Posts Tagged ‘Horror’

Library Addition: H. P. Lovecraft’s A Little Silver Book of Supernatural Stories

Friday, March 29th, 2024

Another classic writer series Little Book.

Lovecraft, H. P. (S.T. Joshi, editor) A Little Silver Book of Supernatural Stories. Borderlands Press, 2024. First edition hardback, #463 of 500 copies signed by Joshi, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Sampler of Lovecraft stories, including “Dagon,” “Nyarlathotep,” and “The Call of Cthulhu.”

I will have copies of this in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

Library Addition: Michael Swanwick’s Nevermore

Monday, March 25th, 2024

Another Swanwick Dragonstairs chapbook:

Swanwick, Michael. Nevermore: an Interview with the Raven. Dragonstairs Press, 2024. First edition chapbook original, #4 of 40 copies, a Fine copy. What the title says. Bought from the publisher at the usual discount.

I will have a small number of these available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

Library Additions: Three Subterranean Firsts (McDevitt, Powers, Reamy)

Thursday, March 21st, 2024

Three more Subterranean firsts.

  • McDevitt, Jack. McDevitt, Jack. Doorway to the Stars. Subterranean Press, 2024. First edition hardback, #444 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Novella about a stargate set in the same universe as Thunderbird. Bought at the usual dealer discount. I will have copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

  • Powers, Tim. After Many a Summer. Subterranean Press, 2023. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Novella. Bought for $20 (half price).
  • Reamy, Tom. Under the Hollywood Sign. Subterranean Press, 2023. First edition hardback, #395 of 750 numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. This is billed as “The Collected Stories of Tom Reamy,” and includes three works (“Dinosaurs,” “Sting!” and “Potiphee, Petey, and Me”) not in San Diego Lightfoot Sue, but doesn’t contain “Jenny’s Friends” or “The Wondrous Adventures of Grady Goodmonster or My Vacation,” two still uncollected Reamy stories. Bought for $22.50 (half price).
  • Library Addition: The Dagon Collection

    Friday, March 15th, 2024

    Here’s another Lovecraft-themed anthology from PS in the mold of Pedersen’s earlier The Starry Wisdom Library.

    Pedersen, Nate, editor. The Dagon Collection: An Auction Catalogue of Items Recovered in the Federal Raid on Innsmouth, Mass. PS Publishing, 2024. First edition hardback in decorated boards, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Anthology in the form of a mock auction catalog of Cthulhu Mythos related items from the Esoteric Order of Dagon, with contributions from F. Paul Wilson, Ramsey Campbell, etc.

    I will have a small number of copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

    Library Addition: Robert E. Howard’s A Little Bronze Book of Weird Tales

    Tuesday, March 12th, 2024

    Another in Borderland Press’ series of classic writer volumes.

    Howard, Robert E. (Edited by P. Gardner Goldsmith) A Little Bronze Book of Weird Tales. Borderlands Press, 2024. First edition hardback, #463 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued.

    I will have a small number of these available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

    Library Additions: Two Thomas Disch Firsts

    Monday, March 4th, 2024

    These were part of an auction lot:

  • Disch, Thomas M. The Brave Little Toaster Goes To Mars. Doubleday, 1988. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with previous owner’s name on front free endpaper, in a Fine, Mylar-protected dust jacket. Sequel to The Brave Little Toaster (which I have an inscribed copy of).

  • Disch, Thomas M. The Silver Pillow: A Tale of Witchcraft. Mark V. Ziesing, 1987. First edition hardback, #37 of 250 numbered copies signed by Disch and artist Harry O. Morris, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Chalker/Owings, page 490. Replaces a slightly less attractive copy.

  • Library Addition: Joe R. Lansdale’s The Senior Girls Bayonet Drill Team

    Monday, February 19th, 2024

    Another signed Subterranean Lansdale first.

    Lansdale, Joe R. The Senior Girls Bayonet Drill Team. Subterranean, 2023 (stated; received early 2024). First edition hardback, #371 of 1250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. The latest Lansdale short story collection. I’ll have copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

    Library Additions: Four Paperback Originals

    Thursday, January 11th, 2024

    Three of these were bought at Half Price Books locations in the Dallas Metroplex, and two replace slightly less attractive copies.

  • Delany, Samuel R. Babel-17. Ace, 1966. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy, though with slight age darkening to the pages. Nebula Award winner and Hugo nominee. Currey, page 139. Replaces a slightly less attractive copy. Bought for $5 at Recycled Books in Denton.

  • Martin, George R. R. Wild Cards VIII: One-Eyed Jacks. Bantam Spectra, 1991. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine copy with mild spine creasing and a trace of wear at points. This completes my Wild Cards paperback collection. Bought for $2.49.

  • Moore, Ward. Caduceus Wild. Pinnacle Books, 1978. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with one tiny spine crease near front join, bookstore stamp inside, slight rubbing to rear cover, trace of magic marker left over price on front cover (Bestine took care of the rest), and touch of edgewear. Moore’s last novel. Replaces a slightly less attractive copy. Bought for $1.99.

  • Wagner, Karl Edward, and David drake. Killer. Baen Books, 1985. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with slight spine creasing, edgewear, and foxing to insider covers. Hunting an alien killer in ancient Rome. Bought for $1.49.

  • This is the last of the books picked up on the Thanksgiving trip to the Metroplex.

    Library Additions: Six Signed Books

    Wednesday, January 10th, 2024

    All these were found at various Half Price Books stores in the Dallas Metroplex.

  • Aldrin, Buzz, and John Barnes. Encounter With Tiber. Warner Books, 1996. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed by Aldrin: “To Michael,/Buzz Aldrin.” Pretty sure Barnes did the overwhelming majority of the writing, but it’s pretty cool to own a book signed by a guy who walked on the moon. Bought for $7.99.

  • Block, Lawrence. The Scoreless Thai. Subterranean Press, 2000. First hardback edition (previously published in a 1970s PBO), a trade edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Block. Novella. Bought for $10, 1/3rd of publication price, and the trade edition wasn’t issued signed by Block.

  • Block, Lawrence. Tanner’s Tiger. Subterranean Press, 2001. First hardback edition (previously published as a 1968 paperback original), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Block. Tanner novel. Bought for $10, 1/3rd of publication price, and the trade edition wasn’t issued signed by Block.
  • Chabon, Michael. Summerland. Hyperion, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight bumping at head and heel, signed by Chabon. Bought for $9.99, which, oddly enough, seems to be about market. After he won the Hugo and Nebula for the excellent The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, I though Chabon books were going to head steadily upward in value; the exact opposite seems to have happened. It looks like every single one of Chabon’s novels except The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay can be found in signed first edition hardbacks at or less than cover price. I can’t figure it out, as all three of the Chabon books I’ve read (The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, and Gentlemen of the Road) were excellent.
  • Etchison, Dennis. Red Dreams. Scream/Press, 1984. First edition hardback, #192 of 250 numbered hardbacks signed by Etichson and artist J.K. Potter, a Fine copy in a Fine, Mylar-protected dust jacket and a Fine- slipcase with a trace of haze rubbing, and additionally signed by Etchison. The second short story collection by this acclaimed horror writer. The third publication of Scream/Press. Chalker/Owings, page 335. Supplements a trade copy. Bought for $30.

    (Surface wear is on the dust jacket protector.)

  • Fowler, Karen Joy. Booth. Putnam, 2022. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a trace of edgewear, the signed publisher’s variant with a “Signed Copy” sticker on the cover and a page signed by Fowler bound in. Novel of the theatrical Booth family (including presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth) in early 19th century America. Bought for $13.99.

  • Library Additions: Various First Editions

    Friday, January 5th, 2024

    Found at various Half Price Books locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the Book Celler in Temple, and Recycled Books in Denton.

  • Anonymous. In the Future. Arno Press, 1974. First edition hardback thus, a reprint of a book originally published in 1867, a Fine- copy with slight bumps at points, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought for $7.99.

    Not to be confused with the David Byrne piece of the same name:

  • Clarke, Arthur C. A Fall of Moondust. Harcourt, Brace and World, 1961. First edition hardback, an Ex-Library copy with the usual flaws, including stamps, pocket removal, tape to boards, etc, but with a much better than usual dust jacket, with a couple of short closed tears on flap edges, a small sticker ghost on spine, and slight protector discoloration to edges; call it a G/NF Ex-Lib copy. Currey, page 114. Replaces a less attractive Ex-Library copy. Bought for $20.

  • Erickson, Steve, Our Ecstatic Days. Simon & Schuster, 2005. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine, Mylar-protected dust jacket. Bought at Recycled Books in Denton for $6.80.
  • Kuttner, Henry. The Best of Henry Kuttner. Nelson Doubleday (SFBC), 1975. First edition hardback (code “01 R” on page 335, as per Currey), a Fine- copy with trace of bumping at points in a Fine- dust jacket with slight edgewear and small fold to tip of bottom front flap. Introduction by ray Bradbury. Currey, page 291. Bought for $6 at the Book Cellar in Temple.

  • Martin, George R. R., editor. Wild Cards VI: Ace in the Hole. Bantam Books/SFBC, 1989. First hardback edition, the SFBC book club edition, preceded by the PBO, a Fine- copy with bumping at head, heel and top points, in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with slight bumping at head, heel and top points, a couple of phantom creases across rear cover, and slight edgewear. Bought for $6 at the Book Cellar in Temple.

  • Matheson. Richard. Duel: Terror Stories By Richard Matheson. Tor, 2003. First edition hardback, a Fine- with slight bend at heel copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a slight wrinkle at rear bottom. Supplements a trade paperback edition. Bought for $12.99.
  • Vance, Jack. The Space Pirate. Toby Press, 1953. First edition trade paperback original (no statement of printing, as per Currey), a Fine- copy with a bare trace of dust oiling age darkening to rear cover, plus the usual age darkening to pages; all but perfect, and far and away the nicest copy I’ve seen. Vance’s second novel. Hewett, A2. Cunningham, B.75.a. Currey, page 500. Supplements a signed but less attractive copy. Bought for $12 from Recycled Books in Denton.