Four books picked up from a UK book dealer, three of which are signed copies from important Golden Age small presses.
Campbell, John W. Cloak of Aesir. Shasta Publisher, 1952. First edition hardback, a Near Fine- copy with 2″ x 3/4″ light black staining to back rear cover (appears to be moisture staining from the cover dye), with a tiny bit of transfer to the very bottom outer tips of last few pages as well, with a few slightly light spots to boards, slight bumping at head and heel, and slight foxing along gutters, in a Very Good- dust jacket with light staining down spine, spots of light staining across back cover, shallow edge chipping at head, heel and points, signed by Campbell. Stories written under his Don A. Stuart pen name. Currey, page 97. Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy, page 46. Chalker Ownings, page 398. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 166. Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for £36.
de Camp, L. Sprague and P. Schuyler Miller. Genus Homo. Fantasy Press, 1950. First edition hardback, first state (Currey A) binding of green cloth lettered in gold, #172 of 500 numbered copies signed by both authors, further inscribed by Miller “To Sylvester Brown, Jr./in the hope that we’ve guessed/all wrong about tomorrow,” a Near Fine- copy with non-authorial judgement of the book written in a neat hand on the inside front cover (hidden by dj flap), gold spine lettering slightly rubbed and bumping at heel, and trace of foxing to inside covers and end-papers, in a Very Good+ dust jacket with closed tear creases to the bottom 1/4″ to 1/8″ of the front bottom edge, smaller closed tear and creasing at heed, quarter-sized abrasion to front cover affecting G in “Genus,” edgewear at heel, slight dust soiling to white back cover, and a few other touches of rubbing (slightly exaggerated in scan). Sleeper awakes sort of novel about a busload of humans awakening in a far future world ruled by evolved primates (thirteen years before Pierre Boulle’s La Planète des singes). I had several de Camp signatures already, but not one for Miller. Currey, page 133. Chalker Owings, page 160. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 32. Bought for £45.
(Dick, Philip K.) R.D. Mullin, Istvan Csicsery Rosney, Jr., Arthur B. Evans and veronica Hollinger, editors. On Philip K. Dick: 40 Articleas from Science-Fiction Studies. SF-TH, Inc., 1992. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Collection of critical essays on Dick from a wide variety of authors (Kim Stanley Robinson, Gregg Rickman, Stainislaw Lem, etc.). I was unaware that there was a hardback of this until it showed up in the catalog. Supplements a trade paperback copy. Bought for £112.50.
van Vogt, A. E. The Weapon Makers. Hadley Publishers, 1947. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with wear at head and heel, trace of rubbing to spine, and some dime-sized spots of foxing to inside covers, in a Very Good dust jacket with long wrinkles across back cover, shallow loss at points, spine quite faded, and a few additional touches of wear, inscribed by the author: “To/Fred C. Brown/best wishes,good luck/and cheerio. A. E. van Vogt.” Hadley was one of the earliest SF specialty publishers, and I now have three of their four books (including Campbell’s The Mightiest Machine and L. Ron Hubbard’s Final Blackout, but lacking E.E. “Doc” Smith’s The Skylark of Space, as it was a reprint of the Buffalo Book Company true first edition (which I have)). Currey, page 496. 333, page 65. Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy, page 217. Chalker Owings, page 231. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 345-346. Bought for £112.50.
Tags: A. E. van Vogt, Books, Fantasy Press, Hadley Publishing, John W. Campbell, L. Sprague de Camp, P. Schuyler Miller, Philip K. Dick, reference works, Science Fiction, science fiction criticism, Shasta Publishers, signatures, small press publishers
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