Library Addition: Michael Swanwick’s Blue Moon

May 15th, 2018

Here’s an interesting item: Another short-run Michael Swanwick chapbook, but with a difference:

Swanwick, Michael. Blue Moon. Dragonstairs Press, 2018. First edition chapbook original, #18 of 69 printed copies, a Fine copy (there’s some slight phantom creasing to the cover, because the chapbook was mailed in a flat envelope, which meant the sewn bead on the outside pressed against the book in transit, and all copies seen so affected), new and unread. Bought for $10 direct from the publisher.

Here’s the description of the project: “Five ‘flash’ stories, all with a lunar setting. Published in an edition of 69, released for sale on the second “blue moon” of 2018. 67 copies available for sale (publisher’s and author’s copies withheld) on March 31, 2018, for 24 hours only. All copies not sold by midnight, March 31, 2018 will be burned.” In fact, all copies sold out in a matter of hours, so none were burned.

Since 69 is a pretty small print run for a Swanwick chapbook, I took the liberty of picking up additional copies, and will be offering them in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, now in preparation…

Library Addition: Neil Gaiman’s Nothing O’Clock

May 14th, 2018

Here’s a nice book that may have two different fandoms scrambling to grab a copy:

Gaiman, Neil. Doctor Who: Nothing O’Clock. Borderlands Pres/Gauntlet, 2018. First edition hardback, #109 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. Bought from the publishers at the usual dealer discount.

Please note that I’ll have copies of this for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog (currently in preparation).

Library Additions: Two Signed William Tenn Firsts

May 10th, 2018

Two signed William Tenn books picked up from different venues:

  • Klass, Philip. The Evolution of William Tenn, or Myself When Young. The Pretentious Press, 1995. First edition chapbook original (at 11″ x 6″, an unusually tall chapbook), one of 85 copies, a Fine copy, signed by Klass, with a photo of the author tipped in on the back of the title page. Includes several short pieces published by the The Apprentice, published by NYU when Klass was a 19-year old student in 1939. Bought from a fellow SF dealer for $36.

  • Tenn, William (writing name for Philip J. Klass). Immodest Proposals. NESFA Press, 2001. First edition hardback, a Very Good- copy with a large coffee-colored stain at head (and a smaller one at heel) in a Very Good+ dust jacket, with wrinkling to spine and front cover and spots of staining to blind side of the dust jacket. Signed by Tenn: “P. Klass/W Tenn”. Not a great copy, but bought for $5.99 at Half Price Books. Supplements a Fine/Fine (but unsigned) copy.

  • Library Additions: Signed Farmer and Hodgson

    May 7th, 2018

    Yes, a signed William Hope Hodgson first…but not signed by Hodgson (for obvious reasons).

  • Farmer, Philip Jose. Gods of Riverworld. Phantasia Press, 1983. First edition hardback, #503 of 650 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and fine slipcase. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 341. Bought off eBay for $25.
  • Hodgson, William Hope (Sam Moscowitz, editor). The Haunted “Pampero”. Donald M. Grant, 1991. First edition hardback, #185 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. “Uncollected Fantasies and Mysteries,” for which Moskowitz provides copious notes. This is the second book I have signed by Moscowitz, after Olaf Stapledon’s Far Future Calling. Bought off eBay for $25.

  • Shoegazer Sunday: Slowdive’s “No Longer Making Time” Live in Asheville, NC

    May 6th, 2018

    Slowdive put on a great show at Stubb’s on April 28. One of the surprising things about it was how much of a rocker “No Longer Making Time” is live. There doesn’t appear to be a good video of that available online, so here’s a pretty good version from their Asheville, NC on November 17, 2017.

    Note: There’s a little glitch at the end, where it looks like the person recording the video forgot there’s a little coda at the end of the song and turned their cell phone video off for a few seconds…

    Library Additions: Two Signed Ray Bradbury Firsts

    May 2nd, 2018

    Two signed Ray Bradbury firsts, thought a little off-beam from most of my Bradbury:

  • Bradbury, Ray (text). The Art of Playboy. Alfred van der Marck Editions, 1985. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight blunting to points and slight wear along bottom boards. Signed by Bradbury. Collection of art that appeared in Playboy magazine, something of who’s who of modern magazine illustration, including all the tasteful female nudes you’d expect, and the expected Vargas, Nagel, Olivia, etc., but also Frank Frazetta, Salvador Dali, Kinuko Craft, and a multitude of others. Bought off eBay for $38.77 plus shipping.

  • Bradbury, Ray (etc.). The Ray Bradbury Chronicles Volume 7. NMB/Byron Priess, 1993. First edition hardback, #304 of 100 numbered copies signed by Bradbury and several illustrators, etc., a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Graphic novel adaptation of several Bradbury short stories. Bought off eBay for $31.50 plus shipping.

  • Library Additions: Two Signed Books

    April 30th, 2018

    Two signed firsts I picked up cheap at the same auction:

  • Niven, Larry and Jerry Pournelle. Escape From Hell. Tor, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by both Niven and Pournelle. Sequel to Inferno. Supplants an unsigned copy. Bought for $10 plus buyers fee and shipping at auction.

  • Silverberg, Robert. Beyond the Safe Zone. Donald I. Fine, 1986. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Silverberg: “For Joe—/L.A./ 10/25/86 / Robert Silverberg.” Short story collection. Bought for $10 plus buyers fee and shipping at auction.

  • Library Additions: Two Manly Wade Wellman Non-Fiction Firsts

    April 24th, 2018

    My quest to own a first edition of every Manly Wade Wellman book draws closer to completion with these two non-fiction works:

  • Wellman, Manly Wade. The Rebel Songster: Songs the Confederates Sang. Heritage House, 1959. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight wear at points and slightly uneven glue binding along front cover joint, in a Very Good+ dust jacket with age darkening 2 1/2″ along front bottom and 1″ near spine, and small touches of dust soiling everywhere. A book of songs Confederate soldiers sung during the Civil War, with music, some familiar (“The Yellow Rose of Texas”), but most not. Bought for $35 on eBay, a good deal since I intermittently searched for this for several years when there were no copies to be found online at all.

  • Wellman, Manly Wade. The Story of Moore County. Moore County Historical Society, 1974. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight wear at head and heel in a Fine- dust jacket with one 1/8″ closed tear at head (now under Mylar), slight wrinkling to top front jacket, and a few touches of general wear; a very nice copy. Non-fiction history of the North Carolina County. Bought off eBay for $10.

  • Wellman non-fiction books I lack:

  • (with Robert F. Cope) The County of Gaston. Gaston County Historical Society, 1961.
  • The County of Warren, North Carolina, 1586-1917. University of North Carolina Press, 1959.
  • Fastest on the River: The Great Race Between the “Natchez” and the “Robert E Lee”. Henry Holt, 1957.
  • Giant in Gray: A Biography of Wade Hampton of South Carolina. Scribners, 1949.
  • The Life And Times Of Sir Archie The Story Of America’s Greatest Thoroughbred, 1805-1833. University of North Carolina Press, 1958.
  • Shoegazer Sunday: A Four Song Slowdive Live Set

    April 22nd, 2018

    In celebration of Slowdive playing Austin next week, here’s a four song live set including:

  • Slomo
  • Star Roving
  • Crazy For You
  • Sugar For The Pill
  • The Sunday dose of Shoegaze got put aside while I was doing my taxes, but now that’s done, I hope to catch up on a few things.

    “Thirteen’s my lucky number…”

    April 13th, 2018

    For Friday the 13th, enjoy Social Distortion’s “Bad Luck”:

    I keep telling people that 1991-1992 was a great time to be listening to music on the radio…