Archive for the ‘Fantasy’ Category
Monday, January 24th, 2022
I picked this up a while back, but it took me some time to track down a thorny bibliographic point.
Murphy, Pat. The Falling Woman. Tor, 1986. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine first state dust jacket, signed by Murphy. Winner for the Nebula Award for best novel. Supplements a copy of the first edition with a second state dust jacket inscribed to me by Murphy. You can tell the first state from the second state dust jacket by at least four different points:
- The lettering on the spine of the first state dust jacket has curvy features (the bottom of “Falling” is concave, and the top of “Woman” is convex), while the second state spine letters are straight.
- The lines in the center of the title on the front cover are black on the first state dust jacket, but red on the second state dust jacket.
- The back of the dust jacket is blank on the first state dust jacket, but has “Praise for The Falling Woman” followed by four blurbs on the second state dust jacket.
- The back of the second state dust jacket has an author photo of Murphy on the rear flap absent from the first state dust jacket.
I confirmed with Murphy with the “curved letter” spine version is indeed the first state dust jacket, and she says both first and second state dust jackets went out on first printings. Bought off eBay for $15.50.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Pat Murphy
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Friday, January 7th, 2022
Three more reference works:
(Ballard, J. G.) McGrath, Rick. Deep Ends: A Ballardian Anthology 2018. Terminal Press, 2018. First edition hardback, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Collection of essays on Ballard, including David Pringle’s continuing, invaluable “Ballard/Moorcock Chronology,” of which Moorcock himself says “I frequently trust his memory over my own.” Bought from Amazon.
Gaiman, Neil (with Leslie S. Klinger). The Annotated American Gods. Morrow, 2019. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Annotated version of Gaiman’s Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy Award-winning novel, made into the acclaimed TV series of the same name. This edition follows the text of the 10th Anniversary edition, but the annotations note where it differs from the first edition (among other things). Bought for $24.99 from a Houston-area Half Price Books. I will have one copy of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
(Gibson, William) Westfahl, Gary. William Gibson. University of Illinois Press, 2013. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy. Critical companion to Gibson’s work. Bought at Half Price Books for $12.49.
Tags:Books, David Pringle, Fantasy, Gary Westfahl, Half Price Books, J. G. Ballard, Neil Gaiman, reference works, Science Fiction, small press publishers, William Gibson
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Wednesday, January 5th, 2022
The only theme here is various unsigned hardback firsts.
Egan, Greg. Dichronauts. Night Shade Books, 2017. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Bought at Half Price Books for $8.99.
Fraser, George MacDonald. Flashman and the Tiger. Harper Collins, 1999. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Collection of three Flashman novellas. I’d always heard the Flashman books were great, but haven’t actually read any. Bought for $7.99.
Lansdale, Joe R. Coco Butternut. Subterranean Press, 2017. First edition hardback, trade edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Hap and Leonard novella. Somehow I ended up picking up two limited editions of this, so I never picked up a trade edition until now. Bought from Camelot Books for $17.50.
Moore, Alan. Jerusalem. Knockabout Books, 2016. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight edgewear and slight haze-rubbing. Massive, 1174-page novel whose premise is that Northhampton is the actual center of the world. Looks interesting, but Lord know when I’ll ever find time to read it. Actually, I should probably read Voice of the Fire first…
Reynolds, Alastair. Revenger. Gollancz, 2016. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight crimping at head. Bought at a Houston-area Half Price Books for $12.49.
Shea, Michael. Mr. Cannyharme: A Novel of Lovecraftian Terror. Hippocampus Press, 2021. First edition hardback, one of only 500 hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Previously unpublished Shea novel of Lovecraftian horror set in post-hippie San Francisco. Bought from the publisher at the usual discount. I will have copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Tarantino, Quentin. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. Harper, 2021. First hardback edition and first edition thus, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Originally published as a PBO, this hardback edition includes not only Tarantino’s novelization of his own film, but also a script for an episode of Bounty Law, reproductions of fake movie posters and TV Guide covers featuring Rick Dalton, and even the Mad Magazine parody “Lousy Law.” Bought from The Mysterious Bookshop at a dealer discount. (Right now Amazon appears to be offering this at half cover price (though the usual Amazon caveats apply, and there’s no guarantee you’ll get a first printing).
Weir, Andy. The Martian. Crown Publishers. 2014. First edition hardback (preceded by a self-published ebook), a Near Fine copy with small, light spots of staining to heel and slight bend at head, in a Near Fine dust jacket with a 1/2″ closed tear at bottom front, slight crease along top front edge, slight edgewear and wear at points. Celebrated novel of an astronaut stranded on Mars made into the Matt Damon movie of the same name. Bought at Half Price Books for $9.99.
Tags:Alan Moore, Alastair Reynolds, Andy Weir, Books, Cthulhu, Flashman, Greg Egan, Joe R. Lansdale, Michael Shea, Quentin Tarantino
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Tuesday, January 4th, 2022
Picked this up on my Thanksgiving trip to Houston:
Rushdie, Salman. The Satanic Verses. Viking, 1989. Fourth printing of the first American edition, a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel in a Fine- dust jacket with slight curl at head, signed by Rushdie, with sales slip from a bookseller stating it was a signed copy laid. The book that earned Rushdie a fatwa from the Ayatollah Khomeini. Supplements a first printing of the first American edition (the Viking UK edition precedes). Bought at a Houston-area Half Price Books for $7.99.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Salman Rushdie, signatures
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Thursday, December 30th, 2021
Something of an oddball category, all true firsts, all signed by contributors, but not by the most famous author.
Bierce, Ambrose. A Little Blue Book of Civil War Horror Stories. Borderlands Press, 2021. First edition hardback, #462 of 500 numbered copies signed by introduction author Lawrence C. Connolly, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bierce famously disappeared in Mexico after riding with Pancho Villa. Since he was born in 1842, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that he won’t be signing any more books. Bought from the publisher at the usual discount. I will have copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Farmer, Philip Jose. Greatheart Silver and Other Pulp Heroes. Meteor House, 2019. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by editor Michael Croteau and introduction author Garyn G. Roberts. Collection of pulp hero tales. Bought off eBay for $24.
King, Stephen, and Richard Chizmar. Gwendy’s Button Box. Cemetery Dance, 2017. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Chizmar. “A brand new Castle Rock novella.” Bought at a Half Price Books in Houston for $30.
Tags:Ambrose Bierce, Books, Fantasy, Horror, Philip Jose Farmer, pulp, Richard Chizmar, Science Fiction, signatures, Stephen King
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Wednesday, December 29th, 2021
Three more chapbook additions, including the latest Swanwick:
“Conrad, Joseph” (Adam Newell). At the Door of Darkness. Sangrail Press, 2020. First edition chapbook original, #66 of 100 numbered copies, a Fine copy in white envelope and numbered brown cardboard mailer, as issued. Somewhat elaborate production, with tipped-in linocut frontispiece and tissue guard and duplicated pages from the “original” manuscript for Heart of Darkness featuring a deleted scene. A very sly literary endeavor. I will have one copy of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
“Fitzgerald, F. Scott” (Adam Newell). Gods of Darkness. Sangrail Press, 2021. First edition chapbook original, #150 of 250 numbered copies, a Fine copy in numbered brown cardboard mailer, as issued. Another elaborate production, with tipped-in frontispiece illustration. “F. Scott Fitzgerald’s forgotten tale of a Lovecraftian witch cult, not in any edition of his collected works.” I will have copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Swanwick, Michael. Rainbow Clause. Dragonstairs Press, 2020. First edition chapbook original, #72 of 120 copies, a Fine copy with multicolored snowflakes appliqued to the front cover. Collection of extremely short stories about various Santas (“Red Santa,” “Orange Santa,” “White Santa,” “Blue Santa,” “Black Santa,” “Yellow Santa,” “Purple Santa” and “Green Santa”). I will have copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Tags:Adam Newell, Books, chapbooks, Cthulhu, Fantasy, Horror, Joseph Conrad, Science Fiction
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Thursday, December 23rd, 2021
Another Vance lettered edition:
Vance, Jack. Wild Thyme, Green Magic. Subterranean Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a PC copy of 26 signed lettered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine traycase. The only edition of this book issued signed by Vance. Formerly Subterranean Press founder William Schafer’s copy. Bought from Camelot Books for $525.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Jack Vance, Limited Editions, Science Fiction, Subterranean Press, William Schafer
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Wednesday, December 8th, 2021
Orson Scott Card is a writer I lost interest in collecting after reading Xenocide (sucks) and Prentice Alvin (not great). But I chanced across these quite cheap on eBay and picked them up.
Card, Orson Scott. Alvin Journeyman. Tor, 1995. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed by Card: “For Rocco,/A fellow voyager/Orson Scott Card.” Fourth Alvin Maker book.
Card, Orson Scott. Heartfire. Tor, 1998. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Card. Fifth Alvin Maker book.
Card, Orson Scott. Prentice Alvin. Tor, 1995. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed by Card: “to Rocco—,/Out of the fire, into the light/Orson Scott Card/ 5 Oct 96.” Third Alvin Maker book.
All bought for $5 a book, so effectively 1/5th cover price for the later volumes. Heartfire I didn’t have (the romance novel title and cover were additionally off-putting), while Alvin Journeyman and Prentice Alvin replace unsigned copies. I already had copies of Seventh Son and Red Prophet inscribed to me by Card at Sercon 2 in Austin in 1988, so I’ll have signed copies of those two (part of the same lot) available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Card fell out of favor not only with myself, but with other SF readers, some for reasons related to the quality of his writing (see above), some for the fact that he was just putting out too many books in too many series to keep track of (I never read the Homecoming series, but a friend that did was not enthused), and some for political reasons extrinsic to the quality of his work (people who demand fealty to “social justice” seem quite intolerant of Mormonism).
I picked up a good bit of Card’s early hardback firsts before I stopped reading him, and I’ve heard good things about Hart’s Hope, so I may try to read that next year.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Orson Scott Card
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Monday, December 6th, 2021
These were all more books from that final Bob Pylant Zelazny purchase in 2019. I checked the Zelazny paperbacks against the ones I already had and determined that, yes, indeed, there were volumes I wanted to add to my own library. Most are PBOs and almost all are signed. All of these supplement signed hardback firsts, etc.
Zelazny, Roger. Bridge of Ashes. Signet, 1976. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine- copy with a slight bit of edgewear, and a trace of dust soiling to very bottom of back cover, signed by Zelazny. Levack, 2a. Kovacs, I3a. Currey, page 571.
Zelazny, Roger. Creatures of Light and Darkness. Avon, 1970. First paperback edition, a Near Fine+ copy with one spine crease and touched of edgewear, signed by Zelazny. Levack, 8c. Kovacs, I9d.
Zelazny, Roger. Dilvish, the Damned. Del Rey, 1981. First edition paperback original, a Fine- with a 1/16th closed tear at bottom front and slight edgewear at points, signed by Zelazny. Levack, 11a. Kovacs, I15b.
Zelazny, Roger. Four for Tomorrow. Ace, 1967. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Near Fine- copy with slight spine crease and wear, plus foxing to inside covers and slight age-darkening, inscribed by Zelazny: “For Willie/Best,/Roger Zelazny.” Levack, 17a. Kovacs, V11a. Currey, page 571.
Zelazny, Roger. Isle of the Dead. Ace, 1969. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine- copy with slight wear at head and heel, trace of foxing to inside covers, and slight age darkening to pages, signed by Zelazny. A really pristine copy. Levack, 21a. Kovacs, I25a. Currey, page 571.
Zelazny, Roger. Jack of Shadows. Signet, 1972. First paperback edition, a Near Fine copy with former owner’s name and “Parson’s Farewell” written and crossed out on blurb page, signed by Zelazny. Levack, 22c. Kovacs, I26c.
Zelazny, Roger. My Name is Legion Ballantine Books, 1976. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine- copy with a slight bit of edgewear, signed by Zelazny. Levack, 27a. Kovacs, I32a. Currey, page 572.
Zelazny, Roger and Fred Saberhagen. The Black Throne. Baen, 1990. First edition paperback original “uncorrected page proof,” a Fine- copy with a few tiny black dots on bottom pageblock edge, otherwise new and unread. Kovacs, 1a. The proof, unlike the PBO, has a printed white spine and blank white rear cover. Mass market form factor proofs are not unknown in science fiction, but they are unusual. Oddly enough, I found another copy of this proof recently, and it will be in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Tags:Bob Pylant, Books, Fantasy, Roger Zelazny, Science Fiction
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Thursday, December 2nd, 2021
Three more additions to my mad quest to collect signed firsts of every Ray Bradbury book.
Bradbury, Ray. Ahmed and the Oblivion Machines Avon, 1998. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Bradbury. You know all the classic books Bradbury wrote over the years? This is reportedly not one of them. Bought for £18 from a notable UK book dealer.
Bradbury, Ray. The Ray Bradbury Chronicles Volume 3. Byron Preiss/NBM, 1992. First edition hardback a graphic novel, #417 of 1000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny, faint scratch across top rear outer corner. Bought for £27 from a notable UK book dealer. I now lack only volumes 1 and 5.
Bradbury, Ray. The Wish. Hill House, 2006. First edition hardback, #102 of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in matching numbered paper envelope, sans dust jacket, as issued. Won off eBay for $95.
(I think that’s a stray dog hair in the upper left…)
Tags:Books, Fantasy, graphic novel, Hill House Publishers, Ray Bradbury, Science Fiction, small press publishers
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