All of these were bought at various Half Price Books locations with 10% off coupons.
Posts Tagged ‘Jay Lake’
Library Additions: Various Half Price Books Finds
Friday, April 22nd, 2022Library Additions: Half Price Books Finds
Tuesday, June 18th, 2019No particular theme, just various books I picked up at Half Price Books over the last few months that I didn’t feel like breaking out into separate posts.
Jay Lake, RIP
Sunday, June 1st, 2014Jay Lake lost his long, well-documented fight with cancer today. He was 5 days shy of his 50th birthday.
I saw Jay at the San Antonio Worldcon. When he rolled up in his scooter, I went “Jay, you know the same conversation you’ve already had with every one of your friends this weekend? Let’s just pretend we already had that conversation.”
He was a swell guy and a good writer who will be missed.
I’m actually about to go off and visit a relative recovering from cancer in the hospital, which is one reason this is so brief…
Library Additions: A Random Collection of Signed Books
Monday, November 18th, 2013Some more library additions, with no particular theme except books signed by the author.
The Good, the Bad, and the Utley
Friday, March 8th, 2013Lots of health-related news for the science fiction community, so I thought I would roll it up into a single post here.
The good news: Jay Lake is currently free of detectable tumors. As Jay notes, this is quite different than being cured, but beats the alternative. Indeed, his optimism is so guarded as to be indistinguishable from pessimism. “No one knows what will work for me, and none of the choices are all that likely to pay off anyway.” He’s still waiting for the full results of the DNA scan.
The bad news: SF writer, editor, and publisher and pioneering rock critic Paul Williams is in a hospice. Williams is suffering from early onset dementia brought about as a side effect of his 1995 bicycle accident. There’s a donation page to help his family. Williams was also executor for the Philip K. Dick estate for a number of years, but that’s now handled by the Philip K. Dick Trust. I think I may have met Williams, very briefly, at the 2006 Anaheim Worldcon, but I’m not sure.
And now a few Steven Utley memorials:
Steven Utley in a Coma
Saturday, January 12th, 2013Jessica Reisman sent this out with permission to pass it on, so I’m putting it here:
Hi all,
I’m passing on this news somewhat piecemeal, but trying to let enough people know who I think would want to know. Please pass it on as you feel appropriate.
Steve was fairly recently diagnosed with stage four cancer and a lesion on his brain and it’s progressed quickly. I heard from Molly this morning that he’s fallen into a coma and the doctor estimates two days. His mother and brother and ex-wife Molly are there with him.
Very sorry to be the bearer of this news.
Jessica
Utley was one of the original Turkey City writers, along with Chad Oliver, Tom Reamy, Howard Waldrop, etc.
Between this and Jay Lake’s latest bout, it hasn’t been a good cancer year for SF writers…
Pictures from the 2012 Chicago Worldcon: Sunday
Sunday, September 16th, 2012Yes, more Worldcon photos. I’ve broken them up across multiple posts so the page didn’t load so slowly readers would think they were back in the Geocities era.
Dantzel Cherry and her friends charge up their eye lasers.
Legendary fan David Kyle, who attended the first Worldcon in New York City in 1939!
How many legends can you spot in this photo? David Hartwell, Robert Silverberg, and Joe and Gay Haldeman all talk to David Kyle.
Connie Willis, enjoying the first Worldcon where she wasn’t required to present an award since she was six years old.
With Mary Robinette Kowal, who survived the ordeal of being a SFWA officer.
Michael Cassutt, just minutes before he was tragically bored to death at the Robert A. Heinlein Society annual meeting.
Adam-Troy Castro. “I said sell Greek bonds! SELL!”
Steve Jackson, who was there with his Chaos Machine setup. “What’s that? I can’t hear you over the sound of all that money my Ogre Kickstarter made.”
Not-so-secret master of Fandom Ben Yalow.
John Picacio, in the last known photo of him before he won the freaking Hugo Award.
James Patrick Kelly and Robert Silverberg.
Saturday night I dined with Scott Bobo, Kurt Baty, Sarah Felix, Ed Scarborough, and Spike and Tom at Everest, a 7 course meal that took three and a half hours and cost $200. Sunday, before the Hugos? I ate at Chipolte with Dantzel and some of her friends.
Remember, pictures of attractive women are your best blog-visit drivers!
David Brin is the Belle of the Ball:
Molly Nixon, ready for the Hugos.
As is Mary Robinette Kowal.
Jim Minz and Mike Resnick at the door of the Baen party.
Scott Edelman and Robert Reed, in a diagonally framed shot to get both of them in.
Jay Lake, embossed by rocketship.
You go, I go, for podcasting Hugos:
Neil Gaiman, after the Hugos.
John Scalzi in Murder by Hugo (Neil’s, as it happens).
Scott Edelman’s fashion approaches David Hartwell levels of taste.
And now, for the full effect: With the shoes.
A better picture of Sue Burke, with 85% less “about to be eaten by zombies” grimness.
Texas Worldcon Chairman Bill Parker looking sharp.
Jim Mann, proving that some moose ties kan be pretty nasti.
Another crappy picture of Charlie Stross, this one wearing his “Christopher Priest yells at a cloud” inspired t-shirt.
It’s not my fault! She kept changing her outfit!
New Lame Excuse Books Catalog Available
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011I just sent out a new Lame Excuse Books catalog filled with interesting science fiction, fantasy, and horror first editions. Once again there’s lots of great stuff, including new books from Joe R. Lansdale, Jay Lake, Henry Kuttner, Charles Stross, Neal Stephenson, a Tim Powers Charnel House book, a signed Roger Zelazny limited edition, a desirable Jack Vance first, and numerous small press books from Subterranean, Haffner, PS Publishing, and Night Shade, among others. Let me know if you’d like me to email you a copy.
The Lame Excuse Books December 2010 Catalog
Monday, December 20th, 2010I sent out the Lame Excuse Books December 2010 to regular customers last week. Here it is (minus the books that sold out) in “just plopped the hell down as text on a blog” form:
Greetings, and welcome to Lawrence Person’s Lame Excuse for a Book Catalog! Once again there’s lots of great stuff, including new books from Joe R. Lansdale, Greg Egan, Jay Lake, Peter Straub, Charles Stross, and the new, definitive H. P. Lovecraft biography (in two hefty volumes!), plus a excellent signed first of Ender’s Game, a bunch of signed Michael Bishop, and numerous small press books from Subterranean, Night Shade and Tachyon, among others. Most in-print books start at $3 off cover price, and as usual I only have one or two copies for many titles, so you might want to act quickly.
The URL for the main Lame Excuse Books webpage is:
https://www.lawrenceperson.com/lame.html
I’m still doing a Lame Excuse Books Twitter feed:
https://twitter.com/LameExcuseBooks
Payment, Contact & Shipping Information
E-mail me at lawrenceperson@gmail.com. I can hold books ten days on e-mail or phone requests (please leave a message on my voice mail for the latter: (512) 569-9036). U.S. shipping is $5.00 for the first book, and $1.00 a book thereafter. Foreign shipping is at cost (please inquire; for most locations, Global Priority starts at $13.00). Books may be returned in the same condition sent for any reason within 10 days of purchase for a full refund. Please make checks payable to Lawrence Person. I can also take Paypal payment from funds on account to this e-mail address at http://www.paypal.com, and I can take MC and Visa directly through my merchant account.
Please mail checks to:
Lawrence Person
Lame Excuse Books
P.O. Box 27231
Austin, Texas 78755
There might be a slight Christmas delay for mailing out some books, but I’ll try to get out as many as I can before the holiday hits full force.
Finally, if you want me to take you off this mailing list, please let me know. I hate spam just as much as the next person.
Now the books!
LP1837. Adams, Douglas, and John Lloyd. The Deeper Meaning of Liff. Harmony Books, 1990. First American edition, a Fine- copy with three small, short lines of writing to front free endpaper, in a Fine dust jacket. Collection of words that don’t exist but should. Seems to have had fewer reprints than Adams’ other works. $15.
LP1838. Bennett, Robert Jackson. Mr. Shivers. Orbit (U.S.), 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Joe Dominici, thriller writer and former co-owner of Future Visions in Houston, called this “The finest first novel I have read in years” just a couple of months before his untimely death earlier this year, and having just read it I agree. It’s the story of several men in the depression hunting down the title character, a tall, scarred man who has violently taken loved ones from each of them. But the longer the search, the more apparent that Mr. Shivers isn’t a man at all, but perhaps the Devil (or even Death) himself. A very strong debut novel, reminiscent of K. W. Jeter’s In the Land of the Dead, but I liked this better. A dark and gripping book. Recommended. I only have one. $15.
LP21. Bishop, Michael. Ancient of Days. Arbor House, 1985. First edition hardback , F-/NF+, with slight bumping to head and heel, a 1/8″ closed tear on heel, and a small amount of wear to bottom boards. Still nice. Signed by Bishop. $9.
LP23. Bishop, Michael. Brittle Innings. Bantam, 1994. First edition hardback, Fine in a Fine dj. Wonderful novel about Frankenstein’s Monster playing minor league baseball in the W.W.II-era south. Hugo nominee. “It’s a helluva novel (one of the best I’ve read in the last ten years), a brilliant period study, and it combines baseball and Frankenstein. What more could you want?” Caroline Spector in Nova Express. Recommended. Signed by Bishop. $20.
LP1327. Bishop, Michael. No Enemy But Time. Timescape Books, 1982. First edition hardback, a NF copy with on long, gray diagonal streak (doesn’t look like a remainder mark) across bottom page block, with a trace of dust soiling on top page block, in a VG dust jacket which is complete, but which has four closed tears at the bottom of the back, each of which was unfortunately at one time “repaired” by non-archival tape which has left light yellow/brownish stains on the back, 2 about 2 1/2″ to 3″, the others about 1/2″; beautiful front and spine, but notably flawed back, and now encased in a dj protector. Not a perfect copy, but a big step up from an Ex-Library copy. Signed by Bishop. $30.
LP386. Bishop, Michael. No Enemy But Time. Timescape, 1982. First edition hardback, an ex-library copy with all the usual flaws, otherwise G+/VG+, with spine leaned and rolled, wear to top and bottom boards, internal mends, leaves starting to loosen (and some mended), and some water rippling or spotting to a few interior pages. A well read copy, but a true first of his Nebula winner. Not too bad spine out, an adequate space filler or reading copy. Signed by Bishop. $10.
LP25. Bishop, Michael. The Secret Ascension (aka Philip K. Dick is Dead, Alas). Tor, 1987. First Edition, Hardback NF+/NF, with some slight soiling to page edges, wrinkles, rubbing, and a 1/2″ scratch on the font dj, part of which goes through the dj. Still, better than it sounds. Author’s preferred title is Philip K. Dick is Dead, Alas. Went into a second printing almost immediately. Signed by Bishop. $9.
LP22. Bishop, Michael. And Strange at Ecbatan the Trees. Harper & Row, 1976 First edition hardback, ex-Library copy, with all the usual flaws, otherwise VG+/NF-, with significant spine lean. Signed by Bishop. $5.
LP27. Bishop, Michael. Transfigurations. Berkley Putnam, 1979. First edition hardback, F/NF cover, with shallow chipping at dj head and one long, semi-closed tear intact in dj protector. Signed by Bishop. $8
LP471. Bishop, Michael and Di Filippo, Paul (as Philip Lawson). Muskrat Courage. St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2000. First edition hardback, Fine in Fine dj. Humorous mystery novel featuring Will Keats, the protagonist of Would It Kill You to Smile?. Signed by Bishop. $15.
LP1838. Butler, Octavia. Patternmaster. Doubleday, 1976. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with previous owner’s signature on inside front cover and slight spine lean (but NO remainder spray) in a Near Fine dust jacket with a few tiny scratches and abrasions, tiny bit of foxing on interior flap edges, and foxing to blind side of dust jacket spine. Still a very attractive and presentable first edition of Butler’s first book. $75.
LP1839. Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game. Tor, 1985. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed by Card to fellow writer (and noted book collector) Scott Cupp: “to Scott Cupp—/A child-rearing guide/for the military school set…/Best,/Orson Scott Card/NASFIC-’85.” Hugo and Nebula winner for Best Novel, Card’s most famous work, and probably the most difficult domestic SF novel from a mainstream publishers in the last 30 years. $2,200.
LP1836. Egan, Greg. Zendegi. Night Shade Press, 2010. First U.S. edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Egan’s latest novel, set in a post-theocracy Iran and a popular virtual reality game. $19.
LP1402. Haldeman, Joe. Camouflage. Ace, 2004. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj with the tiniest, teensy-ist wrinkle at heel, otherwise new and unread. Nebula Award winner for best novel. Signed by Haldeman. Got scarcer after it won the Nebula…$65.
LP1095. Hughart, Barry. The Story of the Stone. Doubleday/Foundation, 1988. First edition hardback, Fine in a Fine dj; a beautiful, immaculate copy. The second Master Li & Number 10 Ox story. Funny, and brilliant, and highly recommended. $30.
LP1844. King, Stephen. The Bachman Books (Rage, Roadwork, The Long Walk, and The Running Man). NAL, 1985. Book club hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket with edgewear and slight wrinkling at head. Four novels first published as Richard Bachman, including Rage, which King has vowed never to allow to be published again, and The Long Walk, one of his best (IMHO). Highly recommended. Nice reading copy. $10.
LP1845. King, Stephen. Pet Sematary. Doubleday, 1983. Book club hardback, a Near Fine copy in a VG+ dust jacket with several small tears at head and heel. Reading copy. $3.
LP1846. Lake, Jay. The Sky That Wraps. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 1,000 signed copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Short story collection by the author of the Hugo-nominated Mainspring, and a swell guy to boot. $37.
LP1847. Lake, Jay. The Specific Gravity of Grief. Fairwoods Press, 2010. First edition hardback, one of only 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. With an introduction by Maureen McHugh. Novella about a man with cancer (with which Jay has had more than one bout), so probably not something for the light reading pile. Only have one. $22.
LP1848. Lansdale, Joe R. By Bizarre Hands Rides Again. Morning Star Press, 2010. Expanded edition with new stories and story notes, one of 300 copies signed by Lansdale, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. The original was a great short story collection, and thus new edition has everything in the original and more. Highly recommended. $72.
LP1849. Lansdale, Joe R. Deadman’s Road. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Features the ass-kicking Reverend Jedidiah Mercer, first seen in Dead in the West (the complete text of which is here), fighting “zombies, ghouls, werewolves, Lovecraftian monsters and kobolds.” Dead in the West is great fun, and the one story I heard Joe read at the 2006 World Fantasy Convention was as well. If you like Lansdale, you need one. Recommended. $37.
LP1731. Lansdale, Joe R. Captains Outrageous. Mysterious Press, 2001. First trade edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Hap and Leonard go on cruise. Happiness does not ensue. Recommended. Signed by Lansdale. $15.
LP1732. Lansdale, Joe R. Sanctified and Chicken Fried: The Portable Lansdale. University of Texas Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine- dust jacket, with tiny bends at the very tips of the top edges; if I hadn’t told you about them, you probably wouldn’t notice them. A “Best of Lansdale” sampler of sorts, with some very good stuff you’ve probably seen before (“Night They Missed the Horror Show” and “Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man’s Back”) along with a few I’m not familiar with (“Dirt Devils,” “White Mule, Spotted Pig”). Recommended from what I have read. Coming from the UT Press, copies might not crop up in your neck of the woods. Signed by Lansdale. $26.
LP1794. Lansdale, Joe R. and Keith Lansdale, editors. (Joe R. Lansdale, Harlan Ellison, David J. Schow, William F. Nolan, Mike Resnick, Cherie Priest, etc.) Son of Retro Pulp Tales. Subterranean Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Another collection of pulp goodness, and I enjoyed the first one. All of these are new except the Ellison. And how often do you see a new William F. Nolan story these days? Signed by Joe R. Lansdale. $37.
LP1850. Leiber, Fritz. Strange Wonders. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Collection various work, some previously unpublished or uncollected. I ended up with an extra copy or two, so let’s take $5 off the cover price. $35.
LP1538. Lethem, Jonathan. Gun, With Occasional Music. Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1994. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. His first novel, from back before he started winning literary awards left and right. $30.
LP1851. (Lovecraft, H. P.) Joshi, S. T. I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H. P. Lovecraft. Hippocampus Press, 2010. First edition hardback, two volume set, both Fine copies in Fine dust jackets, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. Remember how S. T. Joshi’s Lovecraft: A Life instantly became THE definitive Lovecraft biography upon publication? And remember how the hardback of that shot up to about $500 in short order? Well, more than 150,000 words of that were cut for space constraints. I Am Providence not only restores those 150,000 words, but also incorporates new research, correction updates, etc., and instantly becomes the definitive Lovecraft biography in its own right. List price is $100 for the set. For you? $95. (Add an extra buck for shipping in the U.S., and considerably more overseas.)
LP1852. Marusek, David. Counting Heads. Tor, 2005. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. His first novel, which garnered much acclaim and quickly went into second printing. Haven’t read it, but David is a good guy. $20.
LP1853. Niven, Larry. The Best of Larry Niven. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. The latest huge Subterranean career retrospective collection. The last book to make it into the catalog, and I only have one copy on hand (but more on order). $37.
LP1855. Straub, Peter. The Juniper Tree and Other Blue Rose Stories. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 250 numbered leatherbound copies signed by Straub, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Collection of novellas set in the same world as Koko, Mystery, and The Throat, along with and interview conducted by Bill Sheehan. This edition is sold out from the publisher. $95.
LP1856. Straub, Peter. The Juniper Tree and Other Blue Rose Stories. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 1,500 trade copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Collection of novellas set in the same world as Koko, Mystery, and The Throat, along with and interview conducted by Bill Sheehan. $30.
LP1857. Stross, Charles. Toast. Wyrm Publishing, 2010. First signed, limited edition hardback and first edition thus, with additional material not in previous editions, one of 700 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. If you don’t have one of the previous editions, you need a copy of this, especially for the Lovecraftian “A Colder War,” which features a U.S./Soviet Cold War featuring Elder technology and a “Shoggoth Gap.” $34.
LP1858. Wilson, Robert Charles. Axis. Tor, 2007. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Sequel to the Hugo Award-winning Spin. $10.
Trade Paperbacks
Note: I only have one each of these, so if you want one, better ask quick.
LP1861. Lansdale, Joe R. Flaming Zeppelins. Tachyon, 2010. Trade paperback first edition original thus (omnibus edition), a Fine copy, new and unread. Combines the two “Ned the Seal” volumes Zeppelins West and Flaming London. Crazy stuff. $13.
LP1862. Moorcock, Michael. The Best of Michael Moorcock. Tachyon, 2009. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Well, I think that title’s self-explanatory, don’t you? $13.
Mass Market Paperbacks
LP1863. Barrett, Jr., Neal. Through Darkest America. Worldwide Library, 1988. First paperback edition, a NF copy with faint spine creasing and a wrinkle at heel. Part of the Asimov Presents line. One of Neal’s better novels. Recommended. $5.
LP1864. Bloch, Robert. Dragons and Nightmares. Belmont, 1969. First paperback and first mass market edition (preceded by the Mirage Press hardback), VG- with creasing, general wear, and a stamp on the blurb page. Fun stories, somewhat lighter than most of his work. Solid reading copy. $3.
LP1865. Davidson, Avram (edited by John Silbersack). Collected Fantasies. Berkley, 1982. First edition paperback original, a VG- copy with 3/8″ tip of bottom front cover missing, line at heel, sticker ghost and abrasions to front cover, and general wear, but quite square and sturdy for all that. Contains some fine stories, including “Or All the Seas With Oysters.” Recommended. $5.
LP1866. Hawke, Simon. Timewars 10: The Hellfire Rebellion. Ace, 1990. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine- copy with just faint touches of edgewear at head and heel, otherwise apparently new and unread. The later volumes of the Timewars series are the hardest to find. Simon used to write under his birth name of Nicholas Yermakov, but legally changed his name to Simon Hawke, possibly after hearing one too many “In Soviet Russia” jokes. $9.
LP1867. Kurtz, Katherine. Lammas Night. Ballentine Books, 1988. Paperback reprint, a NF copy with one page slightly loose, otherwise quite a nice copy. Nazis vs. druids. No American hardback, and one of her harder-to-find titles. $10.
LP1868. Smith, E. E. “Doc” and Stephen Goldin. Revolt of the Galaxy (The Family D’Alembert Series #10). Berkley, 1985. First edition paperback original, a NF- copy with wrinkling near spine, a bit of edgewear at head, a tiny bit of spine lean, an invisible spine crease, foxing to inside cover, and a touch of general wear; a bit better than it sounds, this is actually a nice copy. The later volumes in this series are harder to find. $10.
LP1869. Tepper, Sheri S. Marianne, the Magus and the Manticore. Ace, 1985. Third printing, a VG copy with spine creasing, spine line, number stamp at head, and general wear. The Marianne titles are probably the least common of all Tepper’s books. $9.
LP1870. Wagner, Karl Edward. Conan: The Road of Kings. Bantam, 1989. First edition paperback original, VG- with serious spine creasing, crease across top back corner, spine lean, and general wear, though the Tim Kirk foldout cover is intact; solid reading copy. I haven’t read these, and am generally skeptical of non-Robert E. Howard Conan stories, but Wagner was probably closer stylistically than anyone else who attempted it. $5.
LP1871. Westerfield, Scott. Polymorph. Roc, 1997. First edition paperback original, a VG- copy with spine creasing, corner creasing, and previous owner’s name in black magic marker and silver ink (?) on inside covers. Still an acceptable reading copy of his first novel, which is hard to find due to his YA success. $10.