Archive for the ‘Fantasy’ Category
Tuesday, July 8th, 2025
Closing in on a complete set of these:
Bradbury, Ray (with Kent Williams, Craig P. Russell, Segrelles, John Van Fleet, Chuck Roblin, Ray Zone, Ralph Reese and Al Williamson). The Ray Bradbury Chronicles Volume 1. Byron Preiss/Mantier, Beall, Minoustchini Publishing, 1992. First edition hardback graphic novel, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of bumping at heel in a Fine- dust jacket with a trace of wear at points. Bought off eBay for a $25 offer.

I now only lack Volume 5…
Tags:Books, eBay, Fantasy, graphic novel, Horror, Ray Bradbury, Science Fiction
Posted in Books, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction | No Comments »
Thursday, July 3rd, 2025
Bought off eBay at a bargain price:
(Gaiman, Neil) Hank Wagner, Christopher Golden and Stephen R. Bissette. The Prince of Stories: The Many Worlds of Neil Gaiman. Cemetery Dance, 2015. First edition thus (the trade edition precedes by seven years), one of 1000 copies signed by the three authors (not by Gaiman), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Critical companion to Gaiman’s work. Bought off eBay for an offer of $10, a considerable discount from the publication price of $75.

Tags:Books, Cemetery Dance, Christopher Golden, eBay, Fantasy, Limited Editions, Neil Gaiman, science fiction criticism, small press publishers, Stephen R. Bissette
Posted in Books, Fantasy | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025
The last item of the three bought with those Robert E. Howard Foundation books.
Howard, Robert E. Writer of the Dark. Dark Carneval Press, 1986. First edition oversized 11 1/2″ x 8 3/8″ trade paperback original, #111 of 500 copies, a Near Fine copy with light streak of dampstaining to pageblock edges, slight dampstaining dye transfer from covers to first and last pages, just the start of a spine crease, and a touch of edgewear to covers. Collection of poetry and fiction.

(The size of the cover is so large I had to crank down the quality of the image to get Word Press to accept it.)
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Horror, Robert E. Howard, small press publishers
Posted in Books, Fantasy, Horror | No Comments »
Monday, June 30th, 2025
Two more books from that Facebook estate seller I’ve bought previous REH Foundation Press books from.
Howard, Robert E. Sentiment: An Olio Rarer Works. Robert E. Howard Foundation Press, 2009. First edition hardback, #63 of 150 hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a trace of edgewear at head. Hefty 583 page collection of Howard’s rarer works, including some never meant for publication. Edited by Bob Roehm. Introduction by Mark Finn.

Howard, Robert E. Swords of the North. Robert E. Howard Foundation Press, 2009. First edition hardback, #118 of 200 numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight wrinkling at head and slight edgewear at heel. “Featuring Viking Stories, Celtic Adventures, Drafts and Fragments.” Edited by Bob Roehm. Introduction by Rusty Burke.
Both of these, and one other item I need to catalog and post here, were $150, including shipping.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Limited Editions, Mark Finn, Robert E. Howard, Robert E. Howard Foundation Press, small press publishers
Posted in Books, Fantasy | 1 Comment »
Monday, June 2nd, 2025
I 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.


Tags:Associational Copy, Avram Davidson, Books, Fantasy, Lin Carter, PBO
Posted in Books, Fantasy | No Comments »
Thursday, May 29th, 2025
Two more purchases from the same Facebook seller I bought several Robert E. Howard items from.
(Moorcock, Michael) Edward Kramer, editor. Michael Moorcock’s Pawn of Chaos. White Wolfe, 1996. Presumed first edition trade paperback original (most White Wolf Moorcock books have a first printing statement and/or numberline; while this one does not, it doesn’t have any later printing statement either, I have been unable to find anyone who has a copy with a printing statement, and it seems unlikely an anthology would have multiple printings), a Fine- copy with a trace of soiling to outer pageblock edge. Original anthology of Eternal Champion stories, featuring work by John Shirley, Don Webb, Bill Crider, Peter Crowther, etc. (even Gary Gygax!). Bought for $10.

Moore, Christopher. Island of the Sequined Love Nun. Avon, 1997. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Moore. Comic novel. Bought for $10.


Tags:Books, Christopher Moore, Fantasy, Michael Moorcock, signatures
Posted in Books, Fantasy | No Comments »
Monday, May 12th, 2025
Three more signed PBOs from that same eBay seller:
Sturgeon, Theodore. More Than Human. Farrar. Straus & Young and Ballantine Books, 1953. First edition paperback original (Currey state B, simultaneous with the hardback issue), a Good+ copy only with significant waviness to book and moisture spotting to edges, a touch of edgewear to covers, and just a trace of space concavity, otherwise square, signed by Sturgeon to the inside front cover. His celebrated fixup novel of a gestalt organism, including the classic “Baby is Three.” Currey (1978), page 472. Currey (2002), page 403. Pringle, SF 100 14. Bought off eBay for $20.61.


Wagner, Karl Edward. Bran Mak Morn: Legion From the Shadows. Zebra Books, 1976. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with a tiny crease to bottom front corner and a trace of wear at points, inscribed by Wagner: “To Ed —/from the King of the Picts/Karl Edward Wagner/CONAN.” Novel featuring Robert E. Howard’s Bran Mak Morn character. Bought off eBay for $37.


Wellman, Manly Wade. The Beyonders. Warner Books, 1977. First edition, second printing paperback original (This is the rare case where Currey (1978) got something wrong: There it states “First Printing: April 1977/10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2” on the copyright page as the true first, but the 2002 Currey CD says “10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1” and no “First Printing” statement is the true first), a Near Fine+ copy with slight small crease to bottom outer corner, hairline crease along front spine join, and slight edgewear, otherwise nice and square, inscribed by Wellman: “To Vickie [?]/From whom I’ll sign/anytime./Manly Wade Wellman.” Science fiction novel. Currey (1978), page 512. Currey (2002), page 435. Supplements an unsigned first printing. Bought off eBay for $26.79.

Tags:eBay, Fantasy, Karl Edward Wagner, Manly Wade Wellman, PBO, Robert E. Howard, Science Fiction, signatures, Theodore Sturgeon
Posted in Books, Fantasy, Science Fiction | No Comments »
Monday, May 5th, 2025
Another purchase from that estate sale:
Howard, Robert E. The Early Adventures of El Borak. The Robert E. Howard Foundation Press, 2010. First edition hardback, #26 of 150 copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. All the Francis X. Gordon, Lal Singh and Yar Ali Khan stories. Although not signed when I purchased, I’ve now had introduction author David A. Hardy inscribe it to me. Bought for $50.

Tags:Books, Fantasy, Limited Editions, Robert E. Howard, Robert E. Howard Foundation Press, small press publishers
Posted in Books, Fantasy | No Comments »
Monday, April 28th, 2025
I came across this in a Half Price Books store, and was either unaware it existed or had forgotten about it.
Crowley, John. Great Work of Time. Bantam, 1991. First edition paperback original thus and first separate edition, originally published as one of four novellas in Novelty two years before, a Fine- copy with edgewear. His World Fantasy Award-winning time travel novel, it which an initial time travel effort to keep the British Empire intact eventually results in radical changes up the line. Bought from Half Price Books for $1.79.

I think Bantam may have been the only mainstream SF publisher of the late 1980s and early 1990s who would put out novellas in paperback form, as I know they did a few others.
Note that I still have copies of the signed, limited hardback edition available through Lame Excuse Books.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Half Price Books, John Crowley, Science Fiction, Time Travel, World Fantasy Award
Posted in Books, Fantasy, Science Fiction | No Comments »
Monday, April 21st, 2025
This was another purchase from that Facebook estate seller I bought the Howard chapbooks from.
Howard, Robert E. (Rob Roehm, editor). The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard Volume One: 1923 – 1929. Robert E. Howard Foundation Press, 2007. First edition hardback, #267 of 300 copies, a Fine- copy with slight bumping at heel in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with slight bumping at heel, small fold to top of front flap, trace of wear at points, and slight haze rubbing to rear. Most of the letters in this volume seem to be to longtime close friend Tevis Clyde Smith.

With:
Howard, Robert E. (Rob Roehm, editor). The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard Volume Two: 1930-1932. Robert E. Howard Foundation Press, 2007. First edition hardback, #266 of 300 copies, a Fine- copy with bump to top front point in a Fine- dust jacket with slight bend at head, bump at point, trace of wear at points, and faint non-breaking surface scratches to rear cover. In this volume we finally start to see a number of letters to H.P. Lovecraft (I haven’t looked yet, but I’m guessing most if not all are included in the two volume A Means to Freedom, which I also have).

With:
Howard, Robert E. (Rob Roehm, editor). The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard Volume Three: 1933-1936. Robert E. Howard Foundation Press, 2007. First edition hardback, #265 of 300 copies, a Fine copy in a Near Fine- dust jacket with two long, faint scratches to the front cover, slight wrinkling at head and a trace of wear at points. Letters to a wide range of recipients: Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, August Derleth, Emil Petja, etc.

All bought for $60 for the set, which I think is a great bargain, as the majority of the REH Press stuff, especially early books like these, are all long out of print and hard to find.
Tags:August Derleth, Books, Clark Ashton Smith, Emil Petaja, Fantasy, H. P. Lovecraft, Horror, Limited Editions, reference works, Robert E. Howard, Robert E. Howard Foundation Press, small press publishers
Posted in Books, Fantasy, Horror | No Comments »