Archive for July, 2015

Important Safety Tip: Don’t Try To Launch a Mortar Off Your Head

Sunday, July 5th, 2015

Because it might explode and you will die. Like some idiot in Maine.

Shockingly enough, alcohol was involved…

Shoegazer Sunday: The Enters’ “Sweet Girl”

Sunday, July 5th, 2015

Here’s The Enters, yet another London Shoegaze band with “Sweet Girl” off their Small Town Love EP:

300 Fireworks Rockets Fired off At Once

Saturday, July 4th, 2015

Saw this in late May and knew I’d be saving it for July 4th.

God bless Colin Furze…

Library Addition: Signed First Edition of E. E. “Doc” Smith’s Second Stage Lensmen

Friday, July 3rd, 2015

Picked up another signed Doc Smith novel at a pretty good price:

Smith, Edward E., Ph.D. Second Stage Lensmen. Fantasy Press, 1953. First edition hardback, Currey Binding A (blue cloth lettered in gold), first issue, #368 of 500 numbered copies signed by Smith, a Very Good+ copy with large square of discoloration to inside front cover due to a bookplate (now laid in; see below) and a few instances of light spotting to boards, in a Near Fine- dust jacket with a couple of closed 1/2″ tears, modest edgewear at head, heel and points, and slight soiling to the rear cover, but otherwise a nice intact and very bright example of the dust jacket. Inscribed by Smith (as the subscriber copies frequently were): “To Joseph R. Brady,/Three in a row – Hot Dog! [Tic Tac Tow Game]/With sincere appreciation/Of your continued interest—/Edward E. Smith, Ph.D.” (Though it seems a fulsome, personal inscription, it’s quite similar to the one I have in my subscriber copy of Skylark Three to another subscriber.) Currey (1979), page 456. Chalker and Owings (1991), page 161. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 41. Lucchetti, Doc: First Galactic Roamer, page 60. Won for $121.50 off eBay.

2nd Stage Lensmen

Second Stage Lensmen Signature

And here’s the bookplate that was once attached and now is loose and laid in, which features Edd Cartier artwork:

Second Stage Lensmen Bookplate

I wonder if the Cartier bookplate was offered as a freebie or add-on by Fantasy Press…

Library Addition: Signed PBO 1st of John Sladek’s Mechasm

Thursday, July 2nd, 2015

This and another book I’ll list tomorrow are the last library additions for the first half of the year. I hope to have the giant compiled list of January 1 through June 30 library additions up on Monday.

Sladek, John. Mechasm. First edition paperback original under this title (published earlier in the UK as The Reproductive System) and first U.S. edition, a Very Good copy with a small, faint 1/4″ stamp at heel, edgewear, stamp on blurb page, and faint spine creasing. Inscribed by Sladek: “For Scott,/John Sladek”. Currey (1979), page 450. Bought for $5 at Half Price Books.

Mechasm

Sladek mechasm sig

My Story “Saul’s Diary” Is Up at Galaxy’s Edge

Wednesday, July 1st, 2015

My story “Saul’s Diary” is now up in the latest issue of Galaxy’s Edge. It’s pretty short and I think you’ll enjoy it…