Posts Tagged ‘Kim Newman’

Library Additions: Fiction Books Bought from Cold Tonnage’s £5 Sale

Tuesday, February 16th, 2016

Cold Tonnage Books had a sale where all £10 books were £5, so I picked up a fair number. This post covers fiction titles.

  • Aylett, Steve. The Inflatable Volunteer. Phoenix House, 1999. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with a publicity postcard signed by Aylett laid in.
  • Aylett, Steve. Toxicology. Gollancz, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with a postcard laid in.
  • Blish, James. A Dusk of Idols and Other Stories. Severn House, 1996. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
  • Constantine, Storm. The Monstrous Regiment. Orbit, 1989. Trade paperback original, a Fine- copy with a touch of edgewear at head and heel, signed by Constantine.
  • Ellison, Harlan. Edgeworks 2: Spider Kiss/Stalking the Nightmare. White Wolf, 1996. First edition hardback omnibus thus, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. When the Edgeworks series first came out, I didn’t pick them up because I already had all the individual works they contained. But at £5 it’s worth picking up for title variant completeness…
  • Newman, Kim. Moriarty: The Hound of the D’Urbervilles. Titan Books, 2011. Fine, signed by Newman.
  • Photos from Worldcon Part 1 (The 2014 London Worldcon, That Is)

    Tuesday, August 18th, 2015

    So this year’s Worldcon is this week, and you’re posting photos from last year’s Worldcon?

    Yep.

    And didn’t you already post some of these photos?

    Yep.

    So why do it again?

    Last year at Worldcon, I uploaded these photos in a big bunch to Facebook, then linked to the Facebook photos from this blog. However, Facebook, evidently hating the idea that people outside their walled garden of changing preferences and sunglasses spam might see said photos, keeps changing their URLs, thus breaking links to them. So the photos themselves disappeared from the old post. These I’m uploading directly to my blog.

    Also, I didn’t blog all the images I meant to, so there will be some new ones in Part 2.

    So without further adieu…

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    Leigh Kennedy, who I had lunch and dinner with, along with Nick Austin, the Monday before the con. We have loads of common friends, but knew them at different times, so there was a lot of trading stories…

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    In profile.

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    Cory Doctorow, exhibiting his unique sense of style…

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    …and with an actual top to his head.

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    John J. Miller of Wild Cards fame, with Gail Gerstner-Miller.

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    Kim Newman, in his usual natty, multilayered attire. Wear this in Texas in August and you’re asking for heatstroke.

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    Jonathan Strahan and David Hartwell.

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    Pat Murphy, all scarfed-up.

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    Lavie Tidhar, who used to do reviews for me back in the Nova Express days.

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    Ian Watson and Lavie Tidhar, signing books at the PS Publishing table in the dealer’s room. I asked Watson what the genesis of the Watson-Aldiss feud was. “I’ve gotten to the age when I’m not sure I remember it properly anymore…”

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    Connie Willis.

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    Liz Hand.

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    And looking slightly less crazed.

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    Ellen Datlow and Liz Hand fan themselves and look down upon the peasantry.

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    Elle Datlow solo.

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    Guest of honor John Clute.

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    Adam Roberts.

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    Geoff Ryman peers at me suspiciously.

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    Gary K. Wolfe.

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    Andy Duncan.

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    Didn’t get all the names, but this is something like 75% of the Israeli SF publishing industry.

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    Kim Stanley Robinson.

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    John Gibbons.

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    Michael Swanwick, Geoff Ryman, and Ellen Datlow.

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    Michael Swanwick and Gordon Van Gelder, looking way too befuddled for the first day of the con.

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    Lisa Tuttle, who I had lunch with, joined by…

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    …George R. R. Martin.

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    George R. R. Martin and the Spanish George R. R. Martin.

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    Michael Swanwick and George R. R. Martin, enjoying fine dining in an atmosphere of unpretentious ambiance.

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    Parris McBride Martin.

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    Alastair Reynolds.

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    Pat Cadigan.

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    Pat Cadigan in green.

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    Pat Cadigan with fan-drawn cyberpunk.

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    Finally, Pat Cadigan with her spiffy Doc Martin boots.

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    The elusive Richard Calder.

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    Michael Swanwick showing off his outfit. “This shirt is bespoke! Bespoke, I tell you!”

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    Finally, Michael Swanwick showing off the t-shirt for MidAmericon II, the 2016 Kansas City Worldcon he’s Guest of Honor at. (Pat Cadigan is Toastmistress.)

    Library Addition: Signed Edition of Horror: 100 Best Books

    Thursday, August 13th, 2015

    This is another book I bought in the Cold Tonnage 40% off sale.

    Jones, Stephen and Newman, Kim. Horror: 100 Best Books. Xanadu Publications, Ltd., 1988. First edition hardback, #214 of 300 numbered copies signed by both the editors and almost every living one of the 100 (!) contributors, including Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Harlan Ellison, Basil Copper, Karl Edward Wagner, Jack Williamson, etc. etc etc. (though not by Stephen King), a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought for £30 off Cold Tonnage, marked down from £50.

    Horror 100 LTD

    I tried to take pictures of the signatures on the endpapers, with varying results. Click to embiggen:

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    I already had the trade edition, but the limited’s binding is quite different from the trade edition, as the picture below illustrates:

    Horror 100 Both

    (Ignore the grid lines, which are a scanner artifact.)

    Photo Gallery: Writers at the 2014 London Worldcon Part 1

    Monday, September 8th, 2014

    Leigh Kennedy, who I had lunch and dinner with the Monday before the con. We have loads of common friends, but knew them at different times, so there was a lot of trading stories…

    In profile.

    Cory Doctorow, exhibiting his unique sense of style…

    …and with an actual top to his head.

    John J. Miller of Wild Cards fame, with Gail Gerstner-Miller.

    Kim Newman, in his usual natty, multilayered attire.

    Jonathan Strahan and David Hartwell.

    Pat Murphy, all scarfed-up.

    With scarf and shoes.

    Lavie Tidhar, who used to do reviews for me back in the Nova Express days.

    Ian Watson and Lavie Tidhar, signing books at the PS Publishing table in the dealer’s room. I asked Watson what the genesis of the Watson-Aldiss feud was. “I’ve gotten to the age when I’m not sure I remember it properly anymore…”

    Connie Willis.

    Liz Hand.

    And looking slightly less crazed.

    Ellen Datlow and Liz Hand fan themselves and look down upon the peasantry.

    Elle Datlow solo.

    Guest of honor John Clute.

    Adam Roberts.

    Geoff Ryman peers at me suspiciously.

    Gary K. Wolfe.

    Andy Duncan.

    Didn’t get all the names, but this is something like 75% of the Israeli SF publishing industry.

    Kim Stanley Robinson.

    John Gibbons.

    Michael Swanwick, Geoff Ryman, and Ellen Datlow.

    Michael Swanwick and Gordon Van Gelder, looking way too befuddled for the first day of the con.

    Lisa Tuttle, who I had lunch with, joined by…

    …George R. R. Martin.

    George R. R. Martin and the Spanish George R. R. Martin.

    Michael Swanwick and George R. R. Martin, enjoying fine dining in an atmosphere of unpretentious ambiance.

    Parris McBride Martin.

    Alastair Reynolds.

    Pat Cadigan.

    Pat Cadigan in green.

    Pat Cadigan with fan-drawn cyberpunk.

    Finally, Pat Cadigan with her spiffy Doc Martin boots.

    The elusive Richard Calder.

    Michael Swanwick showing off his outfit. “This shirt is bespoke! Bespoke, I tell you!”

    Finally, Michael Swanwick showing off the t-shirt for MidAmericon II, the 2016 Kansas City Worldcon he’s Guest of Honor at. (Pat Cadigan is Toastmistress.)

    Library Additions: Books Bought From Cold Tonnage Books

    Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014

    On my London Worldcon sojurn, I took a day to visit Andy Richards of Cold Tonnage Books, who I’ve been buying from and trading with for a quarter century. In addition to swapping old bookseller stories (and it was a shock to realize I’m considered one of the “old timers” by now), I went over his stock and picked out a few things, some to buy and some for Lame Excuse Books stock. Below are just the items for my own library.

  • de la Ree, Gerry. Fantasy Collectors Annual—1974. Gerry de la Ree, 1974. First edition hardback, #78 of 80 signed, hardbound copies, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of bumping at head and heel, sans dust jacket, as issued. Odd miscellanea of SF/F/H-related items, including facsimiles of various SF author’s inscriptions, an unpublished letter from H. P. Lovecraft to Virgil Finlay, the text of an unpublished letter from Edgar Allen Poe (that may be a forgery), black and white artwork from Finlay, Stephen Fabian and Malhon Blaine (if that third name isn’t as well known as the first two, well, there’s a reason for that…), etc. De la Ree was an important publisher, book dealer and collector. In his introduction, he said he wanted to do one of these every year. According to Chalker/Owings, there was one more in 1975.

    fantasy Annual

  • Dozois, Gardner. The Peacemaker. Pulphouse, 1991. First edition hardback, #97 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Part of the short story hardback line, which was in turn a simultaneous extension of their short story paperback line. I thought at the time (and still think) that this was a stupid idea, that $1.95 for a single short story (the price point for the paperback) was a bad idea, and that this was symptomatic of the wild overproduction that help killed Pulphouse off. But I have been picking up the short story hardback for writers I collect when I stumble across them cheaply.

    Peacemaker

  • Durbin, Frederic S. Dragonfly. Arkham House, 1999. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Just for a complete Arkham House collection. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House, 191.
  • Ellison, Harlan. The Fantasies of Harlan Ellison. Gregg Press, 1979. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with boards just a tiny bit bowed and a few traces of dust soiling to page block edges, sans dust jacket, as issued. Inscribed by Ellison: “To Dane! Harlan Ellison”.
  • Hall, Hal W., editor. Science Fiction and Fantasy Reference Index, 1878-1985: Volume 1: Author Entries and Science Fiction and Fantasy Reference Index, 1878-1985: Volume 2: Subject Entries. Gale Research Company, 1987. First edition hardbacks, Very Good+ in decorated boards with bumping to extremities, slight wear at heel, and slight crease to second volume’s spine, sans dust jackets, as issued. Two large science fiction reference works. Massive two-volume reference index to non-fiction critical articles, reviews, books, etc. covering science fiction and fantasy. Hall was the long-time director of the Science Fiction collection at the Texas A&M Cushing Library, which has amassed a massive and impressive collection.

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  • Heinlein, Robert A. (David Hartwell, editor). Destination Moon. Gregg Press, 1979. First edition hardback, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Includes the novella “Destination Moon,” “Shooting Destination Moon“, numerous reproduced newspaper clippings on the movie, photo stills from the movie, and a new introduction by David Hartwell, who edited the volume.

    Gregg Ellison Heinlein

  • Langford, David. Irrational Numbers. Necronomicon Press, 1994. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy. Got this inscribed to me by David at the London Worldcon.
  • Newman, Kim and Ian Freer. The First Empire Movie Almanac. Empire magazine, no date (but 1988). First edition trade paperback original, a Fine- copy with slight waviness to pages due to glue bunching (probably a binding flaw common to the run). Signed by Newman. Freely distributed subscriber extra from Empire magazine (the British film magazine, not the American SF writing magazine), a non-fiction miscellanea of lists and movie trivia. It’s also an example of why the Internet isn’t an acceptable substitute for book scouting, since I had no idea this existed until I came across it in the Cold Tonnage stacks…

    Empire Movie Guide

  • “Sarban” (pseudonym for John William Wall). The Sound of His Horn. Peter Davies Ltd., 1952. First edition hardback, a Very Good copy with some wear at head and heel, front free endpaper missing, and an inked name on half-title page, in a Very Good- dust jacket with shallow staining to head and heel, dust soiling to white rear panel, and two small blue ink spots to front flap. Actually a fairly attractive copy of this alternate history set after the Nazis win World War II. Pringle, Modern Fantasy, 12. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, page 189.

    Sound of His Horn

  • Just noticed my cheap all-in-one HP scanner/printer/etc. is starting to develop streaks. Might need to get a new one before too long…