Houston.

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    (Dick, Philip K.) Wintz, Henry and David Hyde. Precious Artifacts: A Philip K. Dick Bibliography: United States of America and United Kingdom Editions 1955-2012. Wide Books, 2012. First edition hardback, #77 of 100 signed, hardback copies, a Fine- copy with slight delamination lift along top front spine join gutter, in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued, with errata slip and related postcards laid in. Bought off eBay for $26.

    Precious Artifacts

  • Di Filippo, Paul (illustrated by Jim Woodrung). Cosmocopia. Payseur & Schmidt, 2008. First edition hardback, one of 500 copies with a band signed by Di Filippo and Jim Woodrung around the box, in a decorated cardboard box with a cardstock illustration and a Jigsaw puzzle in the case as well as the book, sans dust jacket, as issued. Paul Di Filippo alerted me to the fact that Fantagraphics bookstore had copies on hand for Jim Woodrung’s signing there at $30 a pop and I managed to call and snag the last copy.

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  • Disch, Thomas and Charles Naylor. Neighboring Lives. Scribner’s, 1981, First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bumoing at head in a Near Fine- dust jacket with one 1/8″ by 1/4″ triangular chip at top front cover ner head and wear at points. Signed by both Disch and Naylor. Bought for £18.

    Neighboring Lives

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  • Dozois, Gardner, editor. The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Second Annual Collection. St. Martin’s, 2015.
  • Engh, M. J. Arslan. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine- copy with a touch of glue bunching and age darkening. I already owned a first edition of the later hardback edition.
  • Ellison, Harlan. Angry Candy. Easton Press, 1988. First edition hardback (at least Barry Levin, relying on information from Ellison, has stated; other sources list the trade edition as first), one of 3,500 copies signed by Ellison, a Fine leatherbound copy, sans dust jacket, as issued.
  • Ellison, Harlan. Can & Can’tankerous. Subterranean Press, 2015. Short story collection.
  • (Ellison, Harlan) Priest, Christopher. The Book on the Edge of Forever. Fantagraphics Books, 1994. First edition trade paperback format (perfect-bound with the look and feel of a short graphic novel, which is Fantagraphics primary line), a Fine- copy. Non-fiction. An inquiry into the non-appearance of Harlan Ellison’s massive, long-delayed anthology The Last Dangerous Visions, expanded from an earlier fanzine titled The Last Deadloss Visions. Hugo Award nominee for best Non-Fiction. Bought for £15. Not particularly a Priest fan (I had lunch with two of his ex-wives at the 2014 London Worldcon), but when you’re right…

    Book Edge Forever

  • Etchison, Dennis. The Dark Country. Scream Press, 1982. Supplements a signed copy with a poorer dust jacket.
  • Gardner, James Finn. Politically Correct Bedtime Stories. Macmillan, 1994. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket with wrinkle to back cover. Formerly my father’s copy, which I bought for him as a gift many years ago.
  • Haldeman, Joe. Work Done for Hire. Ace, 2014. A Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with 1/4″ tear at top rear point. Bought for $1 at a Half Price Books in Houston.
  • Harrison, Harry. Stainless Steel Visions. Tor, 1993. Something of a best of Harrison short story collection (not just Stainless Steel Rat stories). Twice Told Tales purchase.
  • (Heinlein, Robert A.) Olander, Joseph and Martin Harry Greenberg, editors. Robert A. Heinlein (Writers of the 21st Century Series). Taplinger, 1978. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Non-fiction. Bought for £12.
  • Jablokov, Alexander. Brain Thief. Tor, 2009. Twice Told Tales purchase.
  • Jeter, K.W. Death Arms. Morrigan Publications, 1987. First edition hardback, #99 of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Contains an Afterword, “The Young Man Comes to The City,” not found in the trade edition. Supplements a signed trade edition.
  • Jones, Stephen and Newman, Kim. Horror: 100 Best Books. Xanadu Publications, Ltd., 1988. First edition hardback, #214 of 300 numbered copies signed by both the editors and almost every living one of the 100 (!) contributors, including Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Harlan Ellison, Basil Copper, Karl Edward Wagner, Jack Williamson, etc. etc etc. (though not by Stephen King), a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought for £30 off Cold Tonnage, marked down from £50.

    Horror 100 LTD

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  • Joyce, Graham. The Limits of Enchantment. Gollancz, 2005. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Joyce. Bought for £9.
  • Kuttner, Henry. Murder of a Wife. Garland, 1983. First hardback edition (originally a PBO by Permabooks in 1958), a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel, sans dust jacket, as issued. Number 26 of Garland’s 50 Classics of Crime Fiction: 1950—1975 series. I’m not sure what the print run was, but if they were anything like Garland’s 50 Classics of Science Fiction runs, it was probably quite small. Hubin, Crime Fiction, 1749—1980: A Comprehensive Bibliography, page 236 (for the PBO). Bought for $30 online.

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  • Lansdale, Joe R. Fender Lizards. Subterranean Press, 2015. #235 of 400 signed, numbered copies.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. and Stephen Mertz. M.I.A. Hunter. Subterranean Press, 2015. First hardback edition and first edition thus, an omnibus of three paperback original M.I.A. Hunter men’s adventure novels (Hanoi Deathgrip, Mountain Massacre, and Saigon Slaughter) Lansdale wrote under the pseudonym of Jack Buchanan, #376 of 500 signed, numbered copies.
  • Le Guin, Ursula K. From Elfland to Poughkeepsie. Pendragon Press, 1973. First edition paperback chapbook original, #49 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Non-fiction. Currey (1979), page 306. Bought for £18.
  • Lovecraft, H. P. (edited by S. T. Joshi). H. P. Lovecraft’s Collected Fiction: A Variorum Edition, a three volume set consisting of Volume 1: 1905—1925, Volume 2: 1926—1930, and Volume 3: 1931—1936. Hippocampus Press, 2015. First edition hardbacks, one of only 750 sets, all Fine copies in Fine dust jackets. “For the first time, students and scholars of Lovecraft can see at a glance all the textual variants in all relevant appearances of a story—manuscript, first publication in magazines, and first book publications. The result is an illuminating record of the textual history of the tales, along with how Lovecraft significantly revised his stories after initial publication. Along the way, Joshi has made small but significant revisions to his earlier corrected texts. He has determined, for example, that Lovecraft slightly revised some stories when a reprint of them was scheduled in Weird Tales, and he has altered some readings in light of a better understanding of Lovecraft’s customary linguistic usages.”

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  • Lupoff, Richard. Space War Blues. Dell, 1978. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Near Fine- copy with slight creasing. Twice Told Tales purchase.
  • Martin, George R. R. The John W. Campbell Awards Volume 6. Bluejay Books, 1986. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format, of the never-published hardback first edition, a Very Good- copy, being well-read with creasing along front and back spine joins, bottom of front spine join starting to split, a few spots of staining (including one to the edge of side/bottom page block), and general wear, with note on front cover stating “To/Shelia/Williams/Isaac/Asimov” and a note on the table of contents saying the Orson Scott Card story listed was going to be replaced with another Card story. Never produced because Bluejay Books went out of business in 1986. Copy on the back covers states the book was to be produced in both hardback and trade paperback formats. Includes two never-published Bruce Sterling stories. Bought for $100 from an editor who was downsizing his library as part of moving. Now signed by Sterling.

    JWCA#6

    JWCA#6 Back Cover

  • McDonald, Ian. The Broken Land. Bantam Spectra, 1992. First U.S. edition hardback and first edition thus, re-titled from UK hardback first Hearts, Hand and Voices (which I also have). Twice Told Tales purchase.
  • O’Leary, Patrick. The Black Heart. PS Publishing, 2009. Unnumbered copy of 100 copy limited edition signed by O’Leary and introduction author James Morrow, in standard blue PS Publishing traycase. Bought for $4.99 at a Half Price Books in Houston.
  • Oliver, Chad. Shadows in the Sun. Ballantine Books, 1954. First edition hardback (Currey state A, tan cloth lettered in black, no priority), a Near Fine+ copy with slight bumping at head and heel and usual age-darkening to pages), in a Near Fine- dust jacket with a 1 1/2″ closed tear to rear dust jacket flap, slight spotting to top of white rear cover, and a few small rubs. Hall, Hal W., The Work of Chad Oliver: An Annotated Bibliography & Guide, A2. Currey (1979), page 397. Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy, page 169 (an ex-library copy; his description of the dust jacket matches (down to the H-91 code on the front flap), but his description of the book itself as “gray cloth in dark blue lettering” doesn’t match either this copy or the Currey B state (blue cloth lettered in black); Locke’s copy was possibly a library rebind or another binding variant). Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 4, 3-138. Bought for $3 from the Half Price Books in Cedar Park. A conservative estimate of value is probably $2,000

    Shadows in the Sun BBHB

    Shadows Sun Back

    Shadows Sun whole dj

    Shadows Sun dj flaps

    Shadows Sun Book

  • Pangborn, Edgar. The Company of Glory. Pyramid, 1975. First edition paperback original (as per Currey, page 398), a Fine- copy. Twice Told Tales purchase.
  • Partridge, Norman. Dark Harvest. Cemetery Dance, 2006. One of 2,000 signed, numbered copies.
  • Partridge, Norman. Johnny Halloween. Cemetery Dance, 2010. One of 1,500 signed, numbered copies.
  • Partridge, Norman. Mr. Fox and Other Feral Tales. Subterranean Press, 2005. Inscribed by Partridge: “For [Joe?]/Hope you enjoy these old/short stories & tales from/the writing trenches!/All the best to/a guy with /[major pain?] of his own!/Norman Partridge.” Additionally signed as a PC copy of 750 signed, numbered copies. Can scan the inscription is someone is really interested…
  • Randall, Marta. A City in the North. Warner Books, 1976. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Very Good copy with black marks at head and heel.
  • Reynolds, Alastair. Poseidon’s Wake. Gollancz, 2015.
  • Reynolds, Alastair. Slow Bullets. Tacyhon, 2015. Trade paperback original. Bought for $7.49.
  • Reynolds, Alastair. Slow Bullets. WSFA, 2015. First hardback edition (and first signed edition), #37 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies. Copies available through Lame Excuse Books.
  • Rusch, Kristine Kathryn, editor. Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine: Issue Eight: Summer 1990. Hardback first edition, #50 of 250 numbered copies signed by all the contributors, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued, in a Fine slipcase. Signed by Greg Egan at the title page for his story “The Moral Virologist.” Also signed by George Alec Effinger, Jack McDevitt, Jonathan Lethem, etc. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 364. Supplements an unsigned copy (I have the entire 12 issue run in the regular edition.) Bought off eBay for $39.95.

    Pulphouse 8

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  • (Shaver, Richard) W. Michael Moore. This Tragic Earth: The Art and World of Richard Sharpe Shaver. Grave Distractions Publications, 2006. Trade paperback original. Shaver Mystery non-fiction.
  • Sheckley, Robert. Shards of Space. Bantam, 1962. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Very Good+ copy with slight spine creasing and wear. Twice Told Tales purchase.
  • Silverberg, Robert. The Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg Volume Nine: The Millennium Express. Subterranean Press, 2014. Sans dust jacket, as issued.
  • Smith, Michael Marshall. More Tomorrow & Other Stories. Earthling, 2003. #174 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies.
  • Shaw, Bob. The Palace of Eternity. Gollancz, 1970. First hardback edition, a Near Fine copy with one small spot to page block edge and bumping to bottom points, in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with with small dust blemish to spine near Gollancz “SF” logo, a few tiny dust spots elsewhere, and a slight bumping at bottom tips. Inscribed by the author: “To Brian,/with best wishes/Bob Shaw.” Currey (1979), page 431. Pringle SF 100, 61. Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 4, 4-391. Bought for £120, marked down from £200.

    Palace of Eternity

  • Spinrad, Norman. Russian Spring. Bantam, 1991. Bookplate signed by Spinrad affixed to half title page, with a copy of a letter from Spinrad to bookdealers laid in. Reportedly a good novel depicting the fall of the Soviet Union which had the misfortune to come out as it was already dissolving.
  • Spinrad, Norman, editor. Modern Science Fiction. Gregg Press, 1976. First hardback edition, a Near Fine copy with two small, dust spots on bottom of side page block and rubbing to bottom rear edge of boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Anthology. Not a particularly important book, but it does seem to be one of the more uncommon Gregg press titles these days. Bought off eBay for $35.
  • Straub, Peter. Ghost Story. Cowan, McCann, and Geoghegan, 1979. First hardback edition, a Near Fine copy with slight discoloration at the very top edge of the boards and slight bumping at points, in a Near Fine dust jacket with wear at points.
  • Straub, Peter. Perdido: A Fragment. Subterranean Press, 2014. #207 of 400 signed, numbered copies.
  • Swanwick, Michael, and Christophe Morley. Meditations on Meditations on Oysters (Swanwick) b/w Meditations on Oysters (Morley). Dragonstairs Press, 2015. First edition sewn chapbook with decorative cultured pearl, #24 of 50 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Swanwick’s observations on a 1917 free-form rumination on oysters.

    Swanwick Oysters

  • Tenn, William. Time in Advance. Bantam, 1958. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Very Good copy with spine creasing. Twice Told Tales purchase
  • Tidhar, Lavie. A Man Lies Dreaming. Hodder & Stoughton, 2014. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Novel featuring Adolf Hitler as a hardboiled PI by this Israeli-born/UK-resident writer.
  • Vance, Jack. The Dragon Masters. Dennis Dobson, 1965. First hardback edition, a Fine- copy with usual page darkening, in a Fine, bright, unclipped dust jacket. Signed by Vance. Bought for $120 from L. W. Currey.

    Dragon Masters

  • Vance, Jack. Grand Crusades. Subterranean Press, 2015.
  • Vance, Jack. Lurulu. Tor, 2004. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with a small remainder mark at heel in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Jack Vance. Bought off eBay for $25. Vance’s last novel.
  • VanderMeer, Jeff. Secret Lives. Prime Books, 2008. #299 of 1000 signed copies.
  • VanderMeer, Jeff and Ann. The Kosher Guide to Imaginary Animals. Tachyon, 2010.
  • Wagner, Karl Edward. Why Not You and I? Dark Harvest, 1987. First edition hardback, #252 of 300 copies signed by Wagner, a Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket with waviness to dust jacket rear, in a Near Fine paper slipcase. I also have a copy of the trade edition inscribed to me by Wagner at the 1988 Worldcon in New Orleans. Bought for $32.50.
  • Wellman, Manly Wade. Battle in the Dawn: The Complete Hok the Mighty. Planet Stories, 2011. Trade paperback original, Fine. Twice Told Tales purchase.
  • Wellman, Manly Wade. The South Fork Rangers. Ives Washburn, 1963. Ex-Library copy, with usual flaws, otherwise nice and square, with complete dust jacket. Juvenile historical novel.
  • Wells, Martha. Emilie & The Hollow World. Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry, 2013. Trade paperback original. I’m a sucker for Hollow Earth novels…
  • Wells, Martha. Emilie & The Sky World. Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry, 2014. Trade paperback original. Sequel.
  • Williamson, Jack. Manseed. Del Rey, 1982. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Williamson. Bought for £9.
  • Zelazny, Roger. Trumps of Doom. G. K. Hall & Co., 2000. Large print edition, a Fine copy in a near Fine- with faint scratches to rear cover and slight crimping at head and heel. I’m not fanatical about collecting every edition of every Zelazny book, but it was only $3…
  • Zelazny, Roger, editor. The Williamson Effect. First hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a trace of haze rubbing. Bought off Amazon for $8.75 plus shipping.
  • Library Additions: 4 Books, 3 Non-Fiction

    Tuesday, September 8th, 2015

    Here’s the final titles I bought from the Cold Tonnage 40% off sale, three of which are non-fiction and the fourth just an odd item:

  • Bradbury, Ray (illustrated by Gary Gianni). The Nefertiti-Tut Express. The RAS Press, 2012. First edition oversized oblong (9″ x 12″ long) chapbook edition, a Fine copy, new and unread. Oversized illustrated edition of a longish poem. Signed by Gianni. Bought for £12.
  • Clarke, I. F. Voices Prophesying War. Oxford University Press, 1990. First edition hardback (of this new expanded and updated edition), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket with slight wear on rear points. Non-fiction. The standard reference on future war fiction. Bought for £10.8.
  • (Ellison, Harlan) Priest, Christopher. The Book on the Edge of Forever. Fantagraphics Books, 1994. First edition trade paperback format (perfect-bound with the look and feel of a short graphic novel, which is Fantagraphics primary line), a Fine- copy. Non-fiction. An inquiry into the non-appearance of Harlan Ellison’s massive, long-delayed anthology The Last Dangerous Visions, expanded from an earlier fanzine titled The Last Deadloss Visions. Hugo Award nominee for best Non-Fiction. Bought for £15. Not particularly a Priest fan (I had lunch with two of his ex-wives at the 2014 London Worldcon), but when you’re right…

    Book Edge Forever

  • (Heinlein, Robert A.) Olander, Joseph and Martin Harry Greenberg, editors. Robert A. Heinlein (Writers of the 21st Century Series). Taplinger, 1978. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Non-fiction. Bought for £12.
  • Library Addition: Signed Harlan Ellison Cassette Tape Pack

    Wednesday, August 5th, 2015

    Sometimes you stumble across something not really on your collecting radar, but if it’s cheap enough, you go “What the hell?”

    Ellison, Harlan. A Boy & His Dog & “Repent, Harlequin” said the Ticktockman. Warner Audio Publishing, no date (but 1985). Presumed first edition, a pair of cassette tapes of Ellison reading his two stories, a Fine- copy with small cracks to the clear cassette tape case plastic, in blister pack. Signed by Ellison on the back of the front cover insert. Bought for $2 off eBay.

    Ellison Cassette Front

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    (Not having a cassette tape player it wouldn’t be a pain to hook up, I’m just assuming it still has Ellison’s stories on it, and it hasn’t been taped over with a copy of, say, Frampton Comes Alive…)

    Library Addition: Harlan Ellison’s Flintlock

    Wednesday, March 19th, 2014

    It’s not so much that I’ve been on a crazy buying spree of these last few books as that: A.) I bought a few things between January and now I hadn’t had time to catalog yet, B.) I paid for pre-publication books a while back that just now showed up (as with this book), or C.) Actually, I did go on a crazy buying spree last week, and I have to catalog stuff before those books show up.

    So…

    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 Cobrun’s Derek Flint character.

    Flintlock

    I have one additional copy for sale at $145 ($5 off cover price).