I finally got in a long-delayed order from Hippocampus Press.
Gray lines in purple at top are a scanner artifact.
Copies of these will be available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog (currently in progress).
Library Addition: Three Hippocampus Press Firsts (Lovecraft, Shea)
November 21st, 2024Library Addition Signed HB First of Greg Bear’s Sisters
November 19th, 2024Another bargain purchase:
Bear, Greg. Sisters. Pulphouse, 1992. First edition hardback, #48 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. #26 in the Short Story Hardback series. Chalker/Owings (2003), page 272. Bought off eBay for $16.
Library Addition: Harlan Ellison’s “Repent, Harlequin!” Said The Ticktockman
November 18th, 2024When this first came out, I thought it was an odd item at a bit too high a price point and too large a limitation (though I think it sold out anyway). But since then, I’ve collected just about every other signed Ellison edition, and this one finally showed up at an attractive price.
Ellison, Harlan (Rick Berry, illustrator). “Repent, Harlequin!” Said The Ticktockman. Underwood Books, 1997. First edition hardback, #851 of 1,000 numbered copies signed by the author and illustrator, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine slipcase. Oversized (13 1/4″ high) illustrated version of Ellison’s classic story. Richmond, Fingerprints on the Sky, page 116. Chalker/Owings (2002), page 894. Bought for $32 off eBay (original list price was $45).
Note: The book is about an inch too long for the scanner, so the bottom is chopped off.
Library Addition: Arkham House Ephemera Guide
November 14th, 2024This popped up on an Arkham House group, and I knew that I had to pick up a copy. Not because I collect Arkham House ephemera, but because I collect Arkham House reference books. I think this one is the fifth I own.
Herron, Don, and John D. Haefele. Arkham House Ephemera: The Classic Years 1937 —1973: A Pictorial History & Guide For Collectors. Cimmerian Press, 2024. First edition trade paperback original (a POD books, with “version 1.1 (November 2024)” on the copyright page and “Made in the USA/Coppell, TX/08 November 2024” on last (barcode) page), a Fine copy. Just what the title says, a pictorial history of Arkham House ephemera (catalogs, review slips, etc.) issued from the press’s founding up through 1973. The book is actually useful even if you don’t collect ephemera, as the full catalogs show when books went out of print and how much they were going for, etc.
This was published at $40. I put it in my basket where it sat for a bit until I had enough other items to make it worth an order, whereupon I found it had dropped in price to $29.33! If you want a copy, click on the Amazon link above, by which time the price will no doubt have fluctuated up or down due to their mysterious algorithm…
Library Addition: Signed PBO of Jack Vance’s The Palace of Love
November 13th, 2024An eBayer auctioned off a number of signed Vance and Matheson PBOs. I bid on several, but this is the only one I won.
Vance, Jack. The Palace of Love. Berkley Medallion, 1967. First edition paperback original (60¢ price and October, 1967 on copyright page, as per Currey), a Near Fine+ copy with 1/4″ closed tear at top front spine join and slight edgewear, signed by Vance (typical late overlapping Vance signature). Third book in the Demon Princes series. Hewett, A31. Cunningham, 62.a, Currey, page 499. Bought off eBay for $18.
Library Addition: Sax Rohmer’s A Little Yellow Book of Perilous Tales
November 12th, 2024Another Borderlands Little Book:
Rohmer, Sax (F. Paul Wilson, editor). A Little Yellow Book of Perilous Tales. Borderlands Press, 2024. First edition hardback, #463 of 500 copies signed by Wilson, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Short stories, including the very first Fu Manchu story ever published.
I will have a very small number of copies available in the next lame Excuse Books catalog (currently in progress).
Library Addition: Strand Magazine LXXIII 2024 (Lansdale)
November 11th, 2024This 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: Naomi Novik’s The Last Graduate
November 4th, 2024Another Half Price Books find:
Novik, Naomi. The Last Graduate. Del Rey, 2021. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. “Lesson 2 of the Schoolomance.” Sequel to A Deadly Education. Bought for $12.59.
Fark Scary Story Thread for 2024
October 31st, 2024Today is Halloween, which means it’s time for the annual Fark scary story thread!
Here are the links to threads from previous years:
While you’re here, feel free to check out some of my other freaky/creepy/scary/silly Halloween posts.
Library Addition: Signed, Limited First of Dan Simmons’ Carrion Comfort
October 29th, 2024The third (and thus far final) book from that seller of Dark Harvest books on eBay.
Simmons, Dan. Carrion Comfort. Dark Harvest, 1989. First edition hardback, #303 of 400 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket a few touches of edgewear and a trace of rubbing to front spine join in a Fine slipcase. His celebrated novel of psychic vampirism. Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel. Chalker/Owings, page 121. Bought off eBay for $75.
Simmons published this, Hyperion and the underrated Phases of Gravity the same year, quite an impressive literary feat (though I’d already been following him from Song of Kali), and briefly enjoyed some “The Next Stephen King” collecting hype. But overproduction of some of Simmons work (particularly from Lord John Press) quickly proved that the market for Dan Simmons limited was not as large as the market for Stephen King limiteds. But Simmons still produces some fine work up to this day…