Posts Tagged ‘Associational Copy’

Library Additions: Three Signed Ray Bradbury Limited Editions

Tuesday, February 28th, 2023

Three signed, limited Ray Bradbury editions from different sources:

  • Bradbury, Ray (text) and Amanda Blanco (photographs). About Norman Corwin. Santa Susana Press, 1979. First edition traycased portfolio, an “artist’s proof” copy of 60 signed, numbered sets, a Fine- copy (there seem to be a couple of drops of moisture staining to the back of the signature page) in a Fine- traycase with a few small spots of staining to the inner right edge (though the case itself has a bit of an odd outward slant to the top and bottom edges). Loose printed cardstock pages, including a multi-page essay celebrating radio essayist Norman Corwin by Bradbury followed by 11 photographs of Corwin by Blanco. An odd, oversized item, and one that doesn’t fit entirely on my scanner, so either the bottom or top is chopped off. Bought for $250 off eBay after a touch of haggling.

  • Bradbury, Ray. That Son of Richard III: A Birth Announcement. Roy A. Squires, 1974. First edition chapbook original, #332 of 400 numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine cloth traycase, inscribed by Bradbury to Lord John Press publisher Herb Yellen: “For Herb -/Good wishes/From/Ray Bradbury/ 9/28/28.” As Yellen later published several Bradbury chapbooks himself, this is an interesting association copy. According to Chalker/Owings, Squires only did 30 traycases, of which 25 were offered to buyers of the “Autograph Edition” (which this is not). Supplements an unsigned copy. Chalker/Owings, page 589. Bought from a PBA Galleries auction for $75 plus shipping and handling.

  • Bradbury, Ray. The Toynbee Convector. Knopf, 1988. First edition hardback, #36 of 350 signed, numbered copies, “printed on special paper and specially bound,” a Fine copy in a Mylar protector and a Fine slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. This version is not in the Locus database, but ISFDB says they came out the same month. Most limited editions from mainstream publishers are fairly unimpressive, but this is actually quite a nice production, with patterned boards and an attractive slipcase. Bought for $110.49 off eBay, a considerable discount off the original offering price of $150 (which must have seemed plenty pricey in 1988).

  • Library Addition: Four Signed Robert Bloch Firsts

    Monday, December 26th, 2022

    This is the second Heritage Auctions lot I won this year, after the Clark Ashton Smith lot. And like that lot, these were from the Gary Munson Collection.

    Warren Buffet once gave collecting advice to be willing to stretch yourself for desirable items, which is great advice…if you’re worth $110 billion. But I did stretch myself a tiny bit for this one, because I noticed something the auction house hadn’t.

  • Bloch, Robert. Midnight Pleasures. Doubleday, 1987. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed by Bloch: “Yours Truly, Robert Bloch!” Short story collection.

  • Bloch, Robert. The Opener of the Way. Arkham House, 1945. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ copy with slight bumping at head and heel, slight wear in letters of spine, bookstore sticker to bottom of inner front cover, and a few touches of wear to boards, in a Near Fine- dust jacket with abrasion rub down right front fold edge, slight wear at head, slight loss at points, and slight dust soiling to rear cover, with auction sticker laid in, inscribed by Bloch: “To Charles R./Tanner with best wishes,/Robert Bloch, 1948.” What the people doing the Heritage description didn’t note (and possibly didn’t know) was that Charles R. Tanner was a fellow contemporary pulp writer (both had work in Amazing Stories), most famously of “Tumithak of the Corridors,” which appeared in Isaac Asimov’s Before the Golden Age. Flanagan, Robert Bloch: A Bio-Bibliography, page 49. Joshi, Sixty Years of Arkham House 10. Currey, page 46. Derleth, Thirty Years of Arkham House 10. Jaffery, Horrors and Unpleasantries 10. Nielsen, Arkham House Books: A Collector’s Guide 10 (also #23 on the Most Valuable list). Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy, page 36. Bleiler, Guide to Supernatural Fiction, 209. Chalker/Owings, pages 22-23. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 299-300. I’d been looking for a signed copy of this for quite a while. (In fact, about a decade ago I negotiated with John Pelan for the copy inscribed to him after he needed to pay for unexpected cat surgery, but we couldn’t agree on a price.) As a signed copy it was probably above market, but as an association copy it was cheap. (For an association copy signed to Robert Bloch, see this.)

  • Bloch, Robert. Out Of My Head. NESFA Press, 1986. First edition hardback, #371 of 800 hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Bloch. Chalker/Owings, page 303. Replaces an equally perfect unsigned copy in my collection.
  • Bloch, Robert. Psycho II. Whispers Press, 1982. First edition hardback, #516 of 750 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine slipcase. Supposedly very different than the movie of the same name. Supplements a trade edition. Chalker/Owings, page 476.
  • Bought for $630, including buyer’s premium.

    Library Additions: Four James P. Blaylock PBOs Inscribed To John Pelan

    Monday, May 30th, 2022

    Back when James P. Blaylock made it to Armadillocon more regularly than he does now, I got him to sign most of his early work, but neglected to pick up The Elfin Ship, The Disappearing Dwarf and The Stone Giant because I wasn’t yet the completest I am now and they looked a bit “Elfy Welfy” for my tastes. I’ve picked up a couple since, but haven’t had a chance for Blaylock to sign them. These are from the estate of editor and publisher John Pelan (Axolotl Press, Silver Salamander, etc.), sold through Centipede Press, each a price of about $5 each. Since Pelan published several Blaylock books through Axolotl, these are interesting associational copies.

  • Blaylock, James P. The Digging Leviathan. Ace, 1984. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with a tiny flake from the bottom front corner tip, inscribed by Blaylock: “To John Pelan,/the favorite of my/own books./Cheers/James P. Blaylock.” Replaces an unsigned copy and supplements an inscribed first of the Morrigan hardback.

  • Blaylock, James P. The Disappearing Dwarf. Del Rey, 1983. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with edgewear and flake chips to outer rear corners, inscribed by Blaylock: “To John,/on the first anniversary/of a hell of a good idea./Cheers,/Jim,/aka James P. Blaylock.” Sequel to The Elfin Ship. Replaces an unsigned copy.

  • Blaylock, James P. The Elfin Ship. Del Rey, 1983. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with slight spine creasing, inscribed by Blaylock: “To John Pelan,/My first book, but/not a bad one, I/hope./Best wishes/James P. Blaylock.
  • Blaylock, James P. The Stone Giant. Ace, 1989. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy with the barest trace of edgewear. Inscribed by Blaylock: “James P. Blaylock/For John,/I hope this is readable./I write it about 5 years/ago and don’t rightly/remember./Cheers/Jim.” Sequel to The Disappearing Dwarf. Replaces an unsigned copy.

  • Library Addition: Association Copy of Avram Davidson’s Redward Edward Papers Inscribed to Randall Garrett

    Tuesday, May 28th, 2019

    This is something I located at a Half Price Books here in Austin:

    Davidson, Avram. The Redward Edward Papers. Doubleday, 1978. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel in a Near Fine dust jacket with very faint spotting, fading the red lettering on spine, slight age darkening to the white cover, and a few tiny specks of dust soiling. Inscribed to fellow science fiction and fantasy writer Randall Garrett on the front free endpaper: “June 25/78 Pacific Grove/Califo./For an old, good and helpful/friend,/Randall Garrett/with the Compliments/of the Author,/Avram Davidson.” Additionally signed by Davidson on the title page. Bought from Half Price Books for $45.

    Garrett was author of the popular Lord Darcy series of fantasy detective novels, basically Sherlock Holmes with magic. He spent the last years of his life in Austin in what we would now call a “memory care facility” after a bout of viral meningitis.

    Library Addition: Manly Wade Wellman Associational Copy

    Monday, April 22nd, 2019

    Picked up another Manly Wade Wellman associational copy at a bargain price:

    Wellman, Manly Wade. Harper’s Ferry Prize of War. MacNally of Charlotte, 1960. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight wear at heel and head in a Near Fine dust jacket with slight spine fading, a tiny bit of loss at tips, and a touch of edgewear at head and heel. Inscribed by Wellman to his brother and fellow author Paul I. Wellman on the pictorial front free endpaper: “author time to Paul/the old War Chief of the/Tribe/Centia Campa/from/Manly”. Civil War history book. Bought off eBay for $20.

    This is the second Manly Wade Wellman associational copy inscribed to Paul I. Wellman that I own, the other being Third String Center.

    Library Addition: Henry Kuttner First Signed to Robert Bloch

    Monday, October 23rd, 2017

    I try to collect at least one signature for every writer I seriously collect. I have signatures for H. G. Wells, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Tom Reamy, to name a few.

    I also have a few books signed by C. L. Moore, but not (until this item) any by her husband, Henry Kuttner, who were both behind the Lewis Padgett pseudonym. Kuttner, a first rate writer, died in 1958, and works signed by him seldom come on the market. However, I found the following first edition online, and not only is it signed, it’s an inscribed association copy.

    Padgett, Lewis (Henry Kuttner and possibly C.L. Moore). The Brass Ring. Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1946. First edition hardback, a Very Good+ copy, with uneven fading to the spine (looks to be lightening in relation to the dust jacket) and age darkening to pages, in a Good+ dust jacket with a 1″ chip to bottom front and 1/4″ chipping at head and heel. Not a great copy, but it does have a great inscription on the front free endpaper: “For Bob —/In memory of a happy childhood at the old Basutoland reformatory,/now dust./Hank/(“Lewis Padgett”)”. It also has Bloch’s signature at the top of the page. Currey, page 291 (which says this was in collaboration with C. L. Moore). Hubin, Crime Fiction: 1749—1980, page 309 (which credits this to Kuttner alone). Bloch and Kuttner were friends and collaborators, making this a very important association copy from one SF giant to another. Bought, after much haggling, for $500 from a dealer online.

    Brass Ring cover

    IMG_1844

    Library Additions: Two Inscribed Michael Moorcock Firsts

    Wednesday, August 17th, 2016

    Two more books from the Cold Tonnage 40% off sale, both Michael Moorcock first editions, both inscribed, one an associational copy:

  • Moorcock, Michael. The Birds of the Moon: A Travellers’ Tale. Jayde Design/Nomads of the Time Streams, 1995. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy. Signed by Moorcock: “Dave/—/Written for the/hippy issue of New Statesman/that never happened./Mike”. £15 pounds after discount.

    Birds Moon

    Birds Moon sig

  • Moorcock, Michael. Breakfast in the Ruins: A Novel of Inhumanity. New English Library, 1972. First edition hardback (as per Currey, page 368), a Fine- copy with the age darkening of pages all too common for NEL books of this era, in a Fine- dust jacket with slight wear at points. Inscribed by Moorcock to fellow science fiction writer Keith Roberts: “For Keith/with very best/wishes./Mike.” Tanelorn Archives, page 11. Of the several first editions inscribed by Moorcock to Roberts Cold Tonnage had, this was both the most affordable and a title by Moorcock I didn’t already have. £24 after discount.

    Breakfast Ruins

    Breakfast Ruins Sig

  • Two Highlights of the Forthcoming Bonhams Book Auction

    Thursday, May 26th, 2016

    Bonhams has a book auction coming up on June 8. There are a lot of interesting things outside of fiction (like Mohammed Ali’s passport), but very few items of interest to science fiction collectors.

    However, there are two quite notable exceptions:

  • A first edition of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged inscribed to Barbara Branden. For those unfamiliar with Rand, Barbara Branden was one of Rand’s closest friends before the break between Rand and her protege/lover Nathaniel Branden, Barbara’s husband. Rand and Barbara Branden would later reconcile toward the end of Rand’s life, after which Barbara Branden would write The Passion of Ayn Rand, so even though this is quite a worn copy, it’s among the best possible association copies of Rand’s most influential book.
  • An autographed letter from Thomas Pynchon. I don’t need to tell you how rare a Pynchon signature is, do I?
  • Pynchon Simpsons

    Library Addition: PB of Neal Barrett, Jr.’s Through Darkest America Inscribed to Lewis Shiner

    Wednesday, March 4th, 2015

    I found this shopping at Half Price Books, bought it, then confirmed my suspicion:

    Barrett, Neal. Through Darkest America. Worldwide, 1988. First paperback edition, a Fine- copy with tiny bump to bottom front corner and slight age-darkening to paper, otherwise apparently unread. Inscribed by Barrett, Jr. to fellow Texas science fiction writer Lewis Shiner: “11/29/88//Unca Lew—/Having you here for/a while has made my/day, as ever—/(Signature)”.

    Shiner Darkest

    Lew confirmed that it was indeed inscribed to him, noting he must have sold it because he was moving again and already had the hardback…