Another book from that Mysterious Benefactor:
Bova, Ben. The Star Conquerors. Winston Science Fiction, 1959. First edition hardback (stated, as per Currey), a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel in a Near Fine- dust jacket with 1/8″ and 1/16″ chips to bottom front panel and a few other touches of edgewear, otherwise a beautiful example of the dust jacket. His first novel. Currey, page 50.
I haven’t read a lot of Bova lately, but I did read a great deal of him in my youth.
Another book from that Mysterious Benefactor:
Anderson, Poul. Satan’s World. Doubleday, 1969. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight foxing to front gutter, slight bumping at heel and bend at head, in a Fine-, Mylar-protected dust jacket with slight wear at head and top points.
Despite the title, this appears to be straight science fiction in his Polesotechnic League series. Anderson also had a novel called The Devil’s Game published in 1980. I wonder if he was trying to cash in on the post-Rosemary’s Baby trend of 1970s Satanic thrillers…
Another Gnome Press first from that Mysterious Benefactor:
Blish, James. The Seedling Stars. Gnome Press, 1957. First edition hardback (“First Edition” on copyright page, as per Currey), in the Curry (D) binding (gray cloth, lettered in red), a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel and the usual age-darkening of pages for a Gnome of this period, in a Fine-, Mylar-protected dust jacket with a trace of wear at head and heel, a tiny bit of dust soiling on top of front panel near spine, and barely perceptible darkening to front flap fold, slightly exaggerated in scan. Story of the Adapted Man, preceding Pohl’s Man Plus by a quarter-century, and including Blish’s classic “Surface Tension.” Currey, page 42. Chalker/Owings, page 204. Kemp, The Anthem Series page 260. Pringle, Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, page 274 (“***”).
Another Gnome Press first from that Mysterious Benefactor:
Cole, E. B. The Philosophical Corps. Gnome Press, 1962. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel (though far less age darkening to pages that the average later Gnome), in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny line of smudge on front panel and a trace of bumping to head and heel. The last Gnome Press book. Chalker/Owings, page 206 (“Really good series of connected stories from ASF. Deserved better, wider release”). Kemp, The Anthem Series, pages 282-283 (“A really good series of connected stories, science fiction in the good, old tradition).
Another Gnome Press first from that Mysterious Benefactor:
Barnes, Arthur K. Interplanetary Hunter. Gnome Press, 1956. First edition (stated) hardback, a Fine- copy with slight crimping at head and trace of foxing to gutters (plus the characteristic age darkening of the pages common to Gnomes of this vintage), in a Very Good-, Mylar-protected dust jacket with shallow chipping at head, plus small 1/4″ chips at top and bottom of rear panel, smaller chip at heel front join, small chipping at points, significant age-darkening to spine, and general dust soiling to white dust jacket. Chalker/Owings, page 203. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 250 (“This is a book of thrilling adventure replete with visits to strange worlds and wonderful fascinating lifeforms.”)
Here’s a fairly neat item that came from that Mysterious Benefactor.
Campbell, John W. A Facsimile of the July 1939 Issue of Astounding Science Fiction. Southern Illinois University Press, 1981. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bump at head, slight bend at heel and a trace of wear to bottom boards, in a Fine dust jacket. Just what it says, a hardback facsimile reprint of the July 1939 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, the one containing A. E. van Vogt’s classic first story “Black Destroyer,” as well as Isaac Asimov’s first sale to Astounding, “Trends.” This is the issue most historians mark as the beginning of the Golden Age of Science Fiction. This has an introduction by Stanley Schmidt, story notes by van Vogt and Asimov, and a reminiscence of Campbell by Ross Rocklynne.
Another day, another Mysterious Benefactor Fantasy Press first.
Eshbach, Lloyd Arthur. Tyrant of Time. Fantasy Press, 1955. First edition hardback (in first state cloth binding), a Fine- copy with tiny bump to top front tip and just a trace of foxing to gutters, in a Fine-, Mylar protected dust jacket with just a sliver of a sticker ghost to the right of flap price where a price sticker was applied that extended just beyond the edge of the Mylar, otherwise mint. Short story collection from the owner and operator of Fantasy Press. Chalker/Owings, page 162. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 48.
Another book from that Mysterious Benefactor:
Biggle, Lloyd Jr. A Galaxy of Strangers. Doubleday, 1976. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head, heel and points, in a Fine- dust jacket with pinpricks of wear at head and heel. Short story collection. I read a fair number of Biggle’s novels in my youth, but not any short stories.
Another book from that Mysterious Benefactor:
Jones, Raymond F. The Toymaker. Fantasy Publishing Company Inc. (FPCI), 1951. First edition hardback, in the Currey A cloth binding (with “F.P.C.I.” binding at heel rather than Gnome Press), a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel, and very slight bumping of points, in a Near Fine- with trace of loss at points, slight edgewear at head and heel and slight dust soiling to white rear cover. Short story collection. Currey, page 273. Chalker/Owings, page 172 (though they mistitle it as The Toymaker and Others, a subtitle that doesn’t seem to appear anywhere on the book itself) (“All top-notch tales from the golden age of Astounding by a much under-appreciated writer, one of John W. Campbell’s favorites. There’s not a cropper in the book; highly recommended.”). Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 86.
Another book from that Mysterious Benefactor:
Smith, Edward E., Ph.D. Galactic Patrol. Fantasy Press, 1950. First edition hardback in a first state blue cloth dust jacket, a Near Fine copy with slight wear to gold lettering on spine, slight send at head and heel, and trace of foxing to inside covers and gutters, in a Near Fine, Mylar-protected dust jacket with thin lines of wear at head and heel and trace of dust soiling to white rear cover. Currey, page 456. Chalker/Owings, page 160. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 34.
