Library Addition: Signed, Ltd. Edition of Margaret Atwood’s The Year of the Flood

May 10th, 2017

Not particularly an Atwood fan, but I got it very cheap for a signed, limited edition by a major author:

Atwood, Margaret. The Year of the Flood. Bloomsbury (UK), 2009. First edition hardback, # 653 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in decorated boards with silver gilt edges, in a Fine slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought for $7.50 at Half Price Books, marked down from $15 with a 50% off coupon. (I suspect that Half Price got a few copies quietly remaindered from the publisher, as they often do for UK books.)

Atwood Flood

That’s a picture of the front of the slipcase, as there’s no writing on the book itself except on the spine.

According to the ISFDB, this limited edition is a true first (simultaneous with the trade hardback and trade paperback states), and was originally issued at £75, so I got it for less than 1/10th cover price…

Library Additions: Ursula K. Le Guin Signed Postcard

May 9th, 2017

Another addition to my science fiction story/poem postcard collection:

Le Guin, Ursula. To Siva the Unmaker. Science Fiction Poetry Association, 1980. First edition postcard, a near Fine copy with a faint dime-sized stain. Signed by Le Guin. Bought for $15 off eBay.

Le Guin Postcard

I have two other Le Guin postcards, but this is the only one that’s signed.

Library Additions: Three Harlan Ellison Omnibus Firsts

May 8th, 2017

Here are three volumes of the Harlan Ellison Edgeworks series I bought off eBay (along with a fourth, Edgeworks 2, that I already had a signed first of, so the extra will go in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog). I think I have first editions of almost all of these, so this is a matter of “title completeness.”

  • Ellison, Harlan. Edgeworks 1: Over the Edge/An Edge in My Voice. White Wolf, 1996. First edition hardback thus (and first hardback edition of Over the Edge, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
  • Ellison, Harlan. Edgeworks 3: Harlan Ellison’s Hornbook/Harlan Ellison’s Movie. White Wolf, 1997. First edition hardback thus, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Supplements the two-volume Mirage Press set of these same titles.
  • Ellison, Harlan. Edgeworks 4: Love Ain’t Nothing But Sex Misspelled/The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World. White Wolf, 1998. First edition hardback thus, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
  • The four volumes were the only ones to appear out of the projected 20 volume series. All four volumes bought off eBay for $25.

    Shoegazer Sunday: Slowdive’s “No Longer Making Time”

    May 7th, 2017

    Slowdive’s new self-titled album

    just (iTunes)

    dropped (Amazon).

    Buy it.

    Here’s a live version of “No Longer Making Time,” one of the new tracks:

    The studio version is even prettier.

    BUY!

    IT!

    I’m watching new episodes of MST3K and listening to a new Slowdive album. I’ve obviously died and gone to 1990s Heaven…

    Library Additions: Two Signed Harlan Ellison Books

    May 4th, 2017

    Two library additions of Harlan Ellison non-fiction books from two different purchases.

  • Ellison, Harlan (edited by Andrew Porter). The Book of Ellison. Algol Press, 1975. First edition hardback, one of only 200 hardbacks, a Near Fine copy with bumping at head and heel, sans dust jacket, as issued. Inscribed by Ellison: “For Malcolm, Friend, from/Harlan Ellison.” Collection of essays. Bought from a UK dealer for £33.
  • (Ellison, Harlan). Slusser, George Edgar. Harlan Ellison: Unrepentant Harlequin. Borgo Press, 1977. First edition chapbook original (“First Edition———April 1977”), a Fine copy. Signed and dated (“4/18/95”) by Ellison. Critical work on Ellison. “The Milford Series Popular Writers of Today: Volume Six.” Bought of eBay for $13.05.

    Unrepntent Harlequin

  • Library Addition: True PBO 1st of Star Wars

    May 3rd, 2017

    Picked this up at Half Price Books, and while not along my usual collecting vectors, I knew enough to pick it up.

    Foster, Alan Dean (writing as George Lucas). Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker. Ballantine Books, 1976. First edition paperback original (as indicated both by the “First Printing 1976” statement on the copyright page, and by the original Ralph McQuarrie artwork on the cover, which was dropped from all subsequent reprints), a Very Good copy with cover creasing, bottom front corner crease, and general wear.

    Star Wars PB

    Although McQuarrie helped design many of the characters, the versions on the cover of this paperback varies wildly from their on-screen counterparts, and every other subsequent piece of official Star Wars art.

    Library Additions: Two Signed Tanith Lee First Editions

    May 1st, 2017

    Two signed Tanith Lee books from the same Cold Tonnage Books 50% off sale I got the chapbooks from:

  • Lee, Tanith. Mortal Suns. Overlook Press, 2001. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight bend at head and heel and a touch of wear. Signed and date by Lee “2004/London.” Bought for £7.50.
  • Lee, Tanith. Wolf Wing. Dutton, 2003. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a very slight bump at head and a few faint, non-breaking scratches to rear cover. Signed and dated 2008 by Lee. Bought for £7.50.
  • Shoegazer Sunday: The Black Ryder’s “Seventh Moon”

    April 30th, 2017

    The breathy vocals of Aimee Nash, half of Los Angeles-by-way-of-Australia duo The Black Ryder, merit obvious comparison to Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval. Here they are with “Seventh Moon,” which reminds me a bit of SPC ECO’s “Tweet Fields at Night” and is about 97% pure beauty by weight.

    Library Additions: Four Chapbooks, One Postcard

    April 26th, 2017

    Between a new job, doing my taxes, and a relative coming into town, the task of cataloging library additions has been sidelined. The items here are from a Cold Tonnage Books sale in January, so the cataloging has been a long time in coming. All the below prices are after a 50% discount.

  • Aldiss, Brain W. Excommunication. Post Card Partnership, 1975. First edition postcard, a Fine copy. Bought for £2.50 after discount.
  • Drake, David. Codex. Sidecar Preservation Society, 2003. First edition chapbook original, #83 of 175 numbered copies, a Fine copy. According to Chalker & Owings Supplement 12, there were 25 copies bound in hardback (not seen). Bought for £2.50 after discount.

    Drake Codex

  • Partridge, Norman. Spyder. Subterranean Press, 1995. First edition chapbook original, a PC copy of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought for £2.50 after discount.

    Partridge Spyder

  • Tem, Steve Rasnic. Fairytales. Roadkill Press, 1990. First edition chapbook original, #352 of 400 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought for £2.50 after discount.

    Tem Fairytales

  • Tessier, Thomas. Lulu and one other. Subterranean Press, 1999. First edition chapbook original, a PC copy of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought for £2.50 after discount.

    Tessier Lulu

  • Minor Victories’ “Folk Arp”

    April 16th, 2017

    Here’s “Folk Arp,” another tune from Minor Victories:

    The video is not particularly interesting. However, this cinéma vérité black and white piece following a trio of skateboarders at night is really nice.