Posts Tagged ‘Lord John Press’

Library Addition: Slipcased Edition of Dan Simmons’ Entropy’s Bed At Midnight

Friday, October 27th, 2023

Another purchase from that same private collector, and another case of “I already have this book, but not in this state.”

Simmons, Dan. Entropy’s Bed at Midnight. Lord John Press, 1990. First edition hardback, #93 of 100 signed, limited copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued, in a Fine slipcase. Reginald, Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, 1975-1991 33966 (but not this state). Supplements a signed, non-slipcased 1/300 edition.

Lord John Press is an interesting press. They started out as primarily a literary small press (John Updike was a particular favorite), but did several science fiction, horror and mystery firsts along the way, including Stephen King’s Dolan’s Cadillac, which (of course) sold out almost instantly.

About the time Carrion Comfort and Hyperion came out so close together, Simmons (like Clive Barker before him) got tagged as “The Next Stephen King,” and there was briefly a small press frenzy for publishing his work. I think Lord John did fine on this one, but some of the other Simmons titles they did (Children of the Night and The Hollow Man in particular) helped burst the small press bubble in the early 90s. They did too many copies in too many different states at too high price points, with the result that they sat on dealer’s shelves for decades. That, the wild overproduction of Pulphouse, and the unwise shift of Dark Harvest to mysteries, along with the founders of Phantasia Press and Underwood-Miller stepping away, helped dampen the small press boom in the early 1990s.

I will have one copy of the 1/300 signed limited edition of Entropy’s Bed at Midnight in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, currently in progress.

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Library Additions: Three Signed Ray Bradbury Limited Editions

Tuesday, February 28th, 2023

Three signed, limited Ray Bradbury editions from different sources:

  • Bradbury, Ray (text) and Amanda Blanco (photographs). About Norman Corwin. Santa Susana Press, 1979. First edition traycased portfolio, an “artist’s proof” copy of 60 signed, numbered sets, a Fine- copy (there seem to be a couple of drops of moisture staining to the back of the signature page) in a Fine- traycase with a few small spots of staining to the inner right edge (though the case itself has a bit of an odd outward slant to the top and bottom edges). Loose printed cardstock pages, including a multi-page essay celebrating radio essayist Norman Corwin by Bradbury followed by 11 photographs of Corwin by Blanco. An odd, oversized item, and one that doesn’t fit entirely on my scanner, so either the bottom or top is chopped off. Bought for $250 off eBay after a touch of haggling.

  • Bradbury, Ray. That Son of Richard III: A Birth Announcement. Roy A. Squires, 1974. First edition chapbook original, #332 of 400 numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine cloth traycase, inscribed by Bradbury to Lord John Press publisher Herb Yellen: “For Herb -/Good wishes/From/Ray Bradbury/ 9/28/28.” As Yellen later published several Bradbury chapbooks himself, this is an interesting association copy. According to Chalker/Owings, Squires only did 30 traycases, of which 25 were offered to buyers of the “Autograph Edition” (which this is not). Supplements an unsigned copy. Chalker/Owings, page 589. Bought from a PBA Galleries auction for $75 plus shipping and handling.

  • Bradbury, Ray. The Toynbee Convector. Knopf, 1988. First edition hardback, #36 of 350 signed, numbered copies, “printed on special paper and specially bound,” a Fine copy in a Mylar protector and a Fine slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. This version is not in the Locus database, but ISFDB says they came out the same month. Most limited editions from mainstream publishers are fairly unimpressive, but this is actually quite a nice production, with patterned boards and an attractive slipcase. Bought for $110.49 off eBay, a considerable discount off the original offering price of $150 (which must have seemed plenty pricey in 1988).

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    Library Additions: Six Signed Ray Bradbury Firsts

    Monday, October 10th, 2022

    Someone had a lot of eleven Ray Bradbury firsts listed on eBay for $420, and accepted a $300 offer. These are the ones going into my library (two replacing unsigned copies), the rest will be offered for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

  • Bradbury, Ray. Farewell Summer. Morrow, 2006. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket with “National Book Award Distinguished Contribution to American Letters” sticker (presumably as issued; he was awarded it in 2000), signed by Bradbury. Sequel to Dandelion Wine.
  • Bradbury, Ray. The Last Circus & The Electrocution. Lord John Press, 1980. First edition hardback, #105 of 300 copies signed by Bradbury and introduction author William F. Nolan, a Fine copy in a Fine slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. Two stories, an introduction by Nolan and an afterword by Bradbury. Supplements a signed trade copy.

  • Bradbury, Ray. The Machineries of Joy. Simon & Schuster, 1964. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with previous owner’s name, city, and date to FFE, corners slightly bumped, slight bend at head and heel, and slight wear along bottom board edges, in a Very Good+ dust jacket with 3/16″ triangular chip at head join, slight edgewear at head and heel, bit of wrinkling to top edge, a few small, closed tears, a tiny bit of loss at points, and a few slight spots of dust soiling, signed and dated (“12/12/86”) by Bradbury. Short story collection. Nolan, The Ray Bradbury Companion, pages 148-150. Weist, Bradbury: An Illustrated Life, page 72. Currey, page 56.

  • Bradbury, Ray. One For The Road. Morrow, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Bradbury. Short story collection, including a smattering of older stories.
  • Bradbury, Ray. The Tonybee Convector. Knopf, 1988. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed by Bradbury: “Joe Anne &/Lee/Ray Bradbury/Dec. 10/1988.” Replaces an unsigned copy.
  • Bradbury, Ray. When Elephants Last In The Dooryard Bloomed. Knopf, 1973. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel, in a Near Fine, price-clipped dust jacket, signed and dated (“12/12/86”). Supplements a later printing.

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    Library Additions: Two Dan Simmons Lord John Press Books

    Friday, December 22nd, 2017

    Lord John Press was an odd press, ranging from small-run SF first editions by Ray Bradbury, Ursula K. Le Guin and Stephen King to books by John Updike and Gerald R. Ford.

    The two Dan Simmons books listed here (of four they did total) were the right author with the wrong titles at the wrong time at the wrong price points and the wrong print runs. Simmons was a hot writer at the time, but these books came after his “miracle year” duo of Carrion Comfort and Hyperion, were not nearly as well-regarded, were post-first limiteds (they didn’t beat the Putnam edition out) at high price points (starting at $125 and going up to $800) in too large a print run for too many states (500 quarter-leather, 250 half-leather, and 26-lettered copies in full leather). And they both came out the same year. They’re nice, but not so awesome as to inspire bibliolust in casual collectors. When I saw those price points and print runs, I went “Gonna pass,” and a lot of other collectors evidently said the same, as these limiteds have littered bookdealer inventories ever since.

    I do like and collect Simmons, and I always thought I would pick them up when they got cheap enough. That finally happened.

  • Simmons, Dan. The Children of the Night. Lord John Press, 1992. First limited edition hardback, #221 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought for $35 from a fellow collector who was downsizing.
  • Simmons, Dan. The Hollow Man. Lord John Press, 1992. First limited edition hardback, #324 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued, with errata slip laid in. Bought for $35 from a fellow collector who was downsizing.

    • Lord John Simmons

    I also have Entropy’s Bed at Midnight and Summer Sketches, his other two Lord John Press books.

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    Library Addition: Lord John Film Festival

    Friday, October 17th, 2014

    This is one of those cases of coming across something on eBay and going, “Yes, I do want that.”

    Yellin, Herb. Lord John Film Festival. Lord John Press, 2006. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Signed by Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Ramsey Campbell, Dennis Etchison and Janet Leigh.

    Lord John Film

    Lord John Film sig

    Yellin was the owner of Lord John Press, and this book is a miscellanea of remembrances and appreciations of various films interspersed with examples from his large collection of signed movies photos, posters, lobby cards, etc.

    I was briefly worried when I realized that Bloch died in 1994, and Janet Leigh in 2004, but the book has evidently been in production for quite a while. A copy up on Amazon is signed by the same five people, but the signatures look slightly different.

    Lord John was an interesting, eclectic press, with both genre and mainstream books (along with signed Gerald R. Ford books). I have a significant fraction of their SF/F/H output, but don’t have Stephen King’s Dolan’s Cadillac.

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