Posts Tagged ‘Jack Vance’
Monday, May 19th, 2014
Slowly but surely I’m closing in on my complete Jack Vance hardback collection:
Vance, Jack. Son of the Tree. Underwood/Miller, 1983. First hardback edition, #183 of 200 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a tiny bit of wrinkling at head and heel. Hewett, A13g.
Tags:Books, First Edition, Jack Vance, Science Fiction, signed
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Tuesday, March 25th, 2014
The most numerous books I bought from that 70% off sale were signed Jack Vance:
Vance Jack. Araminta Station. Tor, 1988. First U.S. trade hardback, a Fine- copy with pinhole cracks to front gutter in a Fine- dust jacket with slight dust soiling to rear cover. First book in the Caldwell Chronicles. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A79c.
Vance Jack. Ecce and Old Earth Tor, 1991. First trade hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket with crinkling and wrinkles along extremities. Second book in the Caldwell Chronicles. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A84b.
Vance Jack. Throy. Tor, 1992. First trade hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Third book in the Caldwell Chronicles. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A85b. Price for all three Caldwell volumes: $52.49.
Vance Jack. The Five Gold Bands. Underwood/Miller, 1993. First hardback edition and first edition thus, originally published in pulp paperback as The Space Pirate, a Near Fine copy with small orangeish spots to all three page block edges, in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A2k. Price: $37.49.
Vane, Jack. Galactic Effectuator. Underwood/Miller, 1980. First edition hardback, one of 800 trade copies, a Fine- copy with slight spotting at head in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A63. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 432. Price: $26.24.
Vance Jack. Vandals of the Void. John C. Winston, 1953. First edition hardback, Very Good- with a two inch split to outer back spine join and dust soiling to page edges, lacking the dust jacket. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A3. Currey (1979), page 501. Price: $29.99.
Vance, Jack, and Tony Russell Wayman. The Last Castle b/w World of the Sleeper. Ace Books, 1967. First edition paperback original (H-21 and 60¢ on cover, as per Currey and Hewett), a Very Good+ copy with long faint crease on the Russell side and slight overall wear. Signed by Vance. Hewett, A30. Currey (1979), page 499. Price: $8.99.
Vance, Jack (edited by Miguel Lugo). The Wit and Wisdom of Jack Vance. AuthorHouse, 2011. First edition trade paperback (POD) original, a Fine copy. Selection of excerpts from Vance’s works. Signed by Vance (though the signature (see below) is very shaky, as Vance was pretty much completely blind by the time this book came out). I was unaware of this before I saw the listing for it, and I can’t imagine that Vance signed terribly many. Price: $29.99.
Tags:Books, Jack Vance, Science Fiction, signatures, signed
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Friday, January 10th, 2014
Chanced across it and it’s too good not to share:
“An ancient proverb stipulates that ‘he who sups with the devil should use a long spoon.’ You would seem to have attempted such a meal with a small dessert fork.”
— Jack Vance, The Face
Tags:Books, Jack Vance, proverbs, Science Fiction
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Monday, January 6th, 2014
It’s been another landmark year for adding books to my library of science fiction first editions. This post documents everything I bought after my big Zelazny acquisition on June 13, including some books that have been covered in posts since, and many that haven’t. (What I bought earlier in the year before the big Zelazny purchase can be found here.) All are first edition hardbacks, Fine copies in Fine dust jackets, unless otherwise noted.
Adams, Douglas. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Harmony Books, 1979. First U.S. edition.
(Adams, Douglas) Gaiman, Neil. Don’t Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Titan Books, 2003. First hardback edition and first edition thus (revised and updated), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Non-fiction reference work.
Aldiss, Brian. Moreau’s Other Island. Jonathan Cape, 1980. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Aldiss on the front free endpaper.
Aldiss, Brian. This World and Nearer Ones: Essays Exploring the Familiar. Weidenfield and Nicolson, 1979. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
(Aldiss, Brian) Aldiss, Margaret. Item Eighty-Three: Brian W. Aldiss: A Bibliography: 1954—1972. SF Horizons, (1973). Chapbook, Fine. Non-fiction.
Asimov, Isaac. Nemesis. Doubleday, 1989. First edition hardback, number 485 out of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. This was a serendipitous find. I wasn’t looking for it (since I’m not generally a big fan of Asimov’s later work), but merely entered “signed limited edition” in Amazon’s books section just to see what I would find and this came up at $80. Given that it was originally issued at $125, and given that copies on Bookfinder start at $150, I thought it was a good price. Asimov isn’t actually a hard signature (especially compared to verified Philip K. Dick or Robert A. Heinlein signatures), but he has become fairly pricey one for his first editions.
Asimov, Isaac, edited by Stanley Asimov. Yours, Isaac Asimov. Doubleday, 1995. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with one tiny black remainder mark I missed, otherwise apparently new and unread, in a Fine dust jacket. Non-fiction collection of Asimov’s letters.
Ballard, J. G. Myths of the Near Future. Jonathan Cape, 1982.
Ballard, J. G. The Disaster Area. Jonathan Cape, 1967. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket with edgewear and a few tiny spots of rubbing to dust jacket rear. Replaces a copy with a far more worn dust jacket. Bought for $100 at Half Price Books during a coupon sale.
Ballard, J. G. The Drought. Jonathan Cape, 1965. First hardback edition and first complete edition, a Near Fine+ copy, with spine of book itself slightly discolored and small sticker for London bookseller Foyles on inside cover, in a Fine dust jacket. Currey, page 22. Goddard and Pringle, J. G. Ballard: The First Twenty Years, item 59. Bought for $212.50, marked down from $425.
Ballingrud, Nathan, and Eileen Gunn. North American Monster Stories. Small Beer Press, 2013. Paperback chapbook original, Fine.
Banks, Iain. The Quarry. Little Brown, 2013.
Bear, Elizabeth. Book of Iron. Subterranean Press, 2013. Number 65 of 250 signed, numbered copies.
Bear, Elizabeth. Book of Iron. Subterranean Press, 2013. Trade edition.
Bear, Greg. Early Harvest. NESFA Press, 1988. First edition hardback, #173 of 250 signed, numbered copies (800 print run total), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase. Supplements a signed trade copy. Bought off the Internet for $37.50.
Beaumont, Charles. The Intruder. Centipede Press, 2013. First edition thus, one of 200 copies signed by editor Roger Anker, William F. Nolan, and J.K. Potter. Basis of the Roger Corman film starring William Shatner.
Beaumont, Charles and John Tormerlin. Run From the Hunter. Centipede Press, 2013. First edition thus and first edition under authors’ actual names, one of 200 copies signed by John Tomerlin and J.K. Potter.
Beyer, William Gray. Minions of the Moon. Gnome Press, 1950. First edition hardback, a Very Good+ copy with small spotting to front and rear boards and wear at top and bottom boards, in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with wear along spine and front panel join and slight edgewear elsewhere; a really nice example of the Edd Cartier dust jacket. The eighth Gnome Press book. Chalker/Ownings (1991), page 198. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 197. Trying to collect the entire Gnome Press line…
Blaylock, James P. with Kim Stanley Robinson. Two Views of a Cave Painting b/w Escape From Kathmandu. Axolotl Press, 1986. First edition hardback, #43 of 300 signed, numbered hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
Bleiler, Richard. Supernatural Fiction Writers. Charles Scribner’s Sons/Thomson/Gale, 2003. First edition hardbacks of the Second Edition (stated inside, not on the cover), a two volume set, Fine- copies with slight dust soiling at heel in decorated boards with slight haze rubbing, sans dust jacket, as issued. Non-fiction reference work. Bought for $40, including dealer discount, which I though was a pretty good price, since non-Ex-Library copies list in the multiple hundreds. Note that the first edition was edited by the late E. F. Bleiler, while this second edition is edited by his son (who I’ve sold many a book to over the years…)
(Blish, James) Stableford, Brian M. A Clash of Symbols: The Triumph of James Blish. Borgo Press, 1979. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket (somewhat uncommon for Borgo, who usually went for plasticized decorated boards for their hardbacks), #17 of 62 signed/numbered copies signed by Stableford. Bought for $28. Non-fiction critical work, part of the Milford series, which I pick up in hardback when I chance across them for authors I’m interested in.
Brackett, Leigh. The Sword of Rhiannon. Boardman, 1955. First hardback edition (“First published in Great Britain, 1955″, as per Currey), a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel and foxing to interior gutters, in a Very Good dust jacket with 1/4” of wear rubbing/chipping (dust jacket is present, but image has been worn away) at head, a similar, smaller amount of wear at heel, a shallow chip with associated wear at top rear, and crease along front cover spine join running the entire length of the jacket, and wear along extremities; despite all that, the rest of the jacket is quite bright and attractive. Currey, page 53. Cawthorn & Moorocock, Fantasy: The Hundred Best Books 75. A fairly uncommon book these days.
Bradbury, Ray. Collected Short Stories. Petersen Publishing Company (The Great Author Series), 2002. Presumed first edition hardback (no additional printings listed), a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, presumably as issued.
Bradbury, Ray. The Dragon. Footsteps Press, 1988. First edition chapbook, #72 of 300 signed, numbered copies, Fine. Has affixed wrappers with a transparent blue Mylar window (there were evidently also red and yellow window variants).
Bradbury, Ray. Driving Blind Avon Books, 1997. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Bradbury: “Marilyn! /Onward!/Ray Bradbury/Oct. 18, ’97”. Bought for $20 off eBay.
Bradbury, Ray. The Homecoming. Collins Design, 2006. First edition hardback in decorated boards, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Bradbury. Illustrated by Dave McKean. Short story done as a short illustrated book. Bought for $30.51 off eBay.
Bradbury, Ray. The Veldt. The Perfection Form Company, 1982. (Possible) First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy in stapled wraps, inscribed by Bradbury on the cover. Reading comprehension questions at the back.
Bradbury, Ray. With Cat for Comforter. Gibbs Smith Publisher, 1997. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Bradbury. Illustrated by Louise Reinoehl Max. Short poem turned into an illustrated children’s book. Replaces an unsigned copy in my library. Bought for $16.66 off eBay.
Bradley, Marion Zimmer. The Sword of Aldonis. Gregg Press, 1977. First hardback edition, Fine- with a trace of wear at tips, sans dust jacket, as issued. Darkover novel. Currey (1978), page 61.
Bradley, Marion Zimmer. The Heritage of Hastur. Gregg Press, 1977. First hardback edition, Fine- with a trace of wear at tips, sans dust jacket, as issued. Darkover novel. Currey (1978), page 62. Bought more as part of my long-term goal of collecting all the Gregg Press first editions…
Bramah, Earnest. The Moon of Much Gladness. Cassell & Company, 1932. First edition hardback (Berro A17), a Fine- copy with slight bends at head and heel in a VG+ dust jacket with a 1/8″ chip at rear head join, slight cracking at top edge of front cover, and dust soiling to rear, otherwise a fairly bright and attractive copy of a book seldom offered in dust jacket. Bought for $300 off the Internet from a major SF book dealer. (What appear to be tiny spots of white rubbing to the black dj are in fact scanner artifacts.)
Brundage, Margaret (edited by Stephen D. Korshak and J. David Spurlock). The Alluring Art of Margaret Brundage, Queen of Pulp Pin-Up Art. Vanguard Productions/Shasta Phoenix, 2013. First edition hardback, slipcased limited edition with 16 additional pages of art, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Brundage was the woman who did all those great “damsel in distress” covers for Weird Tales in the 1930s, and it’s great to finally have a book of her art.
Brunner, John. The Man Who Was Secrett and Other Stories. Ramble House/Dancing Tuatara Press, 2013. First edition POD hardback, Fine/Fine.
Budrys, Algis. Cerberus. Pulphouse, 1989. First edition hardback, #53 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Part of the “Pulphouse Convention Series.” Fourth book Pulphouse did, and the first one that wasn’t an issue of their namesake hardback magazine.
Campbell, Ramsey. Scared Stiff: Tales of Sex and Death. Scream Press, 1987. First edition hardback, #130 of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued, in a Fine slipcase. Bought for $20. I’m sort of collecting a complete Scream Press collection, but it’s fairly low on my list of priorities…
Carriger, Gail (pen name of Tofa Borregaard). Heartless. Orbit, 2011. Paperback original, a Fine- copy. Parasol Protectorate #4.
Chabon, Michael. Fountain City: A Novel Wrecked. McSweeney’s, 2010. First edition paperback original, a small, slightly oblong format, roughly 5 1/4″ high, by 6 1/4″ long, a Fine- copy in Fine- fold over wrappers (which fold out into a sort of map picture), with a tiny, 1/16″ cut to top font cover. The opening chapters of a novel Chabon abandoned. Bought for $22.50, down from $45.
Clarke, Arthur C. Imperial Earth. Gollancz, 1975.
Clement, Hal (writing name of Harry C. Stubbs). Fossil. DAW, 1993. First edition paperback original, Fine- with a tiny bit of edgewear.
Clement, Hal. Small Changes. Doubleday, 1969. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ copy with blindstamp on title page and crimping at head and heel, in a Near Fine- dust jacket with dust soiling to white background and a small closed tear and associated wrinkle to top front flap. Signed “”Hal Clement” (Harry C. Stubbs)”. Not overly common these days. Bought for $28.
Dick, Philip K. The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick Volume 4: Minority Report. Subterranean Press, 2013. First thus.
Dick, Philip K. A Handful of Darkness. Rich & Cowan, 1955. First edition hardback, Currey binding A (blue boards lettered in silver) in a first state dust jacket (no mention of World of Chance), an Ex-Library copy with most of the usual flaws, including protected dust jacket flaps taped to boards (and inner cardboard sleeve additionally taped) and stamp for Eeeling Science Fiction Postal Library on inner cover; dust jacket is completely intact, the only flaws being “D11/2” written in white on bottom spine just above publisher, and slight dust staining to white rear cover; call it a VG/NF Ex-Lib copy. Levack, 21a. Currey (1978), page 157. Dick’s first short story collection and first hardback book. (Hairline crack on left is a scanner artifact.)
(Dick, Philip K.) Peake, Anthony. A Life of Philip K. Dick: The Man Who Remembered the Future. Arcturus, 2013. Non-fiction.
Di Filippo, Paul. Time’s Black Lagoon. DH Press, 2006. Paperback original, a Fine, unread copy. Sequel to the movie The Creature From the Black Lagoon.
Dozois, Gardner and George R. R. Martin, editors. Songs of Love & Death. Gallery Books, 2010.
Egan, Greg. The Eternal Flame (Orthogonal Book 2). Night Shade Books, 2012.
Ellison, Harlan. All the Lies That Are My Life. Underwood/Miller, 1980. First edition hardback, one of 400 unsigned trade hardcover copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Chalker/Owings, page 432.
Ellison, Harlan. Harlan Ellison is Watching. Underwood/Miller, 1989. First edition hardback, #46 of 600 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase. Chalker/Owings, page 440.
Ellison, Harlan. Stalking the Nightmare. Phantasia Press, 1982. First edition hardback, #240 of 700 signed hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase. Supplements a copy of the trade edition. Chalker/Owings, page 340.
Farmer, Philip Jose. Lord Tyger. Doubleday, 1970. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight crimping at head and heel and trace of foxing along gutters, in a Fine- dust jacket with slight darkening to spine and a few traces of dust soiling. Signed by Farmer. Farmer’s SF take on Tarzan. Currey (1979), page 153. Bought for $60.
Gaiman, Neil. Fortunately the Milk…. HarperCollins (UK), 2013. First edition hardback (the UK and U.S. edition were evidently simultaneous), slipcased limited edition (“with exclusive bookmark”) sold by UK bookstore chain Foyle’s signed by Gaiman and illustrator Chris Riddle, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued, still in shrinkwrap. I think this state came out about a month after the trade edition. Young adult novella. Bought for £19.99 plus shipping off eBay.
Gaiman, Neil, with David McKean. Mythological Creatures. The Royal Mail, 2009. First edition folded broadside, legal-paper sized printed cardstock, two-sided, with six stamps in attached Mylar pouches, Fine. Collectable stamp folder with six mini-stories by Gaiman, one for each mythological creature on the stamps, with Dave McKean art. An odd item I only recently became aware of, and one that may frustrate Gaiman completists a few years hence…
Gibson, William. Zero History. Putnum, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Gibson. Bought for $12 (marked down from $20) at a Half Price Books during a coupon sale.
Haldeman, Joe. A Separate War and Other Stories. Ace, 2006.
Harrison, Harry. Skyfall. Faber & Faber, 1976. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed and dated (“82”) by Harrison. Bought for $20.
Heinlein, Robert A. The Number of the Beast. New English Library, 1980. First hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Reportedly Heinlein’s worst novel, but if you’re collecting the whole set…
Heinlein, Robert A. The Puppet Masters. Doubleday, 1951. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight foxing to endpapers and tiny touches of wear at heel in a in a Near Fine- dust jacket with extremely shallow surface chipping at head and slight fading of purple coloring on spine. A very nice copy of one of Heinlein’s most important early novels. Currey (1978), page 233. Pringle, SF 100 4.
(Heinlein, Robert A.) Patterson, William H. Robert A. Heinlein in Dialogue With His Century Volume 1: Learning Curve: 1907-1948. Tor, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Non-fiction biography.
Hill, Joe. Locke & Key 3: Crown of Shadows. Subterranean Press, 2013. #31 of 250 signed, numbered copies, in slipcase. Graphic novel.
Howard, Robert E. Cormac MacArt Baen, 1995. First edition paperback original, Fine- with a tiny bit of edgewear, foxing inside covers, and a phantom crease along rear cover. Mostly reprints Howard stories from Tigers of the Sea, but adds a new Cormac MacArt story by David Drake.
Howard, Robert E. Kull Baen, 1995. First edition paperback original thus (“First Complete Edition”), a Fine copy.
Howard, Robert E. Kull: Exile of Atlantis. Subterranean Press, 2013. Hardback first edition thus, #305 of 1,500 copies signed by artist Justin Sweet, a Fine copy in a Fine dustjacket and slipcase.
Howard, Robert E. The Sower of Thunder. Donald M. Grant, 1975. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by illustrator Roy G. Krenkel. Currey (1978), page 252.
Howard, Robert E. (edited by Robert M. Price). Nameless Cults: The Cthulhu Mythos Fiction of Robert E. Howard. Chaosium, 2001. Trade paperback original, Fine. Includes four Howard story fragments finished by others.
Hubin, Allen J. Crime Fiction, 1749-1980: A Comprehensive Bibliography with 1981-1985 Supplement to Crime Fiction, 1749-1980: A Comprehensive Bibliography. Garland, 1984/1988. First edition hardbacks, Near Fine copies with dust staining at head and traces of wear at points and heel, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought from Half Price Books for $5 for the set (marked down from an original price of $60). I’m a sucker for comprehensive bibliographies…
(Jeter, K. W. and Ferret, as Dr. Adder and Mink Mole). Alligator Alley. Morrigan Books, 1989. First edition hardback, copy #104 of 210 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase, as well as a cassette tape of material related to the novel. Does not include the T-shirt that was sold with some of the slipcased copies. Supplements my trade edition. Jeter told me he actually had very little to do with the novel…
Jones, Sergent Morgan, and Damien Lewis. The Embassy House. Threshold Editions, 2013. Non-fiction on Benghazi embassy attack. Withdrawn by the publisher under political pressure.
Jones, Stephen, Editor. Weird Shadows Over Innsmouth. Fedogan & Breamer, 2005. Cthulhu Mythos anthology.
Jones, Stephen, Editor. Weirder Shadows Over Innsmouth. Fedogan & Breamer, 2013. Cthulhu Mythos anthology.
Klaw, Rick, editor. Rayguns Over Texas. Fandom Association of Central Texas, 2013. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread, signed by 13 of the contributors. Anthology of SF stories from Texas writers published for the 2013 Worldcon in San Antonio. I have a story in here, “Novel Properties of Certain Complex Alkaloids,” that’s like a Greg Egan story by way of H. P. Lovecraft and Timothy Leary. Introduction by Bruce Sterling. This copy signed by myself, editor Rick Klaw, cover artist Rocky Kelly, Don Webb, Chris Brown, Matthew Bay, Stina Leicht, Nicky Drayden, Rhonda Eudaly, Derek Austin Johnson, Marshall Maresca, Sanford Allen, and Josh Roundtree. I also have an additional copy inscribed to me by several of the contributors in my contributor copy library.
(Koontz, Dean R.) Kotker, Joan G. Dean Koontz: A Critical Companion. Greenwood Press, 1996 (stated; probably more recent). Reprint hardback, Fine, sans dust jacket, as issued. Non-fiction.
Lake, Jay. Dogs in the Moonlight. Prime Books, 2004. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a bit of wear at the tips. Signed by Lake. Missed this when it came out, mainly because Prime was still part of Wildside. Bought for $24 off the Internet.
Lake, Jay. Endurance. Tor, 2011. Signed by Lake. Bought for 20% off cover at the San Antonio Worldcon.
Lansdale, Joe R. Bleeding Shadows. Subterranean, 2013. Short story collection.
Lansdale, Kasey, editor. Impossible Monsters. Subterranean Press, 2013.
Leiber, Fritz. The Moon is Green and Other Tales. Armchair Fiction, 2013. First edition trade paperback original (POD), a Fine copy, new and unread.
(Leiber, Fritz) Morgan, Chris. Fritz Leiber: a bibliography, 1934—1979. Morgenstern, 1979. Chapbook original, one of 1000 copies, a Near Fine+ copy with spots of age darkening to cover.
Leinster, Murray and Charles L. Fontenay. Planet of Dread b/w Twice Upon a Time. Armchair Fiction, 2010. First edition trade paperback original (POD), a Fine copy, new and unread. Honestly, I just picked this up for the cool, retro giant spider cover.
Lem, Stainslaw. A Perfect Vacuum. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1979. First English language edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with small closed tear at bottom front and a few touches of wear. Reviews of imaginary books. Replaces an Ex-Library copy in my library.
Lethem, Jonathan. Chronic City. Doubleday, 2009.
Littell, Jonathan. The Kindly Ones. Harper, 2009. First U.S. edition of a book original published in French as Les Bienveillantes, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a few touches of wear at edges. In 1989 Littell published a 3rd-generation cyberpunk PBO called Bad Voltage, then slipped from public view until he published Les Bienveillantes, a novel about the Holocaust, in France in 2006 (he’s a dual U.S. French citizen), which won the prestigious Prix Goncourt literary award.
(Lovecraft, H.P.) Lockhart, Ross E., editor. The Book of Cthulhu II. Night Shade Press, 2012. Trade paperback original. Anthology.
Martin, George R. R. and John J. Miller. Wild Cards Volume VII: Dead Man’s Hand. Bantam Spectra, 19990. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with a trace of edgewear.
(Martin, George R. R.) Samuelson, Todd, Editor. Deeper Than Swords: Celebrating the Work of George R. R. Martin. Texas A&M University Cushing memorial Library and Archives, 2013. Oversized trade paperback, a Fine copy. Illustrated critical companion to Martin’s work, published as part of an event at the library with Martin on March 22, 2013.
Matheson, Richard. The Memoirs of Wild Bill Hickock. Jove, 1996. Paperback original, VG with creasing.
Matheson, Richard. The Shrinking Man. Gregg Press, 1979. First Gregg Press edition, Fine, sans dust jacket, as issued.
Mieville, China. London’s Overthrow. The Westbourne Press, 2012. First edition trade paperback original, Fine, new and unread. Non-fiction. Appears to be a political rant with pictures.
McDevitt, Jack. Echo. Ace, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of wrinkling at top edge.
Moorcock, Michael. Sailor on the Seas of Fate. Quartet Books, 1976. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with a chip out of the corner of the front free endpaper, in a Fine dust jacket. Currey, page 372.
Moore, C.L. Judgment Night. Gnome Press, 1952. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ copy with slight crimping at head and heel, mild foxing to inner gutters, and a few tiny spots of wear to bottom boards, in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with 1/4″ closed tear at heel, slight wrinkling at rear head, and a touch of edgewear. A truly superb, bright example of the dust jacket. Collection of five longer stories. Currey (1978), Page 377. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 199. Anatomy of Wonder 4, 3-130. Another notable book from the golden age of the genre small press. Bought for $65 off eBay.
Picacio, John. John Picacio 2014 Calendar. Lone Boy, 2013. First edition, Fine, signed by the artist, with Kickstarter specials, including six oversized loteria cards, a sketcbook, and a signed pencil.
Pohl, Frederik, with Jack Williamson. The Saga of Cuckoo. Nelson Doubleday (SFBC), 1983. First edition thus and first hardback (a book club omnibus edition of Farthest Star and A World Around a Star, both previously published only in paperback), code “N34” on page 433 (as per ISFDB), a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of crimping at head and heel, in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by both Pohl and Williamson. Bought for $22.50 off eBay.
Powers, Tim/James P. Blaylock. The Way Down the Hill/The Pink of Fading Neon. Axoltl Press, 1986. First Edition hardback, #178 of 300 hardback copies by both authors and introducers Ed Bryant and Charles De Lint, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Bought for $30 plus shipping from Heritage Auctions. One of those books I wasn’t sure whether I owned or not, since I had the other Axolotl Press Powers and Blaylock books…
Rainey, Stephen Mark. Song of Cthulhu. Chaosium, 2001. Trade paperback original, Fine. Anthology.
Reynolds, Alastair. Dr. Who: Harvest of Time. BBC Books, 2013. Signed by Reynolds at the 2013 San Antonio Worldcon.
Roberts, Adam (as A. R. R. R. Roberts). The Soddit, or Let’s Cash In Again. Gollancz, 2003. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Roberts. Parody of The Hobbit.
Robinson, Kim Stanley. 2312. Orbit, 2012. First UK edition (I think the U.S. precedes by two days), a Fine- copy with slight wrinkling to top of dust jacket.
Schweitzer, Darrell. Cthulhu’s Reign. DAW, 2010. paperback original, Fine. Anthology.
Sennholz, Mary. On Freedom and Free Enterprise. Von Nostrand, 1956. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with slight dust-staining to head and crimping at head and heel in a very Good+ dust jacket with 1/4″ tears at head and heel. Collection of free market essays, published in honor of the 50th anniversary of Ludvig von Mises’ receiving his doctorate. Bought for $5 at Half Price Books.
Shaver, Richard S. The Shaver Mystery, Book One. Armchair Fiction, 2011. First edition trade paperback original, Fine, new.
Shaver, Richard S. The Shaver Mystery, Book Two. Armchair Fiction, 2011. First edition trade paperback original, Fine, new.
Shaver, Richard S. The Shaver Mystery, Book Three. Armchair Fiction, 2012. First edition trade paperback original, Fine, new.
Shaver, Richard S. The Shaver Mystery, Book Four. Armchair Fiction, 2013. First edition trade paperback original, Fine, new. The four volumes collect stories and ancillary material from the “Shaver Mystery,” Shaver’s weird, strangely compelling conspiracy theory/alternate reality in which a hateful race of “deros” (“detrimental robots”) lived inside he earth, beaming mind-control rays at surface dwellers (and occasionally kidnapping them for torture, food, or sport). Shaver’s elaborate, unhinged vision brought a vast legion of cranks out of the shadows and onto the subscriber ranks of Amazing, whose editor Ray Palmer started publishing Shaver’s stories in the 1940s, which was to have a considerable impact on SF fandom. I doubt much of this has seen print since it’s original appearance in Amazing, or in Palmer’s subsequent The Hidden World. If you’re a connoisseur of crank literature, Shaver is up there with the whackiest.
Shea, Michael. Assault on Sunrise. Tor, 2013. Sequel to The Extra.
Shea, Michael. The Incomplete Nifft. Baen, 2000. First edition paperback original thus, an omnibus edition of Nifft the Lean and The Mines of Behemoth, a NF copy, with a crease on the bottom back cover.
Silverberg, Robert. Capricorn Games. Random House, 1976. Signed by Silverberg. Currey (1979), page 436.
Silverberg, Robert. The Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg Volume 8: Hot Times in Magma City: 1990-1995. Subterranean Press, 2013. Fine, sands dust jacket, as issued.
(Simak, Clifford D.) Becker, Muriel R. Clifford D. Simak: a primary and secondary bibliography. G. K. Hall, 1980. First edition hardback, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Non-fiction. I do wish the books were separated from the short fiction listings…
Smith, Clark Ashton. Lost Worlds. Arkham House, 1944. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ copy with slight crimping at head and heel, bump to top front corner, usual age darkening to pages, and a trace of foxing to gutters, in a Near Fine dust jacket with age darkening to light-colored portion of spine, short closed tear and associated 1/2″ wrinkle crease at head, a tiny bit of rubbing at heel, and age darkening around edges and crease folds. Smith’s second prose collection and the seventh Arkham House book published. Currey (1978), page 453. Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy One, page 200. Bleiler, Guide to Supernatural Fiction, 1485. Tymn, 4-202. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House 7. Derleth, 30 Years of Arkham House, 7. Jaffery (1982), 7. Nielsen, 7. Bought for $172 off the Internet.
Smith, Edward E., Ph.D. Skylark Three. Fantasy Press, 1948. First edition hardback, one of 500 subscriber copies with a signature page inscribed by Smith bound in: “To Hugh F. Henry—/Three in a row — Hot dog!/And thanks a million for/the compliment./Edward E. Smith, Ph.D.” (Doc Smith had marvelously clear handwriting), a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of crimping at head and heel and faint foxing to gutters, in a Near Fine dust jacket with slight rubbing to top 1/2″ of front, slight edgewear at head, and slight dust soiling to rear cover. E. E. “Doc” Smith is someone I only pick up as a target of opportunity, but I couldn’t pass up a chance to pick up a very attractive example of one of the Fantasy Press subscriber copies for one of their most popular writers for approximately $150 after sale discount.
Smith, George O. The Brain Machine. Garland Press, 1975. First hardback edition, Fine, sans dust jacket, as issued. Originally a paperback original under the title The Fourth “R”. Currey (1979), page 458. Garland, like Gregg Press, usually did interesting hardback reprints.
Smith, George O. Hellflower. Abelard Press, 1953. First hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with slight spine fade to red portions and tiny traces of wear, otherwise a complete, bright and attractive dust jacket. Currey (1979), page 458.
Stephenson, Neal. Some Remarks. Atlantic Books, 2012. First UK edition. Non-fiction.
Sturgeon, Theodore. A Touch of Sturgeon. Simon & Schuster (UK), 1987. Fine-/Fine- with sight crimping at head.
Swainston, Steph. The Modern World. Inscribed by the author: “S. Swainston/12.05.07/’All things from eternity are of like forms/And come round in a circle.’ — Marcus Aurelius”. With photograph of the author laid in. Bought for $24. I should really get around to reading The Year of Our War some day…
Swanwick, Michael. Moon Dogs. NESFA Press, 2000. First edition hardback, one of 175 signed slipcased copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Supplements an inscribed trade copy.
Swanwick, Michael. Tumbling. Dragonstairs Press, 2013. First edition micro-chapbook original, 3″ x 2 3/4″ inches, #10 of 50 signed, numbered copies, Fine, new and unread.
Taine, John. The Time Stream. Buffalo Book Company, 1946. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with foxing to inside covers and a few faint pinpoint spots on boards, in a VG- dust jacket with uneven loss to top edge, mostly 1/16″ but occasionally as much as 1/4″. According to Chalker/Owings (1991), page 78, only 500 copies were ever bound, and half of those were lost in a rainstorm. Currey (1979), page 29. Bleiler Checklist, 1978, page 191. Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy One, page 211. 333, page 63. An important early SF specialty book.
Tucker, Wilson. Ice and Iron. Doubleday, 1974. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with edgewear at head and heel, with review slip laid in. Inscribed by Tucker: “For Dave, at Nashville,/Wilson Bob Tucker/May 19, 1979”. Tucker was famous both as a writer and as a noted fan. Bought for $20.
Turner, Gary, and Marty Halpern. The Silver Griffith. Golden Gryphon, 2003. First edition hardback, #34 of 100 numbered copies signed by all the contributors, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, in slipcase.
Utley, Steven. Silurian Tales — Volume 1: The 400-Million-Year-Itch. Ticonderoga, 2012.
Utley, Steven. Silurian Tales — Volume 2: Invisible Kingdoms. Ticonderoga, 2012.
Vance, Jack. Araminta Station. Underwood Miller, 1987. First edition hardback, #443 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine slipcase. First book of the Caldwell Chronicles. Precedes both the NEL and Tor editions by six months. Hewett, A79. Chalker/Owings (1991), pages 437-438. Bought for $120.
Vance, Jack (as John Holbrook Vance). The Deadly Isles. Bobbs-Merrill, 1969. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of crimping at head and heel in a Fine- dust jacket with a few bare traces of dust soiling and a tiny bit of rubbing at extremities. Overall a beautiful copy of this Vance mystery. Currey, p. 497. Hewett, A33.
Vance, Jack. Gold and Iron. Underwood/Miller, 1982. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a slight wrinkle at rear heel. Previously published in paperback as Slaves of the Klau. Hewett, A9e.
Vance, Jack. Lyonesse: Suldrun’s Garden. Underwood/Miller, 1983. First hardback edition, #78 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. (Note: Unlike the signed, numbered edition of Lyonesse: The Green Pearl, this was not issued in a slipcase.) Hewett, A70b. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 436. Supplements my copy of the unsigned library edition in decorated boards issued without a dust jacket. Bought for $100.
Vinge, Joan D. World’s End. Bluejay Books, 1984. First edition hardback, #127 of 750 signed numbered copies in slipcase, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. This copy has been additionally inscribed by Vinge: “To Marcia Adams/-with all my best wishes-!/Joan D. Vinge/2005.” There was a PBS cooking show host and cook book author by that name who died in 2011; not sure if that’s who it’s inscribed to or not. I do wonder how many of these slipcased hardcovers Bluejay Books did. I have their slipcased edition of K. W. Jeter’s Dr. Adder, and I know they did a few others, but there does not appear to be a list online. I’ll write Jim Frenkel and ask…
Waldrop, Howard. The Horse of a Different Color. Small Beer Press, 2013. Inscribed to me to by the author.
Webb, Don. The War With The Belatrin/A Velvet of Vamphyres. Wildside, 2012. Trade paperback original, a Fine copy, inscribed by Webb.
Webb, Don & Gary Lovisi. Do the Weird Crime, Do The Weird Time/Gargoyle Nights. Wildside, 2012. Trade paperback original, a Fine copy, inscribed by Webb.
Weinbaum, Stanley G. Dawn of Flame. Ruppert Printing Service (for The Milwaukee Fictioneers), 1936. One of only 245 copies of the Currey B state (with the Lawrence A. Keating introduction), a Near Fine+ copy with very faint spine creasing and slight gray staining to bottom page block (or possibly where the red page block staining has worn away), sans dust jacket, as issued. Currey, page 510. Chalker/Owings, page 279. Bleiler, Checklist (1978), page 204. Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy (I), page 224. Bought at the San Antonio Worldcon for $1,200 (negotiated down from $1,500) from Erle Melvin Korshak. And if I’m remembering correctly, it was on consignment from Sam Moskowitz’s widow through Robert Weinberg to Korshak.
Wellman, Manly Wade. The Ghost Battalion. Ives Washburn, 1958. First edition hardback, most likely a repaired Ex-Library copy, Very Good with tape ghosts on boards, front free endpaper excised and another attached in it’s place, slight wear at heel, dust soiling at head, and slight crimping at head and heel, in a Near Fine dust jacket with edgewear and about 1/16″ inch of color loss at heel, and possible spine fading (hard to tell, since it’s a different color than the front and back covers). Second book in the Iron Scouts Civil War YA trilogy. Bought for $18 off eBay.
Wellman, Manly Wade. What Dreams May Come. Doubleday, 1983. First Edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with signature plate signed by Wellman attached to front free endpaper. Features supernatural detective John Thundstone. Replaces an Ex-Library copy in my collection. Bought for $20 from a major SF book dealer.
Wellman, Manly Wade. Worse Things Waiting. Carcosa, 1973. First edition hardback, Trade Edition issue, a Fine- copy with a couple of pinpricks of wear, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed to fellow horror writer Dennis Etchison: “Better Things Waiting/for/Dennis Etchison/Manly Wade Wellman/Dec 7, 1979”. Being a Wellman collector, I could hardly pass up an associational copy of this, his best and most important collection, inscribed to another top horror writer. (This is the second Wellman-inscribed association copy I own along with Third String Center inscribed to Wellman’s own brother, western writer Paul I. Wellman.) Currey (1979), page 515. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 87. Bleiler, Guide to Supernatural Fiction, 1672. Jones/Newman, Horror 100, 70. Bought for $100.
Wells, H. G. (edited by Robert Philmus and David y. Hughes). Early Writings in Science and Science Fiction by H. G. Wells. University of California Press, 1975. Presumed first edition hardback (no additional printings listed), a Fine- copy with slight crimping at head and heel and trace of foxing to inside front covers, in a VG- dust jacket with a 1/2″ square chip missing from bottom front cover and a 3/8″ chunk tapering to a point over 3″ missing at top rear. Not in Currey. Reginald, 1975-1991, 36697. Dictionary of Literary Biography: Volume 178: British Fantasy and Science-Fiction Writers Before World War I, page 242. Not a great dust jacket, but it was only $8, and copies online are somewhat pricey…
Wilson, Gahan. Everybody’s Favorite Duck. Mysterious Press, 1988.
Wolfe, Gene. Home Fires. Tor, 2010. Already read it in ARC.
Wolfe, Gene. A Wolfe Family Album. United Mythologies Press, 1991. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy. Signed by Gene Wolfe. Chapbook of mostly Wolfe family photos, evidently issued with the hardback edition of Letters Home (which I’ve owned for some time, but which didn’t come with the chapbooks when I bought it).
Wolfe, Gene (Mooney, J. E. and Bill Fawcett, editors. Shadows of the New Sun: Stories in Honor of Gene Wolfe. Tor, 2013. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. A tribute anthology.
Zelazny, Roger. Home is the Hangman. SFBC, 1996. First separate hardback edition. Kovacs, VI-7-a.
Zelazny, Roger. Knight of Shadows. Ultramarine Press, 1989. First limited hardback edition, #20 of 40 signed, numbered copies, bound in quarter leather, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Kovacs, 27-d-i. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 612. Proof that being a collector drives you slightly insane. (“Slightly?” asks the peanut gallery.) Ultramarine Press would take the sheets of the trade edition, then add a signed limitation page and leather binding. Honestly, I’m less than impressed with both their business model and most of the books produced, and I’m not too wild about post-first edition limiteds, but this edition seems nicer than many, 40 is a pretty low limitation for a Zelazny limited, and since I have such an extensive Zelazny collection, I decided to pony up for it. Bought for $240.
Zelazny, Roger, and Thomas T. Thomas. Flare. Baen, 1992. First edition paperback original, Fine.
(Zelazny, Roger) Kovacs, Christopher, compiler. The Ides of Octember: A Pictorial Bibliography of Roger Zelazny. NESFA Press/Camelot Books, 2011. First hardback edition, letter M of 21 lettered copies with a Zelazny signature sheet (taken from unused Ultramarine press Zelazny books), a Fine copy in three-quarters bound leather, in a Fine patterned traycase with the pictorial cover from the trade paperback edition, sans dust jacket, as issued. An elaborate aftermarket edition of this Zelazny incorporating unbound NESFA sheets obtained by the compiler. I paid $191 for it, considerably less than the $500 list price it was offered at.
(Zelazny, Roger) Yoke, Karl. Roger Zelazny/Andre Norton: Proponents of Individualism State library of Ohio, 1979. First edition chapbook original, Near Fine+ with some age toning. Non-fiction.
Tags:Borgo Press, Brian Aldiss, Charles Beaumont, China Mieville, Cthulhu, Douglas Adams, Elizabeth Bear, Ernest Bramah, Gene Wolfe, George R. R. Martin, Gnome Press, Gregg Press, Hal Clement, Harlan Ellison, Iain M. Banks, Isaac Asimov, J. G. Ballard, Jack Vance, Joe R. Lansdale, Manly Wade Wellman, Margaret Brundage, Michael Chabon, Neil Gaiman, Philip Jose Farmer, Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, Richard Bleiler, Robert A. Heinlein, Robert E. Howard, Roger Zelazny, Shaver Mystery
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Thursday, December 26th, 2013
I had a family Christmas event at my aunt’s house in Dallas over the weekend, so I hit a few bookstores on my way up I-35, buying a smattering of things.
Then I went to Recycled Books in Denton and dropped $1,100. (This is not an uncommon occurrence.) This post just covers the things I found in their locked rare books section; the rest will be covered in posts over the next few days. (I’m running out of year!))
Farmer, Philip Jose. Lord Tyger. Doubleday, 1970. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight crimping at head and heel and trace of foxing along gutters, in a Fine- dust jacket with slight darkening to spine and a few traces of dust soiling. Signed by Farmer. Farmer’s SF take on Tarzan. Currey (1979), page 153. Bought for $60.
Vance, Jack. Araminta Station. Underwood Miller, 1987. First edition hardback, #443 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine slipcase. First book of the Caldwell Chronicles. Precedes both the NEL and Tor editions by six months. Hewett, A79. Chalker/Owings (1991), pages 437-438. Bought for $120.
Vance, Jack. Lyonesse: Suldrun’s Garden. Underwood/Miller, 1983. First hardback edition, #78 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. (Note: Unlike the signed, numbered edition of Lyonesse: The Green Pearl, this was not issued in a slipcase.) Hewett, A70b. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 436. Supplements my copy of the unsigned library edition in decorated boards issued without a dust jacket. Bought for $100.
Wellman, Manly Wade. Worse Things Waiting. Carcosa, 1973. First edition hardback, Trade Edition issue, a Fine- copy with a couple of pinpricks of wear, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed to fellow horror writer Dennis Etchison: “Better Things Waiting/for/Dennis Etchison/Manly Wade Wellman/Dec 7, 1979”. Being a Wellman collector, I could hardly pass up an associational copy of this, his best and most important collection, inscribed to another top horror writer. (This is the second Wellman-inscribed association copy I own along with Third String Center inscribed to Wellman’s own brother, western writer Paul I. Wellman.) Currey (1979), page 515. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 87. Bleiler, Guide to Supernatural Fiction, 1672. Jones/Newman, Horror 100, 70. Bought for $100.
Zelazny, Roger. Knight of Shadows. Ultramarine Press, 1989. First limited hardback edition, #20 of 40 signed, numbered copies, bound in quarter leather, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Kovacs, 27-d-i. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 612. Proof that being a collector drives you slightly insane. (“Slightly?” asks the peanut gallery.) Ultramarine Press would take the sheets of the trade edition, then add a signed limitation page and leather binding. Honestly, I’m less than impressed with both their business model and most of the books produced, and I’m not too wild about post-first edition limiteds, but this edition seems nicer than many, 40 is a pretty low limitation for a Zelazny limited, and since I have such an extensive Zelazny collection, I decided to pony up for it. Bought for $240.
Tags:Books, Denton, Jack Vance, Limited Editions, Manly Wade Wellman, Philip Jose Farmer, pics, Recycled Books, Roger Zelazny, Ultramarine Press
Posted in Books, Fantasy, pics, Science Fiction | 2 Comments »
Monday, December 16th, 2013
Another acquisition from my recent book-buying spree:
Vance, Jack. Gold and Iron. Underwood/Miller, 1982. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a slight wrinkle at rear heel. Previously published in paperback as Slaves of the Klau. Hewett, A9e.
Tags:Books, First Edition, Jack Vance, pics
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Monday, August 12th, 2013
Unlike the Zelazny or Bradbury book acquisition posts, the only common theme among these books is who I bought them from and why. The who, in this case, is Cold Tonnage Books in the UK. The why is that they had a 40% off sale if you bought more than £500 worth of books. I saw this as a chance to pick up several important first editions cheaper than I would have been able to otherwise. So this is a mixture of first rate titles in areas I collect, valuable firsts too cheap to pass up, signed, pristine copies of some relatively cheap books, and a few odds and ends.
Aldiss, Brian. Moreau’s Other island. Jonathan Cape, 1980. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Aldiss on the front free endpaper.
Aldiss, Brian. This World and Nearer Ones: Essays Exploring the Familiar. Weidenfield and Nicolson, 1979. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
(Aldiss, Brian) Aldiss, Margaret. Item Eighty-Three: Brian W. Aldiss: A Bibliography: 1954—1972. SF Horizons, (1973). Chapbook, Fine. Non-fiction.
Asimov, Isaac. Nine Tomorrows. Doubleday, 1959. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket with moderate wear at heel and slight wear along folds. A very nice copy of this important Asimov short story collection. Currey, page 19. Replaces an Ex-Lib copy in my library.
Brackett, Leigh. The Sword of Rhiannon. Boardman, 1955. First hardback edition (“First published in Great Britain, 1955″, as per Currey), a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel and foxing to interior gutters, in a Very Good dust jacket with 1/4” of wear rubbing/chipping (dust jacket is present, but image has been worn away) at head, a similar, smaller amount of wear at heel, a shallow chip with associated wear at top rear, and crease along front cover spine join running the entire length of the jacket, and wear along extremities; despite all that, the rest of the jacket is quite bright and attractive. Currey, page 53. Cawthorn & Moorocock, Fantasy: The Hundred Best Books 75. A fairly uncommon book these days.
Ellison, Harlan. All the Lies That Are My Life. Underwood/Miller, 1980. First edition hardback, one of 400 unsigned trade hardcover copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Chalker/Owings, page 432.
Ellison, Harlan. Harlan Ellison is Watching. Underwood/Miller, 1989. First edition hardback, #46 of 600 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase. Chalker/Owings, page 440.
Ellison, Harlan. Stalking the Nightmare. Phantasia Press, 1982. First edition hardback, #240 of 700 signed hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase. Supplements a copy of the trade edition. Chalker/Owings, page 340.
(Leiber, Fritz) Morgan, Chris. Fritz Leiber: a bibliography, 1934—1979. Morgenstern, 1979. Chapbook original, one of 1000 copies, a Near Fine+ copy with spots of age darkening to cover.
Moorcock, Michael. Sailor on the Seas of Fate. Quartet Books, 1976. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with a chip out of the corner of the front free endpaper, in a Fine dust jacket. Currey, page 372.
Roberts, Adam (as A. R. R. R. Roberts). The Soddit, or Let’s Cash In Again. Gollancz, 2003. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Roberts. Parody of The Hobbit.
(Simak, Clifford D.) Becker, Muriel R. Clifford D. Simak: a primary and secondary bibliography. G. K. Hall, 1980. First edition hardback, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Non-fiction. I do wish the books were separated from the short fiction listings…
Smith, Edward E., Ph.D. Skylark Three. Fantasy Press, 1948. First edition hardback, one of 500 subscriber copies with a signature page inscribed by Smith bound in: “To Hugh F. Henry—/Three in a row — Hot dog!/And thanks a million for/the compliment./Edward E. Smith, Ph.D.” (Doc Smith had marvelously clear handwriting), a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of crimping at head and heel and faint foxing to gutters, in a Near Fine dust jacket with slight rubbing to top 1/2″ of front, slight edgewear at head, and slight dust soiling to rear cover. E. E. “Doc” Smith is someone I only pick up as a target of opportunity, but I couldn’t pass up a chance to pick up a very attractive example of one of the Fantasy Press subscriber copies for one of their most popular writers for approximately $150 after sale discount.
Turner, Gary, and Marty Halpern. The Silver Griffith. Golden Gryphon, 2003. First edition hardback, #34 of 100 numbered copies signed by all the contributor, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, in slipcase.
Vance, Jack (as John Holbrook Vance). The Deadly Isles. Bobbs-Merrill, 1969. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of crimping at head and heel in a Fine- dust jacket with a few bare traces of dust soiling and a tiny bit of rubbing at extremities. Overall a beautiful copy of this Vance mystery. Currey, p. 497. Hewett, A33.
Also a signed first of Iain Banks A Song of Stone that came in with a couple of dust jacket flaws; I’ll end up marrying the signed book to my existing pristine dust jacket…
Tags:Books, Brian Aldiss, E. E. "Doc" Smith, Fantasy, Harlan Ellison, Isaac Asimov, Jack Vance, Leigh Brackett, Michael Moorcock, Science Fiction
Posted in Books, pics, Science Fiction | No Comments »
Monday, July 15th, 2013
Bob Pylant is a major Roger Zelazny collector in Austin to whom I had sold the odd item to (like the NESFA Press Collected Zelazny volumes) over the years. Unfortunately, he suffered a car accident and had to sell some of his collection. So I went over to his house on June 13, made an offer on some choice items, and we reached an agreement.
Which is how I spent $5,000 on Roger Zelazny books in a single day. (An amount that would go up to $5,400 when I won another item he had listed on eBay.) Several were upgrades of signed first edition hardbacks where I had either unsigned copies or Ex-Library copies.
Bibliography
For bibliographic details and first edition verification, I cite the following reference books:
Currey, L.W. Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of First Printings of Their Fiction. G. K. Hall, 1978.
Chalker, Jack & Owings, Mark. The Science Fantasy Publishers: A Critical and Bibliographic History. Mirage Press, 1991 (“Third Edition Revised and Enlarged”).
Kovacs, Christopher S. The Ides of Octember: A Pictorial Bibliography of Roger Zelazny. NESFA Press, 2010. (Note: Kovacs lists proofs, ARCs, etc. when known, so many hardback firsts are designated with the a “b” rather than an “a”.)
Levack, Daniel J. Amber Dreams: A Roger Zelazny Bibliography. Underwood/Miller, 1983.
The Zelazny Books
Zelazny, Roger. And the Darkness is Harsh. Pretentious Press, 1994. First edition chapbook, one of only 85 copies (of which 70 were given away for free) signed by Zelazny, with photo of the young Zelazny pasted in at front, and one sheet chapbook catalog laid in, a Fine copy. Contains the title story, “Mr. Fuller’s Revolt,” and the poem “Diet,” all taken from his high school literary magazine, where they were published when he was 16. Virtually impossible to find these days. Kovacs, VIII-1-a.
Zelazny, Roger and Fred Saberhagen. The Black Throne. Baen Books/SFBC, 1990 (stated; Kovacs says it actually came out in 1991). First edition hardback (book club, and the only hardback) a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed by Zelazny: “For Scott,/Best, ever/Roger Zelazny/ 11/30/91”. Supplements my unsigned copy. Kovacs, I-1-c.
Zelazny, Roger, and Robert Sheckley. Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming. Bantam Spectra, 1991. Uncorrected proof (trade paperback format) of the first edition, a Fine copy with slight bumping at head, with signature plate by Zelazny affixed to blurb page. Kovacs, I-14-a.
Zelazny, Roger, and Robert Sheckley. Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming. Bantam Spectra, 1991. First edition trade paperback original (simultaneous with the hardback), a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head, inscribed by Zelazny: “To Shirley,/Roger Zelazny.” Supplements my signed hardback copy. Kovacs, I-14-c.
Zelazny, Roger. The Changing Land. Del Rey, 1981. Uncorrected Proof of the paperback original first edition, a Near Fine- copy with what appears to be glue staining to the front cover (possibly from a publicity department sticker or attached sheet), and pinpoint spots of other staining, but otherwise square and unread. Supplements my signed, read paperback, and my signed/limited Underwood/Miller edition. Levack, 4a (for the PBO), Kovacs I-6-a (for the proof). See also the manuscript section below.
Zelazny, Roger. Creatures of Light and Darkness. Doubleday, 1969. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of age-darkening and dust staining, inscribed by Zelazny: “For Larry Woods/Roger Zelazny”. Levack, 8a. Kovacs, I-9-a. Currey, P. 570.
Zelazny, Roger. Damnation Alley. Doubleday, 1969. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Zelazny: “All best-/Roger Zelazny/ 10/6/79”. Levack, 9a. Kovacs, I-10-b. Currey, P. 570. Naturally I’d pick this up just after I picked up a nice unsigned copy.
Zelazny, Roger. The Dream Master. Ace, 1966. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with “ZELAZNY DREAM MASTER” printed at heel, previous owner’s small ownership stamp on inner cover, two small pieces of tape at same spot, bookstore stamp at rear, and the usual age darkening to pages and foxing to inner covers, otherwise tight, square and apparently unread. Signed by Zelazny. This was in a picture frame, so I missed the stamps. Supplements my signed UK hardback first. Levack, 14a. Kovacs, I-18-a. Currey, P. 570.
Zelazny, Roger, and Robert Sheckley. A Farce to Be Reckoned With. Bantam, 1995. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Not signed, alas. Third in the series that started with Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming. Kovacs, I-20-b.
Zelazny, Roger. For a Breath I Tarry. Underwood/Miller, 1980. First edition hardback, #65 of 200 signed, numbered hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with publisher’s letter included. One of my favorite Zelazny novellas. Supplements my trade paperback copy. Levack, 16a. Kovacs, VI-3-a-i. Chalker/Owings, P. 432.
Zelazny, Roger. The Guns of Avalon. Doubleday, 1972. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket that is ever so slightly spine-faded, but much less than usual for this orange spine, and slight wrinkling. Signed Twice by Zelazny, once on title page and once on signature plate affixed sideways on FFE. The second Amber novel. Supplements my signed Ex-Library copy. Levack, 18a. Kovacs, I-22-a. Currey, P. 570.
Zelazny, Roger (& Kate Wilhelm). He Who Shapes b/w The Infinity Box. Tor, 1989. First separate edition and first edition thus, a paperback original, a Fine- copy, new and unread. Signed by Zelazny. Kovacs, VI-5-a.
Zelazny, Roger (& Samuel R. Delany). Home is the Hangman b/w We, In Some Strange Power’s Employ, Move On a Rigorous Line. Tor, 1990. First separate edition and first edition thus, a paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Signed by Zelazny and inscribed by Delany: “Samuel R. Delany/N.Y.C./’91”. The Delany story is also something of a Zelazny pastiche, with a disguised Zelazny (“his last name was Z-something unpronounceable”) as one of the main characters. Kovacs, VI-8-a.
Zelazny, Roger. The Last Defender of Camelot. Underwood/Miller, 1980. First edition hardback, #5 of only 35 numbered hardbacks with a signed bookplate pasted onto the copyright page, a Fine- copy with wear at edges. Just the story (making it different from the next item), and far and away Zelazny’s scarcest hardback (even more so than Nine Princes in Amber). This is the one I bought for $400 off eBay. Levack, 23b. Kovacs, VIII-4-b (also II-132-d). Chalker/Owings, P. 432. See also the manuscript section below.
Zelazny, Roger. The Last Defender of Camelot. Pocket Books, 1980. Uncorrected proof of the paperback first edition, a Fine copy. Levack, 24a (for paperback edition). Kovacs, V-15-a (for proof).
Zelazny, Roger. The Last Defender of Camelot. Underwood/Miller, 1981. First limited (and non-book club) hardback edition, #6 of 333 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Short story collection. Includes stories not in the Pocket Books or SFBC editions. Supplements my signed SFBC edition. Levack, 24c. Kovacs, V-16-a-i. Chalker/Owings, P. 433.
Zelazny, Roger (as editor). Nebula Award Stories Three. Doubleday, 1968. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine-, completely unfaded white dust jacket with extremely minor wrinkling at head, with small Zelazny signature plate affixed to bottom inner flap of dust jacket. Nigh on impossible to find with the dust jacket this bright, much less signed. And most of the stories are pretty good as well!
Zelazny, Roger, and Alfred Bester. Psychoshop. Vintage, 1998. Uncorrected proof of the trade paperback first edition, a Fine copy. Kovacs, V-36-a.
Zelazny, Roger. Today We Choose Faces Signet, 1974. First edition paperback original (and trickier than usual to identify; it says “First Printing, April, 1973” at the bottom, but “FIRST PRINTING/SECOND PRINTING/”etc. through “TENTH PRINTING” above it), a Fine- copy with a touch of edgewear. Signed by Zelazny. Supplements a signed copy of the UK hardback first. Levack, 35a. Kovacs, I-41-a. Currey, P. 571.
Zelazny, Roger. To Die in Italbar. Doubleday, 1973. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ copy with foxing along gutters and in a large rectangle on FFE where I presume the signed bookplate of the exact same size and shape now affixed to the title page once resided, in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with slight dust staining to rear white cover, and a bit of wear at points. Sequel to Isle of the Dead, and one of my least favorite Zelazny novels (which is why I waited until I had pretty much everything else to pick it up). Levack, 37a. Kovacs, I-42-a. Currey, P. 571.
Zelazny, Roger and Neil Randall. Roger Zelazny’s Visual Guide to Castle Amber. Avon/SFBC, 1988. First edition hardback (book club; the only hardback edition), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Zelazny. What the title says. Lots of illustrations and maps. Kovacs, X-14-b.
Zelazny, Roger. This Immortal. Ace, 1966. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine+ copy with small phantom creases to font and rear cover, a trace of edgewear along spine, and usual slight age darkening to pages and foxing of interior covers, otherwise square. Signed by Zelazny. Hugo Winner for Best Novel (tied with frank Herbert’s Dune), Nebula finalist. Levack, 34a. Kovacs, I-40-a. Currey, P. 571.
Zelazny, Roger. Wizard World. Baen, 1989. First edition paperback original thus, being an omnibus edition of Changeling and Madwand, a Fine copy, new and unread. Signed by Zelazny and cover artist David Mattingly. Kovacs, I-5-e-1
(Zelazny, Roger) Levack, Daniel J. Amber Dreams: A Roger Zelazny Bibliography. Underwood/Miller, 1983. First edition hardback, one of 200 signed hardbound copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Comparing the signed edition (left) to the unsigned edition (right), they seem printed in slightly different colors; the signed is more green, and the unsigned more yellow. The uniformity of tone in each makes me doubt either is the result of fading. Kovacs, XIII-1-a-1. Chalker/Owings, P. 435.
Zelazny Manuscripts/Etc.
Note: Bob carefully inserted each page of manuscript or correspondence into clear page protectors with 2-ring binder tabs.
Zelazny, Roger. The Changing Land. 340 page typesetting copy of the original manuscript for the Del Rey edition, with Zelazny’s hand corrections and typesetting notes, as well as ancillary editorial material, original bill of sale, catalog description, and letter of provenance from L. W. Currey.
Zelazny, Roger. “The Last Defender of Camelot”. Roger Zelazny’s original story manuscript, 24 pages typed (many of which are typed on the back of sheets of scrap paper), with numerous hand corrections by Zelazny, along with a few pages of ancillary material. Each sheet is in a plastic sheet protector in a three-ring binder. Also in the binder is what appears to be a copy of the hand-corrected manuscript for “Stand Pat, Ruby Stone.”
Zelazny, Roger (adapted and illustrated by James Zimmerman). The Last Defender of Camelot. Zim Graphics, 1993. First edition of the graphic novel adaptation in cardstock covers, #5 of 25 copies signed on the cover by Roger Zelazny, and #5 of 200 copies signed by Zimmerman, a Fine copy. Something to drive Zelazny completists crazy! Kovacs, II-133-a and VI-10-a.
Zelazny, Roger. “Unicorn Variations”. Zelazny’s original story manuscript, 37 typed pages, with hand corrections by Zelazny and type-setting instructions undoubtedly added by the staff of Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, where the story appeared (the manuscripts for my own stories that appeared in Asimov’s came back marked up the same way). Each sheet in a plastic sheet protector in a three-ring binder, along with a few pages of ancillary material.
Roger Zelazny’s Professional Correspondence Archive. Two huge three-ring binders containing copies of all Zelazny’s outgoing letters, from about 1970 through 1981, plus the originals of incoming correspondence to him. Includes letters to him from Robert A. Heinlein, Thomas Disch, Lloyd Biggle, Jr., Marion Zimmer Bradley, George R. R. Martin, Fredric Pohl, Connie Willis, Pat Cadigan, Jack Dann, Lisa Goldstein, David Bischoff, John F. Carr, Ellen Kushner (rejecting a story!), Bruce McAllister, Victor Milan, Michael Stackpole, Reginald Bretnor, Phyllis Eisenstein, Thomas Canty (plus art proofs), Judy-Lynn Del Rey, Jim Baen, Byron Preiss, Jim Turner, David Hartwell, Jim Frenkel, Mike Ashley, George Scithers, Gerry de la Ree, Glenn Lord, Bob Frazier, (among many others), and a telegram from Philip K. Dick (with Zelazny’s scrawled notes from the ensuing telephone conversation). Plus other letters from agents, editors, academics, Hollywood functionaries, and random fans. Plus some SFWA Forums and convention program books Zelazny had material in. According to Bob, L. W. Currey got the archive as part of a purchase from the Zelazny estate. Since Bob had bought a number of expensive items from him in the past (some listed here), he said “Look, Bob, I don’t want to catalog all this. Let me sell it to you as a lot.” Which is how Bob got it.
Non-Zelazny Books
Bob did have a few non-Zelazny books I picked up.
Banks, Iain. Against A Dark Background. Orbit, 1993. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Banks. Replaces an unsigned copy.
Banks, Iain. Consider Phlebas. Macmillan, 1987. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Banks. Replaces an unsigned copy.
Powers, Tim. The Anubis Gates. Mark V. Ziesing, 1989. First American hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Already had inscribed firsts of the PBO, and the UK first hardback editions, as well as the copy of the original hand-written manuscript in the ultralimited edition of the Berlyne Power bibliography. I picked up this to complete my Mark V. Ziesing collection…
Vance, Jack. The Best of Jack Vance. Taplinger, 1978. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine, slightly dust soiled/age darkened dust jacket.
I also made two mistakes: Picking up a proof of Zelazny and Thomas T. Thomas’ The Mask of Loki (forgot I already had a signed proof) and a signed hardback first of Iain Banks’ Excession (already had one). Those will be offered in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, which I’ll start working on right after I post this.
Roger Zelazny Books I Still Lack
Believe it or not, this doesn’t actually complete my Zelazny collection, as there are still a few odds and ends I don’t have, mainly in edited works and works about Zelazny. Some aren’t particularly hard to find, I just haven’t picked them up yet.
The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth (Pulphouse hardback of just that story)
Home is the Hangman (SFBC, 1996)
Trumps of Doom (Underwood Miller, 1985)
(with Thomas T. Thomas) Flare (Baen, 1992, paperback original)
(as editor) The Williamson Effect (Tor, 1996)
(as editor) Wheel of Fortune (AvoNova, 1995, paperback original)
Greenberg, Martin H., editor. Lord of the Fantastic: Stories in Honor of Roger Zelazny (Avon Eos, 1998)
Lindskold, Jane. Roger Zelazny. Twayne, 1992.
Sanders, Joseph L. Roger Zelazny: A Primary and Secondary Bibliography (G. K. Hall, 1982)
Yoke, Karl B. Roger Zelazny: Starmont Reader’s Guide (Borgo Press (Library binding hardback), 1979)
Yoke, Karl B. Roger Zelazny and Andre Norton: Proponents of Individualism (State University of Ohio, 1979)
Tags:Books, Fantasy, First Edition, George R. R. Martin, Hugo Award, Iain M. Banks, Jack Vance, manuscripts, Pat Cadigan, Robert A. Heinlein, Roger Zelazny, Science Fiction, The Last Defender of Camelot
Posted in Books, Fantasy, Science Fiction | 8 Comments »
Thursday, June 20th, 2013
Time for another roundup of the books I’ve bought over the lat (roughly) half year. (Why June 13 rather than the end of the month? Because I’ve just purchased a large Roger Zelazny collection I have yet to catalog, and I want to get all this out of the way and posted before I start cataloging that.)
As always, all books listed here are Fine first edition hardbacks in Fine dust jackets unless otherwise noted.
Anderson, Poul. Homebrew. NESFA Press, 1976. First edition hardback, one of 500 copies signed by Anderson (Currey B, no priority), a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of dust patterning to rear dust jacket. Currey (1978), pages 10-11. Three short stories plus miscellany.
Ashley, Mike, editor. Steampunk. Fall River Press, 2011. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Anthology.
Asimov, Isaac. Foundations Edge. Whispers Press, 1982. First limited edition (consensus seems to be that the Doubleday trade edition precedes by about a month), #282 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in quarter-bound leather over embossed cloth boards, top edge gilded in real gold, sans dust jacket, as issued. Hugo winner and Nebula Finalist. Chalker/Owings, p. 476. Bought off the Internet for $160.
Asimov, Isaac and Theodosius Dobzhansky. The Genetic Effects of Radiation. U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, 1966. Presumed first edition chapbook (no additional printings listed), a Near Fine copy with slight dust soiling and age darkening to covers, and phantom crease to bottom corner. Non-fiction pamphlet. Marjorie M. Miller, Asimov: A Checklist, page 48.
Baker, Kage and Kathleen Bartholomew. Nell Gwynnes’s At Land and At Sea. Subterranean Press, 2013.
Baxter, Stephen. Gravity Dreams. PS Publishing, 2011. First edition hardback, #17 of 100 signed, numbered copies, Fine in a Fine dust jacket.
Benford, Gregory. At the Double Solstice. Cheap Street, 1986. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy, in original mailing envelope. Chalker/Owings, page 108, which lists this copy (with publisher’s greetings on (unnumbered) page 23) as one of 60 copies thus, one of apparently four states.
Benford, Gregory. Time’s Rub. Cheap Street, 1984. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy, in original mailing envelope. Chalker/Owings, page 107, which lists this copy (with publisher’s greetings on (unnumbered) page 19) as one of 73 copies thus, one of apparently four states.
Bishop, Michael and Steven Utley, editors. Passing for Human. PS Publishing, 2009. First edition hardback, #189 of 200 numbered copies signed by all the contributors, supposedly in a slipcase, but this copy actually came in a traycase, Fine in a Fine dust jacket and traycase.
Bok, Hannes. Bok 1. Glenn Nigra, 1975. Portfolio with 12 loose Hannes Bok illustration sheets, portfolio folder Fine- with bumping to corners, all illustrations Fine. Uneven shading in pic is a scanner artifact, as the portfolio folder is actually slightly too large to fit on the scanner.
Bradbury, Ray. Nemo! Subterranean Press, 2013.
Buekes, Lauren. The Shining Girls. Umuzi (South Africa), 2013. First edition hardback, #224 of 1000 copies signed and numbered by the author, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Precedes both UK and U.S. editions.
Dann. Jack. Insinuations. PS Publishing, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 100 signed, numbered copies (my number could either be 04, 14, or 64), Fine in a Fine dust jacket. Autobiography (non-fiction).
Davidson, Avram. The Beasts of the Elysian Fields by Conrad Amber. The Nutmeg Point District Mail, 2001. First edition chapbook, Fine.
Davidson, Avram. The Wailing of the Gaulish Dead The Nutmeg Point District Mail, 2013. Perfect-bound chapbook first edition, one of 200 copies in heavy cardstock with self-wrapper flaps and errata sheet pasted inside, a Fine copy. I’ll have copies for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
De Camp, L. Sprague, and Fletcher Pratt. The Carnelian Cube. Gnome Press, 1948. First edition hardback, a Very Good+ copy with bumping at head and heel and wear at heel and tips, and slight dust soiling at head, in a Very Good- dust jacket with 1/4″ loss at head, and slightly less loss at heel and tips, significant fading to red ink on spine (the cube is barely carnelian anymore), partial stamp on rear flap, top front (non-price) flap trimmed at very tip, and general wear. The first Gnome Press book. Chalker & Owings, page 197. Earl Terry Kemp, The Anthem Series (see below), page 191. Currey (1978), page 132.
Really only a placeholder copy, and I wouldn’t even have picked it up if it hadn’t been part of a lot with:
De Camp, L. Sprague, and Fletcher Pratt. Land of Unreason. Henry Holt and Company, 1942. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ plus copy, with slight bumping at head and heel and slight dust soiling to page block at heel, in a Near Fine dust jacket with age darkening to rear cover. A very nice copy, and a splendid example of the Boris Artzybasheff dust jacket. Bought for $34 for this and the above (plus shipping and buyers premium) off Heritage Auctions.
DeVore, Chuck. The Texas Model: Prosperity in the Lone Star State and Lessons for America. Texas Public Policy Foundation, 2012. Trade Paperback Original, Fine. Inscribed by the author. Non-fiction.
Dick, Philip K. The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick volume 3: On the Dull Earth. Subterranean, 2012.
Dick, Philip K./Howard L. Cory. The Unteleported Man/The Mind Monsters. Ace, 1966. First edition paperback original (PBO) (Ace Double G-602, 50¢ price on cover), a Near Fine copy with faint spine crease, touches of edgewear, a few dog-eared pages, and slighting foxing. Levack, PKD, 43a. Currey, page 159.
Dick, Philip K. The Unteleported Man. Berkley, 1983. First edition paperback original thus, with previously unpublished original ending, VG+ with spine creasing.
Di Filippo, Paul. Roadside Bodhisattva. PS Publishing, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 100 signed copies in traycase.
Ellis, Novalyne Price. One Who Walked Alone: Robert E. Howard: The Final Years. Donald M. Grant, 1986. Non-fiction. Basis of the movie The Whole Wide World.
Ellison, Harlan. The Deadly Streets. Edgeworks Abbey/Subterranean Press, 2013. First hardback edition. One of 750 trade copies.
Ellison, Harlan. Gentlemen Junkie. Edgeworks Abbey/Subterranean Press, 2013. First hardback edition. One of 750 trade copies.
Fanthorpe, R. L. (as Pel Torro). Galaxy 666. Tower Books, 1968. First American paperback edition, a Fine- copy with a touch of edgewear and a penciled letter at head. Reported to be the worst science fiction novel ever professionally published.
Gaiman, Neil. Day of the Dead: An Annotated Babylon 5 Script. DreamHaven Book, 1998. First edition trade paperback original, Fine. Bought for $1.
Gingrich, Newt. To Renew America. Harper Collins, 1995. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket with crease to front inner flap. Inscribed to me by the author. Non-fiction.
Haldeman, Joe. The Best of Joe Haldeman. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, #147 of 250 signed, numbered copies.
Haldeman, Joe. The Best of Joe Haldeman. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, trade edition.
Howard, Robert E. Lord of the Dead. Donald M. Grant, 1981.
Kemp, Earl Terry. The Anthem Series: A Guide to the Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Weird Specialty Publisher’s of the Golden Age. The Last Stand, 2012. First edition trade paperback edition, oversized, a Fine copy (or it was before I started reading it). Non-fiction. I’ll try to finish a review of this in the near future.
Kinsella, W. P. Shoeless Joe. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1982. First edition hardback, a Near Fine- copy with a trace of spine lean and faint dust soiling at heel in a Fine- dust jacket with a thin line of very slight discoloration at the very top. Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy Three, page 49.
Klaw, Rick, editor. The Apes of Wrath. Tachyon, 2013. Trade paperback original, Fine. Inscribed to me by the author.
Lake, Jay (with illustrations by Frank Wu). Greetings From Lake Wu. Traife Buffet, 2006. First hardback edition, one of 250 copies signed by the author and illustrator, a Fine copy in decorated boards and cut-out slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. Contents differ considerably from 2003 trade edition. When this originally came out I thought “$150 for 250 signed, numbered copies? That’s a reasonable price point…for a Neil Gaiman limited.” (Sorry, Jay.) I picked this up for $30.
Lansdale, Joe R. Dead Aim. Subterranean Press, 2013. One of 400 signed, numbered copies.
Lansdale, Joe R. Dead Aim. Subterranean Press, 2013. Trade edition.
Lansdale, Joe R. (writing as Ray Slater). Texas Night Riders. Chivers Press/Curley Publishing, 1991. First hardback edition (preceded by the 1983 Leisure Books paperback original), an ex-library copy with minimal markings (a stamp on front free endpaper), otherwise VG in decorated boards with bumping along extremities, sans dust jacket, as issued. Part of the Large Print Atlantic Western line. Hankow, A Checklist of Joe R. Lansdale, A3b.
(Lansdale, Joe R.) Michael Blaine, Dennis Etchison, James Kisner, Dean R. Koontz, Joe R. Lansdale, Richard Christian Matheson, Robert R. McCammon, William F. Nolan, Alan Rodgers, David B. Silva, J. N. Williamson and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. The Monitors of Providence. World Fantasy Convention, 1986. First edition chapbook original, one of 1000 copies given out at the 1986 World fantasy Convention in Providence, RI, a Fine copy.
Leiber, Fritz. In the Beginning. Cheap Street, 1983. First edition hardback, #67 of 128 copies of the “Collectors’ Edition” signed by both Leiber and illustrator Alicia Austin (there were also 10 lettered collector’s copies, and 7 lettered and 32 number publisher’s copies), a Fine copy, in full cloth with title labels pasted on front and spine, sans dust jacket, as issued, with prospectus laid in. Chalker/Ownings, pages 106-107.
Ligotti, Thomas. The Agonizing Resurrection of Victor Frankenstein & Other Gothic Tales. Silver Salamander Press, 1994. First edition hardback, number 116 of 125 hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with small black and white art plate laid in. Bought for $200, marked down from $400, from the Half Price Books on 183 with their 50% off coupon (I showed up when the door opened). Probably the rarest Ligotti hardback. (Evidently the hardback state of The Silver Scarab Press edition of Songs From a Dead Dreamer is spurious; proof yet again you can’t completely trust Chalker & Ownings.)
(Lovecraft, H. P.) Burleson, Donald R. H.P. Lovecraft: A Critical Study. Greenwood Press, 1983. Non-fiction.
(Lovecraft, H. P.) Price, Robert M., editor. Worlds of Cthulhu. Fedogan & Breamer, 2012. Cthulhu Mythos anthology. Good to see Fedogan & Breamer wake from their deathless slumbers. I’ll have copies of this for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
MacLeod, Ian R. Wake Up and Dream. PS Publishing, 2011. First edition hardback, #38 of 100 signed, numbered copies, Fine in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase.
McKillip, Patricia A. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Atheneum, 1974. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with bend at head and heel in a Near Fine- dust jacket with crimping at head and heel, edgewear and a closed 1/4″ tear at top front cover. The very first winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. Pringle, Modern Fantasy 100, #54. Bought for $26 off the Internet.
Martin, George R. R. (and Roger Zelazny). The Last Defender of Camelot. Subterranean Press, 2003. First edition chapbook, a Fine copy, new and unread. Includes Martin’s teleplay for the revived Twilight Zone as well as Zelazny’s original story. Evidently done as part of the slipcased edition of Martin’s GRRM career retrospective collection.
McCammon, Robert. I Travel By Night. Subterranean Press, 2013. Trade edition.
McCammon, Robert. I Travel By Night. Subterranean Press, 2013. #306 of 474 signed, numbered copies. The trade edition precedes by about 8 weeks.
Moorcock, Michael. Epic Pooh. British Fantasy Society, 1978. First edition chapbook, Fine- with tiny bit of creasing to bottom outer corner tip. Non-fiction.
Moorcock, Michael. Wizardry and Wild Romance. Gollancz, 1987. Non-fiction.
Novik, Naomi. Empire of Ivory. Harper Voyager, 2007. First hardback edition; the U.S. edition, which I have, is a PBO that precedes by a month. The fourth Temeraire, and since I have the rest in hardback, and just read the third one, I thought it was high time to pick this up…
Potter, J. K. (William Schafer and Bill Sheehan, editors). Embrace the Mutation. Subterranean Press, 2002. First edition hardback, one of 250 copies signed by the artist and editors. Anthology of stories based on Potter’s work.
Powers, Tim. Salvage and Demolition. Subterranean Press, 2013. One of 350 signed, numbered copies.
Powers, Tim. Salvage and Demolition. Subterranean Press, 2013. Trade edition.
Resnick, Mike. Lucifer Jones. Warner Questar, 1992. First edition paperback original this, a Fine- copy with just a trace of wear at tips.
Russell, Eric frank. The Space Willies b/w Six Worlds Yonder. Ace Books, 1958. Paperback reprint, VG with spine creasing and wear.
Scalzi, John. Redshirts. Tor, 2012. Bought for half cover price at Half Price Books.
Simmons, Dan. The Guiding Nose of Ulfänt Banderōz. Subterranean Press, 2013. First separate hardback edition, #179 of 250 signed, numbered copies.
Simmons, Dan. The Guiding Nose of Ulfänt Banderōz. Subterranean Press, 2013. First separate hardback edition. Trade edition.
Smith, Clark Ashton. The Tartarus of the Suns. Roy A. Squires, 1970. First edition thread-bound chapbook, a Fine copy in envelope. The Fugitive Poems, First Fascicle, Zothique Edition. This is copy 105. Donald Sydney-Fryer, Emperor of Dreams: A Clark Ashton Smith Bibliography, P. 140. Chalker Owings, P. 588.
Smith, Clark Ashton. The Titans in Tartarus. Roy A. Squires, 1974. First edition thread-bound chapbook, a Fine copy in envelope. The Fugitive Poems, Second Series, First Volume, Xigarph edition. This is copy 30 of the “small” edition (as opposed to the “manuscript” sized edition). Donald Sydney-Fryer, Emperor of Dreams: A Clark Ashton Smith Bibliography, P. 140. Chalker Owings, P. 589.
(Smith, Clark Ashton) Sidney-Fryer, Donald. Clark Ashton Smith: The Sorcerer Departs. Tsathoggua Press, 1997. First edition chapbook, Fine-. A critical miscellany, plus one poem by Smith.
(Smith, Clark Ashton). The Tales of Clark Ashton Smith: A Bibliography. Thomas C. L. Cockcoft, 1951. First edition chapbook, one of 500 copies, Near Fine- with a few small spots of soiling, phantom crease to rear dust jacket, and age darkening. Non-fiction. Currey (1978), P. 455. Tymn Schlobin Currey, A Research Guide to Science Fiction Studies, 323. A very early Clark Ashton Smith bibliography. Not as useful as I hoped it would be.
Smith, Michael Marshall (translation and re-translation by Benoît Domis and Nicholas Royle). The Gist. Subterranean Press, 2013. One of 300 signed, numbered copies. Literary experiment in which a story by Smith is translated into French, and then translated back.
Smith, Michael Marshall (translation and re-translation by Benoît Domis and Nicholas Royle). The Gist. Subterranean Press, 2013. Trade edition.
Smith, Reginald. Weird Tales in the Thirties. Self published, no date (but 1966). First edition, 8 1/2″ x 11″ side-stapled, mimeographed from typewritten copy, Near Fine- copy with small abrasion at top front, and slight bend to front and rear self-covers. Long essay about the magazine. Joshi, H. P. Lovecraft: An Annotated Bibliography, III-D-574.
Stableford, Brian. Optiman. DAW, 1980. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with a few pinpoint rubs.
Swanwick, Michael. It Came Upon a Midnight. Dragonstairs Press, 2011. First edition chapbook original, #81 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine- copy with one faint stray mark to front.
Swanwick, Michael. Midwinter Elves. Dragonstairs Press, 2012. First edition chapbook original, #15 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine- copy with small stain on rear.
Vance, Jack. The Avatar’s Apprentice. Sadlark Press, 2011. First edition chapbook, one of 30 copies printed from photopolymer plates, a Fine copy, new and unread. According to the publisher “I collected all the excerpts from the five Demon Princes novels that dealt with the Avatar’s Apprentice: Scroll from the Ninth Dimension, and put them into one book. I letterpress printed, illustrated, and hand bound an edition of thirty-five. I used photopolymer to print all the text and images in this book.” I’ve comfirmed with the publisher via email that the edition is actually the 30 stated on the limitation page at back.
Vance, Jack. The Eyes of the Overworld. Gregg Press, 1977. First hardback edition, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Sequel to The Dying Earth featuring Cugel the Clever. Precedes the Underwood/Miller edition. Hewett, A26g. Currey (1978), page 498.
Vance, Jack (writing as Ellery Queen). Four Men Called John. Gollancz Detection, 1976. First hardback edition a Fine- copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of crimping at head, and a few faint invisible, non-breaking surface scratches. Hewett, A14j. Actually, Jerry Hewett was the one who picked this up for me, since he knew I was looking for it…
Vance, Jack. Magic Highways. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback. Omnibus.
Vance, Jack. Strange Notions with The Dark Ocean. Underwood/Miller, 1985. First edition hardbacks, number 47 of 500 signed (Strange Notions only, as issued), numbered sets in slipcase, Fine, sans dust jackets, as issued. Mystery novels. Hewett, A75 and A76.
Vance, Jack. To Live Forever. Ballantine books, 1956. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Near Fine- dust jacket with slight spine fading and tiny (1/32″) chipping at head and heel. Signed by Vance. Currey (1978), page 500, A1 (dark blue) binding. Hewett, A4ab.
Varley, John. Good-bye, Robinson Crusoe and Other Stories. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, #146 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies.
Vinge, Vernor. Children of the Sky. Tor, 2011
Waldrop, Howard. Strange Things in Closeup. Legend, 1989. Trade paperback original, Near Fine- with slight spine crease and the usual age darkening to the paper (ubiquitous for Orbit/Legend books of this era).
Wellman, Manly Wade. The Complete John Thunstone. Haffner Press, 2012.
(Wells, H. G.) William J. Scheick and J. Randolph Cox. H. G. Wells: A Reference Guide. G. L. Hall & Co., 1988. Fine-, with tiny crimps at head and heel, sans dust jacket, as issued.
Williams, Tad. Diary of a Dragon. Subterranean Press, 2013. Trade paperback chapbook first edition, #86 of 750 signed, numbered copies.
Wilson, Robert Charles. Vortex. Tor, 2011.
Wolfe, Gary K. American Science Fiction: Nine Classic Novels of the 1950s. The Library of America, 2012. First Edition hardback thus, being a two volume compilation of some of the best American SF novels of the 1950s: Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth’s The Space Merchants, Theodore Sturgeon’s More Than Human, Leigh Brackett’s The Long Tomorrow, Richard Matheson’s The Shrinking Man, Robert A. Heinlein’s Double Star, Alfred Bester’s The Stars My Destination, James Blish’s A Case of Conscience, Algis Budrys’ Who?, and Fritz Leiber’s The Big Time, both volumes Fine in Fine dust jackets, new and unread, in a Fine slipcase. This is an example of book collecting madness, since I either have first editions of, or have already read, all the books here except Who?, but I thought this was a handsome set when it came out, and snapped this up when it showed up at Half Price Books.
(Wolfe, Gene) Andre-Driussi, Michael. Gate of Horn, Book of Silk. Sirius Press, 2012. Non-fiction.
(Wolfe, Gene) Fawcett, Bill and J.E. Mooney, editors. Shadows of the New Sun: Stories in Honor of Gene Wolfe. Tor, 2013. Uncorrected proof (trade paperback format) of the first edition, Fine.
Wyly, Sam and Andrew. Texas Got It Right! Melcher Media, 2012. Trade Paperback Original, Fine. Non-fiction.
Zelazny, Roger. Damnation Alley. Putnam, 1969. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a tiny bit of edgewear along top front. Levack, Amber Dreams, 9a. Currey (1978), page 570.
Zelazny, Roger and Robert Sheckley. If At Faust You Don’t Succeed. Bantam, 1993. Uncorrected proof (trade paperback format) of the trade paperback original first edition, Fine, new and unread.
Zivkovic, Zoran. The Ghostwriter. PS Publishing, 2012. #44 of 100 signed, numbered copies. Fine in a Fine dust jacket.
Tags:Avram Davidson, Books, Clark Ashton Smith, Fantasy, Gene Wolfe, Gregory Benford, Horror, Isaac Asimov, Jack Vance, Joe R. Lansdale, L. Sprague de Camp, Michael Moorcock, Michael Swanwick, Philip K. Dick, Roger Zelazny, Science Fiction, Tim Powers, Western
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Monday, June 17th, 2013
Books and related items, and no particular theme, other than interesting firsts I picked up. Been dawdling about getting this documented, and now I need to put it up so I can catalog a major acquisition of books I made Friday…
Bok, Hannes. Bok 1. Glenn Nigra, 1975. Portfolio with 12 loose Hannes Bok illustration sheets, portfolio folder Fine- with bumping to corners, all illustrations Fine. Uneven shading in pic is a scanner artifact, as the portfolio folder is actually slightly too large to fit on the scanner.
De Camp, L. Sprague, and Fletcher Pratt. The Carnelian Cube. Gnome Press, 1948. First edition hardback, a Very Good+ copy with bumping at head and heel and wear at heel and tips, and slight dust soiling at head, in a Very Good- dust jacket with 1/4″ loss at head, and slightly less loss at heel and tips, significant fading to red ink on spine (the cube is barely carnelian anymore), partial stamp on rear flap, top front (non-price) flap trimmed at very tip, and general wear. The first Gnome Press book. Chalker & Owings, page 197. Earl Terry Kemp, The Anthem Series*, page 191. Currey (1978), page 132.
Really only a placeholder copy, and I wouldn’t even have picked it up if it hadn’t been part of a lot with:
De Camp, L. Sprague, and Fletcher Pratt. Land of Unreason. Henry Holt and Company, 1942. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ plus copy, with slight bumping at head and heel and slight dust soiling to page block at heel, in a Near Fine dust jacket with age darkening to rear cover. A very nice copy, and a splendid example of the Boris Artzybasheff dust jacket. Bought for $34 for this and the above (plus shipping and buyers premium) off Heritage Auctions.
McKillip, Patricia A. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Atheneum, 1974. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with bend at head and heel in a Near Fine- dust jacket with crimping at head and heel, edgewear and a closed 1/4″ tear at top front cover. The very first winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. Pringle, Modern Fantasy 100, #54. Bought for $26 off the Internet.
Swanwick, Michael. It Came Upon a Midnight. Dragonstairs Press, 2011. First edition chapbook original, #81 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine- copy with one faint stray mark to front.
Swanwick, Michael. Midwinter Elves. Dragonstairs Press, 2012. First edition chapbook original, #15 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine- copy with small stain on rear.
Vance, Jack. The Eyes of the Overworld. Gregg Press, 1977. First hardback edition, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Sequel to The Dying earth featuring Cugel the Clever. Precedes the Underwood/Miller edition. Hewett, A26g. Currey (1978), page 498.
Wolfe, Gary K. American Science Fiction: Nine Classic Novels of the 1950s. The Library of America, 2012. First Edition hardback thus, being a two volume compilation of some of the best American SF novels of the 1950s: Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth’s The Space Merchants, Theodore Sturgeon’s More Than Human, Leigh Brackett’s The Long Tomorrow, Richard Matheson’s The Shrinking Man, Robert A. Heinlein’s Double Star, Alfred Bester’s The Stars My Destination, James Blish’s A Case of Conscience, Algis Budrys’ Who?, and Fritz Leiber’s The Big Time, both volumes Fine in Fine dust jackets, new and unread, in a Fine slipcase. This is an example of book collecting madness, since I either have first editions of, or have already read, all the books here except Who?, but I thought this was a handsome set when it came out, and snapped this up when it showed up at Half Price Books.
*This is a newly published reference work on SF specialty publishers. I hope to finish a review of it Real Soon Now, and I’ll have copies for sale through Lame Excuse Books.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, First Edition, Fletcher Pratt, Gary K. Wolfe, Gnome Press, Hannes Bok, Jack Vance, L. Sprague de Camp, Michael Swanwick, Patricia A. McKillip, pics, Science Fiction
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