Two more purchases from that eBay seller who’s been offering signed PBOs:
Library Additions: Two Signed Robert Bloch PBOs
June 23rd, 2025Library Addition: Michael Swanwick’s S1ngular 1nterv1ews
June 18th, 2025Another Dragonstairs chapbook:
Swanwick, Michael. S1ngular 1nterv1ews. First edition chapbook original, #57 of 60 signed, numbered copies, a Fine- copy with a slight crease in the middle. A series of one question interviews with science fiction professionals: David Hartwell (on editing Gene Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun), Samuel R. Delaney, John Crowley, etc.
I will have one copy of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Library Addition: Charnel House Limited of Tim Powers’ Dinner at Deviant’s Palace
June 16th, 2025The latest volume in Charnel House ongoing prestige limited edition of all Tim Powers’ novels.
Powers, Tim. Dinner at Deviant’s Palace. Charnel House, 2025. First limited edition thus, #56 of 99 numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued, with cardstock ad for limited edition art print of Powers’ own interpretation of Deviant’s Palace laid in. Post-apocalytic science fiction novel that won the Philip K. Dick Award. Already sold out from the publisher.
I will have one copy of this available for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, probably in November.
Library Additions: Two Signed Philip Jose Farmer PBOs
June 9th, 2025Two more purchases from that same eBay seller offering signed PBOs:
Library Addition: Inscribed Associational PBO of Avram Davidson’s The Island Under the Earth
June 2nd, 2025I managed to pick up an Avram Davidson associational PBO at a bargain price.
Davidson, Avram. The Island Under The Earth. Ace, 1969. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine+ copy with faint creasing along front spine join and slight edgewear (most noticeable at head and heel), otherwise square and bright, inscribed by Davidson to editor Lin Carter: “From one six-limbed to/another -/Lin Carter from/Avram Davidson/Jun 11, 1976/New York City.” In addition to having edited the acclaimed Ballantine Adult Fantasy line, Carter also bought two stories from Davidson: “Caravan to Illiel” for Flashing Swords #3: Warriors and Wizards, and “Milord Sir Smiht, The English Wizard” for Year’s Best Fantasy Stories 2, making this an even better associational copy. Dillon cover. Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought off eBay for $13.95.
Library Additions: Moorcock, Moore Firsts
May 29th, 2025Two more purchases from the same Facebook seller I bought several Robert E. Howard items from.
Library Addition: Two Half Price Books Purchases
May 28th, 2025Two very different books bought at Half Price Books.
Library Addition: Signed First of H. Beam Piper’s Four-Day Planet
May 27th, 2025In collecting science fiction, there are signature that are difficult and expensive, and others that are virtually unobtainable.
Signatures from H. G. Wells, Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick,. and Clark Ashton Smith are readily attainable, and I have multiple signed first editions from each. I even have H. P. Lovecraft’s signature in the form of a hand-written envelope.
But some other SF/F/H writers have signatures that range from impossible to nearly impossible. Stanley G. Weinbaum died so young that I’ve only heard of his signature being obtained on contracts. Henry Kuttner died quite young as well, though I’ve been able to obtain an association copy inscribed to Robert Bloch. Cordwainer Smith never attended conventions or signings, but I managed to find a book he formerly owned. Another, more modern writer who neither attends conventions nor signs books (he did one early in his career) is Greg Egan, but I managed to buy an associational copy of Axiomatic inscribed to editor David Pringle.
I do not have signatures of Robert E. Howard, C.M. Kornbluth or James Tiptree, Jr. (though I’ve unsuccessfully bid on examples of the latter).
Another writer with a difficult signature I lacked until recently was H. Beam Piper, a writer who died tragically (by his own hand) at age 60, which is not particularly young. Despite that, signed Piper first editions seem exceptionally scarce, and rarely seems to be offered for sale (Heritage Auctions has no records of an signed Piper being sold).
So when I saw this I jumped on it:
Piper, H. Beam. Four-Day Planet. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1961. First edition hardback (no statement of printing, as per Currey), a Near Fine copy with slight wear at heel and points, slight bend at head and heel, and slight dust-soiling to page block edges, and a trace of foxing to gutters, in a Very Good- dust jacket missing several small chips from spine, the largest about 1″ x 1/16″), about 1/4″ loss at head, and shallow loss at points, inscribed by Piper: “For Bill Stroup/—off for California with his banjo on/his knee –/Hope the Injuns don’t get him. /a-crossin’ the plains —/H. Beam Piper.” According to the seller, Piper was a friend of his father’s. Currey, page 402. Bought for $150, bargained down from $180.
Shoegazer Sunday: Sleep Party People’s “The Dwarf And The Horse”
May 25th, 2025It’s been over seven years since I posted a video featuring the spooky rabbit people, so here they are with “The Dwarf And The Horse.” I think it’s even from the same performance.
No, I don’t know what they’re singing. And no, I’m not a 100% sure this counts as Shoegaze, but I’m not sure what the hell else you would call it…
Library Addition: Signed First of Rosenbach’s Books and Bidders
May 19th, 2025This was a pleasant and unexpected addition to my reference library.
Rosenbach, A. S. W. Books and Bidders. Little Brown and Company, 1927. First edition hardback (“Published November, 1927), a Fine-copy with a faint 1″ groove at head near rear join and slight bend at head and heel, in a Very Good+ dust jacket with a 1” closed tear and associated creases at top rear, two much smaller closed tears, slight shallow loss at head and heel, and a bit of soiling to white rear cover, with dedication slip tipped in at the dedication page: “To Ben F. Wallace, with all best wishes/a.s.w. Rosenbach/ June 20, 1933.” Rosenbach was probably the grandest of the grand old men of the American bookselling trade in the first half of the 20th century. Given that Rosenbach sold multiple Gutenberg bibles throughout his career, I think my own bookselling efforts rather pale in comparison. Still, I expect this will be full of bookselling tidbits of yesteryear. Given to me as a birthday gift by Dwight after we watched The Booksellers documentary, which I recommend to bibliophiles, and in which SF bookseller/collector/publisher Henry Wessels gets a fair amount of screen time.
