Archive for the ‘Books’ Category
Friday, December 14th, 2018
The family of a late SF bookseller finally finished getting getting his stock online, so I checked out their newly christened website to see what was there, and immediately snapped up two books I thought were under-priced:
Bester, Alfred. Tiger! Tiger!. Sidgwick and Jackson, no date (but 1956). First edition hardback (no statement of printing on copyright page, as per Currey), a Near Fine- copy with bookstore stickers (Foyle’s) inside front cover (under flap), slight bumping at head and heel, darkening to page edges, and a tiny bit of spine lean, in a Very Good- dust jacket with three significant chips at top front, longest two 1″ long by 1/8″ high and 3/4″ high by 1/4″ long near flap join, with shallower chipping at head, heel and points, slight age darkening to white rear cover, and a 1 1/2″ closed tear at top front cover near spine join. These would be significant enough flaws that I would have avoided buying this copy except that it was only $40! That’s somewhere between 1/5th and 1/10th what it’s worth. The true first edition, first printing of Bester’s masterwork, later published in the U.S. as The Stars My Destination, and a science fiction keystone I’ve lacked for a long, long time. I will probably purchase facsimile dust jackets to wrap around to better display both this and the item below better. Currey (1979), page 33. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, page 33. Locke, Science Fiction First Editions, pages 18-19. Wendell, Alfred Bester, pages 28-36. Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 4, 3-19. Magill, Survey of Science Fiction Literature, pages 2168—2172. Day, Supplemental Checklist of Fantastic Literature, page 8. Aldiss, Billion Year Spree, page 247.
Heinlein, Robert A. The Past Through Tomorrow. Putnam, 1967. Second printing, a Very Good copy with one BB-sized indention in the spine with a small hole in the middle, with slight bumping at head and heel, in a Poor dust jacket (and it’s not even the right dust jacket, having coming from a book club edition) with the front, back and spine split into three panels (now taped back together), with further chips, tears, separation between the pieces, etc. Inscribed by Heinlein: “To Karol, Best Wishes/Robert A. Heinlein.” For some reason, this is one of the hardest of his books to find signed by Heinlein. Bought for $200. This is only the second signed Heinlein in my collection, after a signed book club edition of Time for the Stars I bought from David Hartwell for $40.
Tags:Alfred Bester, Books, Robert A. Heinlein, Science Fiction, signed
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Wednesday, December 12th, 2018
Saw references to this (which might have preceded the trade edition) online, and finally found a copy cheap.
Chabon, Michael. The Yiddish Policeman’s Union. HarperCollins, 2007. First edition hardback, one of 1,000 copies signed by Chabon in a wooden slipcase, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap (I think it’s the publisher’s, which is why I haven’t removed it). Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novel. Supplements a trade copy of the novel inscribed to me by Chabon right after he won the Nebula for it. Original list price was $150. Bought off eBay for $50.
Forgive the crappy scan, since it’s still in the shrinkwrap…
Tags:Books, Hugo Award, Limited Editions, Michael Chabon, Science Fiction, signed
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Tuesday, December 11th, 2018
The only thing these two have in common as that I bought them 50% off the listed price at Half Price Books during their coupon sale.
Campbell, Bruce. If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor. St. Martin’s Press, 2001. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Campbell: “Hey Audio Adam/Stay Groovy!/Bruce Campbell.” Autobiography of the Evil Dead star. Bought for $9 from Half Price Books, discounted from $18.
Haldeman, Joe. Vietnam and Other Alien Worlds. NESFA Press, 1993. First edition hardback, #18 of 175 signed and numbered (and 8 lettered) copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase. Supplements a trade copy. Bought for $25 from Half Price Books, discounted from $50.
Tags:Bad Movies, Books, Bruce Campbell, Joe Haldeman, Movies, Science Fiction
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Tuesday, December 4th, 2018
Three books from the same Subterranean Press order that came in:
Blaylock, James P. River’s Edge. Subterranean Press, 2018. First edition hardback, #487 of 1000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, in publisher’s bag. New Langdon St. Ives steampunk adventure.
Lansdale, Joe R. Driving to Geronimo’s Grave and Other Stories. First edition hardback, #571 of 1500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, in publisher’s bag.
Silverberg, Robert. The Emperor and the Maula. First edition hardback, #239 of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, in publisher’s bag. Far future Scheherazade novella, never published in complete form before.
Please note that all three of these will be available in the Lame Excuse Books catalog I’m emailing out this week. Drop me a line if you want a copy.
Tags:Books, James P. Blaylock, Joe R. Lansdale, Robert Silverberg, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Subterranean Press
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Monday, November 19th, 2018
Like the Fletcher Pratt book I bought a few months back, here’s a difficult signature I found cheap:
(Smith, Cordwainer) MacNair, Harley Farnsworth. The Real Conflict Between China and Japan. University of Chicago Press, 1938. First edition hardback, a Very Good copy with spine and page blocks slightly grubby, lacking a dust jacket (possibly as issued). Formerly Paul M. A. Linebarger’s copy, with his signature, “Duke” and “1938” written at the top of the front free endpaper. Linebarger is most famous for writing science fiction under the pen name Cordwainer Smith (as well as Carmichael Smith and Felix C. Forrest). He was also a renowned Sinologist whose father was one of the chief advisors for Chinese nationalist leader Sun Yat-Sen (indeed, I also own a copy of Linebarger’s non-fiction work The Political Doctrine of Sun Yat-Sen, as well as his book Psychological Warfare, which was used for many years as a text at West Point). Books signed by him are uncommon. Bought off eBay for $45.
Tags:Books, Cordwainer Smith, Science Fiction, signatures
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Thursday, November 15th, 2018
Two more signed Swanwick chapbooks:
Swanwick, Michael. The Third Frankenstein. Dragonstairs Press, 2018. First edition chapbook original, #60 of 100 signed copies, a Fine copy. Essay written to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelly’s novel.
Swanwick, Michael. small wonders. Dragonstairs Press, 2018. First edition chapbook original, #5 of 120 copies, a Fine copy. Three short-shorts. Though you can’t tell from the scans, this is a much smaller trim size than the above.
I will have copies of both of these available for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, currently in preparation.
Tags:Books, chapbooks, Michael Swanwick, Science Fiction
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Tuesday, November 13th, 2018
No theme, except for the place I bought them and picking them up really cheap:
Koontz, Dean R. (as K. W. Dwyer). Dragonfly. Random House, 1975. First edition hardback (“First Edition” and numberline starting with “2”, as per Random House practice), an Ex-Library copy with most of the usual flaws, including stamps at head and page block side, tape ghosts inside covers, spine lean, ink writing and some edge-staining on FFE; call it a Very Good- Ex-Lib copy, in a Fine- dust jacket with a bit of wrinkling at head and heel. Kotker, Dean R. Koontz: A Critical Companion, page 175. Bought at Half Price Books for $2.
MacAvoy, R. A. Trio for Lute. Nelson Doubleday (SFBC), 1984. First hardback and first omnibus edition thus (with code P08 on page 631, as per ISFDB), a Very Good copy with some dampistaining transfer to blind side of dust jacket, in a Very Good- dust jacket with same, as well as multiple small tears at head, slight wear at head and heel, and abrasions along rear flap fold. Signed by MacAvoy: “For Fred/Bertie/MacAvoy.” Almost certainly another book from Fred Duarte’s library. Omnibus edition of Damiano, Damiano’s Lute and Raphael. Bought for $2.
Morrow, James. The Madonna and the Starship. Tachyon, 2014. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, signed by Morrow. Bought for $4.99.
(Pournelle, Jerry) Acres, Mark. Combat Command in the World of Jerry E. Pournelle’s Janissaries: Lord of Lances. Ace, 1988. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with some edgewear. These Combat Command novels were strategic “pick your own path” adventures. Sort of an oddball concept. I also have the one done for Zelazny’s Amber. Bought for $1.
Tags:Books, Dean R. Koontz, Fantasy, Fred Duarte, James Morrow, Jerry Pournelle, R. A. MacAvoy, signed
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Wednesday, October 31st, 2018
This is not a library addition, but rather describing a book I’ve owned since 1989. With all the attention paid the new Netflix series of the same name, I thought I would put up a post on my own first edition of the book.
Jackson, Shirley. The Haunting of Hill House. Viking, 1959. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with slight bumping at head and heel in a Very Good dust jacket with shallow chipping and wear at head, heel and points, slight cracking along folds, and slight dust staining to white rear cover, but otherwise intact. Arguably the most important horror novel of the 20th century. Bleiler, Supernatural Horror in Literature, 1766 (in the Supplemental Section on page 547). Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, page 121. Barron, Horror Literature, 4-155. Tymn, Horror Literature, 4-119. Magill, Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature, pages 710-714. Bleiler, Supernatural Fiction Writers Volume I, page 483. St. James Guide to Horror Writers, page 292. Basis of the the classic 1963 film The Haunting, the not-at-all classic 1999 remake of same, and the 2018 Netflix miniseries. Bought for $45 at the 1989 Boston Worldcon, the first book for which I ever paid more than $35.
Tags:Books, Ghosts, Halloween, Horror, Shirley Jackson
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Thursday, October 25th, 2018
Sometimes you take a chance that pays off:
Blish, James. A Case of Conscience. Faber and Faber Limited, 1959. First hardback edition (“First published mcmlix” on copyright page, as per Currey), a Very Good copy with spine lean and dust soiling along top, in a Very Good dust jacket with a 1″ closed tear along top front and moderate dust soiling to white rear cover, and slight rubbing and wear at points. All in all, better condition than I expected from a description of “Good”. Hugo winner for Best Novel. The first volume in the After Such Knowledge thematic trilogy. Currey (1979), page 40. Pringle, SF 100 26. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, page 36. Locke, Science Fiction First Editions, pages 19-20. Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 4, 3-21 (referencing the Ballantine PBO). Magill, Survey of Science Fiction Literature, pages 303-307. Bought for £60.63 from an online UK book dealer know more for quantity than quality, which is why it was a risk, but just slightly better copies list for over a grand. Supplements a copy of the Walker first U.S. hardback edition.
This is the last “difficult” Hugo winner in hardback for the period I collect (through 2014), which means I only lack Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, first editions of which are hardly difficult to come by.
Tags:Books, Hugo Award, James Blish, Science Fiction
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Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018
Here’s two unusual Robert E. Howard-related items I picked up off eBay relatively cheaply. I think both of these were originally freebie giveaways to promote fancy illustrated editions of Howard’s work:
(Howard, Robert E.) Gianni, Gary. Robert E. Howard’s Conan of Cimmeria: Drawings & Sketches by Gary Gianni. Wandering Star, no date (but 2003, as per the ISFDB). A Fine copy, signed by Gianni. Bought off eBay for $9.95.
Howard, Robert E. (Gianni, Gary, illustrator). Solomon Kane’s Homecoming. Wandering Star, no date (but 1997). A Fine copy, signed by Gianni. Four-page illustrated Howard poem, given away as a promotional item. This was also available in Gianni’s A Solomon Kane Sketchbook, but this 8 1/2″ x 11″ stand-alone item is a larger trim size. Not (yet) in ISFDB, and I only see one other reference to it online. Bought off eBay for $15.50.
Tags:art, book, chapbooks, Fantasy, Gary Gianni, Robert E. Howard
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