Archive for the ‘Fantasy’ Category
Monday, February 17th, 2020
Here’s the first part of the Moorcock titles I bought from Mike back in November.
Moorcock, Michael. The Brothel in Rosenstrasse. New English Library, 1982. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with slight spine fading and slight wear at top points. Inscribed to me by Moorcocok. Von Bek novel.
Moorcock, Michael. Byzantium Endures. Secker & Warburg, 1981. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with bumps to top points in a Very Good+ price-clipped dust jacket with several delamination wrinkles across the spine. Inscribed to me by Moorcock. Colonel Pyat novel.
Moorcock, Michael. The City in the Autumn Stars. Grafton, 1986. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a tiny bump at head and top front corner blunted, in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with several invisible scratches to rear cover, trace of wear at points, and 1/4″ closed tear at bottom rear fold join. Inscribed to me by Moorcock.
Moorcock, Michael. The Dragon In the Sword. Ace, 1986. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ copy with two pinhead spots to bottom page blocks, slight bend at head, and slight blunting to bottom points, in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with bumping to bottom front point and wrinkling at head and a trace of edgewear. Inscribed to me by Moorcock: “To Lawrence/All best —/Michael Moorcock.” Precedes the Grafton edition by a year.
Moorcock, Michael. Elric: La Saga. Editizione Oscar Draghiluglio, 2019. First edition hardback thus, an Italian omnibus edition of the first six Elric novels, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Inscribed to me by Moorcock: “To Lawrence/Prego!/Michael Moorcock.” A beautifully printed book, with decorated boards, full-color, full page plates by a variety of artists. A thrown-in by Mike, who had just received a big box of them. “See those behind you? Go ahead and take one if you want…”

Moorcock, Michael. Elric of Melniboné. Hutchison, 1972. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel in a Near Fine- dust jacket with a 3/8″ chip at heel/front join, shallow chipping at head and heel, and touches of edgewear. Inscribed to me by Moorcock. Tanelorn Archives, page 17.

Moorcock, Michael. King of the City. Scribners (UK), 2000. First edition hardback, a Near Fine- copy with bumps to top points and a cluster of small gray stains on pageblock edges, and slight bumping at heel, in a Near Fine dust jacket with bumping to top points, slight bumping at heel, and slight edge wrinkling along bottom flaps. Inscribed to me by Moorcock: “To Lawrence,/All the best—/Michael Moorcock.” Sequel to Mother London.
Moorcock, Michael. The Laughter of Carthage. Secker & Warburg, 1984. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bend at head, in a Near Fine-, price-clipped dust jacket with two scratches to front cover and a long lamination wrinkle down the spine. Inscribed to me by Moorcock.
Moorcock, Michael. Legends From the End of Time. WH Allen, 1976. First UK edition hardback, a Fine- copy with top front point slightly blunted, in a Fine- dust jacket with slight bumping at head and top front point. Inscribed to me by Moorcock. The U.S. true first looks like ass, while this edition has a groovy Rodney Matthews cover that looks a lot like Roger Dean. Tanelorn Archives, page 24.

Moorcock, Michael. Letters from Hollywood. HAARP, 1986. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with bumping at head and heel and blunting of points, in a Very Good dust jacket with shallow chipping at heel and points, wrinkling along front join, trace of dampstaining to bottom rear flap, and touches of general wear. Inscribed twice by Moorcock: On front free endpaper: “To Howard —/The third of the/world’s finest cities —/Love/Mike/Aug 18th/NY.” On half-title page: “Michael Moorcock/To Lawrence.” Collection of letters to J.G. Ballard.

Moorcock, Michael. London Peculiar and Other nonfiction. PM Press, 2012. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread, inscribed to me by Moorcock.
Moorcock, Michael. The Mystery of the Texas Twister with Argosy January/February 2004. First edition trade paperback original, both fine copies in a Fine paper slipcase with advertising insert intact and inserted. Inscribed to me by Moorcock. Attempt to revive the venerable Argosy magazine, which evidently only lasted three issues. Upon receiving it, Mike said “I thought it was a Mentos ad!”
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Michael Moorcock, Science Fiction, signatures
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Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020
More books I bought from Michael Moorcock. These are the non-Moorcock hardbacks I bought off him (in addition to Rendezvous With Rama).
Brooke, Keith and Nick Gevers, editors. Infinity Plus One. PS Publishing, 2000. First edition hardback, a PC copy of 500 signed, numbered copies signed by the contributors (to which Moorcock has added “Michael Moorcock’s copy” to the limitation plate), a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a trace of wear at top points. Supplements another copy. Anthology series (partly original, partially reprints) that only had two volumes. Gevers would later take up co-editing duties for Postscripts.
Burroughs, William S. The Ticket That Exploded. Grove Press, 1967. First hardback edition (preceded by an Olympia Press paperback edition), a Very Good+ copy with bumping at head and heel, slight wear to boards at heel, and a race of dust soiling, in a Very Good- dust jacket with 1″ closed tear at top front, 1/8″ semiclosed tear at bottom front near point, slight bumping at points, slight dust soiling, and general wear (it had dark staining along the spine, but a damp cloth cleaned that up nicely); I suspect that the orange text on the dust jacket was originally red, but since it applies to the inner flap as well, and almost all the copies I see online are similarly affected, I’m assuming it’s more the chemical composition of the ink than sun-fading per se. Shoaf, Collecting William S. Burroughs in Print, 6a, which states that it has textual revisions from the Olympia Press edition.
Di Filippo, Paul. Joe’s Liver. Cambrian Publications, 2000. First edition hardback, of presentation copy of 300 signed/numbered hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by the author to the Moorcock’s: “To Michael/&/Linda —/America — It’s one/big laff/fest!” Replaces another copy.
Holdstock, Robert. Celtira. Simon & Schuster UK, 1998. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with Moorcock’s ownership bookplate affixed to the inside front cover.
Holt, Tom. Flying Dutch. Orbit, 1991. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
Moore, Alan. Voice of the Fire. Top Shelf Productions, 2003. First hardback edition (preceded by a Gollancz TPO), #68 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a trace of edgewear. It seems that the only difference between this and the trade edition (currently unrecorded in the ISFDB) is the full-color signature plate page.
Robinson, Kim Stanley. Remaking History. Tor, 1991. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed to Moorcock: “for Michael Moorcock/with great admiration/from a raw/2μg rain trance./KS Robinson/1993.” At least I think that’s what the last line before his signature says. (At the 1992 Armadillocon, Stan told the story of driving through west Texas, dropping acid, and writing all his really deep thoughts down in a notebook, only to read it the next day and find such pearls of wisdom as “Bugs are weird.”)

Wilson, Colin. The Angry Years: The Rise and Fall of the Angry Young Men. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight bumping at head and a nailhead-sized nick near the heel. Non-fiction biography and criticism of the “angry young men” of literature in the 1950s and 60s. Laid in is a largely negative review of the book from Roger Lewis.
Wilson, Colin. Dreaming to Some Purpose. Century, 2004. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy, with uneven sunning to side and bottom page blocks, in a Fine dust jacket. Autobiography.
Tags:Alan Moore, Colin Wilson, Kim Stanley Robinson, Michael Moorcock, Paul Di Filippo, PS Publishing, small press publishers, William S. Burroughs
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Sunday, December 29th, 2019
Two more signed Michael Swanwick Dragonstairs Press first edition chapbooks:
Swanwick, Michael. Is There Something About You Irish?. Dragonstairs Press, 2019. First edition chapbook original, #50 of 60 signed, numbered copies, a Fine- copy (with slight phantom crease at top front), new and unread. Short essays on various Irish aspects of Swanwick’s life, done for the Dublin Worldcon.

Swanwick, Michael. Northern Lights. Dragonstairs Press, 2019. First edition chapbook original, #4 of 120 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, new and unread. Three short stories about supernatural Scandinavian creatures.

Note: White lines are in the original, and not a scanner artifact. (Good thing, too, since it’s a brand new scanner!)
I still have copies of both these available through Lame Excuse Books.
Tags:Books, chapbooks, Dragonstairs Press, Fantasy, Michael Swanwick
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Thursday, December 26th, 2019
Bought from the publisher at various discounts:
Crowley, John. Reading Backwards: Essays & Reviews, 2005-2018. Subterranean Press, 2019. First edition hardback, #101 of 750 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
Egan, Greg. The Best of Greg Egan. Subterranean Press, 2019. First edition hardback, #248 of 1,000 numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Another giant career retrospective collection.
Resnick, Mike. Voyages: The Chronicles of Lucifer Jones, 1938-1941. Subterranean Press, 2017. First edition hardback, #128 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Bought from the publisher during a 50% off sale.
I have copies of both the Crowley and the Egan available through Lame Excuse Books.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Greg Egan, John Crowley, Mike Resnick, Science Fiction, small press publishers, Subterranean Press
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Monday, December 23rd, 2019
Bought this at a Half Price Books coupon sale last month:
Stephenson, Neal, and Nicole Galland. The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. HarperCollins, 2017. First edition hardback, one of an unknown number of copies with a special signature page signed by both authors bound in, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with wear at points and a “Signed Copy” sticker taped to heel (in addition to the gold “Signed First Edition” sticker that seems standard now). Same ISBN (978-0-06-240916-4) as the trade edition. Bought at Half Price Books during a coupon sale for $10.

Tags:Books, Fantasy, Half Price Books, Limited Editions, Neal Stephenson, Science Fiction
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Monday, November 4th, 2019
All four bought cheaply, three signed.
Hughes, Matthew. Epiphanies. PS Publishing, 2016. First edition hardback, #37 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Bought for £4 plus shipping.
Hughes, Matthew. A Wizard’s Henchman: First Book of the Kaslo Chronicles. PS Publishing, 2016. First edition hardback, PC of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Bought for £5 plus shipping.
Laidlaw, Mark. White Spawn. PS Publishing, 2015. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Bought for £5 plus shipping.
Park, Paul. Other Stories. PS Publishing, 2015. First edition hardback, #63 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Bought for £5 plus shipping.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Horror, Limited Editions, Mark Laidlaw, Matthew Hughes, Paul Park, PS Publishing, Science Fiction, signed, small press publishers
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Monday, September 2nd, 2019
All five of these books were picked up from Adventures in Crime & Space at Armadillocon, and all five came from the estate of late SF writer Carrie Richerson.
Banks, Iain. Canal Dreams. Macmillian (UK), 1989. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a few pinpricks of light staining at head and a small wrinkle at top center to the first few pages, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed to Richardson: “Yo, Carrie!/This one’s for you./Iain Banks/10 March 90/at Wiscon 14.” Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $15.00.
Banks, Iain. Espedair Street. Macmillian (UK), 1987. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy one light pinprick stain at head and slight ear at heel, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed to Richardson: “To Carrie!/Weird regards/Iain Banks/10 March 90/at Wiscon 14.” Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $15.00.
Banks, Iain. The State of the Art. Mark V. Ziesing, 1989. First edition hardback, a Fine- with a few pinpricks of light staining at head, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed to Richardson: “To Carrie!/best wishes from am on the/GS GCU Arbitrary/Iain M. Banks/10 March 90/at Wiscon 14.” Interesting that he puts the middle “M” on the signatures for the SF books as well. Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $10.

Butler, Octavia. Xenogenesis. Guild America Books, 1989. First edition hardback thus (an omnibus edition of Dawn, Adulthoode Rights, and Imago), a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel, in a Fine- dust jacket with a trace of edgewear. Inscribed by Butler: “To Carrie/Good reading/Octavia E. Butler.” Supplements signed copies of the three individual first editions. Bought for $25.

Emshwiller, Carol. Carmen Dog. Mercury House, 1990. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight spotting to head, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Emshwiller: “To Carrie,/Carol Emshwiller.” Nova Express slipstream list. Bought for $7.50.
Tags:Books, Carol Emshwiller, Fantasy, Iain M. Banks, Octavia Butler, Science Fiction, signed, Slipstream
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Thursday, August 8th, 2019
Another signed Farmer first:
Farmer, Philip Jose. The Lavalite World. Phantasia Press, 1983. First edition hardback, #192 of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine slipcase. The fifth World of Tiers novel. Chalker/Owings, page 340. Bought off eBay for $34.99.

Tags:Books, Fantasy, Phantasia Press, Philip Jose Farmer, Science Fiction, small press publishers
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Friday, August 2nd, 2019
Mike Berro is reporting on Facebook than fantasy writer Barry Hughart has died. No linkable source yet for the news yet.
It’s a darn shame that the slings and arrows of outrageous publishing fortune discouraged him from writing any more Master Li and Number Ten Ox books…
Update: There’s now a small note on Berro’s Barry Hughart bibliography site that “It has been confirmed as of 1-Aug-2019 that Mr. Hughart has passed on.”
Tags:Barry Hughart, Fantasy, Obituary
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Friday, August 2nd, 2019
Another Half Price Book find:
Duncan, Andy. The Pottawatomie Giant and Other Stories. PS Publishing, 2012. First edition hardback, #80 of 200 signed, numbered copies, with an additional inscription by Duncan (“To/David –/Welcome/to the party!/Andy Duncan [with snake doodle]/NCSU/9/12/12.”) on the title page, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and decorated boards. Supplements a trade edition copy. Bought for $7.99; list is £39.99.
Tags:Andy Duncan, Books, Fantasy, Half Price Books, PS Publishing, Science Fiction
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