On Sunday, July 9, I bought a number of books formerly owned by the late Fred Duarte, an Austin area fan who helped out with Armadillocon, the San Antonio Worldcons, etc., and who had amassed a fair number of hypermodern science fiction firsts signed or inscribed to him. Most of what Fred had I already had myself, but I found a few things to pick up.
Here’s the first and most expensive item.
Bradbury, Ray. The Silver Locusts. Rupert Hart Davis, 1951. First UK edition and first hardback edition thus (includes almost all of The Martian Chronicles, dropping “Usher II” and adding “The Fire Balloons”), a Near Fine copy with dust soiling to top edge and a quarter-sized sticker for Foyle’s Bookstore (Charing Cross, London) affixed to bottom inside front cover, in a Very Good dust jacket with a 1/4″ chip at head, a 1″ tear and associated 1/4″ chip to top front cover, shallow chipping at points, foxing to white back cover and along flap edges, and general wear. Inscribed: “Fred!/Ray Bradbury/5/29/1992.” Weist, Jerry. Bradbury: An Illustrated Life, page 51 (where he notes that the cover is by Roy Sanford). Currey, page 56. Reginald, 01765. Tuck (Volume I), pages 62-63. Bought for approximately $320.
