January 16th, 2025
Two more signed Neil Gaiman items, both bought off eBay.
Gaiman, Neil. Fragile Things. Morrow, 2006. First American hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed by Gaiman: “To Paul Incono —/Neil Gaiman.” Short story collection. Supplements an unsigned UK first hardcover. Bought for $24.99 plus shipping.
Gaiman, Neil. Speaking in Tongues DreamHaven, 2004. First edition compact disc (no additional pressings listed), a Fine copy, signed by Gaiman. Audio book of three stories and two poems read by Gaiman. Bought for $20 plus shipping.
Tags: Books, eBay, Fantasy, Neil Gaiman
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January 15th, 2025
A year ago I noted the sad news that Howard Waldrop died of a stroke on January 14, 2024.
Seldom does a week go by when I don’t think about talking to Howard about some odd mystery of the world he might be able to elucidate. Like why do Girls Town and Sex Kittens Go To College share so much of the same cast? Or talk to him about the debacle of the Roger Corman Fantastic 4 movie and the Doomed! documentary, which we watched as a double-bill at the end of December.
I hope he’s getting more mail in the afterlife, as “mailed sucked this week” was a constant complaint from him in his later years.
Centipede Press is in the process of preparing several volumes of Howard’s work for publication, but it will be a while before that sees the light of day.
Tags: Centipede Press, Howard Waldrop, Obituary, Science Fiction
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January 14th, 2025
Someone in the greater Austin area was sold off some Lansdale, so I made a bulk purchase from him at a very modest price. This is what’s going in my own library, but I’ll also have several items in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Lansdale, Joe R. Hoodoo Harry. The Mysterious Bookshop, 2016. First edition paperback original (simultaneous with the hardback edition), a Fine- copy that’s slightly flared, otherwise new and unread. Supplements a hardback lettered edition and another copy of this that’s inscribed to me by Lansdale, but the cover of which has started delaminating. Isajanko, C20.iii.
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer), Sam Keith (artist). 30 Days of Night: Night Again. IDW, 2011. First edition graphic novel (“14 13 12 11 1 2 3 4” on copyright page), trade paperback format (preceded by four individual comic issues), a Fine- copy with slight wear at points. Spinoff graphic novel based on the 2007 vampire movie. Isajanko, 205.
Lansdale, Joe R. (story), Mark Alan Miller (script) and Piotr Kowalski (art). The Steam Man. Dark Horse Comics, 2016. First edition graphic novel (“First Edition: July 2016” and “10987654321” on copyright page), trade paperback format (preceded by five individual comic issues), a Near Fine copy with what appears to be a red remainder mark across the heel (without that it would be Fine- with slight wear at points). Graphic novel based on “The Steam Man of the Prairie and the Dark Rider Get Down.” Isajanko, page 219.
Lansdale, Joe R. (source), Jussi Piironen (writer and illustrator). Hap and Leonard: Savage Season. IDW, 2017. First edition trade paperback original graphic novel (“20 19 18 17 1 2 3 4” numberline), a Fine copy. Isajanko, page 210. Supplements my copy of the SST signed, limited edition hardback.
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer) and Timothy Truman (artist). The Lone Ranger and Tonto: It Crawls Part One of Four. Topps Comics, 1994. First edition comic book (“First Printing” stated), a Fine- copy with trace of wear to points (I know comics get rated on a 0-10.0 scale, but since I couldn’t remotely tell you the difference between a 9.3 and a 9.4, I’m not going to do this). Isajanko, page 212 (ditto all other issues listed below).
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer) and Timothy Truman (artist). The Lone Ranger and Tonto: It Crawls Part Two of Four. Topps Comics, 1994. First edition comic book (“First Printing” stated), a Fine- copy with trace of wear to points.
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer) and Timothy Truman (artist). The Lone Ranger and Tonto: It Crawls Part Three of Four. Topps Comics, 1994. First edition comic book (“First Printing” stated), a Fine- copy with trace of wear to points.
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer) and Timothy Truman (artist). The Lone Ranger and Tonto: It Crawls Part Four of Four. Topps Comics, 1994. First edition comic book (“First Printing” stated), a Fine- copy with trace of wear to points.
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer) and Timothy Truman (artist). Jonah Hex: Riders of the Worm and Such: Chapter One. DC Vertigo, 1995. First edition comic book (“First Printing” stated), a Fine- copy with trace of wear to points. Isajanko, page 214 (ditto all issues listed below).
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer) and Timothy Truman (artist). Jonah Hex: Riders of the Worm and Such: Chapter Two. DC Vertigo, 1995. First edition comic book (“First Printing” stated), a Fine- copy with trace of wear to points.
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer) and Timothy Truman (artist). Jonah Hex: Riders of the Worm and Such: Chapter Three. DC Vertigo, 1995. First edition comic book (“First Printing” stated), a Fine- copy with trace of wear to points.
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer) and Timothy Truman (artist). Jonah Hex: Riders of the Worm and Such: Chapter Four. DC Vertigo, 1995. First edition comic book (“First Printing” stated), a Fine- copy with trace of wear to points.
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer) and Timothy Truman (artist). Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo: Chapter One. DC Vertigo, 1993. First edition comic book (“First Printing” stated), a Near Fine- copy with some creasing down left side and trace of wear to points. Isajanko, page 215 (ditto all issues listed below).
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer) and Timothy Truman (artist). Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo: Chapter Two. DC Vertigo, 1993. First edition comic book (“First Printing” stated), a Fine- copy with a trace of edgewear.
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer) and Timothy Truman (artist). Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo: Chapter Three. DC Vertigo, 1993. First edition comic book (“First Printing” stated), a Fine- copy with a trace of wear at points.
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer) and Timothy Truman (artist). Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo: Chapter Four. DC Vertigo, 1993. First edition comic book (“First Printing” stated), a Fine- copy with a trace of wear at points.
Lansdale, Joe R. (writer) and Timothy Truman (artist). Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo: Chapter Five. DC Vertigo, 1993. First edition comic book (“First Printing” stated), a Fine- copy with a trace of wear at points.
(Lansdale, Joe R.) Dom Salemi, editor. Brutarian Quarterly 42 – Summer 2004. First edition magazine, a Near Fine copy with slight bend near spine, pricing sticker over UPC, and slight wear at points. Contains Gene Gregorits’ “Barbecue Noir: Joe R. Lansdale interviewed.” on pages 2-16 (which is not in Rausch and Slade’s Conversations Joe R. Lansdale). Not in Isajanko.
All those, plus a few extra items that will be in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, were $59.
I hadn’t been planning on picking up individual comic issues of Lansdale’s work, but if I have a chance to pick up complete runs cheap, I’m going to take advantage of it, so I guess I am now…
Tags: Books, comic books, Dark Horse, DC Comics, graphic novel, Hap & Leonard, Horror, IDW, Joe R. Lansdale, Jonah Hex, Steampunk, Topps Comics
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January 10th, 2025
I have a fairly ridiculous amount of non-fiction books by and about Philip K. Dick (essays, bibliographies, critical studies, etc.); I think just shy of three linear feet. But this, which came out in 2016 bearing blurbs from Tim Powers and James P. Blaylock, escaped my attention until this signed copy popped up on eBay at quite a modest price.
(Dick, Philip K.) Maer Wilson. The Other Side of Philip K. Dick: A Tale of Two Friends. No publisher listed (but Amazon lists CreateSpace), 2016. First edition trade paperback original (stated; it has a POD barcode on the last page), a Fine copy, inscribed by Wilson: “To Karl,/Thanks so much for/your support! I/hope you enjoy The/Phil I Knew./Happy Reading/Maer Wilson/[squiggle]/ 8/27/16”. Biography of Dick from someone who knew him for the last decade of his life. Introduction by Tim Powers. Bought off eBay for $16.99, which I think is only a buck or two more than what it goes for on Amazon (I’m not seeing a price on the book).
Tags: biography, Philip K. Dick, reference works, Science Fiction, Tim Powers
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January 9th, 2025
Someone on eBay was selling off a lot of Ray Bradbury correspondence, and I managed to snag a postcard and an envelope at very modest prices.
Bradbury, Ray. Signed, mailed card reading “Ray Bradbury [signature]/The Illustrated Man.” Mailed from Fairfield, California, Jan 24. 1984. The back is addressed to and from bookseller James M. Dourgaruan of Pacheco, California. Also included with this lot is a postcard or cover blank for the Bantam Paperback edition of The Illustrated Man. Naturally, I’ll tuck both of these inside my first edition of The Illustrated Man. Bought for $19.50.
Bradbury, Ray. Signed, mailed postcard to Tim Sinniger from Paris reading “&/23/89/Dear/Tim: Happy/wishes from/Paris! have/A Grand/Summer! See/you, I hope, in/the Autumn/Fondly!/Ray Bradbury.” I will lay this in one of my few unsigned Bradburys (though not, alas, the highly appropriate We’ll Always Have Paris, which is already signed). Bought for $23.65.
To my mind, a signed postcard is superior to a signed bookplate anyway, and signed Bradbury bookplates have gotten thin on the ground…
Tags: Books, correspondence, eBay, postcard, Ray Bradbury, Science Fiction
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January 7th, 2025
(Holdstock, Robert) Coxson, Dan, editor (Michael Moorcock, Lisa Tuttle, Justina Robson, etc.). Heartwood: A Mythago Wood Anthology. PS Publishing, 2024. First edition hardback, #120 of 200 copies signed by the editor and all fiction contributors (but not introduction author Moorcock), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine slipcase. Anthology of stories set in Robert Holdstock’s Mythago Wood setting, a magical British ur-forest that gets larger (and more savage) the deeper you go.
I have one copy of this available through Lame Excuse Books.
Tags: Books, Fantasy, Limited Editions, Lisa Tuttle, Michael Moorcock, PS Publishing, Robert Holdstock, small press publishers
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January 6th, 2025
More signed PBOs off eBay, all these by Jack Vance.
Vance, Jack. The Asutra. Dell, 1973. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with a touch of edgewear, one slight wrinkle near top of spine, and slight foxing to edges of inside covers, signed by Vance. Third book in the Durdane trilogy. Supplements the Underwood/Miller first hardback edition. Hewett, A45. Cunningham, 3.a. Currey, page 497. Bought for $13.50 off eBay.
Vance, Jack. The Face. DAW, 1979. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with faint crease along front spine join, start of a spine crease, crease along front spine, hairline cracks on front cover, edgewear and some wear to white back cover, and bookstore stamp to inside cover, signed by Vance (a late Vance signature). Fourth of the Demon Prince novels. Supplements the Underwood/Miller first hardback edition. Hewett, A61.b. Cunningham, 32.a. Bought off eBay for the opening bid of $10.
Vance, Jack. Future Tense. Ballantine, 1964. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with slight age darkening to white surfaces and slight foxing to inside cover edges, otherwise nice and square, signed by Vance, in flexible plastic book protector (these have done a good job protecting the book, but the previous owner taped several short, color-code chunks of information to the plastic so they have required considerable clean-up prying old tape off the plastic and cleaning off the sticky residue with Bestine). This was one of the few Vance titles I didn’t have any edition of (and the PBO is the only edition). Collection of four novelettes/novellas. Hewett, A6. Cunningham, 35.a. Currey, page 498. Bought off eBay for $16.50.
Vance, Jack. The Houses of Iszm b/w Son of the Tree. Ace Books, 1964. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with edgewear and some hairline cracks, since by Vance (late signature), in flexible plastic book protector. Supplements Underwood/Miller hardbacks and an unsigned PBO. Hewett A12 and A13. Currey, page 498. Cunningham, 41.a. Bought off eBay for $13.50.
Vance, Jack. The Pnume. Ace, 1970. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with slight edgewear, signed by Vance. Fourth Planet of Adventure book. Hewett A36. Cunningham, 65.a. Currey, page 500. Supplements a Dobson hardback first. Bought off eBay for $14.50.
Vance, Jack. Space Opera. Pyramid Books, 1965. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with slight edgewear, signed by Vance. Hewett A18. Cunningham, 74.a. Currey, page 500. Supplements the Underwood Miller hardback. Bought off eBay for $16.50.
Vance, Jack. Wyst: Alastor 1716. DAW Books, 1978. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine copy with a long wrinkle down spine and slight edgewear, signed by Vance, in flexible plastic book protector. Hewett, A54. Cunningham, 86.a.
Tags: Books, Jack Vance, PBO, Science Fiction, signatures
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December 31st, 2024
I’ve been buying some signed PBOs off eBay as of late, and here are the first two:
Bloch, Robert. Firebug. Regency, 1961. First edition paperback original, a Very Good copy a spine crease and lean, edgewear, a few tackehead sized abrasions and pages darkening, signed by Bloch. Supplements a signed hardback first of the Scream omnibus, which contains Firebug. Bought for $17.50.
Farmer, Philip Jose. The Green Odyssey. Ballantine Books, 1957. First edition paperback original (simultaneous with the much more difficult hardback), a Very Good+ copy with spine creasing and lean, with crease to bottom rear corner, a few hairline cracks, and edgewear, inscribed “to John/from/Philip Jose Farmer.” Farmer’s first published book (though not the first written). Supplements an unsigned, less attractive PBO copy (and I still need the hardback first). Bought off eBay for $18.50.
Tags: Books, Horror, PBO, Philip Jose Farmer, Robert Bloch, Science Fiction, signatures
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December 27th, 2024
Another Dragonstairs chapbook:
Swanwick, Michael. Father Winter. Dragonstairs Press, 2023 (not sold until 2024). First edition chapbook original, #13 of 120 signed, numbered copies of which 36 were offered for sale, a Fine copy.
I will have one copy of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, which will probably be May 2025.
Tags: Books, chapbooks, Dragonstairs Press, Fantasy, Michael Swanwick, small press publishers
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December 26th, 2024
Here’s a long-time want that popped up at a good price from a seller in Europe.
Farmer, Philip Jose. Night of Light. Garland, 1975. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bend at heel, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought for $27.16 plus Transatlantic shipping, which essentially doubled the price.
Tags: Books, Garland Press, Philip Jose Farmer, Science Fiction
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