Archive for the ‘Books’ Category
Thursday, August 21st, 2025
Three more books from that Facebook seller:
(Howard, Robert E.) Derie, Bobby. Weird Talers: Essays on Robert E. Howard and Other. Hippocampus Press, 2019. First edition trade paperback original (though I think all Hippocampus Press trade paperbacks are POD books now), a Fine copy. Bought for $5.
(Lovecraft, H.P.) Mariconda, Steven J. H. P. Lovecraft: Art, Artifact, and Reality. Hippocampus Press, 2013. First edition trade paperback original (though I think all Hippocampus Press trade paperbacks are POD books now), a Near Fine+ copy with a trace of light staining to page block edges and few light spots of staining to first few pages, and a trace of wear at points. Bought for $10.
Smith, Clark Ashton, and George Sterling (David E. Schultz and S. T. Joshi, editors). The Shadow of the Unattained: The Letters of George Sterling and Clark Ashton Smith. Hippocampus Press, 2019. First edition trade paperback original (though I think all Hippocampus Press trade paperbacks are POD books now), a Fine copy. Sterling was the California poet who mentored and championed the work of the young Clark Ashton Smith. Bought for $10.
I’m pretty good at picking up the Hippocampus Press hardbacks before the sell out, but I don’t pick up every trade paperback on publication (and when I do pick them up, they tend to hang around in Lame Excuse Books stock). These were all at good prices.
Tags:Books, Clark Ashton Smith, David E. Schultz, Fantasy, George Sterling, H. P. Lovecraft, Hippocampus Press, Horror, Print-on-Demand, Robert E. Howard, S. T. Joshi, small press publishers, Weird Tales
Posted in Books, Fantasy, Horror | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 19th, 2025
Another Borderlands Little Book:
Nesbit, Edith. A Little Fuchsia Book of Fantasy. Borderlands Press, 2025. First edition hardback, #463 of 350 numbered copies (Borderlands: “we only print 350 copies but if anyone has matching numbers above 350, we make sure they continue to get it”) signed by editor Hal Bodner, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Ten stories (including retellings of Hamlet and Macbeth) from an English author better known for children’s books.
I will have a small number of copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog (probably November December).
Tags:Books, Borderlands Press, Fantasy, small press publishers
Posted in Books, Fantasy | No Comments »
Monday, August 18th, 2025
Here’s a rare case of my buying a book from Amazon:
(Howard, Robert E.) Willard M. Oliver. Robert E. Howard: The Life and Times of a Texas Author. University of North Texas Press, 2025. First edition hardback (“10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1” numberline), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Hefty 580 page biography of Howard that’s gotten lots of praise in the various REH-adjacent bibliographic groups I visit on Facebook. Bought for $20.80, a hefty discount off the $40 list price.
This is the fourth full-length biography of Howard I own, including the Mark Finn, Novalyne Price and de Camp et. al. biographies (plus two shorter ones), none of which I’ve read yet. I’ll probably read the considerably shorter Finn biographer before this one.
Tags:Amazon, biography, Books, Fantasy, reference works, Robert E. Howard
Posted in Books, Fantasy | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 13th, 2025
I don’t usually pick up ARCs, but this was offered at a bargain price.
Lansdale, Joe R., editor. The Horror Hall of Fame. Cemetery Dance, 2011. First edition Advanced Uncorrected Proof, trade paperback format, of the hardback first edition, a Fine copy. Isajanko D13.a (but no mention of proof states). Bought off Facebook for $10.
Tags:ARC, Books, Cemetery Dance, Horror, Joe R. Lansdale, proof
Posted in Books, Horror | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 12th, 2025
New signed, limited edition from Subterranean:
Reynolds, Alastair. The Dagger in Vichy. Subterranean Press, 2025. First edition hardback, #422 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with bookmark laid in. Novella described as a mixture of science fiction and fantasy, with perhaps a dollop of Eldritch Horror.
I will have a small number of these available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Tags:Alastair Reynolds, Books, Fantasy, Horror, Limited Editions, Science Fiction, Subterranean Press
Posted in Books, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction | No Comments »
Monday, August 11th, 2025
These are the last books from that Kathryn Cramer purchase:
Davidson, Avram (as Ellery Queen). And on the Eighth Day. Random House, 1964. First edition hardback (“First Printing” stated, as per Currey), a Near Fine- copy with wear at head, heel and points, in a Very Good dust jacket with several 1/4″ to 1/8″ chips at head, heel, points and bottom center, “3-24” written in pen on inside top flap, two hairline tears to bottom front cover, and trace of dust soiling to white rear cover. Currey, page 131. Hubin, page 326.
Davidson, Avram (as Ellery Queen). The Fourth Side of the Triangle. Random House, 1965. First edition hardback (“First Printing” stated, as per Currey), a Fine- copy with a trace of wear at head, heel and points in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with slight grubbiness to white jacket, 1/4″ close hairline tear at bottom front, and a touch of edgewear. Currey, page 131. Hubin, page 326. Currey says this Random House edition precedes, but Hubin says the Gollancz edition precedes.
Bought for $10 each.
Tags:Avram Davidson, Books, Fantasy, Mystery
Posted in Books, Fantasy | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 6th, 2025
Another Kathryn Cramer purchase:
Farmer, Philip Jose. The Unreasoning Mask. Putnam, 1981. First edition hardback (simultaneous with the trade hardback), #349 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Pringle, Science Fiction: The Hundred Best Novels 96. Pringle, Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, pages 339-340 (“***…Metaphsyical space opera, one of the author’s best”). Supplements a copy of the trade hardback. Bought for $35.
Tags:Books, Kathryn Cramer, Philip Jose Farmer, Science Fiction
Posted in Books, Science Fiction | No Comments »
Monday, August 4th, 2025
Another Kathryn Cramer purchase.
Link, Kelly. 4 Stories. Jelly Ink, 2000. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy, singed by Link. Jelly Ink was Link’s own publishing house before Small Beer Press. Bought for $35.
Tags:Books, chapbooks, Fantasy, Kelly Link, signatures
Posted in Books, Fantasy | No Comments »
Thursday, July 31st, 2025
Another Kathryn Cramer purchase:
Disch, Thomas M. The Businessman: A Tale of Terror. Harper & Row, 1984. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Disch. Cawthorn and Moorcock, Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels 98. Pringle, Modern Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels 88. Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $20.
Tags:Books, Horror, Kathryn Cramer, signatures, Thomas M. Disch
Posted in Books, Horror | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 30th, 2025
Two more Kathryn Cramer purchases:
Clement, Hal. Some Notes on Xi Bootis. Advent: Publishers, 1960. First edition chapbook original, one of 500 copies (per Chalker Ownings), a Fine copy save a penciled “118” at top rear left corner. Given away as a freebie at the 1960 Pittsburgh Worldcon, where Clement gave a speech on the topic of speculative fiction set in this star system. Chalker/Owings, page 5. Hassler, Hal Clement, page 57, footnote 47. Not in Currey. Bought for $45.
Clement, Hal. Still River. Ballantine Books, 1987. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Clement. Pringle, Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, page 302. (“**”). Bought for $15.
Tags:Advent: Publishers, Books, chapbooks, Hal Clement, Kathryn Cramer, Science Fiction, signatures, Worldcon
Posted in Books, Science Fiction | No Comments »