Archive for May, 2025

Library Additions: Moorcock, Moore Firsts

Thursday, May 29th, 2025

Two more purchases from the same Facebook seller I bought several Robert E. Howard items from.

  • (Moorcock, Michael) Edward Kramer, editor. Michael Moorcock’s Pawn of Chaos. White Wolfe, 1996. Presumed first edition trade paperback original (most White Wolf Moorcock books have a first printing statement and/or numberline; while this one does not, it doesn’t have any later printing statement either, I have been unable to find anyone who has a copy with a printing statement, and it seems unlikely an anthology would have multiple printings), a Fine- copy with a trace of soiling to outer pageblock edge. Original anthology of Eternal Champion stories, featuring work by John Shirley, Don Webb, Bill Crider, Peter Crowther, etc. (even Gary Gygax!). Bought for $10.

  • Moore, Christopher. Island of the Sequined Love Nun. Avon, 1997. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Moore. Comic novel. Bought for $10.

  • Library Addition: Two Half Price Books Purchases

    Wednesday, May 28th, 2025

    Two very different books bought at Half Price Books.

  • Donoghue, Emma. Room. Little, Brown, 2010. First edition hardback (“FIRST EDITION: SEPTEMBER 2010” and “10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1” numberline on copyright page), a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel and slight blunting of tips in a Fine, Mylar-protected dust jacket. Mainstream novel of a mother raising a son in a single room while trying to hide from him the fact she’s a prisoner there. Basis of the 2015 film of the same name. Bought for $5.84.

  • Houlihan, John. Mon Dieu Cthulhu! The d’Bois Escapades: Volume One. No Publisher, 2018. Presumed first edition trade paperback original (no additional printings listed, but it looks like a POD book), a Fine copy. Contains two Napoleonic Wars Cthulhu Mythos novellas, “The Crystal Void” (“first illustrated edition”) and “Feast of the Dead,” for which this appears to be the first publication anywhere. I just found the concept interesting. Bought for $4.94.

  • Library Addition: Signed First of H. Beam Piper’s Four-Day Planet

    Tuesday, May 27th, 2025

    In collecting science fiction, there are signature that are difficult and expensive, and others that are virtually unobtainable.

    Signatures from H. G. Wells, Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick,. and Clark Ashton Smith are readily attainable, and I have multiple signed first editions from each. I even have H. P. Lovecraft’s signature in the form of a hand-written envelope.

    But some other SF/F/H writers have signatures that range from impossible to nearly impossible. Stanley G. Weinbaum died so young that I’ve only heard of his signature being obtained on contracts. Henry Kuttner died quite young as well, though I’ve been able to obtain an association copy inscribed to Robert Bloch. Cordwainer Smith never attended conventions or signings, but I managed to find a book he formerly owned. Another, more modern writer who neither attends conventions nor signs books (he did one early in his career) is Greg Egan, but I managed to buy an associational copy of Axiomatic inscribed to editor David Pringle.

    I do not have signatures of Robert E. Howard, C.M. Kornbluth or James Tiptree, Jr. (though I’ve unsuccessfully bid on examples of the latter).

    Another writer with a difficult signature I lacked until recently was H. Beam Piper, a writer who died tragically (by his own hand) at age 60, which is not particularly young. Despite that, signed Piper first editions seem exceptionally scarce, and rarely seems to be offered for sale (Heritage Auctions has no records of an signed Piper being sold).

    So when I saw this I jumped on it:

    Piper, H. Beam. Four-Day Planet. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1961. First edition hardback (no statement of printing, as per Currey), a Near Fine copy with slight wear at heel and points, slight bend at head and heel, and slight dust-soiling to page block edges, and a trace of foxing to gutters, in a Very Good- dust jacket missing several small chips from spine, the largest about 1″ x 1/16″), about 1/4″ loss at head, and shallow loss at points, inscribed by Piper: “For Bill Stroup/—off for California with his banjo on/his knee –/Hope the Injuns don’t get him. /a-crossin’ the plains —/H. Beam Piper.” According to the seller, Piper was a friend of his father’s. Currey, page 402. Bought for $150, bargained down from $180.

    Shoegazer Sunday: Sleep Party People’s “The Dwarf And The Horse”

    Sunday, May 25th, 2025

    It’s been over seven years since I posted a video featuring the spooky rabbit people, so here they are with “The Dwarf And The Horse.” I think it’s even from the same performance.

    No, I don’t know what they’re singing. And no, I’m not a 100% sure this counts as Shoegaze, but I’m not sure what the hell else you would call it…

    Library Addition: Signed First of Rosenbach’s Books and Bidders

    Monday, May 19th, 2025

    This was a pleasant and unexpected addition to my reference library.

    Rosenbach, A. S. W. Books and Bidders. Little Brown and Company, 1927. First edition hardback (“Published November, 1927), a Fine-copy with a faint 1″ groove at head near rear join and slight bend at head and heel, in a Very Good+ dust jacket with a 1” closed tear and associated creases at top rear, two much smaller closed tears, slight shallow loss at head and heel, and a bit of soiling to white rear cover, with dedication slip tipped in at the dedication page: “To Ben F. Wallace, with all best wishes/a.s.w. Rosenbach/ June 20, 1933.” Rosenbach was probably the grandest of the grand old men of the American bookselling trade in the first half of the 20th century. Given that Rosenbach sold multiple Gutenberg bibles throughout his career, I think my own bookselling efforts rather pale in comparison. Still, I expect this will be full of bookselling tidbits of yesteryear. Given to me as a birthday gift by Dwight after we watched The Booksellers documentary, which I recommend to bibliophiles, and in which SF bookseller/collector/publisher Henry Wessels gets a fair amount of screen time.

    Library Additions: Signed Sturgeon, Wagner, Wellman PBOs

    Monday, May 12th, 2025

    Three more signed PBOs from that same eBay seller:

  • Sturgeon, Theodore. More Than Human. Farrar. Straus & Young and Ballantine Books, 1953. First edition paperback original (Currey state B, simultaneous with the hardback issue), a Good+ copy only with significant waviness to book and moisture spotting to edges, a touch of edgewear to covers, and just a trace of space concavity, otherwise square, signed by Sturgeon to the inside front cover. His celebrated fixup novel of a gestalt organism, including the classic “Baby is Three.” Currey (1978), page 472. Currey (2002), page 403. Pringle, SF 100 14. Bought off eBay for $20.61.

  • Wagner, Karl Edward. Bran Mak Morn: Legion From the Shadows. Zebra Books, 1976. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with a tiny crease to bottom front corner and a trace of wear at points, inscribed by Wagner: “To Ed —/from the King of the Picts/Karl Edward Wagner/CONAN.” Novel featuring Robert E. Howard’s Bran Mak Morn character. Bought off eBay for $37.

  • Wellman, Manly Wade. The Beyonders. Warner Books, 1977. First edition, second printing paperback original (This is the rare case where Currey (1978) got something wrong: There it states “First Printing: April 1977/10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2” on the copyright page as the true first, but the 2002 Currey CD says “10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1” and no “First Printing” statement is the true first), a Near Fine+ copy with slight small crease to bottom outer corner, hairline crease along front spine join, and slight edgewear, otherwise nice and square, inscribed by Wellman: “To Vickie [?]/From whom I’ll sign/anytime./Manly Wade Wellman.” Science fiction novel. Currey (1978), page 512. Currey (2002), page 435. Supplements an unsigned first printing. Bought off eBay for $26.79.

  • Library Addition: Robert E. Howard’s Early Adventures of El Borak

    Monday, May 5th, 2025

    Another purchase from that estate sale:

    Howard, Robert E. The Early Adventures of El Borak. The Robert E. Howard Foundation Press, 2010. First edition hardback, #26 of 150 copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. All the Francis X. Gordon, Lal Singh and Yar Ali Khan stories. Although not signed when I purchased, I’ve now had introduction author David A. Hardy inscribe it to me. Bought for $50.

    Shoegazer Sunday: Castlebeat’s “Change Your Mind”

    Sunday, May 4th, 2025

    I’m not familiar with Castlebeat (which is evidently one guy), but the video for “Change YourMind” (which isn’t even his) has some 13 million views, so obviously other people are…

    Castlebeat