Posts Tagged ‘poetry’
Monday, October 21st, 2024
L. W. Currey had a sale, and this is the item that jumped out at me as worth picking up:
Wandrei, Donald. Dark Odyssey. Webb Publishing, 1931. First edition hardback, 118 of 400 signed, numbered copies, a Very Good copy with significant wear at head and heel and bumping at points, in a Good+ only dust jacket with 1 1/2″ spine loss at heel, 1″ spine loss at head, plus a few 1/4″ chips at dj top edge, wear at points, and a bit of rubbing; not great, but a mostly complete example of the notoriously fragile gold foil dust jacket. Poetry collection. At a 94 years old, it’s not the oldest dust jacket in my collection (I have an H.G. Wells first in dust jacket from 1922), but it is among the oldest. Bleiler Checklist (1978), page 202. Bought for $25, marked down from $50.
Tags:Arkham House, Books, Donald Wandrei, Horror, L. W. Currey, poetry, signatures
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Monday, October 14th, 2024
Another signed Bradbury first:
Bradbury, Ray. That Son of Richard III: A Birth Announcement. Roy A. Squires, 1974. First edition chapbook original, #LXIII of 85 the signed “Autograph Edition,” a Fine- copy with just a trace of wear at tips, in a Near Fine+ original Autograph Edition publisher’s envelope with slight age darkening at edges and slight bumping at tips. Chalker/Owings, page 589. Bought for $50 (marked down from $80) on eBay.
Unnoted in Chalker/Owings is the fact that two of my three copies have a “PZ” glyph inscribed on the lower right side of the introduction page, just barely visible in the scan.
This is my third copy of this Bradbury chapbook, following an association copy inscribed to Lord John press founder Herb Yellin and an unsigned copy of the “ordinary” edition. The ordinary copy has this, but the one inscribed to Yellin doesn’t. Bit of a mystery…
Edited to add: Mystery solved! I checked with fellow bookseller (and Old Earth Books publisher) Mike Walsh to see if he could solve the glyph mystery, and he directed me to bookseller Terrance McVicker of Bats Over Books, who had the answer:
The “PZ” you note in your query is actually “ZN,” printed on top of each other, if you turn it sideways. It stands for “Zerkall Nideggen.” Nideggen is a Japanese paper, but Zerkall was the German manufacturer. I think what Zerkall did was buy the pulp paper from Nideggen, then process it in their factory.
What your seeing is the Zerkall Nideggen watermark. The sheet before cutting, measured 24″ X 36″ and there was a watermark in the lower right-hand corner of the full sheet. Which meant that, when the sheet was cut to quarto size, only one out of eight pages would have the watermark. Printers usually try to get one watermarked page per book/booklet, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Thanks for the info!
Tags:Books, chapbooks, Moby Dick, poetry, Ray Bradbury, Roy A. Squires, Science Fiction, small press publishers
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Wednesday, July 5th, 2023
Another small press book:
Ligotti, Thomas. Pictures of Apocalypse. Chiroptera Press, 2023. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, still in shrinkwrap. Also includes a special 24 page Pictures of Apocalypse: Interviews and Sketches chapbook, including new interviews with the author and artist, “Concept to finish” art documentation, outtakes, a thank you card, and a bookmark.” A verse cycle. A fairly elaborate small press production for this stylish horror writer. The book is no longer on the publisher’s website, so I assume it is now out of print. But I still have copies through Lame Excuse Books (including the extras bag).
Here’s a scan of some of the items in the extras bag:
Tags:Books, Chiroptera Press, Horror, poetry, small press publishers, Thomas Ligotti
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Tuesday, July 4th, 2023
Arte Editions are the people that did Gaiman’s The Case of Death and Honey. This actually had a smaller run.
Gaiman, Neil. Words of Fire. Arte Editions, 2022 (actually 2023). First edition trade paperback original (with self-flaps), #276 of 300 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Poetry collection. There were two different hardback editions (the Portfolio Edition and the Roman edition), both of which were sold out by the time I heard about it. Now out of print from the publisher. I still have one copy left available through Lame Excuse Books.
Note: The streaks in the image are actually marbling in the cover-stock.
Tags:Arte Editions, Books, Fantasy, Limited Editions, Neil Gaiman, poetry, small press publishers
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Monday, October 17th, 2022
I’ve been winning a fair number of Arkham House auctions recently, though this is one I bought off a fellow Biblio dealer. The last time I looked, nice copies of this were going for well over a grand and out of my price range, but prices seem to have drifted down a bit.
Drake, Leah Bodine. A Hornbook for Witches. Arkham House, 1950. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with foxing to gutters and under flaps, slight bumping at heel (and unlike most Arkham (and U.S.) books, the printing on the book is 180° off what you would expect, running up the spine rather than down, so from bottom to top it reads “Drake • A HORNBOOK FOR WITCHES • Arkham House”), and a very slight bit of wear to Arkham’s usual Black Novelex boards, in a Near Fine- dust jacket with shallow 1/16″ chipping at head, heel and points, and age darkening to spine; a fairly nice copy. One of the rarest Arkham House books, with only 553 copies printed, and Jaffrey states that Drake took “about 300 copies” for her own distribution. Derleth, Thirty Years of Arkham House, 43. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House, 43. Jaffery, Horrors and Unpleasantries, 40 (“There are few copies around, and copies are really hard to come by”). Nielsen, Arkham House Books, 44 (and #5 on his list of “The Thirty-Five Most Valuable Arkham House Books”). Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy Three, page 29. Kemp, The Anthem Series, pages 334 (“Scarcest Arkham House title of all.”), which also notes an audiobook edition of the title narrated by Vincent Price (though evidently only including four of the poems here). Bought from a fellow Biblio dealer for $832.
Tags:Arkham House, Books, Horror, Leah Bodine Drake, poetry, Vincent Price
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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.
Tags:Fantasy, Horror, Limited Editions, Lord John Press, poetry, Ray Bradbury, Science Fiction, small press publishers
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Tuesday, July 12th, 2022
This isn’t the most expensive book I’ve bought, but it’s up in the top 10.
Howard, Robert E. Always Comes Evening. Arkham House, 1957. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with an old bookstore sticker inside the front cover and just a trace of foxing to gutters, in a Near Fine, price-clipped dust jacket with slight dust soiling to rear cover and slight age-darkening to letters, and a few other touches of wear. “Another volume that must be called a landmark.” – S. T. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House. Howard’s first poetry collection, the second of three Howard books published by Arkham House, compiled by Howard estate executor Glenn Lord. Derleth, Thirty Years of Arkham House, 50. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House 50. Jaffrey, Horrors and Unpleasantries, 49. Nielsen, Arkham House Books 53. Nielsen also ranks it 9th for scarcity and 13th most valuable, though the latter is out of date, since it’s much pricier and harder to find that Skull-Face and Others these days. Bought off eBay for $650.
Tags:Arkham House, Books, Fantasy, Glenn Lord, poetry, Robert E. Howard, small press publishers
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Monday, March 21st, 2022
I’m closing in on a complete Clark Ashton Smith collection in hardback. Here’s one of the pricier Smith Arkham Houses:
Smith, Clark Ashton. The Dark Chateau. Arkham House, 1951. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with slight crimping and a touch of wear at head, small embossed name at bottom of half-title page, moderate foxing to rear gutters, slight foxing to front gutters, and a thumbnail edge-like indention to the top of the first few pages, in a Near Fine- dust jacket with slight loss at points and age-darkening to white lettering on spine. Only 563 copies printed, one of the smaller Arkham House runs. Joshi, Schultz & Connors, Clark Ashton Smith: A Comprehensive Bibliography, I.13.a. Sidney-Fryer, Emperor of Dreams, page 27. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House, 44. Derleth, Thirty Years of Arkham House, 44. Jaffrey, Horrors and Unpleasantries, 42. Nielsen, Arkham House Books, 46 (also ranked as the eighth scarcest Arkham House volume, and the ninth priciest). Bought from PBA Auctions for $406.25 plus shipping.
The only Smith Arkhams I now lack are:
Genius Loci and Other Tales
Spells and Philtres
The Abominations of Yondo
Tags:Arkham House, Books, Clark Ashton Smith, Horror, poetry, small press publishers
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Wednesday, December 1st, 2021
Another Lansdale limited edition:
Lansdale, Joe R. Apache Witch. Independent Legions/The Last Bookstore, 2021. First edition hardback, #33 of 180 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Poetry collection (Lansdale’s first). Bought directly from the publisher. I will have copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Tags:Books, Horror, Joe R. Lansdale, poetry, small press publishers
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Tuesday, August 24th, 2021
Another day, another chapbook:
Leiber, Fritz. The Demons of the Upper Air. Roy A. Squires, 1969. First edition chapbook original, 143 of 275 copies number in Arabic numerals, a Fine copy in Fine wrappers, additional inscribed “To/Chris/from/Fritz,” in a Fine original printed envelope, and even the original stiff cardboard mailer from Squires! Poetry. Squires always did beautiful work. Chalker/Owings, page 588. Bought off eBay for $50.
Tags:Books, chapbooks, Fritz Leiber, Horror, poetry, Roy A. Squires, small press publishers
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