Posts Tagged ‘John Sladek’

Library Additions: Eight Books, Five Signed

Monday, July 30th, 2018

All of these books were bought at Half Price Books, and the majority of them came from the Karen Meshcke/Fred Duarte collection(s).

  • Baker, Kage. Black Projects, White Knights. Golden Gryphon, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a trace of edgewear at head, heel and points. Inscribed by Baker: “For Fred/Kage Baker.” Short story collection. Baker died at age 57 of an aggressive form of cancer in 2010. Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $5.

  • Bear, Greg. W3: Women in Deep Time. iBooks, 2002. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy. Bought for $3.49.
  • Effinger, George Alec. Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson. SWAN Press, 1993. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy. Inscribed by Effinger: “To Fred & Karen,/Con Mucho Loved!/George Alec Effinger (Yer Pal)”. Signed by introduction author Mike Resnick. Inscribed by artist Peggy Ransom: “To Fred & Meschke,/Come see us often!/And we’ll Frankie & Johnny again,/best,/Peggy Ransom.” Effinger was co-Guest of Honor at Armadillocon 4 in 1982, and a frequent Armadillocon attendee. George died in 2002 at age 55. Replaces a signed copy in my library. Bought for $4.99.

  • Oliver, Chad. Unearthly Neighbors. Crown SF Classics, 1984. First hardback edition (reprinting a Ballantine paperback from 1960), a Near Fine copy with red remainder mark at head in a Fine- dust jacket with a few touches of wear. Inscribed by Oliver: “10/7/88/To Meschke/All best/Chad Oliver.” Chad was the dean of Austin science fiction writers and the former chairman of UT’s Department of anthropology. The date indicates he signed this during Armadillocon 10, where Duarte and Meschke were co-chairs. Chad died in 1993. Supplements a Fine/Fine unsigned copy. Bought for $4.99.

  • Sladek, John. Bugs. Macmillian (UK), 1989. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine-dust jacket with some wear at heel. Signed by Sladek. Bought for $5.

  • Stableford, Brian. Swan Songs. Big Engine, 2003 (but see below). First hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Omnibus edition containing six Hooded Swan novels (Halcyon Drift, Rhapsody in Black, Promised Land, The Paradise Game, The Fenris Device, and Swan Song), the last two of which were previously published only as paperback originals. ISFDB says that SFBC produced this edition, which I can believe, given the trim size and the fact Big Engine (a short-lived UK small press SF publisher) only did trade paperbacks. The mystery is that the book seems much higher quality than the usual SFBC fair, with tight bindings and bright page blocks. Maybe they subcontracted with a different printer for this one.

  • Young, Jim. Armed Memory. Tor, 1995. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Young: “For Karen Meschke/ & Family/Jim Young/L.A./April 24, 2009.” Young died in 2012. Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $9.99.

  • Zahn, Timothy. Cascade Point. Bluejay Books, 1986. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Bought for $8.48.

    • Other signed books I bought there will be available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

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    Library Additions: Two John Sladek First Editions

    Thursday, September 1st, 2016

    The second-to-last post cataloging books I got from the Cold Tonnage 40% off sale:

  • Sladek, John. Black Aura. Jonathan Cape, 1974. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Currey, page 450. Mystery novel. Bought for £9 after discount.

    Black Aura

  • Sladek, John (as Richard A. Tilms) The Judgement of Jupiter. New English Library, 1980. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Ostensibly non-fiction, this is, like Arachne Rising (which I also have) a spoof of pseudoscience. Bought for £9 after discount.

    Judgement of Jupiter

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    Library Addition: Signed PBO 1st of John Sladek’s Mechasm

    Thursday, July 2nd, 2015

    This and another book I’ll list tomorrow are the last library additions for the first half of the year. I hope to have the giant compiled list of January 1 through June 30 library additions up on Monday.

    Sladek, John. Mechasm. First edition paperback original under this title (published earlier in the UK as The Reproductive System) and first U.S. edition, a Very Good copy with a small, faint 1/4″ stamp at heel, edgewear, stamp on blurb page, and faint spine creasing. Inscribed by Sladek: “For Scott,/John Sladek”. Currey (1979), page 450. Bought for $5 at Half Price Books.

    Mechasm

    Sladek mechasm sig

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