Today is the first official day of winter, so here’s “The Holly and the Ivy” from George Winston’s December, probably the best track off a classic Christmas album.
George Winston’s “The Holly and the Ivy”
December 21st, 2020Library Addition: Signed First of Theodore Sturgeon’s Sturgeon Is Alive And Well
December 16th, 2020Another signed first from a giant of the Golden Age:
Sturgeon, Theodore. Sturgeon Is Alive And Well…. Putnam, 1971. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of bend at head and heel in a Near Fine dust jacket with slight edgewear at head and heel, a bit of dust soiling to white rear panel, and slight age darkening to top of white rear panel and edges of white flaps. Signed by Sturgeon. Short story collection, one I greatly enjoyed reading in my youth. I particularly remember “It Was Nothing—Really!,” about man who figures out that perforations make things stronger, and eventually invents invisible wall of impenetrable nothingness, and “Suicide,” about a man who jumps off a cliff to kill himself, and awakens still alive, hurt, down the cliff, and struggles to climb back up. Bought off eBay for $39.99. Currey, page 472.
Library Addition: Fantasy Collector’s Annual – 1975
December 14th, 2020The main reason I picked this up is that I already own Fantasy Collector’s Annual – 1974 and I wanted to complete the set:
de la Ree, Gerry. Fantasy Collector’s Annual – 1975. Gerry de la Ree, 1974. First edition hardback, #50 of 80 bound hardback copies a Fine- copy with top rear spine hinge gutter paste-down starting to tear, otherwise a nice, square copy. Miscellany of fantasy-related items, including Virgal Finley art, facsimiles of letters from Seabury Quinn to Finley, J.J. Weguelin’s art of H. Rider Haggard’s Montezuma’s Daughter, a note on the secret reprint edition of August Derleth’s Someone in the Dark, facsimile examples of inscriptions by several fantasy notables including, Ray Cummuings, A. A. Merrit, and Wernher von Braun, and a reprint of a The Mars Gazette, a chemical company advertising pamphlet in science fictional form extolling the virtues of “liquid peptonoids.” Chalker/Owings, page 128. Bought from an online dealer for $60.
Library Addition: Signed, Limited Edition of Lucius Shepard’s The Golden
December 9th, 2020In which I pick up a signed, limited edition of a book for less than I paid for the trade eition.
Shepard, Lucius. The Golden. Mark V. Ziesing, 1993. First edition hardback, #243 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with one 1/16″ closed tear at heel in a Fine- slipcase with a tiny rub at top. Supplements a trade edition signed by Shepard. I saw this on eBay for $24, and the book pricing part of my brain went “That’s a good price…but I bet I can do a little better.” Bought off eBay for a $20 buy it now offer. List publication price was $65. Chalker/Owings (2002), page 1003. Part of my plan to pick up every Ziesing book in every state, since I already had most of the trade editions anyway…
Library Addition: First Edition of Kuttner and Moore’s The Day He Died
December 7th, 2020Another addition to my Kuttner/Moore collection:
Kuttner, Henry and C.L. Moore (as Lewis Padgett). The Day He Died. Duell, Sloan and Pierce, 1947. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a little bit of bend at head and heel in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with small chip at heel and associated 1/2″ closed tear, plus a trace of wear at points. Mystery. I saw a less attractive copy in an online auction go for considerably more than I was willing to spend, so I bought this (the nicest copy online) from a notable SF dealer for $220.
See also: The Brass Ring.
Library Additions: Three More Signed Zelazny Books
December 4th, 2020A few more Zelazny books I set aside for myself from the Bob Pylant purchase:
Ben Bova, RIP
December 1st, 2020Science Fiction writer Ben Bova has died at age 88. He was an important writer and editor, with a stint at Analog before becoming the first fiction editor of Omni.
Bova had been writing science fiction for longer than I’ve been alive. I read a fair amount of his work in my youth, with Millennium, City of Darkness and The Dueling Machine being particular favorites, Indeed, I remember checking out City in Darkness from the middle school library before first period, and read the whole thing by the end of the school day.
Ben was a friendly acquaintance, and we chatted at various conventions and signings over the years. This photo is from the 2014 London Worldcon.
He will be missed.
William Shatner PSA on How Not To Set Yourself on Fire Frying a Turkey
November 26th, 2020Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
As a public service, I am once again offering up this video of William Shatner showing you how not to fry a Turkey:
Happy eating, and stay safe!
Library Additions: Six Joe Lansdale Items
November 20th, 2020A combination of new books that came in and filling in some collection gaps.
I will have copies of Big Lizard, The Magic Wagon and Waltz of Shadows in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, currently in progress. Drop me a line if you want to receive a copy in email.
Lego Star Wars Holiday Special Debuts Today
November 17th, 2020The Lego remake of the Star Wars Holiday Special evidently premiered today on Disney+.
Looks less a remake than a complete comic re-imagining.
I don’t have Disney+ (or any other streaming service), so I can’t tell you how good it is.
But it can’t help but improve on the original…