Archive for the ‘Fantasy’ Category
Wednesday, October 19th, 2022
A notable UK bookdealer put several books up for sale or auction, and between my dealer discount and favorable pound-dollar exchange rates, I picked up several items. This will be the first post in a series on those purchases.
Merritt, A. Dwellers in the Mirage. Liverlight, 1932. First edition hardback (no statement of printing on copyright page, as per Currey), a Near Fine+ copy with slight foxing to inside covers from dust jacket flaps and just a tiny bit of bend at head and heel, with gilt embossing on spine entirely intact, in a Very Good+ dust jacket with shallow chipping at head, heel and points and modest dust staining to white dust jacket and a few touches of wear, otherwise intact and unclipped. A pretty nice copy of a classic inter-war fantasy novel in dust jacket. Cawthorn & Moorcock, Fantasy: The Hundred Best Books 44. Currey, page 365. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, page 155. Teitler, By the World Forgot, 855. Barron, Fantasy Literature, *3-242. Bought for £240.
Tags:A. Merritt, Books, Fantasy
Posted in Books, Fantasy | 1 Comment »
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…
Tags:Books, Brom, Fantasy, Frank Frazetta, Limited Editions, Robert E. Howard, Wandering Star
Posted in Basketball, Fantasy, Food | No Comments »
Thursday, October 13th, 2022
I read about this on a Michael Moorcock group on Facebook, and went “Why yes, this is relevant to my interests!”
(Moorcock, Michael) Kirkland, James. Urish’s Hoard. Dreaming City Books, 2021. First edition? (no printing indicated, and it may well be a print-on-demand book) trade paperback original, a Fine copy. There was a Kickstarter for this back in early 2021, but after it was funded this was almost immediately available on Amazon, which is where I bought this.
Though the first edition information can be had in more comprehensive forms elsewhere, there is a wealth of information on Elric comic book adaptations, art portfolios, music, games and RPG supplements, and even miniatures! There’s also a discussion of the foul-up behind the Melniboné Mythos section in the AD&D Deities and Demigods. I’d always thought TSR had done it without permission, but Mike had given his permission, not realizing that his agent had already sold RPG rights to Chaosium. Oops…
There’s a ton of information gathered here (illustrated with color scans) you’re not going to find in other reference sources, so if it interests you, you might want to click the Amazon hyperlink on the title. Also, you’ve got to love the retro DAW Books inspired design of the cover.
It does remind me that someone needs to do a comprehensive Moorcock bibliography, as Tanelorn Archive is over 40 years old, and Moorcock is very prolific…
Tags:bibliography, Books, Fantasy, Michael Moorcock, reference works, science fiction bibliography
Posted in Books, Fantasy | 2 Comments »
Monday, October 10th, 2022
Someone had a lot of eleven Ray Bradbury firsts listed on eBay for $420, and accepted a $300 offer. These are the ones going into my library (two replacing unsigned copies), the rest will be offered for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Bradbury, Ray. Farewell Summer. Morrow, 2006. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket with “National Book Award Distinguished Contribution to American Letters” sticker (presumably as issued; he was awarded it in 2000), signed by Bradbury. Sequel to Dandelion Wine.
Bradbury, Ray. The Last Circus & The Electrocution. Lord John Press, 1980. First edition hardback, #105 of 300 copies signed by Bradbury and introduction author William F. Nolan, a Fine copy in a Fine slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. Two stories, an introduction by Nolan and an afterword by Bradbury. Supplements a signed trade copy.
Bradbury, Ray. The Machineries of Joy. Simon & Schuster, 1964. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with previous owner’s name, city, and date to FFE, corners slightly bumped, slight bend at head and heel, and slight wear along bottom board edges, in a Very Good+ dust jacket with 3/16″ triangular chip at head join, slight edgewear at head and heel, bit of wrinkling to top edge, a few small, closed tears, a tiny bit of loss at points, and a few slight spots of dust soiling, signed and dated (“12/12/86”) by Bradbury. Short story collection. Nolan, The Ray Bradbury Companion, pages 148-150. Weist, Bradbury: An Illustrated Life, page 72. Currey, page 56.
Bradbury, Ray. One For The Road. Morrow, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Bradbury. Short story collection, including a smattering of older stories.
Bradbury, Ray. The Tonybee Convector. Knopf, 1988. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed by Bradbury: “Joe Anne &/Lee/Ray Bradbury/Dec. 10/1988.” Replaces an unsigned copy.
Bradbury, Ray. When Elephants Last In The Dooryard Bloomed. Knopf, 1973. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel, in a Near Fine, price-clipped dust jacket, signed and dated (“12/12/86”). Supplements a later printing.
Tags:Fantasy, Horror, Limited Editions, Lord John Press, poetry, Ray Bradbury, Science Fiction, small press publishers
Posted in Books, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction | No Comments »
Sunday, August 21st, 2022
The final two items from the private seller culling his collection. Both of these were $5 each.
McCutheon, Marc. The Online Price Guide to Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror. McCutheon, 2000. First edition trade paperback original (essentially just side-stapled 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheets), a Fine- copy with slight bend at top front corners. An odd self-published volume claiming to list online prices realized for a wide variety of SF/F/H books, and while the authors hit most of the biggest names, the selection is otherwise somewhat random and haphazard. Has some tidbits for things that are potentially useful, but fails to provide a lot of title-specific first edition point information (like the various dj states of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot). I can see this being slightly useful for a real newbie the year it was published, but is of extremely dubious utility now. An oddity I bought cheap just because I had never heard of it and there was almost no information about it on the internet.
Wells, Stuart W., III. The Science Fiction Heroic Fantasy Author index. Purple Unicorn books, 1978. First edition trade paperback original (simultaneous with a hardback edition), a Very Good+ copy with 1/2″ tear at bottom of front spine-join, with light soiling along spine. A reference listing of genre books that was (like Marshall B. Tymn’s American Fantasy and Science Fiction: Toward a Bibliography of Works Published in the United States, 1949—1973) born obsolete, already superseded by far more comprehensive reference works published the same year. What was in the water that everyone rushed their SF/F/H bibliographical works into print in the 1978-1980 timeframe? You had Currey’s indispensable Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of First Printings of Their Fiction, you had the Firebell update of Bleiler’s Checklist, you Locke’s Spectrum of Fantasy, the first edition of Nichol’s Science Fiction Encyclopedia, the first two volume’s of Tuck’s own SF Encyclopedia, Tymn etc.’s Fantasy Literature, Miller’s Jack Vance bibliography Fantasms and even the Magill’s Survey of Science Fiction set. Extend it just a little into the early 80s and you get Bleiler’s Guide to Supernatural Fiction and the Levack bibliographies. And all this was just before the advent of desktop publishing.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Purple Unicorn Books, reference works, Science Fiction, science fiction bibliography, Stuart W. Wells III
Posted in Austin, crime, Fantasy, Science Fiction, technology | No Comments »
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.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Fantasy Press, Robert A. Heinlein, Science Fiction, signatures, small press publishers
Posted in Basketball, Fantasy, Food | No Comments »
Thursday, July 21st, 2022
Holkins, Jerry and Mike Krahulik. Lexcalibur II: The Word in the Stone. Penny Arcade, 2021 (i.e., 2022). First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. More fantasy-gaming themed humorous poetry, and sequel to the first Lexcalibur.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Penny Arcade, video game
Posted in Books, Fantasy | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 12th, 2022
This isn’t the most expensive book I’ve bought, but it’s up in the top 10.
Howard, Robert E. Always Comes Evening. Arkham House, 1957. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with an old bookstore sticker inside the front cover and just a trace of foxing to gutters, in a Near Fine, price-clipped dust jacket with slight dust soiling to rear cover and slight age-darkening to letters, and a few other touches of wear. “Another volume that must be called a landmark.” – S. T. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House. Howard’s first poetry collection, the second of three Howard books published by Arkham House, compiled by Howard estate executor Glenn Lord. Derleth, Thirty Years of Arkham House, 50. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House 50. Jaffrey, Horrors and Unpleasantries, 49. Nielsen, Arkham House Books 53. Nielsen also ranks it 9th for scarcity and 13th most valuable, though the latter is out of date, since it’s much pricier and harder to find that Skull-Face and Others these days. Bought off eBay for $650.
Tags:Arkham House, Books, Fantasy, Glenn Lord, poetry, Robert E. Howard, small press publishers
Posted in Books, Fantasy | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 14th, 2022
I don’t pick up a lot of Folio Society books because they tend to do post-first limiteds (which I’m generally not wild about), but I picked this one up because: A.) The selection differs from the previous book with this title, making this a true first, B.) It’s a really attractive volume, and C.) A lot of the science fiction The Folio Society has been doing as of late has gone through the roof. So I decided to pick this up.
Dick, Philip K. Selected Short Stories. The Folio Society, 2022. First edition hardback (“First Printing 2022”), a Fine copy in decorated boards and a decorated, die-cut slipcase that even sports a full-color illustration printed inside the slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. The pageblock edges even include a dye-pattern image of two eyes (appropriate to Dick’s frequent theme of paranoia). Plus a Jonathan Lethem introduction and a full-color illustration for each story from 24 different artists (include Dave McKean). It’s a very attractive package.
I will have one copy of this available for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, currently in progress.
Tags:Books, Dave McKean, Fantasy, Folio Society, Jonathan Lethem, Limited Editions, Philip K. Dick, Science Fiction
Posted in Books, Fantasy, Science Fiction | No Comments »
Monday, June 13th, 2022
Another limited edition Neil Gaiman book (this one of Sherlockian interest):
Gaiman, Neil (Gary Gianni, illustrator). The Case of Death and Honey. Arte Editions, 2022. First edition hardback, #254 of 500 numbered copies signed by Gianni (plus an additional 70 publisher’s copies), a Fine copy in a Fine slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. A very attractive book, stamped in gold and black on full red cloth binding, black and red printing, numerous black and white (and one color) illustrations from Gianni. A Sherlock Holmes story from Gaiman. There were numbered and lettered editions signed by Gaiman in different bindings that were already sold out by the time I found out about this book. Bought from the publisher at a thin discount. Note: The slipcase was extra, and is not included in every copy of this edition.
I will have a very few copies available for sale (with the slipcases) in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, currently in progress.
Tags:Arte Editions, Books, Fantasy, Limited Editions, Mystery, Neil Gaiman, Sherlock Holmes, small press publishers
Posted in Books, Fantasy | No Comments »
