Posts Tagged ‘Half Price Books’
Friday, February 21st, 2025
Two more paperbacks bought at the local Half Price Books.
Brackett, Leigh. The Reavers of Skaith. Ballantine Books, 1976. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with a trace of edgewear. I now have all three Skaith books, thanks to a previous Half Price Books purchase. Currey, page 53. Bought for $1.34.
Brackett, Leigh. The Starman of Llyrdis. Ballantine Books, 1976. First edition paperback original thus under this title, (a reprint of the 1952 Gnome Press hardback The Starman), a Near Fine copy with edgewear and a large bookstore stamp inside the front cover, otherwise nice and square. Currey, page 53. Bought for 67¢.
Tags:Books, Half Price Books, Leigh Brackett, PBO, Science Fiction
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Thursday, December 19th, 2024
Another DFW Half Price Books purchase.
Resnick, Mike. Walpurgis III. Signet, 1982. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with slight edgewear, inscribed on the insider cover by Resnick to Horseclans author Robert Adams: “For Bob Adams/From Mike/Resnick.” Bought for $8.
The book is so tight I didn’t want to risk cracking it by scanning the inside cover, so this crappy iPhone snap is all you get of the inscription.
This is the second associational PBO I have inscribed to Roberts by another writer.
Tags:Associational Copy, Books, Half Price Books, Mike Resnick, PBO, Robert Adams, Science Fiction
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Wednesday, December 18th, 2024
Five more hardback first editions bought at Half Price Books in the DFW metroplex.
Fraser, George MacDonald. Flashman and the Mountain of Light. Knopf, 1990. First American edition, hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel in a Fine- dust jacket with slight bumping at head and heel and age-darkening to top edge of front flap. Flashman up to his usual tricks on the India frontier. Bought for $7.99.
Novik, Naomi. The Golden Enclaves. Del Rey, 2022. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. “Lesson Three of the Scholomance.” Bought for $13.99. In the past year I’ve picked up all three of these volumes at Half Price Books.
Rand, Ayn. Ideal: The Novel and the Play. new American library, 2015. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with slight wrinkle at top right front cover and slight bend at head and heel. Previously unpublished novel and play, both featuring the same plot and characters, neither of which Rand was happy enough with to publish. Bought for $7.99.
Westerfeld, Scott. The Risen Empire. Tor, 2003. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine Mylar-protected dust jacket. Space Opera. Replaces a slightly less attractive copy. Bought for $5.99
Whitehead, Colson. The Underground Railroad. Doubleday, 2016. First edition hardback “1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2” numberline and “First
Edition” stated), a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a trace of wear at points and a “OPRAH’S/2016 SELECTION/BOOK CLUB” sticker (apparently as issued for some copies) and no barcode sticker over original. An alternate history/slipstream novel in which the underground railroad for escaped slaves is a literal railway underground, with stations along the way, and a different timeline from our own. Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award and Arthur C. Clarke Award winner. Bought for $13.99.
Tags:Ayn Rand, Books, Fantasy, George MacDonald Fraser, Half Price Books, Naomi Novik, Pulitzer Prize, Science Fiction, Scott Westerfeld
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Tuesday, December 17th, 2024
Two more Half Price Books purchases from the Metroplex, these being science fiction reference works.
(Bradbury, Ray) Jonathan R. Eller and William F. Touponce. Ray Bradbury: The Life of Fiction. Ken State, 2004. First edition hardback (“08 07 06 05 04 5 4 3 2 1” numberline), a Fine- copy with a small binding flaw where a small rectangle of the black endpaper covering is missing from the top of the rear inside cover near the gutter, in a Fine dust jacket. Massive 570-page biography of Bradbury. Eller and Touponce are the ones editing the Critical Editions of Bradbury stories. This has had at least one printing since. Bought for $38.
(Heinlein, Robert A.) James Gifford. Robert A. Heinlein: A Reader’s Companion. Nitrosyncratic Press, 2000. First edition trade paperback original (“First Edition/First printing, 8 May 2000”) on copyright page, presumably simultaneous with the hardback edition (also listed on the copyright page), a Near Fine+ copy with slight crease to bottom front corner. Critical companion covering all of Heinlein’s works. Hugo Award nominee. Bought for $9.99.
Tags:biography, Books, Half Price Books, James Gifford, Jonathan R. Eller, Ray Bradbury, reference works, Robert A. Heinlein, Science Fiction, William F. Touponce
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Monday, December 16th, 2024
Now that I’ve sent out the latest Lame Excuse Books catalog, I finally have time to list additions to my own library that I found in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. This post includes all the signed hardbacks, and all were bought at various DFW-area Half Price Books.
Allston, Aaron. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Outcast. Del Rey, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with the tiniest little crimping at head and heel, inscribed by Allston: “To Chris: May the/Force be with you!/Aaron Allston/2011/10/8.” Bought for $7.99.
Braunbeck, Gary A. In the Midnight Museum. Necessary Evil Press, 2005. First edition hardback, #118 of 450 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Braunbeck is the only writer in this post I don’t (or didn’t) know personally. Bought for $10.
Bryant, Edward. The Baku. Subterranean, 2001. First edition hardback, #221 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. I think I passed on this when it first came out because I thought $35 was too pricey for what was essentially a 28 page novelette that had already been published in Night Visions 4 (plus an introduction and teleplay of same). Oh those younger, more innocent times. Bought for $10.
Cadigan, Pat. Patterns. Ursus Imprints, 1989. First edition hardback, 162 of 400 signed, numbered copies, a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with a thin 2″ long scratch on rear near spine and slight edgewear. Supplements a trade edition inscribed to me. Bought for $7.99.
Lethem, Jonathan. You Don’t Love Me Yet. Doubleday, 2007. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Lethem. Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $9.99.
Tags:Aaron Allston, Books, Ed Bryant, Gary Braunbeck, Half Price Books, Horror, Jonathan Lethem, Necessary Evil Press, Pat Cadigan, Science Fiction, signatures, signed, small press publishers, Ursus Imprints
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Tuesday, September 17th, 2024
Three used books, two of which were bought extremely cheaply.
Asimov, Isaac. Foundation’s Edge. Doubleday, 1982. First edition hardback (“First Edition” stated and gutter code of M36 on page 365), a Very Good copy with bumping at head and heel, slight creasing to spine, a few tiny nicks to bottom boards, in a Very Good dust jacket with several tackhead-sized abrasion spots to bottom front panel, bumping at head and heel, and shallow loss of points. Hugo Award winner. Replaces a Book Club edition bought and read before I started collecting first editions, and supplements a copy of the Whispers Press signed/limited edition. Usually this would not qualify as a sufficiently attractive to pick up, but it was literally $1 at a garage sale from a storage unit.
King, Stephen. Storm of the Century. Book-of-the-Month Club, 1999. First hardback edition, being a trade paperback original, a Fine-/Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel and just a trace of wear at dj points. The BOMC is the first hardback, but I’m not sure there are any points to determine first vs. later printings. Collings, Horror Plum’d: An International Stephen King Bibliography and Guide, A64.b. Bought for $1.
Ruff, Matt. Lovecraft Country. Harper, 2016. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ copy with bump at heel, sans dust jacket, as issued. Basis of the HBO TV series. Bought for $13.49 from Half Price Books.
Tags:Books, Cthulhu, Half Price Books, Horror, Isaac Asimov, Science Fiction, Stephen King
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Wednesday, September 11th, 2024
I’m still working my way through the Temeraire books, but haven’t read any of Naomi Novik’s other works, so I was happy to pick this up.
Novik, Naomi. A Deadly Education. Del Rey, 2020. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine- dust jacket with bumped corners. “Lesson One of The Scholomance.” Bought from Half Price Books for $11.92.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Half Price Books, Naomi Novik
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Monday, June 10th, 2024
Two critical companions, both bought at Half Price Books.
(Heinlein, Robert A.) J. Neil Schulman. The Robert Heinlein Interview and Other Heinleiniana. Pulpless.com, 1999. First edition trade paperback edition thus (there was a previous digital edition, but this is the first hardcopy version), a Near Fine- copy with creases to both rear corners. Long interview with Heinlein conducted in 1975, along with reviews of his works, letters, etc. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a copy of this before. Bought for $8.99.
(Pratchett, Terry) Burrows, Marc. The Magic of Terry Pratchett. White Owl, 2020. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Critical companion to Pratchett’s works. Bought for $6.29.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Half Price Books, J. Neil Schulman, reference works, Robert A. Heinlein, Science Fiction, Terry Pratchett
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Tuesday, May 14th, 2024
I already had a copy, but this one popped as both signed and listed at a bargain price, so I jumped on it.
Vance, Jack. Coup de Grace and Other Stories. Vance Integral Edition, 2001. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a dozen pinpricks to light spotting to top page block and a tiny trace of wear at head, heel and points, sans dust jacket, as issued, matching the appearance of the “Reader’s Edition” of the Vance Integral Edition, signed by Vance (characteristic of Vance’s late, overlapping signature after he went blind). Short story collection done as a “preview” edition to generate interest in the VIE project. Offered at $75. Chalker & Owings (2002), page 946. Chalker & Owings list a print run of 1,000 copies, which seems too high given the relative scarcity of the title, though several were evidently distributed at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Bought from Half Price Books on the Internet for $50.
Since I already have a copy for sale, I’m inclined to keep both this and the slightly better, unsigned copy. So I now have a 48 volume VIE set: the 44 volume initial set being #62 of 200 with Volume 44 signed by Vance, plus two copies of Coup de Grace and Other Stories, one signed, plus Strange She Hasn’t Written/Death of a Solitary Chess Player/The Man Who Walks Behind (AKA 14 bis) and The Languages of Pao and The Dragon Masters with signed VIE project bookplates laid in, and the latter in the proof dust jacket I obtained from the Vance estate.
Whey yes, I am feeling unreasonably smug about it. Thanks for asking.
Tags:Books, Half Price Books, Jack Vance, Science Fiction, signatures, small press publishers, Vance Integral Edition
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