Library Additions: Borderlands Little Books X 5 (3 of 3) (Sarrantonio, Silva, Straub, Williamson, Wilson)

April 6th, 2023

The third and last listing of that bulk Borderlands Little Books purchase, all but one off a 15 book bulk purchase.

  • Sarrantonio, Al. A Little Yellow Book of Fevered Stories. Borderlands Press, 2004. First edition hardback, #168 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought as part of the 15 book lot.

  • Silva, David B. A Little White Book of Lies. Borderlands Press, 2005. First edition hardback, #168 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought as part of the 15 book lot.

  • Straub, Peter. A Little Blue Book of Rose Stories. Borderlands Press, 2004. First edition hardback, #168 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought as part of the 15 book lot.

  • Williamson, Chet. A Little Blue Book of Bibliomancy. Borderlands Press, 2016. First edition hardback, #456 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought off eBay for $14.06.

  • Wilson, F. Paul. A Little Beige Book of Nondescript Stories. Borderlands Press, 2004. First edition hardback, #168 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought as part of the 15 book lot.

  • I also received a slipcase for five of the books, which I may use after I get a new bookcase.

    Shoegazer Sunday: Glixen’s “Moodswing”

    April 2nd, 2023

    Glixen evidently hales from Phoenix, and that’s about all I know about them. Except the fact that they make some tasty, fuzzy noise.

    Library Addition: Borderlands Little Books X 5 (2 of 3) (Le Fanu, Maclay, Massie, Monteleone, Picarelli)

    March 30th, 2023

    Five more Borderlands Little books, most from that 15 book purchase.

  • Le Fanu, Sheridan (edited by Eric J. Guignard). A Little Fuchsia Book of Fears. Borderlands Press, 2023. First edition hardback, #462 of 500 numbered copies signed by the editor, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. I will have copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

  • Maclay, John. A Little Red Book of Vampire Stories. Borderlands Press, 2003. First edition hardback, #168 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought as part of the 15 book lot.

    .

  • Massie, Elizabeth. A Little Magenta Book of Mean Stories. Borderlands Press, 2003. First edition hardback, #168 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought as part of the 15 book lot.

  • Monteleone, Thomas F. A Little Brown Book of Bizarre Stories. Borderlands Press, 2004. First edition hardback, #168 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought as part of the 15 book lot.

  • Piccirilli, Tom A Little Black Book of Noir Stories. Borderlands Press, 2003. First edition hardback, #168 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought as part of the 15 book lot.

    Ignore the dirt and rubbing, which are just scanner artifacts.

  • Library Additions: Borderlands Little Books X 5 (1 of 3) (Gaiman, Blackwood, DeChancie, Gardner, Keene)

    March 28th, 2023

    Since I already had a significant number of titles in the series, I decided to build out a complete collection of Borderlands Little Books. These come from two sources: 1.) Direct dealer purchases from the publisher, and 2.) A lot of 15 titles, including the Gaiman title (the most difficult one I still lacked) for $886.

  • Blackwood, Algernon (Mark Sieber, editor). A Little Black Book of Bedevilment. Borderlands Press, 2022. First edition hardback, #462 of 500 copies signed by the editor, a Fine copy. Bought from the publisher at the usual discount. I will have copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

  • DeChancie, John. A Little Gray Book of Alien Stories. Borderlands Press, 2004. First edition hardback, #168 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought as part of the 15 book lot.

  • Gaiman, Neil. A Little Gold Book of Ghastly Stuff. Borderlands Press, 2011. First edition hardback, #168 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Mixture of fiction, non-fiction, essays, speeches, poetry, etc. Cool cover illustration by Gahan Wilson. Probably the hardest of the Little Book series to find (followed by the Lansdale, Ligotti and Malerman volumes). Bought as part of the 15 book lot.

  • Gardner, Craig Shaw. A Little Purple Book of Peculiar Stories. Borderlands Press, 2004. First edition hardback, #168 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought as part of the 15 book lot.

  • Keene, Brian. A Little Silver Book of Street Wise Stories. Borderlands Press, 2008. First edition hardback, #168 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought as part of the 15 book lot.

  • Shoegazer Sunday: Chromatics Cover of “Petals”

    March 26th, 2023

    A few weeks ago, I heard a more modern song whose melodic structure really reminded me of Hole’s “Petals,” which meant it’s been running through my head a lot recently. And then I found out that The Chromatics had covered it for a movie soundtrack.

    It’s not exactly Shoegaze, but I think it might qualify as Dreampop.

    One problem though: It’s only half the song. Here’s the original:

    Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins fame wrote the music, but I think Courtney Love wrote the lyrics. Despite her well-documented personal problems, she was occasionally a very good lyricist, back in the day.

    Art Addition: Original Vincent Di Fate Painting

    March 16th, 2023

    Given how much I spend on books, I spend comparatively little on original artwork. But every now and then I chance across something that appeals to me at an attractive price, and that’s the case here.

    This is Vincent Di Fate’s Avenger:

    Bought from an online auction for $480 (including premium), which I think is an excellent price for an original Di Fate painting. (The auction house had the image for the painting upside down!)

    I contacted Di Fate, and he said this was done for a trading card series. If it’s the series I’m thinking of, I don’t think it was used.

    Library Additions: Three New Limited Editions

    March 15th, 2023

    Three limited editions from three different publishers, all bought directly from the publishers at a dealer discount.

  • Beaumont, Charles. The Carnival and Other Stories. Subterranean Press, 2022. First edition hardback, #417 of 1,250 numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Short story collection.

  • Blaylock, James P. Pennies From Heaven. PS Publishing, 2022. First edition hardback, #167 of 200 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket with repricing sticker over UPC, as issued. New novel. The signed edition is the only hardback edition, and the PS edition is the only edition thus far. 200 is a pretty small run for a Blaylock hardback.

  • King, Stephen. The Long Walk. Centipede Press, 2023. First edition thus and first separate hardback edition (a previous Turtleback library hardback binding appears to be just a rebind of the Signet trade paperback edition), one of 1,400 trade copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, still in shrinkwrap. Near future SF dystopia, my favorite of the Bachman books, and one of my favorite of King’s books, period. Instantly out of print from the publisher.

  • I will have copies of all these books available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog (probably in May).

    Library Additions: Two Kolchak: The Night Stalker Graphic Novels

    March 13th, 2023

    These two items came from a Kickstarter.

  • Aquilone, James, editor. Kolchak: The Night Stalker: 50th Anniversary. Moonstone, 2022. First edition hardback graphic novel, the hardcover variant version (ISBN 978-1-946346-16-2), a Fine- copy with slight bumping to upper points, in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued, with illustration card signed on the back by Aquilone laid in. Collection of stories (some graphic novel style some straight prose) based on the legendary Kolchak: The Night Stalker TV show. According to the Kickstarter page, there were 231 of this version backed.

  • Aquilone, James, editor. Kolchak: The Night Stalker: Satanic Panic ’88 + Two Other Uncanny Tales. Moonstone, 2022. First edition comic book, a Fine copy, signed by Aquilone. Bought from Kickstarter as an add-in to the above.

  • And here’s my review of the original The Night Stalker TV movie.

    Library Additions: Seven Joe R. Lansdale Firsts

    March 8th, 2023

    Here’s a mixed bag of Lansdale firsts, one new Subterranean first, two sets of books that I already had in different states, and two different states of a book of Lansdale interviews that I’m in.

  • Lansdale, Joe R. Cold in July. Mark V. Ziesing, 1989. First hardback edition, #388 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine- slipcase with a bump at bottom rear. Isajenko, World Lansdalean A011.b. With Lansdale, Joe R. Savage Season. Mark V. Ziesing, 1989. First edition hardback, #388 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, in the same slipcase. Isajenko, World Lansdalean A013.a. Supplements a PC set (received as part of typing Cold in July into a computer from galley proofs) and a signed “mock” limited set. Bought from a private collector for $50.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Drive-In (A B-Movie With Blood and Popcorn, Made in Texas). Bantam Spectra, 1988. First edition paperback original, #57 of 100 aftermarket copies from The Overlook Connection with a special limitation page pasted in, a Fine- copy with pinprick of abrasion to bottom rear tip, in a Mylar-bag, in a Fine embossed aftermarket slipcase. Isajenko, World Lansdalean A010.a. With Lansdale, Joe R. The Drive-In 2 (Not Just One Of Them Sequels). Bantam Spectra, 1989. First edition paperback original, #57 of 100 aftermarket copies from The Overlook Connection with a special limitation page pasted in, a Fine copy, in a Mylar-bag, in the same slipcase. Isajenko, World Lansdalean A012.a. Supplements inscribed copies of the ordinary PBOs, plus inscribed hardback firsts of the Kinnell editions, plus The Complete Drive-In from Centipede Press. These Overlook Press aftermarket paperback limiteds were weird things, which is why I didn’t pick these up until I found a set at the right price. Bought from the same private collector for $35.

  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Events Concerning. Subterranean Press, 2022. First edition hardback, #371 of 1,250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Short story collection. Bought from the publisher. I’ll have copies of this available in the next

  • (Lansdale, Joe R.) Andrew J. Rausch and Mark Slade, editors. Conversations with Joe R. Lansdale. University Press of Mississippi, 2022. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Collection of interviews with Lansdale, including the ones Dwight Brown and I did for Nova Express. Bought from the publisher. I’ll have copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

  • (Lansdale, Joe R.) Andrew J. Rausch and Mark Slade, editors. Conversations with Joe R. Lansdale. University Press of Mississippi, 2022. First edition trade paperback original (simultaneous with the much smaller hardback run), a Fine copy. Sent to me as a contributor’s copy.
  • Library Addition: Eric Frank Russell’s Wasp

    March 5th, 2023

    Really enjoyed this when I read this a while back, and I tracked down a nice affordable first.

    Russell, Eric Frank. Wasp. Avalon Books, 1957. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of bend at head and heel in a Fine- dust jacket with one 1/2″ closed tear are top rear head, and tiny bit of wrinkling on bottom front edge near heel, and just the barest traces of dust soiling to an otherwise bright white dust jacket. Military SF adventure novel of a spy sent to a hostile alien planet to bring down the government through psychological and guerilla warfare, like a wasp crashing a car by attacking the driver. Bought from a notable UK dealer for £200 plus shipping.