Posts Tagged ‘Books’

Library Addition: Signed First of Alexander M. Phillips’ The Mislaid Charm

Thursday, October 15th, 2026

Another book from that Mysterious Benefactor:

Phillips, Alexander M. The Mislaid Charm. The Prime Press, 1947. First edition hardback (and in a first state yellow dust jacket, as per Chalker/Owings), a Very Good copy with bumped corners, head and heel, and a 1/4″ portion of front hinge open and completely cracked one page further in front of half title page, in a Good+ dust jacket with a 1/4″ chip at bottom point, about 1/8″ chips on other three points, a 1/8″ chip at head, a thin, a shallow chip across heel, a 1″ mostly closed tear at top front, plus other points of wear and general grubbiness, signed by the author. The first Prime Press book. Neither pretty nor valuable, but signed copy list online so cheaply that I’d prefer to keep this than sell it for a pittance. Chalker/Owings, page 352 (“About the traveling salesman whose magic charm gives him not only everything he wants but some things he doesn’t; typical fun from Unknown by a one-time President of PSFS”). Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 124 (“L. Sprague de Camp described the novel as ‘that comparative rarity, a first rate humorous fantasy'”).

Weirdly, Alexander seems to have hand-written the title page. His signature is right below his printed signature.

Library Addition: Gordon Dickson’s The Dragon and the George

Wednesday, October 14th, 2026

Another book from that Mysterious Benefactor:

Dickson, Gordon R. The Dragon and the George. Nelson Doubleday/SFBC, 1976. First edition hardback (as per Currey, with code G24 on page 243), a Fine- copy with slight bump at heel in a Fine-, Mylar-protected dust jacket with a trace of wear at points. Currey, page 160. Pringle, Modern Fantasy 100 60. One of those cases where the SFBC hardback is the true first.

Library Addition: Signed First of Ray Bradbury/Dillons’ Switch on the Night

Tuesday, October 13th, 2026

Another signed Ray Bradbury first:

Bradbury, Ray (Leo and Diane Dillon, illustrators). Switch on the Night. Umbrella/Knopf, 1993. First edition hardback thus (“10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1” numberline), a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued, signed by Bradbury. Illustrated children’s book first published in 1955 with a different illustrator, this is first edition with the Dillon art. Bought off eBay for $20.50.

Library Addition: Ben Bova’s The Star Conquerors

Friday, October 9th, 2026

Another book from that Mysterious Benefactor:

Bova, Ben. The Star Conquerors. Winston Science Fiction, 1959. First edition hardback (stated, as per Currey), a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel in a Near Fine- dust jacket with 1/8″ and 1/16″ chips to bottom front panel and a few other touches of edgewear, otherwise a beautiful example of the dust jacket. His first novel. Currey, page 50.

I haven’t read a lot of Bova lately, but I did read a great deal of him in my youth.

Library Addition: Poul Anderson’s Satan’s World

Thursday, October 8th, 2026

Another book from that Mysterious Benefactor:

Anderson, Poul. Satan’s World. Doubleday, 1969. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight foxing to front gutter, slight bumping at heel and bend at head, in a Fine-, Mylar-protected dust jacket with slight wear at head and top points.

Despite the title, this appears to be straight science fiction in his Polesotechnic League series. Anderson also had a novel called The Devil’s Game published in 1980. I wonder if he was trying to cash in on the post-Rosemary’s Baby trend of 1970s Satanic thrillers…

Library Addition: James Blish’s The Seedling Stars

Wednesday, September 30th, 2026

Another Gnome Press first from that Mysterious Benefactor:

Blish, James. The Seedling Stars. Gnome Press, 1957. First edition hardback (“First Edition” on copyright page, as per Currey), in the Curry (D) binding (gray cloth, lettered in red), a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel and the usual age-darkening of pages for a Gnome of this period, in a Fine-, Mylar-protected dust jacket with a trace of wear at head and heel, a tiny bit of dust soiling on top of front panel near spine, and barely perceptible darkening to front flap fold, slightly exaggerated in scan. Story of the Adapted Man, preceding Pohl’s Man Plus by a quarter-century, and including Blish’s classic “Surface Tension.” Currey, page 42. Chalker/Owings, page 204. Kemp, The Anthem Series page 260. Pringle, Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, page 274 (“***”).

Library Addition: E. B. Cole’s The Philosophical Corps

Tuesday, September 29th, 2026

Another Gnome Press first from that Mysterious Benefactor:

Cole, E. B. The Philosophical Corps. Gnome Press, 1962. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel (though far less age darkening to pages that the average later Gnome), in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny line of smudge on front panel and a trace of bumping to head and heel. The last Gnome Press book. Chalker/Owings, page 206 (“Really good series of connected stories from ASF. Deserved better, wider release”). Kemp, The Anthem Series, pages 282-283 (“A really good series of connected stories, science fiction in the good, old tradition).

Library Addition: Signed First of George Romero and Daniel Kraus’ Pay the Piper

Monday, September 28th, 2026

Another limited edition came in from SST:

Romero, George A. and Daniel Kraus. Pay the Piper. Short Scary Tales (SST), 2026. First hardback edition, #330 of 500 copies signed by Kraus and illustrator Dirk Berger, a Fine copy in a Fine slipcase, with numbered bookmark and tissue closure stickers laid in. First signed, limited edition and first hardback of this Louisiana swamp monster with a grudge novel started by Romero and finished by Kraus. Oh, and Kraus just happened to win the Pulitzer Prize this year for his novel Angel Down.

I will have one copy of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, due out in just a couple of days.

Library Addition: Arthur Barnes’ Interplanetary Hunter

Friday, September 25th, 2026

Another Gnome Press first from that Mysterious Benefactor:

Barnes, Arthur K. Interplanetary Hunter. Gnome Press, 1956. First edition (stated) hardback, a Fine- copy with slight crimping at head and trace of foxing to gutters (plus the characteristic age darkening of the pages common to Gnomes of this vintage), in a Very Good-, Mylar-protected dust jacket with shallow chipping at head, plus small 1/4″ chips at top and bottom of rear panel, smaller chip at heel front join, small chipping at points, significant age-darkening to spine, and general dust soiling to white dust jacket. Chalker/Owings, page 203. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 250 (“This is a book of thrilling adventure replete with visits to strange worlds and wonderful fascinating lifeforms.”)

Library Addition: Hardback First of John Brunner’s The Traveller in Black

Thursday, September 24th, 2026

Another item from that Mysterious Benefactor.

Brunner, John. The Traveller in Black. Severn House, 1979. First hardback edition, a Fine- copy with slight crimping at heel, in a Fine- dust jacket with a trace of wear at heel. Linked stories about a mysterious traveler who can drive back chaos.

Supplements a copy of the PBO first (spelled with only one “l” in Traveler).