Posts Tagged ‘Mystery’

Library Addition: Strand Magazine LXXIII 2024 (Lansdale)

Monday, November 11th, 2024

This is an odd thing, because I don’t usually pick up first magazine appearances of stories for writers I collect, but this one was a gift from Dwight, who bought a copy for the G. K. Chesterton piece, and picked up an extra copy for me due to the Lansdale story (“it was as easy to pick up two copies as one”).

Strand Magazine, LXXIII 2024. First edition magazine original, 2024, a Fine copy. Contains the original Joe R. Lansdale story “Night Trails,” as well as a previously unpublished G. K. Chesterton essay on detective stories, plus work by Josh Malerman, John M. Floyd and Margie Deck, as well as interviews with James Patterson and Rupert Holmes.

Library Addition: Jack Vance’s The Man in the Cage

Monday, September 2nd, 2024

This is one of the few Jack Vance titles I lacked.

Vance, John Holbrook. The Man in the Cage. Random House, 1960. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with slight bumping at head and heel and a few small, mild abrasions to topstain on pageblock, in a Very Good dust jacket with bumping and shallow loss at head and heel, with associated creasing at heel, 3″ scratch to rear panel, slight dust staining to white portions of dust jack, tiny, partial, thin abrasion line down middle of spine, spine possibly very slightly faded, small stamped “49” in a circle next to the (unclipped) price on front dust jacket flap, mild spotting to top and outer edge of rear flap, and mild foxing to blind side of dust jacket. Hewett, A10. Cunningham, 54.a. Levack/Underwood, Fantasms, 29.a. Currey, page 499. Bought from a customer who saw this on my Want List for $35.

Library Additions: Two Signed Lansdale Firsts, One Lettered

Monday, July 22nd, 2024

Two more signed Lansdale firsts, one I got him to inscribe to me at his signing at Book People here in Austin on Friday, July 19, the other a lettered edition I was previously unaware of that I bought directly from the publisher.

  • Lansdale, Joe R. Sugar on the Bones. Mulholland Books, 2024. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed to me by Lansdale. Hap & Leonard novel. Bought at cover price.

  • Lansdale, Joe R. and Kasey Lansdale. Dark Kin. Thunderstorm Books, 2023. First edition hardback, Letter L of 26 lettered copies, a Fine leatherbound copy in a Fine traycase, sans dust jacket (though the front panel of the regular dust jacket is bound in as a frontispiece), as issued. Bought from the publisher for $250, which is only twice the list price of the regular signed/numbered (and only other) edition.

    I didn’t scan the traycase because the design is identical to the book.

    Reminder: Through it’s sold out from the publisher, I still have copies of the signed/numbered edition of Dark Kin available at cover price.

  • In addition, Joe also signed the few books I had by him that he hadn’t already, including Apache Witch, The Gonzo Tapes, Mule Tales and Cody’s Army.

    Library Additions: Three Signed Lansdale Firsts, Two New

    Monday, June 24th, 2024

    The first of these is a somewhat odd Lansdale item I passed up when first offered, while the other two are new books in from their publishers.

  • Lansdale, Joe R. Cold in July. Bantam, 1989. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with slight wear to top front corner, a P/C copy of 100 copies prepared for The Overlook Connection in a custom slipcase (this one Near Fine with a couple of faint spots to rear, one to back spine, and slight age darkening at top, bottom and left edge) with a custom signature page for Lansdale tipped in. I always thought the Overlook Connection aftermarket slipcased PBO limiteds were weird things, and didn’t pick them up when they came out. (I think this may have been offered at $50, and the Drive-In set (which I also have) at $100, but I might be misremembering.) Isakjanko A011.a (though he does not mention this Overlook Connection variant). Nova Express Lansdale bibliography, 1.5.a (and I did mention this version). Supplements multiple slipcase sets of the Ziesing Cold in July/Savage Season sets (a signed PC set I received for helping type this novel into a computer from galley proofs, a signed numbered set, and an inscribed “mock limited” set that Ziesing assembled and sold because he had extra slipcases left over). Bought online for $24.99.

    Note: The scanner wasn’t picking up the blue of the lettering, so I had to turn the saturation way up, with the side effect that the very slight age darkening on the left side and at bottom has been greatly exaggerated.

  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Donut Legion. Short Scary Tales (SST) Press, 2024. First limited edition hardback, #101 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket with tissue closure sticker and shipping card laid in. Supplements a copy of the first trade edition (which precedes) inscribed to me.

  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Unlikely Affair of the Crawling Razor. Subterranean Press, 2024. First edition hardback, #368 of 1000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, in publisher’s plastic bag. Auguste Dupin investigate a case involving The God of the Razor.

  • I will have copies of the SST Donut Legion and The Unlikely Affair of the Crawling Razor available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

    Library Addition: SST Signed, Limited of Joe R. Lansdale’s Cold In July

    Tuesday, March 26th, 2024

    SST did a signed, limited edition of Lansdale’s first mystery novel.

    Lansdale, Joe R. Cold In July. Short Scary Tales (SST) Publications, 2023. First edition hardback thus, #101 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with tissue closure sticker and shipping card laid in. Lansdale’s first mystery novel, and basis of the 2014 film.

    This is the point where I’d usually say I’ll have copies available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, but not this time. Because Ziesing had already done a limited of Cold In July (sold in a slipcased set with Savage Season), I only ordered a few copies, and all sold the week it came in…

    Library Addition: Joe R. Lansdale’s The Senior Girls Bayonet Drill Team

    Monday, February 19th, 2024

    Another signed Subterranean Lansdale first.

    Lansdale, Joe R. The Senior Girls Bayonet Drill Team. Subterranean, 2023 (stated; received early 2024). First edition hardback, #371 of 1250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. The latest Lansdale short story collection. I’ll have copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

    Library Additions: Six Signed Books

    Tuesday, January 30th, 2024

    All these came from an online bookseller I don’t usually deal with. And I did get rooked a bit for shipping. But these were all 75% off signed firsts.

  • Bacigalupi, Paolo. The Water Knife. Knopf, 2015. First edition hardback, a Fine copy with a bound-in signature page, with a Fine dust jacket with a “SIGNED FIRST EDITION” sticker. Bought for $8. (Note: The Scanner does not like the “poly-chromatic on black” effect so I had to adjust it some to make it legible.)

  • Barry, Dave. Best. State. Ever. A Florida Man Defends His Homeland. Putnam, 2016. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Barry. Non-fiction humor book. Bought for $8.

  • Barry, Dave, and Alan Zweibel. Lunatics. Putnum, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Barry. This and the above are my second and third signed Barry firsts. I already had a book signed by Zweibel. Bought for $8.
  • Brin, David and Stephen W. Potts. Chasing Shadows: Visions of Our Coming Transparent World. Tor, 2017. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Brin on a signature page. Collection of essays by science fiction writers like Neal Stephenson, Bruce Sterling, William Gibson, Robert Silverberg, Vernor Vinge, etc. It says “Brin Presents” but Potts appears to be the actual editor. This and Lunatics are signed on this gray box in what assume is a tipped-in page, presumably something this particular bookseller does. It’s a bit odd. Bought for $8.

  • Hand, Elizabeth. Hard Light. Minotaur Books, 2016. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight bend at heel, signed by Hand. “A Cass Neary Crime Novel.” Bought for $8.

  • Morrell, David. Creepers. CDS Books, 2005. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine, Mylar-protected dust jacket, signed by Morrell. Bought for $8.
  • I also bought seven signed bookplates by Morrell at $4 a pop that I’m going to lay into my unsigned Morrell firsts.

    This is the last of my 2023 book purchases.

    Library Additions: Six Signed Books

    Wednesday, January 10th, 2024

    All these were found at various Half Price Books stores in the Dallas Metroplex.

  • Aldrin, Buzz, and John Barnes. Encounter With Tiber. Warner Books, 1996. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed by Aldrin: “To Michael,/Buzz Aldrin.” Pretty sure Barnes did the overwhelming majority of the writing, but it’s pretty cool to own a book signed by a guy who walked on the moon. Bought for $7.99.

  • Block, Lawrence. The Scoreless Thai. Subterranean Press, 2000. First hardback edition (previously published in a 1970s PBO), a trade edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Block. Novella. Bought for $10, 1/3rd of publication price, and the trade edition wasn’t issued signed by Block.

  • Block, Lawrence. Tanner’s Tiger. Subterranean Press, 2001. First hardback edition (previously published as a 1968 paperback original), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Block. Tanner novel. Bought for $10, 1/3rd of publication price, and the trade edition wasn’t issued signed by Block.
  • Chabon, Michael. Summerland. Hyperion, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight bumping at head and heel, signed by Chabon. Bought for $9.99, which, oddly enough, seems to be about market. After he won the Hugo and Nebula for the excellent The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, I though Chabon books were going to head steadily upward in value; the exact opposite seems to have happened. It looks like every single one of Chabon’s novels except The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay can be found in signed first edition hardbacks at or less than cover price. I can’t figure it out, as all three of the Chabon books I’ve read (The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, and Gentlemen of the Road) were excellent.
  • Etchison, Dennis. Red Dreams. Scream/Press, 1984. First edition hardback, #192 of 250 numbered hardbacks signed by Etichson and artist J.K. Potter, a Fine copy in a Fine, Mylar-protected dust jacket and a Fine- slipcase with a trace of haze rubbing, and additionally signed by Etchison. The second short story collection by this acclaimed horror writer. The third publication of Scream/Press. Chalker/Owings, page 335. Supplements a trade copy. Bought for $30.

    (Surface wear is on the dust jacket protector.)

  • Fowler, Karen Joy. Booth. Putnam, 2022. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a trace of edgewear, the signed publisher’s variant with a “Signed Copy” sticker on the cover and a page signed by Fowler bound in. Novel of the theatrical Booth family (including presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth) in early 19th century America. Bought for $13.99.

  • Library Addition: Three Joe R. Lansdale Firsts

    Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

    Three Joe R. Lansdale first editions, two signed limited editions and a new Tachyon collection.

  • Lansdale, Joe R. Edge of Dark Water. PS Publishing, 2012. First edition hardback, letter D of 26 lettered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine slipcase. Supplements a signed Mullholland Books first and both a signed PS trade edition and a signed, numbered copy. Not really an impressive limited, as it’s identical to a signed, numbered copy, but it was only $75, which is about what the regular numbered edition goes for these days. Isajanko, A044.d.ii (but he doesn’t list this lettered edition).
  • Lansdale, Joe R. Things Get Ugly: The Best Crime Stories of Joe R. Lansdale. Tachyon, 2023. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy. Bought from the publisher at the usual discount.

  • Lansdale, Joe R. and Kasey Lansdale. Terror is Our Business: The Dana Roberts Casebook of Horrors. Short Scary Tales (SST) Publications, 2023. First edition hardback, #101 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with tissue paper closure sticker laid in.

  • I will have copies of the last two in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

    Library Additions: Two Signed Joe R. Lansdale Firsts

    Wednesday, June 7th, 2023

    One a signed, limited edition, the other inscribed to me in person.

  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Donut Legion. Mulholland Books/Little Brown and Company, 2023. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed to me by Lansdale. Bought from Book People at cover price during a signing. It was good to see Joe again.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. and Kasey Lansdale. Dark Kin. Thunderstorm Books, 2023. First edition hardback, #232 of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Collection of collaborative stories, one of which appears here for the first time. Bought from the publisher at a dealer discount. I have copies of this available through Lame Excuse Books.