Posts Tagged ‘Ray Bradbury’

Library Addition: Ray Bradbury’s Christmas Wishes 1986

Tuesday, August 15th, 2017

Slowly but surely collecting all of these:

Bradbury, Ray. Christmas Wishes 1986. Self-published, 1986. First edition 8 1/2 x 11″ broadsheet, folded once (as mailed), otherwise Fine- with slight wrinkling. inscribed by Bradbury: “Hans N!/Ray Bradbury”. A one page poem, like all Bradbury’s Christmas broadsheets. This one says “From Maggie & Ray Bradbury,” but I’m not sure it was actually co-written by his wife. Bought off eBay for about $35.

Bradbury Christmas 1986

Library Additions: July 1—December 31, 2016

Wednesday, January 18th, 2017

Here’s the big rollup list of every book I added to my library in 2016. This includes three big multi-book purchases I made, from the Fred Duarte estate, a Cold Tonnage Books 40% off sale, and four lots from a Nation Book Auction.

  • Aldiss, Brian. Science Fiction Blues With Brian Aldiss. Avernus, 2000. First edition oversized chapbook original (A4 sized), a Fine- copy with a slight bit of bend on the left side. Program for some sort of Aldiss reading or performance, which also happens to contain three original Aldiss stories as well as other material. Odd little item. Bought for £3 after discount.

    Aldiss SF Blues

  • Allston, Aaron. Sidhe Devil. Baen, 2001. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy with some foxing to inside covers. Signed and dated by Allston.

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  • Andersen, Hans Christian. Andersen’s Fairy Tales. Grosset and Dunlap, 1945. Reprint edition, a Near Fine copy with color frontispiece affixed and decorated endpapers, no dust jacket. Illustrated by Arthur Szyk. Given to me by my mother as she was downsizing before moving.
  • Anderson, Poul. The Boat of a Million Years. Tor, 1989. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Hugo and Nebula Award nominee. Inscribed to Fred.

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  • Asimov, Isaac. Little Brothers. The Pretentious Press, 1988. First edition chapbook original, one of 126 copies signed by Asimov (the only edition), a Fine copy, with two photos (of Isaac and Stanley Asimov) tipped into front, as issued. Reprints Asimov’s first published work, an essay about how much he hated his little brother, from the Boys High Recorder in 1934. Bought for $35 plus shipping from a well-known literary dealer.

    little-brothers

  • Barrett, Neal, Jr. The Day the Decorators Came. Subterranean Press, 2000. First edition hardback, a signed but unnumbered copy among 26 lettered copies, a Fine copy with pictorial pastedown on front boards, sans dust jacket, as issued.

    day-decorators-hb

  • Barrett, Neal, Jr. Judge Dread. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with slight touches of edgewear. Signed by Barrett. Based on the Sylvester Stallone movie. Bought for $5 at Armadillocon

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  • Barrett, Neal, Jr. Spider-Man: Lizard’s Rage. Pocket Books, 1997. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with traces of edge wear, slight age darkening to pages and slight foxing to inside covers. Inscribed by Barrett: “For Fred/All the/best/Neal Barrett, Jr.”

    Spiderman Lizard's Rage

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  • Barrett, Neal, Jr. Way Out There. Subterranean Press, 2004. First edition hardback, a signed but unnumbered copy among 52 lettered copies, a Fine copy with pictorial pastedown on front boards, sans dust jacket, as issued.

    way-out-there-hb

  • Barry, Dave. Dave Barry Slept Here. Random House, 1989. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed to Fred by the author. Humor.

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  • Baxter, Stephen. Universes. PS Publishing, 2013. First edition hardback, #131 of 200 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine decorated slipcase.

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  • Beukes, Lauren. Zoo City. Angry Robot, 2010. First hardback edition and first UK edition, one of 100 signed copies (the only hardback edition), a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a very slight wrinkle at rear heel join, otherwise new and unread. Preceded by the Jacana Media (South Africa) paperback edition. Bought off eBay for $99 (the opening bid).

    Zoo City

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  • Blaylock, James P. The Further Adventures of Langdon St. Ives. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, #104 of 200 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Omnibus edition of Lagdon St. Ives novellas. “The Here-and-Thereians” plus a short coda (“Earthbound Things”) are original to this volume. Bought at 50% off cover price.
  • Blaylock, James P. The Further Adventures of Langdon St. Ives. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Trade edition. Bought at 50% off cover price.
  • Bloch, Robert. The King of Terrors. Mysterious Press, 1977. First edition hardback, #129 of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Near Fine slipcase with a few white marks to black slipcase at heel. Currey A, page 46. Flanagan, Robert Bloch: A Bio-Bibliography, page 49. Won off eBay for $21.50. I also have Bloch’s Out of the Mouths of Graves by the same publisher in the limited edition.

    king-of-terrors

  • Boucher, Anthony. The Compleat Werewolf. Simon & Schuster, 1969. First edition hardback (“First Printing” stated), a Fine- copy with slight dust soiling at head and heel in a Fine- dust jacket with a thin line of dust staining along spine join on rear cover. Jones/Newman, Horror 100 66. Bleiler, Guide to Supernatural Fiction 232.

    Boucher Werewolf

  • Bradbury, Ray. A Christmas Wish 1989: The Bread of Beggars, The Wine of Christ. Privately printed, 1989. First edition broadsheet, a Fine copy, inscribed by the author: “Tim!—Love!—Ray!” Bought off eBay for $34 plus shipping.

    bradbury-christmas-1989

  • Bradbury, Ray. Green Shadows, White Whale. Random House Audio, 1992. Audio cassette (probably the “first edition,” as I suspect there was only one) in a Very Good- packaging with 1″ of the inner cardboard cassette sleeve missing at bottom. Signed by Bradbury across the rear of the package. Two cassettes adding up to three hours of audio (presumably abridged) of Bradbury reading from his own novel. (I also have a first edition of the novel signed by Bradbury.) Bought from the Duarte estate sale at Armadillocon for $5.

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    bradbury-green-cassette-sig

  • Bradbury, Ray. The Silver Locusts. Rupert Hart Davis, 1951. First UK edition and first hardback edition thus (includes almost all of The Martian Chronicles, dropping “Usher II” and adding “The Fire Balloons”), a Near Fine copy with dust soiling to top edge and a quarter-sized sticker for Foyle’s Bookstore (Charing Cross, London) affixed to bottom inside front cover, in a Very Good dust jacket with a 1/4″ chip at head, a 1″ tear and associated 1/4″ chip to top front cover, shallow chipping at points, foxing to white back cover and along flap edges, and general wear. Inscribed: “Fred!/Ray Bradbury/5/29/1992.” Weist, Jerry. Bradbury: An Illustrated Life, page 51 (where he notes that the cover is by Roy Sanford). Currey, page 56. Reginald, 01765. Tuck (Volume I), pages 62-63. Bought for approximately $320.

    Silver Locusts

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  • Bradbury, Ray. The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit. Hart-Davis MacGibbon, 1973. First hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Near Fine, corner-clipped (but otherwise fine) dust jacket. (Sadly, corner-slipped copies seem the norm for this title.) Signed by Bradbury. Collection of plays. Bought for £45 after discount.

    Ice Cream Suit

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  • Brennan, Joseph Payne. The Borders Just Beyond. Donald M. Grant, 1986. First edition hardback, one of 750 copies, all signed by Brennan, a Fine copy in a Fine-dust jacket with a tiny bit of wear wear at points. Chalker/Owings, 223.

    brennan-borders

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  • Broderick, Damien, and Paul Di Filippo. Science Fiction: the 101 Best novels 1985-2010. Nonstop Press, 2012. Trade paperback original, new, Fine. Non-fiction. Bought for 50% off cover price.
  • Buckell, Tobias, The Apocalypse Ocean. Self-published, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Buckell: “To Sarah,/Tobias Buckell.” Originally offered at $50 through Kickstarter. Bought for $6.39.

    apocalypse-ocean

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  • Buckley, William F. Atlantic High. Doubleday, 1982. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with wear at points. Inscribed by Buckley on a bookplate: “For Claire Worth/With deep appreciation/Bill Buckley.” Non-fiction book about Buckley sailing across the Atlantic.

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  • Buckley, William F. Execution Eve and Other Contemporary Ballads. Putnam, 1975. Hardback (no edition stated), a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with some tiny closed tears at head and heel. Inscribed by Buckley on a bookplate: “To Lorenzo Avera/[Something]/Wm. F. Buckley.”

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  • Buckley, William F. A Hymnal: The Controversial Arts. Putnam, 1978. Hardback (no edition stated), a Fine- copy with slight crimping at head and a page number circled in red with the word “Rush” written beside it on the table of contents on page 9, in a Very Good- dust jacket with chipping at head and heel. Inscribed by Buckley on a bookplate: “For Claire Worth/With high regards/Bill Buckley.” Collection of essays.

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  • Buckley, William F. Inveighing We Will Go. Putnam, 1972. Hardback (no edition stated), a Near Fine copy with slightly soft heel and waviness to first few pages and a couple of dust spots to page block edges, in a Very Good- dust jacket with a long semi-closed tear across the bottom of the front cover and two 1/4″ chips at heel. Inscribed by Buckley on a bookplate: “To Mrs. Helen C. Avera/[Something] all/Wm. F. Buckley.” Collection of essays.

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  • Buckley, William F. In Search of Anti-Semitism. Continuum Publishing Company, 1992. Hardback, no printing stated, a Fine- copy with slight bump at head and light crease to first few pages, in a Fine- dust jacket with slight bump at head and small crease to corner of top rear flap. Long essay on charges of antisemitism against various figures on the right, followed by a round of essays and letters from various people in reaction.
  • Buckley, William F. Miles Gone By: A Literary Autobiography. Regnery Publishing, 2004. Fourth printing hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with CD of Buckley reading in plastic insert at back. Signed by Buckley on a bookplate. Regnery used a very heavy, high-quality paper on this book. Non-fiction.

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  • Buckley, William F. Marco Polo, If You Can. Doubleday, 1982. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with small crease to top inner flap. Inscribed by the author on a bookplate: “For Claire Worth/Best regards/Bill Buckley.” (I believe “Worth” is the last name; I have numerous example of books in this lot inscribed to the same person, and “Worth” seems the most obvious choice. In my (admittedly limited) experience, Buckley didn’t sign terribly many books “Bill”, “Wm. F.” seems considerably more common. If I had to guess, I’d say the books were signed for a longtime correspondent of Buckley’s, someone who took decent care of them but wasn’t a book collector per se (some, but not all, of the books in this lot were in a dust jacket protector, and a few others in plastic book bags).) Actually, I already had a signed first of this book, but this is a better copy. Smith/White, Cloak and Dagger Fiction 913.

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  • Buckley, William F. Mongoose, R.I.P.. Random House, 1987. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with large foxing squares (probably from a newspaper clipping) to rear inside cover and rear free endpaper, in a Near Fine- dust jacket with significnat creasing to rear cover. Inscribed by Buckley: “For Claire Worth/With best & warm wishes/Buckley.” Unlike most of the signed books in this lot, this was signed by Buckley directly on the front free endpaper rather than on a bookplate. Smith/White, Cloak and Dagger Fiction 914.

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  • Buckley, William F. On the Firing Line: The Public Lives of Our Public Figures. Random House, 1989. First trade hardback preceded by a signed edition from the Franklin Library), a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just the lightest traces of wear. Collection of transcripts from Buckley’s Firing Line program on PBS, including Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, Margaret Thatcher, Richard Nixon, Kurt Vonnegut, etc.
  • Buckley, William F. Overdrive. Doubleday, 1983. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with shallow chipping and creasing at heel and slight wear at head and points. Inscribed by Buckley on a bookplate: “For Claire Worth/With warm regards/Bill Buckley.” An autobiography of a week in Buckley’s hectic life.

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  • Buckley, William F. Racing Through Paradise. Random House, 1987. First edition hardback (stated, with a numberline starting with 2, as per standard Random House custom), a Fine- copy with line of wear across bottom of spine at heel, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Buckley on the front free endpaper: “For Claire Worth/With higher [something]/Bill Buckley.” Non-fiction book about Buckley sailing through the Pacific.

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  • Buckley, William F. Saving the Queen. Doubleday, 1976. Hardback (there’s no First Edition statement on the title page, so this is possibly a reprint, though the R10 gutter code on page 248 would put it in March of its publication year, and occasionally Doubleday did slip up and forget to include the First Edition statement on the true first), a Near Fine+ copy with slight bumping at head and heel and front inner hinge a little bumpy from the glue line under the paper, in a Fine- dust jacket with just a trace of dust soiling along extremities. Inscribed by Buckley: “For Claire Worth/With warmest regards/Bill Buckley.” Another book directly signed rather than on a bookplate. Smith/White, Cloak and Dagger Fiction 912.

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  • Buckley, William F. See You Later Alligator. Doubleday, 1985. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight bumping at head and heel and a 1″ closed tear to bottom rear cover. Inscribed by Buckley on a bookplate: “For Claire Worth/With best regards/Bill Buckley.” Smith/White, Cloak and Dagger Fiction 920.

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  • Buckley, William F. The Story of Henri Tod. Doubleday, 1984. First trade edition hardback (preceded by a Franklin Library signed edition), a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight wear at head and heel. Inscribed by Buckley on a bookplate: “For Claire Worth/With high hopes/Bill Buckley.” Smith/White, Cloak and Dagger Fiction 921.

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  • Buckley, William F. Who’s on First. Doubleday, 1980. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel in a Near Fine dust jacket with 1/16″ chip at rear heel join, slight dust soiling to rear cover and a 1″ surface scratch. Inscribed by Buckley on a bookplate: “For Claire Worth/With high hopes/Bill Buckley.” Smith/White, Cloak and Dagger Fiction 918.

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  • (Buckley, William F., Jr.) Meehan, William H. III. William F. Buckley Jr.: A Bibliography. ISI Books, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Bought this after picking up these Buckley boks. Alas, though it contains a great deal of information, it doesn’t include the one thing I bought it for: first edition pints on Buckley’s books.

    buckley-bib

  • Bullock, Michael. Green Beginning, Black Ending: Fables. Sono Nis Press, 1971. First edition hardback, a Very Good+ copy with slight wear to boards at head and heel, dusty page block at head, and small triangular abrasion to top front right board in a Very Good- dust jacket with spine fading, significant creasing and rubbing to top of front cover, 1/2″ semi-closed tear at top front fold, blindside tape at head and top front fold, and general wear. Inscribed by Bullock on the FFE: “With good wishes from/Michael Bullock 2.8.71.” There’s also what appears to be a stock number, a price, and “with odd vampire vignette” all in pencil, the last presumably from the vampire and werewolf collector whose collection this came from. Supposedly surreal stories by someone more famous as a translator and poet. Only two copies on Bookfinder, neither signed. Not in in Carter’s The Vampire in Literature, Bleiler’s Supernatural Fiction, Reginald, or, probably, anything else.

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  • Caldwell, Taylor. Dialogues With the Devil. Doubleday, 1967. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a slight bit of edgewear. Book in which Lucifer makes his case. Bought off eBay for $28 plus shipping.

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  • Campbell, Ramsey, editor. Superhorror. St. Martin’s Press, 1976 (stated; ISFDB says 1977). First U.S. edition (though stating it was printed in Great Britain, suggesting that St. Martin’s bound the W. H. Allen sheets, so it might be more technically accurate to call this “First Edition, U.S. (second) state”), hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket that appears to have had some sort of very thin laminate applied to it; the edges of the flaps have uniform yellowed strip running the entire length of the flap and feeling ever-so-slight raised; the rest of the flaps are a pristine white; very odd. Horror anthology with original stories by (among others) R. A. Lafferty and Manly Wade Wellman. However, I mainly decided to keep this because it has a story by Joe Pumilia in it, and I knew I could get him to sign it at this year’s Armadillocon (which, in fact, I did).

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  • Carroll, Jonathan. Teaching the Dog to Read. Subterranean Press, 2015. #281 of 1000 signed, numbered copies. Novella. Bought at 50% off cover price.
  • Chapman, Graham, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin with Bob Mccabe. The Pythons By The Pythons. Orion Books, 2003. Non-fiction book by and about Monty Pythons Flying Circus.
  • Clute, John. Pardon This Intrusion: Fantastika in the World Storm. Beccon Publications, 2011. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy. Collection of reviews and essays. Bought for 40% off cover price.
  • Clute, John. Stay. Beccon Publications, 2014. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy. Collection of reviews and essays. Bought for 40% off cover price.
  • Collison-Morley, Lacy. Greek and Roman Ghost Stories. B. H. Blackwell, 1912. First edition hardback, a Very Good+ copy with a number stamped on page V, rubbing away of gilt spine lettering and points blunted, no dust jacket (possibly as issued). Non-fiction.

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  • Chu, Wesley. The Days of TAO. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, #268 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Bought at 50% off cover price.
  • Delany, Samuel R. The Complete Nebula Award-Winning Fiction. Bantam Spectra, 1986. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with slight touches of wear. Inscribed and dated (“Austin 88,” when Delany came to town to attend Sercon 2) by the author to Fred Duarte.

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  • Derleth, August and Mark Schorer. Colonel Markesan and Less Pleasant People. Arkham House, 1966. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a trace of wear at points and a trace of dust soiling on white portions of dust jacket at rear. Collaborative short story collection. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House 87. Jaffery, Horrors and Unpleasantries 93. Nielsen, Arkham House Books: A Collector’s Guide, 93. Derleth, Thirty Years of Arkham House 87. Currey, page 146.

    Colonel Markesan

  • Derleth, August, editor. Dark Mind, Dark Heart. Arkham House, 1962. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight dust soiling to white rear cover. Anthology. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House 64. Jaffery, Horrors and Unpleasantries 66. Nielsen, Arkham House Books: A Collector’s Guide, 68. Derleth, Thirty Years of Arkham House 64. Currey, page 151.

    Dark Mind

  • Derleth, August, editor. Over the Edge. Arkham House, 1964. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight rubbing along rear cover fold. Anthology. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House 75. Jaffery, Horrors and Unpleasantries 79. Nielsen, Arkham House Books: A Collector’s Guide, 81. Derleth, Thirty Years of Arkham House 79. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, page 6. Currey, page 153.

    Over the Edge

  • Disch, Thomas M. Triplicity (omnibus edition of Echo Round His Bones, The Genocides, and The Puppies of Terra). Nelson Doubleday (SFBC), 1980. First edition hardback thus (as per the ISFDB, i.e. 3816 printed at the bottom on the back flap of the dustjacket and gutter code K10 on page 408), and first hardback edition of The Puppies of Terra), a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with several 1/16″ creases at head and wear at points. Inscribed to Fred Duarte and signed thrice by Disch (as was his custom for this title).

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  • Dozois, Gardner, editor. The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Third Annual Collection. St. Martin’s, 2016.
  • Effinger, George Alec. Death in Florence. Doubleday, 1978. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed: “To Stuart,/George Alec Effinger”. Bought for $35 off the Internet.

    Death in Florence

  • Effinger, George Alec. Planet of the Apes 1: Man the Fugitive. Award 1974. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with light reading creases, wear, and slight rubbing (and the usual age-darkening to pages). Inscribed to Fred Duarte by Effinger.
  • Effinger, George Alec. Planet of the Apes 2: Escape To Tomorrow. Award, 1975. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine copy with light wear (and the usual age-darkening to pages). Inscribed to Fred Duarte by Effinger.
  • Effinger, George Alec. Planet of the Apes 3: Journey Into Terror. Award, 1975. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with very slight subbing (with usual age-darkening to pages). Inscribed to Fred Duarte by Effinger.
  • Effinger, George Alec. Planet of the Apes 4: Lord of the Apes. Award 1976.First edition paperback original, a Near Fine copy with light reading creases and wear (and the usual age-darkening to pages). Inscribed to Fred Duarte by Effinger.

    Planet of the Apes 1 2

    Planet of the Apes 3 4

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  • 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 cover. Features 25 uncollected Ellison stories from across his career.

    coffin-nails

  • 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

  • Elwood, Roger, editor. The Berserkers. Trident Press, 1973. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with a slight wrinkle to top rear, a 1/32″ closed tear at head, and a tiny bit of crimping at head and heel. Original anthology by the prolific (but not particularly well-regarded) Elwood, who at one point in the 1970s was purportedly responsible for one quarter of all the original anthologies in science fiction. Keeping this because it includes an R. A. Lafferty story, “And Mad Undancing Bears.”

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  • Ferret, Tim: We Murder. Morrigan Publications/The Dog Factory, 1994. First edition center-stapled chapbook original, #165 of 200 signed, numbered copies (though the limitation sheet, slightly smaller than the chapbook itself, has merely been laid in, not attached, presumably as issued), a Fine copy. According to Cold Tonnage: “This was the last book(let) to be published by Morrigan Press and got very little (if no) distribution.” Chalker/Owings (2002), page 557, where they note “The 1994 Ferret chapbook was a surprise, but the fact that checks were made out to [Morrigan owner Les] Escott personally and the chapbook was typeset from Ferret’s The Dog Factory in San Francisco and printed in New Zealand (!) doesn’t suggest a really major reinvolvement and seems an aberration.” Bought for £3 after discount.

    Ferret We Murder

  • Frank, Frederick S. Gothic Fiction: A Master List of Twentieth Century Criticism and Research. Meckler, 1988. First edition hardback, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Reference work.
  • Grimm, The Brothers. Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Grosset and Dunlap, 1945. Reprint edition, a Near Fine copy with color frontispiece affixed and decorated endpapers, no dust jacket. Illustrated by Fritz Kredel. Given to me by my mother as she was downsizing before moving.
  • Harrison, Harry. Winter in Eden. Bantam Spectra, 1986. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with wear to points. Inscribed to Fred Duarte.
  • Harrison, Harry. Return to Eden. Bantam Spectra, 1988. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed to Fred Duarte.

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  • Jablokov, Alexander. Brain Thief. Tor, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by the author: “2/13/10/To Fred—/It’s been a long time! I hope/you enjoy this./Alex Jablokov”

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  • Jablokov, Alexander. Deep Drive. Avon Eos, 1998. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by the author: “2/19/00/To Fred—/Thanks for everything./Alex Jablokov.” Note that this was part of an Eo launch with all the books being a much smaller trim size than normal (16mo, if I’m not mistaken), and I get the impression this format wasn’t popular with book buyers.
  • James, M. R. (Peter Haining, editor). The Book of Ghost Stories. Stein and Day, 1982. First American edition (this appears to be a reprint of the UK Book of the Supernatural (with the same contents) from 1979), a Fine- copy with slight wear at points in a Very Good dust jacket with significant rubbing to rear cover. A collection of some of James’ previously uncollected short stories, plus commentary on his work by various writers, Christopher Lee, etc., and even an anonymous piece, “The Vampire of Kring,” that James believed formed the basis of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Looks like an interesting miscellany in a book I probably couldn’t sell, so…
  • Jeter, K.W. Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Bloodletter. Pocket Books, 1993. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine+ copy with slight wear along spine edges and points. Inscribed by Jeter: “For Fred +/Meschke/Signed @/Confrancisco/Best/Wishes/K.W. Jeter.” Karen Meschke was then Fred’s wife (they later divorced) and con chair of the 1997 San Antonio Worldcon. The proceeds of the sale of Fred’s books went to their son, Matthew Duarte.

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  • Jeter, K.W. Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars. SFBC, 1999. First edition hardback thus (omnibus edition containing The Mandalorian Armor, Slave Ship, and Hard Merchandise), first hardback editions of all titles, and first edition of Hard Merchandise (as per ISFDB), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed by Jeter.
  • Jeter, K.W. Star Wars: The Mandalorian Armor. Bantam Spectra, 1998. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine+ copy with crease at front bottom right corner and wear at points, inscribed by Jeter.

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  • Jeter, K.W. and Gareth Jefferson Jones. Death’s Apprentice: A Grimm City Novel St. Martin’s, 2012. Bought off eBay for $1.99 plus shipping.
  • Kaufman, Lloyd and Adam Jahnke. The Toxic Avenger: The Novel. Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2006. First edition trade paperback original, a Near Fine copy with a crease to bottom front corner. Inscribed by Kaufman: “To Cynthia & Kazuyoshi/Toxie Loves You!/Lloyd Kaufman.” Novelization of the cult film by its writer/director. Bought for $6.98 (though at one point Half Price had it marked at $50).

    toxic-avenger

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  • Kress, Nancy. The Best of Nancy Kress. Subterranean Press, 2015. #212 of 1000 signed, numbered copies. Novella. Bought at 50% off cover price.
  • Langford, David. The Dragonhiker’s Guide To Battlefield Covenant At Dune’s Edge: Odyssey Two. Drunken Dragon Press, 1988. First edition hardback, one of 903 trade hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Langford: “For Alison, without whom this inscription could not have/been written—/Best wishes/David Langford/11-88”. Science fiction parodies and pastiches. Chalker/Owings, page 193. Bought for £9 after discount.

    Dragonhikers

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  • Lansdale, Joe R. Dead on the Bones. Subterranean Press, 2016. #308 of 1500 signed, numbered copies.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Drive-In 2 (Not Just One of Them Sequels). Bantam Spectra, 1989. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of wear along the spine. Inscribed by Lansdale: “For/Karen/Meschke/(Her Ownself)/Joe R. Lansdale/(His Ownself).” I already had the Kinnell first hardback of this inscribed to me by Joe, but just never picked up this PBO.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. Hap and Leonard. Tachyon, 2016. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, inscribed to me by Joe.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. and John L. Lansdale. Hell’s Bounty. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, a PC copy of 1,000 signed numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Got this from Joe in trade.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. and John L. Lansdale. Hell’s Bounty. Short, Scary Tales (SST) Publications, 2016. First edition hardback thus (the Subterranean Press edition precedes), 55 of 200 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Weird western, heavy on the action and bloodshed.

    hells-bounty-sst

  • Lansdale, John L. Zombie Gold. Short, Scary Tales (SST) Publications, 2016. First edition hardback, 55 of 200 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. More weird western mayhem.
  • zombie-gold

  • Lansdale, Joe R. and Kasey Lansdale. The Case of the Bleeding Wall. First edition hardback, #363 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Bought as part of a $99 package deal.
  • Lee, Tanith. East of Midnight. Macmillan (UK), 1977. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed and dated 2008 by Lee. Bought for £18 after discount.

    Lee East of Midnight

    IMG_0893

  • Leiber, Fritz. The Wanderer. Ballantine Books, 1964. First edition paperback original, a Very Good+ copy with stamp to blurb page, a bot of rubbing, and touches of general wear. Signed by Leiber. Hugo Award winner. Currey, page 309. Burgess, Anatomy of Wonder 4, 4-259. Reginald, 08843.

    Leiber Wanderer

    IMG_0835

  • Lewis, Anthony R. An Annotated Bibliography Of Recursive Science Fiction. NESFA Press, 1986. First edition oversized 8 1/2″ x 11″ center-stapled chapbook original, a Fine copy. Non-fiction reference work. Bought for £3 after discount.

    Recursive SF

  • (Lovecraft, H. P.) Dobbyn, Nigel. The Cthulhu Coloring Book: Startling Images From the Imagination of H. P. Lovecraft. Acturus, 2016. Oversized trade paperback original, Fine. Having received this as a gift, I am unsure whether this is a first printing or not. States “Suppler 29, Date 0816, Print Run 5487” which sounds more like a job batch number than a printing.
  • (Lovecraft, H. P.) Guran, Paula, editor. The Mammoth Book of Cthulhu. Robinson, 2016. Trade paperback original, new, Fine. Received as a Christmas gift.
  • (Lovecraft, H.P.) Joshi, S. T. 200 Books by S. t. Joshi. Hippocampus Press, 2014. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, signed by Joshi. A self-bibliography of H.P. Lovecraft’s supreme scholar, biographer, and bibliographer. So a bibliography of a bibliographer. Bought off eBay for $4.50 plus shipping.

    joshi-200

  • Lupoff, Richard. Nebogipfel At The End Of Time. Underwood/Miller, 1979. First edition, tiny oblong (5 1/2″ wide by 4 1/4″ long) side-stapled chapbook, one of 300 copies printed, a Fine copy. According to Chalker/Owings, there are 15 different color covers; this one is beige. Supposedly a Cthulhu Mythos story, but not in Ernest or Harms. Chalker/Owings (2002), page 900. Bought for £4.80 after discount.

    Nebogipfel

  • McCammon, Robert. The Last Train to Perdition. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Trade edition. Bought at 50% off cover price.
  • McCammon, Robert. The Last Train from Perdition. Subterranean Press, 2016. #308 of 500 signed, numbered, slipcased copies. The trade edition precedes by several months. Bought at 50% off cover price.
  • McCammon, Robert. Stinger. Subterranean Press, 2015. Signed limited edition hardback, #467 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Came in as part of a grab-bag lot. Supplements a copy of the Kinnell first hardback.
  • McAuley, Paul J. A Very British History with A Very British History: Additional Stories. PS Publishing, 2013. First edition hardback, #127 of 200 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine decorated slipcase. Image above under Baxter.
  • Mieville, China. This Census-Taker. Subterranean Press, 2016. First limited edition hardback (the Del Rey trade edition precedes), #442 of 750 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
  • Miller, John and Smith, Tim, editors. The Were-Wolf and Other Tales from the Dark Side of the Moon. Chronicle Books, 1995. First edition small trim sized hardback (4 3/4″ x 6 1/4″), a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Reprint anthology, from mostly classical and other public domain sources (Ovid, Petronius, Bram Stoker), plus Angela Carter. Looks like an item that was aimed as an impulse buy at the register, but as such there are relatively few copies listed online. Unusual book design, consisting of white and red printing on black pages.

    miller-were-wolf

  • Moorcock, Michael. The Birds of the Moon: A Travelers’ Tale. Jayde Design/Nomads of the Time Streams, 1995. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy. Signed by Moorcock: “Dave/—/Written for the/hippy issue of New Statesman/that never happened./Mike”. £15 pounds after discount.

    Birds Moon

    Birds Moon sig

  • Moorcock, Michael. Breakfast in the Ruins: A Novel of Inhumanity. New English Library, 1972. First edition hardback (as per Currey, page 368), a Fine- copy with the age darkening of pages all too common for NEL books of this era, in a Fine- dust jacket with slight wear at points. Inscribed by Moorcock to fellow science fiction writer Keith Roberts: “For Keith/with very best/wishes./Mike.” Tanelorn Archives, page 11. Of the several first editions inscribed by Moorcock to Roberts Cold Tonnage had, this was both the most affordable and a title by Moorcock I didn’t already have. £24 after discount.

    Breakfast Ruins

    Breakfast Ruins Sig

  • Moorcock, Michael, with James Cawthorn, as Desmond Reid. Caribbean Crisis. Sexton Blake Library 501/Fleetway Publications, 1962. First edition (“First Printing” stated) trade paperback original (digest format), a Very Good- copy with small stains to front and rear cover (some from bleed-through from rusting staple), general wear and wrinkling along spine edge, small line of thin blue handwriting at top of rear cover, and slight page darkening. 62 double-column pages, plus a two page “mailbag” at rear. Not sure if this counts as a book serial or a magazine, but it features an English detective who first made his debut in 1893! Currey, page 368. Tanelorn Archives, page 12. An online Sexton Blake bibliography says that W. Howard Baker also did some revisions on this. Bought online for $6.65 plus $12.96 in shipping from a UK dealer.

    caribbean-crisis

  • Munn, H. Warner. Tales of the Werewolf Clan Volume One: The Tomb of the Bishop. Donald M. Grant, 1979. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a few small nicks at extremities. Illustrated by “Jeff K. Potter” before he started initializing his first name. Chalker/Owings, 219-220.

    munn-werewolf-1

  • Munn, H. Warner. Tales of the Werewolf Clan Volume Two: The Master Goes Home. Donald M. Grant, 1980. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Also illustrated by Potter. Chalker/Owings, 220.

    munn-werewolf-2

  • Ortved, Douglas. The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History. Faber & Faber, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Non-fiction guide to the animated TV show.
  • Otten, Charlotte F. A Lyncanthropy Reader: Werewolves in Western Culture. Syracuse University Press, 1986. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with one 1/4″ closed tear at top front, slight edgewear, and slight wear at points. Non-fiction.

    lycanthropy-reader

  • Parry, Michael. The Hounds of Hell. Gollancz, 1974. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Reprint anthology of weird stories about dogs, including stories by Manly Wade Wellman, Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, etc.

    parry-hounds-of-hell

  • Pei, Mario A. Tales of the Natural and the Supernatural. Devin-Adar, 1971. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Short story collection by this noted Italian-American linguist and writer. Includes “The Sparrows of Paris” (see Bleiler, Supernatural Fiction, 1298), a short werewolf novel. Reginald, 11279.
  • Pollard, John. Wolves and Werewolves. Robert Hale, 1964. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a tint bit of crimping at head and heel in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with one 1/8″ tear near spine, very slight dust staining to white rear dust jacket, and a tiny bit of edgewear, otherwise a nice, bright copy with unfaded orange lettering on the spine. Wolf and werewolf lore and myth from across Europe.

    pollard-werewolves

  • Porter, J. R. and W.M.S Russell. Animals in Folklore. D. S. Brewer Ltd and Rowman & Littlefield for the Folklore Society, 1978. First edition hardback, a Fine copy (with inserted color frontispiece intact) in a Fine- dust jacket with just a trace of edgewear. Non-fiction. This is pretty far afield of the research books I typically pick up, but two things made me keep it: 1. The fact the only other copy online lists for over $300, and 2. The presence of a sticker stating “From the Library of Angela Carter” affixed to the inside front cover (which is, in fact, identical to the one on the first edition of Carter’s The Infernal Desire Machines of Dr. Hoffman I bought from her estate off eBay). Not bad for a throw-in on a $30 lot…

    animals-folklore

    img_0945

  • Powers, Tim. Down and Out in Purgatory. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Trade edition.
  • Powers, Tim (as Francis Thomas Marrity). Nine Sonnets. Subterranean Press, 2006. First edition hardback chapbook, letter Q of 52 signed, lettered hardbacks, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Berlyne, B14a2. (In addition to this and the wraps chapbook state made to accompany the Subterranean Press edition of Three Days to Never, there were 9 (!) hardback copies in a different patterned binding and matching traycase, not seen.) Bought for $50 from a Camelot Books 50% off sale.

    nine-sonnets

  • 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.

    aquila-rift-trade

  • Reynolds, Alastair. Beyond the Aquila Rift. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, #171 of 350 signed and numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine slipcase. I find it slightly odd that the trade edition includes a wraparound dust jacket illustration, whereas the spine and rear of the limited are just a background dark blue color, but the cover art here is by Reynolds himself.

    aquila-rift-ltd

  • (Rice, Anne) Beahm, George. The Anne Rice Companion. GB Ink, 1995. First edition hardback, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Reference work.

    anne-rice-companion

  • Sheckley, Robert. Notions Unlimited. Bantam Books, 1960. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine copy with slight wear at head and heel. Signed by Sheckley. Currey, page 433. Bought for £4.80 after discount.

    Sheckley Notions

    IMG_0885

  • Shepard, Lucius. Five Autobiographies and a Fiction. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Trade edition.
  • Silverberg, Robert. Early Days: More Tales from the Pulp Era. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, #169 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
  • Silverberg, Robert. Musings and Meditations Nonstop Press, 2011. Trade paperback original, new, Fine. Non-fiction. Bought for 50% off cover price.
  • Sladek, John. Black Aura. Jonathan Cape, 1974. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Currey, page 450. Mystery novel. Bought for £9 after discount.

    Black Aura

  • Simmons, Dan. Hard as Nails. St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2003. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Third Joe Kurtz hardboiled mystery. I really enjoyed the first two, I just never chanced across a cheap copy of the third until I picked this up from the Fred Duarte estate.
  • Sladek, John (as Richard A. Tilms) The Judgement of Jupiter. New English Library, 1980. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Ostensibly non-fiction, this is, like Arachne Rising (which I also have) a spoof of pseudoscience. Bought for £9 after discount.

    Judgement of Jupiter

  • Smith, Clark Ashton. The Double Shadow. Auburn Journal Print, 1933. First edition oversized (8 1/2″ x 11 1/2″, about the size of sheet music) side-stapled chapbook, a Very Good copy with light crease to bottom corner, bottom staple starting to go, page 19 torn most of the way through in the center (but still intact) and general wear. Inscribed by the author: “With compliments of Clark Ashton Smith.” There are also several hand corrections by Smith in blue ink. Smith’s first collection of prose. Currey, page 453. Bleiler, Supernatural Fiction, 1483. Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy, page 200. Emperor of Dreams, page 183. Bought off eBay (after a bit of haggling) for $220. I did not previously have anything signed by Smith.

    Double Shadow

    Double Shadow sig

  • Smith, Clark Ashton. Out of Space and Time. Arkham House, 1942. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with slight bumping to bottom corner points and slight bend at head and heel, in a Very Good+ dust jacket with yellowing tape at head, heel and top points and the usual age darkening of the spine lettering (turning it from pale green to off-white), plus extremely slight wear at edges; despite the flaws, this is actually an intact and attractive specimen of the dust jacket. The third Arkham House book published and, with only 1,054 copies printed, the smallest print run among all Arkham House titles until Leah Bodine Drake’s partially subsidized poetry collection A Hornbook for Witches (with a print run of 553 copies) in 1950. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House, 3. Derleth, Thirty Years of Arkham House, 3. Jaffery, Horrors and Unpleasantries, 3. Nielsen, Arkham House Books: A Collector’s Guide, 3. Sidney-Fryer, Emperor of Dreams, page 183. The Tales of Clark Ashton Smith: A Bibliography, page 1. Currey, page 453. Chalker/Owings, page 21. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 290. Bleiler, Checklist of Science-Fiction and Supernatural Fiction, page 252 (1948), page 181 (1978), Bleiler, Guide to Supernatural Fiction, 1484. Barron, Horror Literature 3-182. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, page 200-201 (he had Fryer’s inscribed copy!). Bought off eBay for $399.

    CAS Space and Time

  • Sotheby’s Catalogue: Science Fiction Art, Books And Related Memorabilia b/w Sotheby’s Catalogue: Comic Books and Comic Art. Sotheby’s, 1995. First edition oversize illustrated pictorial covers, a Fine copy. Illustrated color catalogue for the June 16/17, 1995, Comic Books And Comic Art and Science Fiction books auctions. Unfortunately for my purposes, there’s a lot more comic book and art material than SF first editions. Bought for £6 after discount.

    Sotheby's SF catalog 1995

  • Stapledon. Olaf (Sam Moskowitz, editor). Far Future Calling: Uncollected Science Fictions and fantasies of Olaf Stapledon Oswald Train, 1979. First edition hardback, one of 1,300 copies printed, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just of trace of rubbing on front cover along gutter line. Signed by Moscowitz and artist Stephen Fabian. Previously uncollected stories, plus a long bio by Moskowitz. Chalker/Owings, pages 607-8. Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy 2, page 104. Bought for £18 after discount.

    Far Future Calling

    IMG_0906

  • Sterling, Bruce. Pirate Utopia. Tacyhon, 2016. Advanced Reading Copy, trade paperback format, Fine.
  • Sterling, Bruce. Pirate Utopia. Tacyhon, 2016.
  • Straub, Peter. Sides. Cemetery Dance, 2007. First edition hardback, #89 of 300 numbered copies signed by Straub, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase. Non-fiction pieces. This was published at $50, but Half Price Books had it at half the price of the trade edition at $12.49, then took an additional 20% off, so I got it for 1/5th cover price. Supplements a copy of the trade edition, also signed by Straub.
  • Sturgeon, Theodore. The Worlds of Theodore Sturgeon. Ace, 1972 (stated; actually 1977). Paperback original, second printing (cover price of $1.50 rather than 95¢, as per ISFDB), a Fine- copy with traces of wear, slight foxing to inside covers, and a small wrinkle at heel.

    Worlds Sturgeon

    IMG_0742

  • Swanwick, Michael. Not So Much Said the Cat. Tachyon, 2016. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Signed and dated by Swanwick. His latest short story collection.
  • Swanwick, Michael. Signed Poem on Leaf. Dragonstairs Press, 2016. First edition. Note: Signed poem on leaf is a description more than a title, since it’s literally a leaf with a poem written on one side, and signed and numbered (4/20) by Swanwick on the other. This just showed up unexpectedly in the mail. In cardboard sleeve stating “For a friend of/Dragonstairs Press” and the shipping envelope.

    swanwick-leaf-poem

    swanwick-leaf-sig

  • Swanwick, Michael. Solstice Spirits. Dragonstairs Press, 2015. First edition chapbook original, #62 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy new and unread. Four brief seasonal tales. Though dated 2015, I was only able to obtain it recently, and it’s already sold out from the press.
  • solstice-spirits

  • Swanwick, Michael and Marianne Porter. Universe Box. Dragonstairs Press, 2016. First edition “hardback” (oblong stiff stab-bound/side-sewn boards, no spine binding, with bead), a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued, in a Fine decorated traycase (i.e., an old cigar box) with several art assemblage pieces included, one of only 13 copies (of which only 10 were available for sale), of which this particular copy (the first one sold) is labeled “Draco/Recent.” See here for more details.

    Universe Box Outside

    IMG_0842

    IMG_0851

    IMG_0855

    IMG_0859

    IMG_0864

    Universe Box Book

    IMG_0867

  • Queen, Ellery (here a pseudonym for Jack Vance). The Madman Theory. Pocket Books, 1966. Signed by Vance. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine+ copy with traces of wear to extremities and slight foxing to inside cover edges. Hewett, A25. Currey, page 499. Supplements a signed copy of the later first hardback printing. Bought for £15 after discount.

    Madman Theory PBO

  • Vance, Jack. Monsters in Orbit. Dennis Dobson, 1977. First hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Hewett, A20b. Currey, page 499. Bought for £30 after discount.

    Monsters in Orbit

  • Vance, Jack. The Seventeen Virgins. Underwood/Miller, 1979. First edition trade paperback chapbook original, one of 600 copies, a Fine copy. Hewett, A58. Supplements a copy of the combined hardback edition of The Seventeen Virgins & The Bagful of Dreams. Bought for £18 after discount.

    Seventeen Virgins

  • Varley, John. Wizard. Berkley/Putnam, 1980. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of wrinkling at upper top right corner. Inscribed to Fred by Varley.
  • Varley, John. Demon. Berkley/Putnam, 1984. First edition hardback, a Fine copy (sadly with the usual age darkening to the pages for this title; every copy I’ve seen has been so afflicted) in a Fine- dust jacket with just a trace of darkening along very top edge. Inscribed to Fred by Varley.

    IMG_0693

  • Waite, Arthur Edward. The Quest for Bloods: A Study of the Victorian Penny Dreadful. Privately printed (Ferret Fantasy), 1997. First edition oversized (8 1/2″ x 12″) hardback, no limitation stated on this copy of the “regular” edition (though I get the impression that there were less than 500 printed total, and possibly considerably less than that), a Fine- copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a slight bump and associated wrinkle near the head (and possibly some slight fading of the spine and other portions of the yellowish orange dust jacket).

    img_0924

  • Watson, Ian. The Best of Ian Watson with Squirrel, Reich and Lavender: Bonus Stories. PS Publishing, 2014. First edition hardback, #47 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine decorated slipcase. Note that in this set the signature page is found in the additional volume, not the main volume. Image above under Baxter.
  • Watson, Ian. Miracle Visitors. Gollancz, 1978. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Pringle, SF 100 85. Bought for £24 after discount.

    Watson Miracle Visitors

  • Whates, Ian and Ian Watson, editors. Shoes, Ships and Cadavers: Tales from North Londonshire. NewCon Press, 2010. First edition hardback, #48 of 50 signed, numbered copies signed by all the contributors (including introduction author Alan Moore), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. The combination of the low print run and being signed by Moore enticed me into buying it. Bought for £12 after discount.

    Shoes Ships Antho

    IMG_0910

  • Wells, H. G. The Camford Visitation. Methuen, 1937. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket with slight spine darkening and shallow chipping at head. It’s probably foolish to try to assemble a collection of H.G. Wells first editions at this late date, but I do try to pick up true firsts in nice dust jackets and/or signed when they’re cheap enough. H. G. Wells: A Comprehensive Bibliography, 130. Currey, page 517. Bought for £36 after discount.

    Camford Visitation

  • Wolfe, Gene. A Borrowed Man. Tor, 2015.
  • Wong, David. John Dies At the End. Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Cult science fiction horror novel and basis of the Don Coscarelli movie of the same name. Bought for $32.50 from Half Price Books with a 50% off coupon.

    john-dies

  • Library Addition: Signed 1989 Ray Bradbury Christmas Broadsheet

    Wednesday, January 11th, 2017

    Picked up another signed Ray Bradbury Christmas broadsheet off eBay:

    Bradbury, Ray. A Christmas Wish 1989: The Bread of Beggars, The Wine of Christ. Privately printed, 1989. First edition broadsheet, a Fine copy, inscribed by the author: “Tim!—Love!—Ray!” Bought off eBay for $34 plus shipping.

    bradbury-christmas-1989

    The slight shadowing on the left side is a scanner artifact, probably a result of leaving it in the protective plastic while scanning it…

    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: Signed Ray Bradbury Cassette

    Tuesday, October 18th, 2016

    Picked up one more thing from the Fred Duarte estate that I didn’t see during my previous purchase:

    Bradbury, Ray. Green Shadows, White Whale. Random House Audio, 1992. Audio cassette (probably the “first edition,” as I suspect there was only one) in a Very Good- packaging with 1″ of the inner cardboard cassette sleeve missing at bottom. Signed by Bradbury across the rear of the package. Two cassettes adding up to three hours of audio (presumably abridged) of Bradbury reading from his own novel. (I also have a first edition of the novel signed by Bradbury.) Bought from the Duarte estate sale at Armadillocon for $5.

    bradbury-green-cassette

    bradbury-green-cassette-sig

    Library Addition: Signed First Edition of Ray Bradbury’s The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit

    Tuesday, August 16th, 2016

    The very same day that I bought a bunch of books from the Fred Duarte estate, Cold Tonnage books in the UK had their annual 40% off sale. (As an added bonus, the post-Brexit exchange rate was quite favorable as well.) Here’s the first item from that sale.

    Bradbury, Ray. The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit. Hart-Davis MacGibbon, 1973. First hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Near Fine, corner-clipped (but otherwise fine) dust jacket. (Sadly, corner-slipped copies seem the norm for this title.) Signed by Bradbury. Collection of plays. Bought for £45 after discount.

    Ice Cream Suit

    IMG_0878

    Library Addition: Signed First of Ray Bradbury’s The Silver Locusts

    Monday, July 25th, 2016

    On Sunday, July 9, I bought a number of books formerly owned by the late Fred Duarte, an Austin area fan who helped out with Armadillocon, the San Antonio Worldcons, etc., and who had amassed a fair number of hypermodern science fiction firsts signed or inscribed to him. Most of what Fred had I already had myself, but I found a few things to pick up.

    Here’s the first and most expensive item.

    Bradbury, Ray. The Silver Locusts. Rupert Hart Davis, 1951. First UK edition and first hardback edition thus (includes almost all of The Martian Chronicles, dropping “Usher II” and adding “The Fire Balloons”), a Near Fine copy with dust soiling to top edge and a quarter-sized sticker for Foyle’s Bookstore (Charing Cross, London) affixed to bottom inside front cover, in a Very Good dust jacket with a 1/4″ chip at head, a 1″ tear and associated 1/4″ chip to top front cover, shallow chipping at points, foxing to white back cover and along flap edges, and general wear. Inscribed: “Fred!/Ray Bradbury/5/29/1992.” Weist, Jerry. Bradbury: An Illustrated Life, page 51 (where he notes that the cover is by Roy Sanford). Currey, page 56. Reginald, 01765. Tuck (Volume I), pages 62-63. Bought for approximately $320.

    Silver Locusts

    IMG_0682

    Library Additions: January 1 through June 30, 2016

    Monday, July 18th, 2016

    Here’s a omnibus “roll up” post for every book I bought during the first half of 2016. I’m a bit late getting this up, and I have a huge wave of books I bought July 10 I need to catalog…

  • Adams, Douglas and John Lloyd. The Deeper Meaning of Liff. Pan Books, 1990. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine, price-clipped dust jacket. Bought for £5 from Cold Tonnage Books.
  • Aldiss, Brian. The Creten Teat. House of Stratus, 2002. First hardback edition (according to Aldiss’ site, the trade paperback version preceded), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. I have heard, second-hand, that House of Stratus went into receivership about the time this came out, and that very few hardback copies actually made it out into the world. Bought off Amazon for $9.94.
  • Allston, Aaron. Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand. Del Rey, 2002. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy, signed and dated by Allston.
  • 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. Bought for £5 from Cold Tonnage Books.
  • Aylett, Steve. Toxicology. Gollancz, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with a postcard laid in. Bought for £5 from Cold Tonnage Books.
  • Bear, Greg. Halo: Cryptum. Tor, 2010. Book One of the Forerunner Saga. Bought at Half Price Books for $3.
  • Bradbury, Ray. The Autumn People. Paperback original, VG with a small sticker pull on front cover, spine crease, rubbing, stamps on insider covers, and general wear. Comic adaptations of Bradbury stories. Bought for $1.99 from Half Price Books.
  • Bradbury, Ray. A Christmas Wish 1988 (If Only We Had Taller Been). Privately printed, 1988. First edition Christmas broadsheet, a Fine copy. Inscribed by Bradbury: “For Rev. Gerald Watt, C.R./With fond good wishes/for/1989/Ray Bradbury.” Bought for $28 off eBay.

    Bradbury Christmas 88

  • Bradbury, Ray. A Christmas Wish 1989 (The Bread of Beggars, The Wine of Christ). Privately printed, 1989. First edition Christmas broadsheet, a Fine copy. Inscribed by Bradbury: “For Rev. Watt. Thanks for Asking!/Love!/Ray/Bradbury/ 5/6/90.” Bought for $29 off eBay.

    Bradbury Christmas 89

  • Bradbury, Ray. Christmas Greetings 2008 (Imagine that you have been dead). Privately printed, 2008. First edition Christmas broadsheet, a Fine- copy with slight corner bumping. Signed by Bradbury. Bought for $25 off eBay.

    Bradbury Christmas 2008 1

    Bradbury, Ray. Let’s All Kill Constance. William Morrow, 2003. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed and dated by Bradbury. Bought off eBay for $19.95, which is $4 off cover price.

    Bradbury Kill Constance

    IMG_0644

  • Bradbury, Ray. Quicker Than The Eye. Avon, 1996. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of fading to spine. Short story collection. Bought off eBay for $17.57.

    P1010024

  • Bradbury, Ray. Yestermorrow. Joshua Odell Editions/Capra Press, 1991. First edition hardback (“First Edition” stated and numberline ending in 1), a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of dust jacket crimping at head and heel. Inscribed by Bradbury: “Matthew!/Ray Bradbury/ 4/30/94”. Bought off eBay for $20, which is 5¢ over list price.

    Yestermorrow

    IMG_0615

  • (Bradbury, Ray) Weist, Jerry. Bradbury: An Illustrated Life. William Morrow, 2002. First edition hardback (precedes the Donald M. Grant limited edition by two years), a Fine-/Fine- copy with very slight bumping at head and heel. Inscribed by Bradbury: “To all the/Grand Tubers/Ray Bradbury.” Oversized illustrated history of Bradbury’s work. Bought for $27.10 off eBay.
  • Blish, James. A Dusk of Idols and Other Stories. Severn House, 1996. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Bought for £5 from Cold Tonnage Books.
  • Brown, Dan. The Da Vinci Code. Doubleday, 2003. First edition hardback (price of $24.95 on flap, “First Edition” and “10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1” numberline on copyright page), a near Fine copy with owner blindstamp on front free endpaper, in a Fine- dust jacket with a small crease to bottom corner of front flap. Bought for $2 from the “Nostalgia Bargain” section of a Half Price Books.
  • Buckell, Tobias. Xenowealth. Self published via Kickstarter, 2016. Hardback first edition, signed by the author. Short story collection. See here for more details.
  • Buckell, Tobias. Xenowealth. Self published via Kickstarter, 2016. Trade paperback edition, signed by the author.
  • Butler, Samuel. Erewhon or Over the Range. Trübner & Co., 1872. First edition hardback, a rebound copy in modern full leather (at least according to the auction description, but “modern” is a relative term; the new binding is worn enough that it appears to be at least 50 years old), original covers bound in rear of textblock, with heavy rubbing on joints and corners, hinges starting, minor scattered foxing on preliminary and terminal leaves, pages characteristically brittle, overall a Very Good rebind copy. Published anonymously, Erehwon (“nowhere” spelled backwards) is satire in the mode of Gullivers Travels, and one of the most important 19th century Utopian/Dystopian novels. Bleiler Checklist (1978), page 36. Bleiler Checklist (1948), page 68. Bleiler, SF: The Early Years, page 113. Reginald (Volume I), page 84. Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 4, 1-19. Magill, Survey of Science Fiction Literature Volume Two, page 729. Bought for $75 (including buyer’s premium) from Heritage Auctions.

    P1010019

    P1010020

    And here’s a picture of the original boards bound into the back:

    P1010023

  • Carr, Terry. Fandom Harvest. Laissez Faire Productions AB, 1986. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. According to Chalker/Owings (1991), page 538, only 250 hardbacks were done. Bought for £5 from Cold Tonnage Books.
  • 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. Bought for £5 from Cold Tonnage Books.
  • 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. Bought for £5 from Cold Tonnage Books. 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…
  • Farmer, Philip Jose. The Other in the Mirror. Subterranean Press, 2009. First edition hardback, with a signed (but unnumbered) limitation page, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine slipcase. Omnibus edition of three novels (Fire in the Night, Jesus on Mars, and Night of Light), the first two of which were only published as paperback originals. Original price for the signed/numbered edition was $125. This supplements my trade edition, and all editions are now out of print from the publisher. Bought off eBay for $24.95 plus shipping.
  • Franklin, Jay (AKA John Franklin Carter). The Rat Race. Fantasy Publishing Co. Inc., 1950. First edition hardback, one of 1,200 hardback copies (per Chalker/Owings), a Fine- copy in the second state (gray boards, red titling, per Kemp) binding, with slight bend at head and heel in a Near Fine+ second state (per Kemp) dust jacket that’s slightly misaligned (about 1/4″ more on rear than front flap), slight wear at extremities, and some indentations along rear spine gutter. Chalker/Owings, The Science-Fantasy Publishers (1991), page 171. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 79. Bought for $19 (including dealer discount), plus a $5 show credit coupon, at the Austin Book and Paper Show.

    Franklin Rat Race

  • Gaiman, Neil. Fragile Things. Headline Review, 2006. Short story collection. This UK edition precedes the US edition by a week.
  • Greenberg, Martin. Journey to Infinity. Gnome Press, 1951. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of bend at head in a Fine- second state (30 titles) dust jacket with a few small traces of wear, and a few pinhead spots on the front cover, otherwise extremely bright and attractive. Chalker/Owings (1991), pages 198-199. Kemp, 204. Bought for $25 with buyer premium.

    Journey to Infinity

  • Greenberg, Martin. All About the Future. Gnome Press, 1954. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight dust soiling to page block edges and one small indention to very bottom of from board, in a near Fine- dust jacket with a 1″ closed triangular tear at bottom front along spine, a semi-closed 1/8″ tear at head, and shallow chipping at points. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 202. Kemp, 204. Note that Kemp calls for black boards with red lettering; my copy is gray boards with a reddish cloth spine with silver lettering, and Chalker/Owings doesn’t report on the binding state at all, which would theoretically make this a previously unrecorded binding variant. However, Gnome Press variant collector Steve Carper believe that this is in fact the primary binding state, and that Kemp got it wrong and the black boards/red lettering state is the variant. Bought for $20 with buyer premium.

    All About the Future

  • (Hitchcock, Alfred) Paul Condon and Jim Sangster. The Complete Hitchcock. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy. Bought for £5 from Cold Tonnage Books.
  • Knight, Damon, editor (Leon Stover, Gene Wolfe, R. A. Lafferty, etc.). Orbit 9. Putnam, 1971. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with a touch of edgewear at points in a Near Fine- dust jacket with slight edgewear and very slight darkening to white rear jacket. Inscribed by contributor Leon Stover: “For Robert & Virgina Heinlein/with thanks for/9 June 1984/Leon Stover.” Stover would not only later publish a critical book on Heinlein from Twayne, but was working on the official authorized biography of Heinlein before the latter’s death, a project cancelled after a falling out with Virginia Heinlein. Bought for $6.50 from Houston bookstore Kaboom Books.

    Orbit 9

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  • 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”).
  • Le Guin, Ursula K. The Unreal and the Real: Selected Stories of Ursula K. Leguin: Volume Two: Outer Space, Inner Lands. Small Beer Press, 2012.
  • (Lovecraft, H.P.) Eddy, Muriel, and C.M. Eddy, Jr. The Gentlemen from Angell Street: Memories of H. P. Lovecraft. First edition trade paperback original thus, containing additional material not in the 1961 edition, a Fine copy. Bought for £5 from Cold Tonnage Books.
  • Martin, George R. R., editor. Wild Cards VI: Ace in the Hole. Bantam, 1990. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy.
  • Martin, George R. R. and Melinda Snodgrass, editors. Lowball: A Wild Cards Novel. Tor, 2014.
  • McCarthy, Cormac. The Sunset Limited: A Novel in Dramatic Form. Dramatists Play Service, 2006. Play chapbook original, possibly a first printing (I’m not sure how you tell printings for Dramatists Play Service), a Near Fine+ copy with a bit of curl.
  • (Moore, Alan) Parkin, Lance. Magic Words: The Extraordinary Life of Alan Moore. Aurum, 2013. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards with a purple band across the front cover, sans dust jacket, as issued. Non-fiction biography.
  • Newman, Kim. Moriarty: The Hound of the D’Urbervilles. Titan Books, 2011. Fine, signed by Newman. Bought for £5 from Cold Tonnage Books.
  • Niven, Larry. Protector. Ballantine Books, 1973. First edition (“First printing: September 1973,” as per Currey) paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with small number stamp at heel, one slight spine crease, and a tiny bit of spine lean.
  • Novik, Naomi. The Blood of Tyrants. Del Rey, 2013.
  • Pohl, Frederik. The Far Shore of Time. Tor, 1999. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Pohl. Bought for $10 off Ebay.

    P1010030

  • Pohl, Frederik and C.M. Kornbluth. Wolfsbane. Ballantine Books, 1959. PBO first edition (as per Currey), Fine- with a touch of wear and 1/16″ tear at heel front cover join.
  • Pohl, Frederik and Jack Williamson. The Singers of Time. Doubleday Foundation, 1991. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with small wrinkle to top inner flap tip. Signed by Pohl. Bought off eBay for $4.00 plus shipping.

    IMG_0663

  • Rajaniemi, Hannu. Collected Fiction. Tachyon, 2015.
  • Simmons, Dan. The Fifth Heart. Subterranean Press, 2015 (actually 2016). First signed limited edition, #189 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine slipcase. Remember when Simmons’ Carrion Comfort was notably taller than just about every book published that year? This is slightly taller, which seems to increasingly be the form factor of choice for limited editions.
  • Swanwick, Michael, with Marianne Porter. Fallen Leaves. Dragonstairs Press, 2016. First edition hardback, number 17 of 20 signed, numbered copies (the only edition), a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued, with spine label affixed.

    Swanwick Leaves

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  • Swanwick, Michael. 5 Seasons. Dragonstairs Press, 2016. First edition chapbook original, #69 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Five one page stories about the seasons.

    5 Seasons

  • Tymn, Marshall B. American Fantasy and Science Fiction: Toward a Bibliography of Works Published in the United States, 1949—1973. Fax Collector’s Editions, 1979. Paperback original, a Very Good+ copy with spine creasing and wear along the spine. Though Tymn authored or co-authored a number of important reference works, this, an attempt to update Bleiler’s Checklist with modern works, limited only to those published in hardback, is generally not numbered among them, as it was largely superseded by Currey and Reginald the same year of publication. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 178, are not kind: “Alas, it’s useless, one of the most worthless pieces of bibliography in the past 20 years or so.” There was a hardback, but Chalker/Ownings says it was just attaching a premade casing to the paperback. Not in Keith L. Justice’s Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Reference. Bought for £5 from Cold Tonnage Books.
  • Vance, Jack. Cugal’s Saga. Timescape, 1983. First edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Third book in the Dying Earth series (or fourth, if you count Michael Shea’s A Quest for Simbilis). Hewett, A71. Preceded the Underwood/Miller limited edition by six months.
  • Vance, Jack. The Houses of Iszm Underwood/Miller, 1983. First hardback edition, one of 482 trade copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Hewett, A12h.
  • Wake, Paul, Steve Andrews and Ariel (yes, just “Ariel,” no last name; I can only assume it’s edited by the mermaid from that Disney movie). Waterstone’s Guide to Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Waterstone Guides, 1998. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy. There are some good contributors in here (like John Clute), but the author entries are distributed somewhat randomly. Waterstone’s is a UK bookstore chain, and I imagine these are pretty common on the other side of the pond. Here? Not so much. Bought for £5 from Cold Tonnage Books.
  • Wandrei, Donald. Don’t Dream: The Collected Horror and Fantasy Fiction of Donald Wandrei. Fedogan & Breamer, 1997. Bought for $12.50 at Half Price Books with a 50% off coupon (cover price is $29).
  • Library Addition: Signed First of Ray Bradbury’s Quicker Than The Eye

    Tuesday, July 12th, 2016

    Yep, another signed Ray Bradbury first:

    Bradbury, Ray. Quicker Than The Eye. Avon, 1996. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of fading to spine. Short story collection. Bought off eBay for $17.57.

    P1010024

    Library Addition: Signed, Limited Edition of Ray Bradbury’s Death is a Lonely Business

    Thursday, June 30th, 2016

    Another signed Ray Bradbury first, one I’ve been patiently stalking for quite some time.

    Bradbury, Ray. Death is a Lonely Business. Franklin Library, 1985. First edition hardback (precedes the Knopf trade edition, per the Locus database), a Fine copy in decorated leather boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Signed by Bradbury. Mystery novel, the first of many, and his first new novel since The Halloween Tree. Bought for $34.95 off eBay.

    Death Lonely LTD