Archive for the ‘Books’ Category
Tuesday, May 23rd, 2017
A limited edition SF art book I picked up relatively cheap:
Freas, Frank Kelly. The Art of Science Fiction. Donning, 1977. First edition hardback, #234 of 1,000 copies with a signature plate signed by Freas pasted inside the front cover, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought for $50 off eBay.
This appears to be the very first SF book published by either Donning or Donning/Starblaze, the latter of which was quite an active imprint until tapering off in the late 1980s.
Tags:art, Books, Donning, Frank Kelly Freas, Science Fiction, signatures
Posted in Books, Science Fiction | 1 Comment »
Thursday, May 18th, 2017
Another odd Jack-Vance related item:
Fabian, Stephen. Crystal of a Hundred Dreams: A Portfolio by Stephen E. Fabian. Underwood/Miller, 1979. First edition oversized softbound art portfolio, one of 550 sets produced, a Fine copy, still in shrinkwrap. Illustrations from the U/M Jack Vance books The Eyes of the Overworld, The Seventeen Virgins and The Bagful of Dreams. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 431 (where they note it’s “Uncommon,” most sets having been broken up and framed). Bought for $55 from a fellow Jack Vance collector.
Hard to get a good pick, since it’s too big for the scanner and I kept getting light bounce from the shrinkwrap….
Tags:art, Books, Fantasy, Jack Vance, Science Fiction, Stephen Fabian, Underwood/Miller
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Wednesday, May 17th, 2017
Another reference work to file right next to the same author’s Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana:
Nevins, Jess. The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Pulp heroes. Lulu Press, 2017. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Non-fiction reference work covering fantastic pulp heroes from 1902—1945. Bought for $22.49 the first week of publication.
Lulu Press is a POD outfit, and this work will evidently be incorporated into a larger, electronic-only encyclopedia of pulp heroes (fantastic and otherwise) forthcoming from Amazon.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Horror, Jess Nevins, reference works, Science Fiction
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Tuesday, May 16th, 2017
I actually bought this last year, at the same time I bought Coffin Nails, but Charnel House didn’t send me my copies until I prodded them in April.
Powers, Tim. Poems. Charnel House, 2016. First edition hardback, #54 of 200 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued.
I’ll have an additional copy for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Tags:Books, Charnel House, Fantasy, Limited Editions, Tim Powers
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Thursday, May 11th, 2017
I used to subscribe to the hardback edition of Postscripts way back when, and have had three stories in various issues, so I try to pick up any issues I’m missing, and the price was certainly right.
Crowther, Peter and Nick Gevers. Postscripts 30/31: Memoryville Blues. PS Publishing, 2013. First edition hardback, #173 of 200 copies signed by all the contributors, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine slipcase, new and unread. Bought off eBay for $15, which works out to less than a dollar a signature…
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Horror, Limited Editions, Peter Crowther, Postscripts, Science Fiction
Posted in Books, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, May 10th, 2017
Not particularly an Atwood fan, but I got it very cheap for a signed, limited edition by a major author:
Atwood, Margaret. The Year of the Flood. Bloomsbury (UK), 2009. First edition hardback, # 653 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in decorated boards with silver gilt edges, in a Fine slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought for $7.50 at Half Price Books, marked down from $15 with a 50% off coupon. (I suspect that Half Price got a few copies quietly remaindered from the publisher, as they often do for UK books.)
That’s a picture of the front of the slipcase, as there’s no writing on the book itself except on the spine.
According to the ISFDB, this limited edition is a true first (simultaneous with the trade hardback and trade paperback states), and was originally issued at £75, so I got it for less than 1/10th cover price…
Tags:Books, Limited Editions, Margaret Atwood, Science Fiction
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Tuesday, May 9th, 2017
Another addition to my science fiction story/poem postcard collection:
Le Guin, Ursula. To Siva the Unmaker. Science Fiction Poetry Association, 1980. First edition postcard, a near Fine copy with a faint dime-sized stain. Signed by Le Guin. Bought for $15 off eBay.
I have two other Le Guin postcards, but this is the only one that’s signed.
Tags:Books, poetry, postcard, Science Fiction, Ursula K. Le Guin
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Monday, May 8th, 2017
Here are three volumes of the Harlan Ellison Edgeworks series I bought off eBay (along with a fourth, Edgeworks 2, that I already had a signed first of, so the extra will go in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog). I think I have first editions of almost all of these, so this is a matter of “title completeness.”
Ellison, Harlan. Edgeworks 1: Over the Edge/An Edge in My Voice. White Wolf, 1996. First edition hardback thus (and first hardback edition of Over the Edge, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
Ellison, Harlan. Edgeworks 3: Harlan Ellison’s Hornbook/Harlan Ellison’s Movie. White Wolf, 1997. First edition hardback thus, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Supplements the two-volume Mirage Press set of these same titles.
Ellison, Harlan. Edgeworks 4: Love Ain’t Nothing But Sex Misspelled/The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World. White Wolf, 1998. First edition hardback thus, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket.
The four volumes were the only ones to appear out of the projected 20 volume series. All four volumes bought off eBay for $25.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Harlan Ellison, Horror, Science Fiction, White Wolf
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Thursday, May 4th, 2017
Two library additions of Harlan Ellison non-fiction books from two different purchases.
Ellison, Harlan (edited by Andrew Porter). The Book of Ellison. Algol Press, 1975. First edition hardback, one of only 200 hardbacks, a Near Fine copy with bumping at head and heel, sans dust jacket, as issued. Inscribed by Ellison: “For Malcolm, Friend, from/Harlan Ellison.” Collection of essays. Bought from a UK dealer for £33.
(Ellison, Harlan). Slusser, George Edgar. Harlan Ellison: Unrepentant Harlequin. Borgo Press, 1977. First edition chapbook original (“First Edition———April 1977”), a Fine copy. Signed and dated (“4/18/95”) by Ellison. Critical work on Ellison. “The Milford Series Popular Writers of Today: Volume Six.” Bought of eBay for $13.05.
Tags:Books, Harlan Ellison, reference works, Science Fiction
Posted in Books, Science Fiction | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, April 26th, 2017
Between a new job, doing my taxes, and a relative coming into town, the task of cataloging library additions has been sidelined. The items here are from a Cold Tonnage Books sale in January, so the cataloging has been a long time in coming. All the below prices are after a 50% discount.
Aldiss, Brain W. Excommunication. Post Card Partnership, 1975. First edition postcard, a Fine copy. Bought for £2.50 after discount.
Drake, David. Codex. Sidecar Preservation Society, 2003. First edition chapbook original, #83 of 175 numbered copies, a Fine copy. According to Chalker & Owings Supplement 12, there were 25 copies bound in hardback (not seen). Bought for £2.50 after discount.
Partridge, Norman. Spyder. Subterranean Press, 1995. First edition chapbook original, a PC copy of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought for £2.50 after discount.
Tem, Steve Rasnic. Fairytales. Roadkill Press, 1990. First edition chapbook original, #352 of 400 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought for £2.50 after discount.
Tessier, Thomas. Lulu and one other. Subterranean Press, 1999. First edition chapbook original, a PC copy of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Bought for £2.50 after discount.
Tags:Books, Brian Aldiss, chapbooks, Cold Tonnage, David Drake, Fantasy, Horror, Norman Partridge, postcard, Science Fiction, Steve Rasnic Tem, Thomas Tessier
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