Archive for the ‘Basketball’ Category

Library Addition: Library of Weird Fiction: Frank Belknap Long

Tuesday, June 20th, 2023

Got this on-sale from Centipede Press:

Long, Frank Belknap (S. T. Joshi, editor). Library of Weird Fiction: Frank Belknap Long. Centipede Press, 2022. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, still in shrinkwrap. Massive 800+ page collection of fiction by this contemporary and correspondent of H. P. Lovecraft. Bought for $40.

Library Additions: Two Signed Joe R. Lansdale Firsts

Wednesday, June 7th, 2023

One a signed, limited edition, the other inscribed to me in person.

  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Donut Legion. Mulholland Books/Little Brown and Company, 2023. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed to me by Lansdale. Bought from Book People at cover price during a signing. It was good to see Joe again.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. and Kasey Lansdale. Dark Kin. Thunderstorm Books, 2023. First edition hardback, #232 of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Collection of collaborative stories, one of which appears here for the first time. Bought from the publisher at a dealer discount. I have copies of this available through Lame Excuse Books.

  • Library Addition: Jack Vance in Pulps 1945-1975

    Tuesday, June 6th, 2023

    Another addition to the reference work library:

    (Vance, Jack) Jean Luc Esteban. Jack Vance: Works published in PULPS magazines 1945-1975. LuLu, 2023. First edition (POD) hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. An odd reference work, showing the full-color cover illustrations, title pages, first few story pages, and interior black and white illustrations, for every story Jack Vance published in pulp magazines for the covered period. (Never mind that by the 1970s, the magazines publishing Jack Vance weren’t pulps and hadn’t been for some time.) Sort of an strange work, with high production values (all the page are slick stock, not just the ones for the color illustrations) and odd editorial choices (the Table of Contents is at the rear, and there are a lot of pages left unnecessarily blank). Also, there is no magazine or illustrator index. But buying this is a whole lot less expensive than tracking down every single issue covered. If this is the sort of reference work you think you need, then you need it, and if you don’t, you don’t. Note also that there are four slightly variant titles this could be known under: the spine says Jack Vance in Pulps 1945-1975, the front cover says Jack Vance in Pulps First issues 1945-1975, the half-title page says Jack Vance Pulps Editions 1945-1975, and the title page says Jack Vance: Works published in PULPS magazines 1945-1975. Yeah, the book could have used an editor…

    Library Addition: Tales From Arkham Sanitarium

    Thursday, April 20th, 2023

    Ordered this back in 2021, and the trade state came in this year. (Still waiting on the limited.)

    Sammons, Brian M. Tales From Arkham Sanitarium. Dark Regions Press, 2022. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in decorated boards with one tiny bump near bottom front corner, sans dust jacket, as issued. Cthulhu Mythos anthology, featuring a few familiar names (Don Webb, W. H. Pugmire, etc.). I’m not thrilled that Dark Regions had fulfillment through Amazon, hence the bump. I will gave precisely one mint copy available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

    Library Additions: Two Literary Reference Works

    Thursday, January 12th, 2023

    Two more reference works, one the last hardback addition from the Metroplex trip, the other from a PS Publishing order that came in.

  • (Burroughs, William S.) Morgan, Ted. Literary Outlaw: The Life and Time of William S. Burroughs. Henry Holt, 1988. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight haze rubbing. Reportedly one of the best biographies of Burroughs. Shoaf, Collecting William S. Burroughs in Print: A Checklist, IV.42. Bought for $7.99 at Half Price Books.
  • Campbell, Ramsey (S. T. Joshi, editor). Certainly: Essays and Reviews, 2002-2017. PS Publishing, 2021. First edition hardback, #168 of 200 signed, numbered copies in slipcase, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Companion volume to Probably, which I also have. Bought from the publisher for £20. I will have one copy for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog (probably May or June).

  • Library Addition: Signed First Of Greg Bear’s The Unfinished Land

    Thursday, December 15th, 2022

    The most recent (last?) book by the late, great Greg Bear:

    Bear, Greg. The Unfinished Land. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Bear, with a thank you note and several laminated bookmarks from the seller laid in. Bought for $49.95 from an eBay seller.

    I was unaware that Houghton Mifflin and Harcourt had merged.

    My obituary for Bear can be found here.

    Library Additions: Three Gene Wolfe Critical Companions

    Wednesday, November 30th, 2022

    Three Michael Andre-Driussi critical companions to Gene Wolfe works, all bought from Amazon (the only place they’re available; click on the hyperlinks to buy them there).

  • (Gene Wolfe) Andre-Driussi, Michael. A Chapter Guide for the Long Sun & the Short Sun. Sirius Fiction, 2022. First edition POD hardcover, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Just what it says, a chapter-by-chapter summary of The Book of the Long Sun and The Book of the Long Sun and The Book of the Short Sun, including lists of characters and unusual terms that show up in each chapter.

  • (Gene Wolfe) Andre-Driussi, Michael. Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun: A Chapter Guide. Sirius Fiction, 2019 (2022). First edition POD hardcover, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Same as the above, but for The Book of the New Sun.

  • (Gene Wolfe) Andre-Driussi, Michael. Gene Wolfe: 14 Articles. Sirius Fiction, 2016 (2022). First edition POD trade paperback original, a Fine copy. Various essays on Wolfe’s work.
  • Counting chapbooks, I now have 14 Andre-Driussi books on Gene Wolfe…

    Library Addition: Eric Frank Russell’s Somewhere A Voice

    Sunday, October 23rd, 2022

    Another purchase from that British book dealer:

    Russell, Eric Frank. Somewhere A Voice. Dennis Dobson, 1965. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a small Foyle’s stickler on inside front cover under flap in a Near Fine- dust jacket with a 3/4″ split to bottom of front fold (and faint associated crease to front), a nail-head sized semi-closed circular chip to rear spine join near head, slight age darkening to edges of white portion of jacket, a faint, intermittant line of rubbing near right front cover edge, and slight foxing to blind side of dust jacket spine, otherwise a fairly bright example of the dust jacket. Short story collection. Currey, page 424. Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy III, page 70. Bought from a notable UK book dealer for £32.

    I enjoyed Wasp enough that I think I should pick up some more Russell.

    Library Addition: Four Robert E. Howard Limited Editions

    Tuesday, October 18th, 2022

    I’ve already picked up the most important of Howard’s early work, including the five Gnome Press Conan books he wrote solo (the “posthumous collaboration” volumes are way down the list to pick up) and the three Arkham House books. (I do not have the Herbert Jenkins A Gent From Bear Creek; if you have one you’re willing to part with, let me know…) But I’ve mostly held off on picking up the “deluxe” editions of things, apart from the occasional Subterranean Press sale. But these came up for auction at PBA Galleries at fairly affordable prices.

  • Howard, Robert E. (Tim Underwood, editor). “…and their memory was a bitter tree…”. BlackBart, 2008. First edition hardback, #45 of 500 copies signed by illustrator Brom, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine slipcase. A volume lavishly illustrated in color by Brom and Frank Frazetta, with a preface by Arnie Fenner and an afterword by H. P. Lovecraft. Bought for $125. This appears to be the only book BlackBart ever did.

  • Howard, Robert E. Bran Mak Morn: The Last King. Wandering Star, 2005. First edition hardback, #634 of 850 numbered copies signed by illustrator Gary Gianni, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine- slipcase with a trace of wear at points, with a CD containing a reading of “Worms of the Earth” laid in. This and the other Wandering Star books here have gilt top edges. Bought for $125.

  • Howard, Robert E. Robert E. Howard’s Complete Conan of Cimmeria Volume Two (1934). Wandering Star, 2005. First edition hardback, #1462 of 1950 numbered copies signed by illustrator Gary Gianni, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine slipcase, with flyer for volume 3 with limitation number laid in. Bought for $187.50.

  • Howard, Robert E. Robert E. Howard’s Complete Conan of Cimmeria Volume Three (1935). Wandering Star, 2005. First edition hardback, 401 of 1000 numbered copies signed by illustrator Gregory Manchess. Bought for $175.

    All four are quite attractive volumes, and all four already had Mylar dust jacket protectors. Now I just need to track down The Ultimate Triumph, The Savage Tales Of Solomon Kane, and Conan of Cimmeria Volume One. Alas, those three seem even pricier…

  • Library Additions: Three Heinlein Firsts, One Signed

    Monday, August 1st, 2022

    Three Heinlein firsts bought from two different sources:

  • Heinlein, Robert A. Beyond This Horizon. Fantasy Press, 1948. First edition hardback, #413 of 500 signed, numbered subscriber copies (Currey State A), a Very Good copy with former owner George Price’s name and address on inside front cover and a quote from Hamlet (“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”) written on the front free endpaper in the same hand, with bumping at head and heel and a few faint spots of foxing to first few pages, in a Good+ dust jacket with 1/2″ chips to heel and bottom front cover, 1/4″ tackhead-sized chip to spine (affecting bottom of “O” in “HORIZON”), plus a few lesser chips, creases, rubs and general wear. Inscribed by Heinlein: “For George W. Price/All good wishes!/Robert A. Heinlein.” George W. Price ran Advent Publishers and participated in the 1959 Chicago Worldcon bid, and he seems to be still alive at age 93. Heinlein’s second novel. Currey, page 232. Chalker/Owings, page 158. Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 4, 3-84. Bought for £350 from a notable UK book dealer.

    This is the fourth signed Heinlein I’ve added to my collection. For others, see here and here.

  • Heinlein, Robert A. Glory Road. Putnam, 1963. First edition hardback (no statement of printing on copyright page, as per Currey), an Ex-Library copy with front free endpaper excised, discard stamps, abrasion wear along bottom boards, light paste-ghosts to inside covers, reinforcement to front and rear gutters, etc.; call it a Good+ Ex-Lib copy in a Very Good+ dust jacket with 1/32″ strip of loss at very bottom of heel, slight wear and creasing at head and heel, trace of crease along front spine join, thin, closed 2″ tear/crack along spine to middle of back cover, slight wear at points, and the barest trace of those paste ghosts to blind side; actually a very presentable copy of the dust jacket. Replaces another Ex-Library copy (non-first) in my collection. Currey, page 232. Bought for $16 from a collector culling his collection.

  • Heinlein, Robert A. The Menace From Earth. Gnome Press, 1959. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ copy with slight bumping at head, heel and points (and far less than usual age darkening to the cheap later Gnome Press paper) in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with one 1/8″ closed tear and associated triangular crease to bottom rear dust jacket, very slight age darkening to spine, trace of edgewear to rear flap, and a few traces of dust soiling to white over, otherwise an extremely nice example of the dust jacket. Short story collection, including the classic “By His Bootstraps.” Currey, page 233. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, page 109. Chalker/Owings, page 205. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 278. Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 4, 3-87. ISFDB notes no price on dust jacket (as is the case here). Bought for £250 from a notable UK book dealer.