I may have mentioned that I have a large library. I started out collecting first edition hardbacks of “hypermodern” (which in my case meant “post-Neuromancer“) science fiction (with some fantasy and horror works and authors thrown in for good measure), and once I had collected everything I wanted there, I started going after every important post-World War II SF work, toward which I’m making significant progress. Hence this list of books I’m still looking for.
By and large, I don’t buy later printings, copies without dust jackets, copies with price-clipped dust jackets (unless all copies of the true first edition were released that way), copies with facsimile dust jackets, or overly crummy copies. Most of the books I buy are in Fine/Fine condition, but that relaxes a bit the older (and pricier) books become. I have picked up Ex-Library copies in dust jacket when the better copies of the true first can’t be found under a grand. I also only buy first state bindings and dust jackets, unless there’s no priority, or the true first state is insanely rare (such as with Stanley G. Weinbaum’s Dawn of Flame).
With that in mind, I compiled a list of first editions on my want list, so here’s a significant portion of that list (omitting things available relatively cheap, or hideously expensive), listed alphabetically by author. I also put down all the Manly Wade Wellman and Jack Vance books I was looking for, since I have so many I was having a hard time keeping track of what I had and what I was still missing.
Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Arthur Baker)
Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot (Gnome Press)
J. G. Ballard’s Crash (Cape)
J. G. Ballard’s The Drowned World (Gollancz)
Alfred Bester’s Tiger! Tiger! (Sidgwick & Jackson)
James Blish’s A Case of Conscience (Faber & Faber)
Robert Bloch’s The Opener of the Way (Arkham)
L. Sprague de Camp’s Lest Darkness Fall (Henry Holt, 1941)
Philip K. Dick’s Dr. Bloodmoney (Gregg Press)
Philip K. Dick’s Counter-Clock World (White Lion)
Philip K. Dick’s Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said (Doubleday)
Philip K. Dick’s A Handful of Darkness (Rich & Cowan, 1st state in blue boards stamped in silver, in first state dj (no mention of World of Chance))
Philip K. Dick’s The World Jones Made (Sidgwick & Jackson)
Philip K. Dick’s World of Chance (Rich and Cowan)
Harlan Ellison’s The Fantasies of Harlan Ellison (Gregg Press)
Robert A. Heinlein’s Between Planets (Scribner’s, unclipped $2.50 dj)
Robert A. Heinlein’s Beyond This Horizon (Fantasy Press)
Robert A. Heinlein’s The Door Into Summer (Doubleday)
Robert A. Heinlein’s Farmer in the Sky (Scribner’s)
Robert A. Heinlein’s Glory Road (Putnam)
Robert A. Heinlein’s Methuselah’s Children (Gnome, 1st state binding, 1st state dj)
Robert A. Heinlein’s The Puppet Masters (Doubleday)
Robert A. Heinlein’s Red Planet (Scribner’s)
Robert A. Heinlein’s Rocket Ship Galileo (Scribner’s, unclipped $2.00 dj)
Robert A. Heinlein’s The Star Beast (Scribner’s, unclipped $2.50 dj)
Robert A. Heinlein’s The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag (Gnome)
Robert A. Heinlein’s Waldo & Magic Inc. (Doubleday)
Robert E. Howard’s The Coming of Conan (Gnome Press)
Robert E. Howard’s The Dark Man (Arkham House)
Robert E. Howard’s Skull-Face and Others (Arkham House)
R. A. Lafferty’s Horns on Their Head (Pendragon Press HB)
R. A. Lafferty’s Funnyfingers & Cabrito (Pendragon Press HB)
Joe R. Lansdale (as Ray Slater)’s Texas Night Riders (Chivers)>Fritz Leiber’s Two Sought Adventure (Gnome)
Fritz Leiber’s The Secret Songs (Rupert Hart-Davis)
H. P. Lovecraft’s The Outsider and Others (Arkham House)
Richard Matheson’s Born of Man and Woman (Chamberline Press)
Richard Matheson’s The Shrinking Man (David Bruce and Watson)
Chad Oliver’s Another Kind (Ballantine HB)
Chad Oliver’s Shadows in the Sun (Ballantine HB)
Mervyn Peake’s Titus Groan (Eyre & Spottiswoode)
Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast (Eyre & Spottiswoode)
Mervyn Peake’s Titus Alone (Eyre & Spottiswoode)
Jack Vance’s Araminta Station (Underwood Miller)
Jack Vance’s The Deadly Isles (Bobbs-Merrill)
Jack Vance’s The Dragon Masters (Dennis Dobson)
Jack Vance’s Ecce and Old Earth (Underwood Miller)
Jack Vance’s Four Men Called John (Gollancz)
Jack Vance’s The Houses of Iszm (Underwood Miller)
Jack Vance’s The House on Lily Street (Underwood Miller)
Jack Vance’s The Eyes of the Overworld (Gregg Press)
Jack Vance’s The Last Castle (Underwood Miller)
Jack Vance’s The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph (Dennis Dobson)
Jack Vance’s Monsters in Orbit (Dennis Dobson)
Jack Vance’s Seventeen Virgins/A Bagful of Dreams (Underwood Miller HB)
Jack Vance’s Showboat World (Underwood Miller)
Jack Vance’s Son of the Tree (Underwood Miller)
Jack Vance’s Strange Notions/The Dark Ocean (Underwood Miller)
Jack Vance’s To Live Forever (Ballantine Books HB)
Jack Vance’s Vandals of the Void (Winston)
Jack Vance (as Alan Wade)’s Take My Face (Mystery House)
Jack Vance (as Peter Held)’s Isle of Peril (Mystery House)
Stanley G. Weinbaum’s A Martian Odyssey and Others (Fantasy Press)
Manly Wade Wellman’s Carolina Pirate (Washburn)
Manly Wade Wellman’s Clash on the Catabwa (Washburn)
Manly Wade Wellman’s The Ghost Battalion (Washburn)
Manly Wade Wellman’s Gray Riders (Aladdin)
Manly Wade Wellman’s Haunts of Drowning Creek (Holiday House)
Manly Wade Wellman’s Mystery at Bear Paw Gap (Washburn)
Manly Wade Wellman’s Napoleon of the West (Washburn)
Manly Wade Wellman’s The South Fork Rangers (Washburn)
Manly Wade Wellman’s The Specter of Bear Paw Gap (Washburn)
Gene Wolfe’s The Grave Secret (Portentous Press chapbook)
Gene Wolfe’s The Old Woman Whose Rolling Pin Was the Sun (Cheap Street chapbook)
Roger Zelazny’s Damnation Alley (Putnam)
If you have nice copies any of the above, and if you’re willing to sell it to me considerably cheaper than can be found on Bookfinder.com, drop me an email at lawrenceperson@gmail.com and I’ll consider it.
The book-buying continues apace here at Stately Person Manor since the last roundup. Many were bought from a notable SF book dealer having a sale. And some weren’t even bought, as there’s a large number of unclaimed Nova Express proofs and ARCs that were integrated into my own library after I cleaned my office. All of these are Fine hardback first editions in Fine dust jackets, unless otherwise noted. Signed book are noted, except for recent titles where the entire run was signed (like several Subterranean Press books).
Books that I have available for sale through Lame Excuse Books are marked LEB (though some of those titles won’t appear on the stock page until after I send out my next book catalog, which will probably be late this month or early next; email me if you’d like to get on the mailing list to received it).
And if perchance you’re new to my mad bibliomania, the most comprehensive post on my library can be found here.
Now the books:
Aldiss, Brian. Brothers of the Head Pierrot Publishing Ltd., 1977. First edition hardback (simultaneous with the much more common trade paperback edition), oversized and illustrated, a Fine copy in a VG+ dust jacket with light wrinkling, wear to extremities, and some age toning to white flaps of the dust jacket. Signed by both Aldiss and illustrator Ian Pollock. The hardback edition was already uncommon, but became more so after an art house movie based on it came out a few years ago. Bought this from a dealer in France, of all places.
Aldiss, Brian. Cultural Breaks. Tachyon, 2005. Advanced reading copy, trade paperback format, with packet of review material.
Aldiss, Brian. This World and Nearer Ones. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1979. Signed by Adliss. Bought for $8 from a notable SF book dealer. Non-fiction.
Baker, Kage. The Sons of Heaven. Tor, 2007. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format.
Barker, Clive. Weaveworld. Poseidon Press, 1987. One of signed, 500 numbered copies, in unprinted Mylar dust jacket, in slipcase, as issued. Bought from a notable SF dealer for less than half original publisher’s price.
Barnes, John. The Armies of Memory. Tor, 2006.
Bear, Greg. The Collected Stories of Greg Bear. September, 2002. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format.
Bear, Greg. Heads. One of 300 signed, numbered copies, in slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought for $8 from a notable SF book dealer.
Binder, Eando. Lords of Creation. Prime Press, 1949. One of 112 copies with plate signed by Binder affixed, Near Fine, sans dust jacket, with uncut pages, as issued. Bought for $8 from a notable SF book dealer.
Boyett, Steven R. Mortality Bridge. Subterranean Press, 2011.
Boyle, T.C. The Human Fly and Other Stores. Speak, 2005. Advanced uncorrected proof, trade paperback format, with packet of review material.
Brin, David. Dr. Pak’s Preschool. Cheap Street, 1989. One of 117 signed, numbered copies of the “Collector’s Edition,” in Fine handmade dust jacket and slipcase. Bought from a notable SF book dealer at a considerable discount off the original offered price.
Burks, Arthur J. Black Medicine. Arkham House, 1966.
Canon, Peter. Forever Azathoth. Subterranean Press, 2011. One of 350 signed/numbered copies.
Charnes, Suzy McKee. Stagestruck Vampires and Other Phantasms. Tachyon, 2004. Advanced reading copy, trade paperback format.
Clarke, Arthur C. and Stephen Baxter. Firstborn. Del Rey, 2007. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format.
Constantine, Storm. The Wraiths of Will and Pleasure. Tor. 2003. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format.
Crowther, Peter & Nick Gevers, editors. Postscripts #24/25: The New and Perfect Man. PS Publishing, 2011. Signed, traycased edition. Contributor copy, with my story “The Dog Parade” inside. For more information, see here.
De Camp, L. Sprague & Catherine Crook. Footprints in Sand: A Literary Sampler. Advent, 1981. One of 500 signed, numbered copies. Bought for $8 from a notable SF book dealer.
De Camp, L. Sprague. Heroes & Hobgoblins Donald M. Grant, 1981. One of 1,250 copies signed by de Camp, a Fine copy in a price clipped (but otherwise Fine) dust jacket.
De Camp, L. Sprague. The Prisoner of Zhamanak. Phantasia Press, 1982. One of 500 signed, numbered copies, in slipcase. Bought for $8 from a notable SF book dealer.
Di Filippo, Paul. The Emperor of Gondwanaland. Thunder Mouth Press, 2005. Trade paperback original.
Di Filippo, Paul. A Princess of the Linear City. PS Publishing, 2010. Fine in decorated boards, sans dj, as issued. LEB
Doctorow, Cory. A Place So Foreign and 8 More. Four Walls and Eight Windows, 2003. Trade paperback original. Signed by Doctorow.
Egan. Greg. The Clockwork Rocket. Night Shade Press, 2011. LEB
Emshwiller, Carol. I Live With You. Tachyon, 2005. Advanced reading copy, trade paperback format.
Farris, John. Fiends. Dark Harvest, 1990. One of 500 signed, numbered copies, in slipcase. Bought for $8 from a notable SF book dealer.
Finch, Sheila. Reading the Bones. Tachyon, 2003. Trade paperback original.
Gunn, James. The End of the Dreams: Three Short Novels. Scribner’s, 1975. Inscribed by Gunn. Review materials laid in. Bought for $8 from a notable SF book dealer.
Gunn, James. The Magicians. Scribner’s, 1976. Inscribed by Gunn. Bought for $8 from a notable SF book dealer.
Haldeman, Joe, Stephen Giron, Edo van Belkom. Chapbook Seven. Buffalo Fantasy League, 2008. First edition hardback chapbook, one of only 20 copies bound in hardback, signed by Haldeman and Giron, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Haldeman’s section is hand-written and -illustrated.
Halpern, Marty and Claude Lalumiere. Witpunk. Four Walls Eight Windows, 2003.
Heinlein, Robert A. Assignment in Eternity. Fantasy Press, 1953. First edition hardback, first state Currey A binding (brick red cloth, with six gilt bands on spine, and with “Heinlein” 3mm high), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Details here.
Heinlein, Robert A. Have Space Suit–Will Travel. Scribner’s, 1958. Details here.
Heinlein, Robert A. A Heinlein Triad. Gollancz, 1966. Details here.
Heinlein, Robert A. The Man Who Sold the Moon. Shasta Publishers, 1950. Details here.
Le Guin, Ursula K. The Adventure of Cobbler’s Rune. Cheap Street, 1982. One of 250 signed, numbered hardback copies, Fine, sans dust jacket, as issued.
Le Guin, Ursula K. Solomon Leviathan’s Nine Hundred and Thirty-First Trip Around the World. Cheap Street, 1984. One of 250 signed, numbered hardback copies, Fine, sans dust jacket, as issued.
Le Guin, Ursula K. The Water is Wide. Pendragon Press, 1976. Chapbook, one of 200 signed copies, a Fine copy.
Leiber, Fritz. The Change War. Gregg Press, 1978. Fine sans dj, as issued.
Link, Kelly and Gavin J. Grant. The Best of Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet. Del Rey, 2007. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format.
Link, Kelly and Gavin J. Grant. The Best of Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet. Del Rey, 2007. Trade paperback original.
(Lovecraft, H. P.) Leiber, Fritz, etc. H. P. Lovecraft: A Symposium. Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society/Riverside Quarterly, 1964. Chapbook, a Fine copy, with errata sheet laid in. Non-fiction.
MacLeod, Ken. The Night Sessions. Orbit, 2008.
Marusek, David. Mind Over Ship. Tor, 2009. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format.
Marusek, David. Mind Over Ship. Tor, 2009.
McDevitt, Jack. The Law of Gravity Isn’t Working on Rainbow Bridge. Buffalo fantasy League, 2003. First edition hardback chapbook, #16 of a very small number bound into hardback, signed by McDevitt, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. The first of the Eeriecon chapbooks.
McMullin, Sean. Voyage of the Shadowmoon. Tor, 2002. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format.
Moorcock, Michael/Joe R. Lansdale. Sojan the Swordsman/Under the Warrior Star. Planet Stories/Paizo, 2010. Trade paperback.
Morrow, James. The Cat’s Pajamas & Other Stories. Tachyon, 2004. Advanced reading copy, trade paperback format.
Nagata, Linda. Memory. Tor, 2003.
Nasir, Jamil. The Houses of Time. Tor, 2008. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format.
Niven, Larry. A Gift From Earth. Macdonald, 1969. First hardback edition. Signed. A Near Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket.
Niven, Larry/Derwin Mak. Eeriecon Chapbook Ten: Doubling Rate/Willpower. Buffalo Fantasy League, 2011. First edition hardback chapbook, one of only 15(!) hardback copies, signed by both authors, Fine in a Fine dust jacket. LEB
Niven, Larry/Derwin Mak. Eeriecon Chapbook Ten: Doubling Rate/Willpower. Buffalo Fantasy League, 2011. Wraps edition.
Priest, Cherrie. Fathom. Tor, 2008.
Reed, Robert. Sister Alice. Tor, 2003.
Resnick, Mike. The Science Fiction Professional: Seven Years of “Ask Bwana” Columns. Farthest Star Science Fiction, 2002. Trade paperback original.
Resnick, Mike, et. al. With a Little Help From My Friends. Farthest Star Science Fiction, 2002. Trade paperback original.
Reynolds, Alastair. Troika. Subterranean Press, 2011. One of 350 signed, numbered copies with a different cover.
Robson, Justina. Natural History. Macmillan (UK), 2003. Trade paperback original (simultaneous with the hardback edition), signed by Robson, with additional signed note on a Post-It square laid in.
Rossi, Matthew. Things That Never Were. MonkeyBrain Books, 2003.
Rucker, Rudy. Frek and The Elixer. Tor, 2004. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format.
Rucker, Rudy. Mad Professor: The Uncollected Short Stories of Rudy Rucker. Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2007. Trade paperback original.
Shiner, Lewis. Dark Tangos. Subterranean Press, 2011.
Shunn, William. An Alternate History of the 21st Century. Spilt Milk Press, 2007. Chapbook.
Silverberg, Robert. Homefaring. Phantasia Press, 1983. One of 450 signed, numbered copies, in slipcase. Bought for $8 from a notable SF book dealer.
Silverberg, Robert. Sunrise on Mercury and Other Science Fiction Stories. Thomas Nelson Inc., 1975. Signed on affixed label by Silverberg. Bought for $8 from a notable SF book dealer.
Spector, Craig. Underground. Tor, 2005.
Stewart, Ian and jack Cohen. Heaven. Warner Books, 2004.
Stross, Charles. The Family Trade. Tor, 2004. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format.
(Sturgeon, Theodore) Diskin, Lahna F. Theodore Sturgeon: a primary and secondary bibliography. G.K. Hall & Co., 1980. Fine, sans dust jacket, as issued. Non-fiction.
Swanwick, Michael. Bones of the Earth. Eos, 2001. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format.
Swanwick, Michael. The Dragons of Bable. Tor, 2007. Advanced reading copy, trade paperback format.
Totten, Michael. The Road to Fatima Gate. Encounter Books, 2011. Signed. Non-fiction.
Tregillis, Ian. Bitter Seeds. Tor, 2010.
Vance, Jack. Dangerous Ways. Subterranean Press, 2011. Traycased edition, signed by Vance. See here for more details.
(Vance, Jack) Tiedman, Richard. Jack Vance: Science Fiction Stylist. Mimeographed from typewritten copy on yellow paper stock, self wrappers, stapled, one of only 225 copies, Fine, with additional correspondence laid in.
Vinge, Vernor, and John-Allen Price. Chapbook Eight. Buffalo Fantasy League, 2002. First edition hardback chapbook, one of a very small number hardbound, signed by Vinge and Price, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
Wellman, Manly Wade. Devils Planet. World Distributors, 1951. First edition, pulp paperback format, Very Good with slight rubbing and internal tape reinforcement, and spine creasing, otherwise bright.
Westerfield, Scott. The Killing of Worlds. Tor, 2003. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format.
Westfahl, Gary, George Slusser and David Leiby, editors. Worlds Enough and Time: Explorations of Time in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Greenwood Press, 2002. Fine first edition hardback, sans dj, as issued, with review slip laid in. Non-fiction.
Since trailers for two of the films Howard Waldrop and I will be reviewing for Locus Online have recently dropped, I thought a trailer roundup was in order:
In November we’ll be reviewing Hugo (AKA Hugo Cabaret, based on Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret), a steampunk children’s fantasy from Martin Scorsese:
Which begs the question: Will Hugo be up for a Hugo?
Next year comes John Carter, AKA John Carter of Mars, AKA A Princess of Mars) directed by Pixar’s Andrew Stanton from a script written by Michael Chabon:
The public has cried out “Stina! We just can’t get enough photos of her! Could you possibly put up a bunch more?” The blue hair fetish crowd has spoken, and who am I to deny the public what it wants? Vox populi, vox dei.
(If you’re wondering whether the phrase “Blue Hair Fetish” bring up a lot of Google hits, I can tell you: Yes. Yes it does. And you shouldn’t test this theory at work. (See also: Rule 34.))
Martha Wells and Troyce Wilson, just back from their awesome private tour of NASA. They even showed them the video feed of the top secret moonbase and the dead alien in the third subbasement freezer…
Three of the four redheads of the apocalypse: Julia Mandala, Rhonda Eudaly, and Linda Donahue.
And here’s the second part of my series on my reference library. The last installment dealt with the books I reach for most often. The reference works listed in this post share only size, being too big for most of my other shelves, which is why they’re filed here. Some of these (the Nevins, the first two Bleilers) get a lot of use, while others almost never get taken down (things that have been superseded by both the Internet and the two Clute encyclopedias).
(Click to embiggen.)
I’m not going to do a full run-down of publication dates, etc. for everything, but here’s a general overview of what’s here:
Harris-Fain, Darren, editor. British Fantasy and Science-Fiction Writers before World War I (Gale Dictionary of Literary Biography Volume 178). Eclectic selection, but a very solid work for the writers (about half the volume) who aren’t well-covered in other references.
Vinson, James and D.L. Kirkpatrick, editors. Twentieth Century Western Writers. It was cheap. Like, $2 at a library sale cheap…
Tuck, Doanld H. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Two volumes. Another book set superseded by the two Clute Encyclopedias.
Nevins, Jess. The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana. MonkeyBrain Books, 2005. Extremely useful work, but not quite worth the $2,000 some people are asking for online…
Bell, Joseph. Les Bibliotheques Howard Phillips Lovecraft (Volumes 1-8). Soft Books, 1984-1987. Weird, eight volume, stapled paper-wrappers collection of various H. P. Lovecraft-related bibliographic tidbits. Huge overlap with the Joshi bibliography and the catalog of the Grill-Berkin collection (both of which I have), but some odd and interesting information for the Lovecraft fanatic (of which there are many). I will probably do a separate post on my collection of Lovecraft reference works sometime in the indeterminate future…
Sidney-Fryer, Donald. Emperor of Dreams: A Clark Ashton Smith Bibliography. Donald M. Grant, 1979. If this isn’t the most irritatingly organized single-author bibliography of all time, it’s not for want of trying…
Day, Bradford M. Materials Toward a Bibliography of the Works of Talbot Mundy. Science-Fiction & Fantasy Publications, 1955. My copy was beat to hell when I got it, and it was regarded as not entirely accurate even when it was produced. A historical curiosity only.
Pringle, David. St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic Writers. St. James Press, 1998. A lot less superseded than the SF & Fantasy works, but unless it’s something quite modern, I’ll generally reach for Bleiler’s The Guide to Supernatural Fiction instead.
Hall, Hal. Science Fiction Book Review Index, 1974-1979. Gale, 1981. If you need it (and you know who you are), you need it.
Spignesi,Stephen J. Shape Under the Sheet: The Complete Stephen King Encyclopedia. Popular Culture Ink., 1991. A mixture of the really useful and the completely worthless.
Wiater, Stanley, Christopher Golden and Hank Wagner. The Stephen King Universe: A Guide to the Worlds of Stephen King. Cemetery Dance, 2001. Signed, slipcased edition. I don’t have too many King reference works, but I’ve got these two. (Plus Hank use to do a lot of reviews for me back in the Nova Express days.)
Turner, George R. (Bruce Gillespie, editor) SF Commentary 76: The Unrelenting Gaze: George Turner Non-Fiction: A Selection. A hefty selection of commentary, reviews, etc. from the dean of Australian SF writers. The full text is available online.
Wright, H. Stephen. Philip K. Dick: A Secondary Bibliography, 1960-1983. Just what it says. Bound pages. Not a particularly common work. Like Lovecraft, I plan on doing a future post on my Philip K. Dick reference works.
Shoaf, Eric C. Collecting William S. Burroughs in Print: A Checklist. Ratishna Books, 2000. Bought this off eBay back around 2001, and was initially disappointed that it was just bound pages, but this is actually a really solid bibliography. For example, there’s an in-depth history of the Grove Press publication of Naked Lunch.
Bradbury, Ray. Futuria Fantasia. Graham, 2007. Hardback reproduction of four issues of an early fanzine Bradbury published. I’m guessing the green ink is designed to matched the original look of the fanzine, but man, it’s really hard on the eyes…
Science Fiction Bibliography, Volume 1, Number 1 (and only). Science Fiction Syndicate, 1935. A curiosity, being the first published science fiction bibliography on record (and published here in Austin, no less). Mainly reviews fanzine and magazines you’ve never heard of, condemning some as complete worthless. No author listed, but it was apparently a D. R. Welch, the first used SF book dealer in Austin. Picked up for $35 back when Currey was asking $100 for it. Mainly useful as something to pull out for guests and go “Look! The first published SF bibliography!” and watch them nod indulgently.
Here’s the traycase the signed, limited edition comes in:
And here’s the book itself nestled snugly inside that traycase:
It was actually an unusually long journey for the anthology to be published, as one of the sets of signature sheets got lost in transit, which set back the publication timeline considerably.
I haven’t posted much the last week because I’ve been busy doing this and that, and one of the things I’ve been busy with is a long-overdue cleanup of my office, including doing something about those Nova Express review copies cluttering it up. Now that I’ve finally finished moving books around, and gotten a new camera (a Kodak Slice) to replace the one that died, I thought I would put up some long-overdue pictures of the books in my office, starting with the reference shelf right next to my computer, which contains the reference works I tend to reach for most often.
(Click to embiggen.)
Going left to right (left being the side closest to the computer, and thus the books I reach for most often) are:
Chalker, Jack & Owings, Mark. The Science Fantasy Publishers: A Critical and Bibliographic History. Mirage Press, 1991 (“Third Edition Revised and Enlarged”). If you’re a serious SF collector, you need this. The problem is, you can’t trust it. No other reference work offers the wealth and scope of knowledge of SF small press publishers that this one does. There’s a lot of good information in here. The print edition shown above had major errors and omissions, and a very odd organizational structure, not to mention several sneers and the constant sound of ax-grinding for SF figures the authors disagree with; the CD-ROM version is more accurate, but no longer up to date as both Chalker and Owings have died. What this book is best for is the chatty, informative histories of the various publishing houses listed here. (If nothing else, I can unstintingly recommend this book for anyone thinking of starting up their own small press, as it provides numerous examples of what not to do.) It’s also quite useful for uncovering titles and publishers you might not have known existed before. In summary: A valuable tool for those who possess enough experience in the field to know which parts to take with a grain of salt.
Clute, John, & Nichols, Peter. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. St. Martins, 1993 (first U.S. edition, offset from the same plates as the Orbit (UK) first). An absolutely essential general reference work.
Clute, John, & Grant, John. The Encyclopedia of Fantasy. St. Martins, 1997 (first U.S. edition). Slightly more scattershot than the above, but still an essential guide.
Levack, Daniel. Amber Dreams: A Roger Zelazny Bibliography. Underwood Miller, 1983. The first of the single-author bibliographies.
Levack, Daniel. PKD: A Philip K. Dick Bibliography. Underwood Miller, 1981. I have a copy of the trade paperback edition for sale over on the Lame Excuse Books page.
Hewett, Jerry. The Work of Jack Vance: An Annotated Bibliography & Guide. Borgo Press/Underwood Miller, 1994. I know Jerry pretty well, and not only has he signed my copy, he crossed out “Borgo” and wrote in “Bozo” on the title page. I think he had some problems dealing with them…
Bleiler, Everett F. The Checklist of Science-Fiction and Supernatural Fiction. Firebell, 1978. Slightly updated edition of Bleiler’s classic Checklist of Fantastic Fiction (which I have on another shelf), and an absolutely essential reference work for older SF/F/H books.
Joshi, S. T. Sixty Years of Arkham House. Arkham House, 1999. Not 100% accurate, but essential none the less.
Bleiler, Everett. The Guide to Supernatural Fiction. Kent State University Press, 1993. Very good, and very solid, as a general reference work, but not really concerned with first edition points.
Locke, George. Spectrum of Fantasy I-III. Ferret Fantasy, 1980-2002. Perhaps the only SF dealer as knowledgeable as Currey. These are Locke’s descriptions of his own personal library of fantastic fiction. Quite enjoyable works, and George is a nice guy.
One guideline I’d offer aspiring SF/F/H book collectors is: Don’t skimp on the reference works. Some of these books can be expensive, but all it takes is one real find (or one expensive dud avoided) for a good reference work to pay for itself.
More pictures of my reference library when I have the time…
So about a year after I really needed to, I’ve finally got around to reorganizing my office. And by “reorganizing,” I mean “putting away a bunch of crap so I can actually put the books I’ve already bought in their proper places on my shelves.”
One obstacle to this is all the Nova Express review copies that have piled up around the place. It hasn’t (quite) been a decade since The Fanzine That Walks Like a Semiprozine published its last issue in 2002. In 2003 I was unemployed most of the year, in 2004 I bought a house, and in 2005 I took a 10 day trip to the UK to see London and the Glasgow Worldcon, all things that ate up both time and money required to publish something that lost a good $1,000-2,000 an issue. (I contend that Nova Express is not in fact dead, but merely resting and pining for the fjords. It’s been my intention to resurrect the beast as some sort of online zine, but life has continued to get in the way.) Despite its non-published status, Nova Express has continued to receive review copies of books (proofs, ARCS, hardbacks, paperbacks, you name it), the more interesting of which I’ve put aside until I had time to bring the zine back to life, though I have reviewed something here every now and then.
But rather than let all these review copies continue taking up valuable bookshelf space, I’ve decided to do two things:
Offer them up to former Nova Express staffers (you know who you are) to review here on Futuramen (as a sort of low-calorie-Nova-Express substitute, or Nova-Express-in-Exile sort of thing), and
Disperse the rest (sell/giveaway/put into my own library).
Rather than spend time listing each and every copy (there are a lot), I’m just going to list the authors. If you’d like to review something by them, let me know. Keep in mind some of these are almost a decade old, but what the hell, better late than never.
