Posts Tagged ‘chapbooks’

Library Addition: Fritz Leiber’s Demons Of The Upper Air

Tuesday, August 24th, 2021

Another day, another chapbook:

Leiber, Fritz. The Demons of the Upper Air. Roy A. Squires, 1969. First edition chapbook original, 143 of 275 copies number in Arabic numerals, a Fine copy in Fine wrappers, additional inscribed “To/Chris/from/Fritz,” in a Fine original printed envelope, and even the original stiff cardboard mailer from Squires! Poetry. Squires always did beautiful work. Chalker/Owings, page 588. Bought off eBay for $50.

Library Additions: Two Davidson and Swanwick Chapbooks

Sunday, August 15th, 2021

Two chapbooks, one old one new:

  • Davidson, Avram. And Don’t Forget The One Red Rose. Dryed Press, 1986. First edition chapbook original, one of 185 copies in wraps, a Fine copy. Won off eBay for $13 plus shipping. Now I need to track down one of the 15 hardbacks…

  • Swanwick, Michael. Five Rings. Dragonstairs Press, 2021. First edition chapbook original, #5 of 32 copies, a Fine copy. Five vignettes on the Olympics, “Gold,” “Silver,” “Bronze,” “Last Place” and “Also There.” Sold out within minutes of being made available for sale. I will have copies available in the forthcoming Lame Excuse Books catalog (which I hope to send out Wednesday).

  • Library Additions: Five Joe R. Lansdale-Related Titles

    Monday, August 2nd, 2021

    Five more items for my Joe Lansdale collection:

  • Bryant, Tim, editor (with Joe R. Lansdale). Mule Tales. The Runaway Mule, 2012. First edition trade paperback original (a POD book), a Fine copy, new and unread. Anthology to benefit a now-defunct shop in Lansdale’s home town of Nacogdoches. Lansdale contributes six pieces. Bought from Amazon.
  • Case, Jim (pseudonym for Chet Cunningham and Joe R. Lansdale). Cody’s Army. Warner Books, 1986. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with a crease across the bottom corner and thin black lines at head, but otherwise tight and square. Military adventure novel. “The four man anti-terrorist guerilla unit.” Joe says he wrote one chapter in this. Stephen Mertz sold the series and had various writers work on different volumes, and confirmed Cunningham wrote this one except for one chapter from Lansdale. Bought off Amazon for $5, where the seller called it a “Fine” copy.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Drive-In. Centipede Press, 2015. First edition hardback thus, a signed, illustrated omnibus of The Drive-In, The Drive-In 2, and The Drive-In: The Bus Tour, one of 300 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, still in shrink wrap. I passed on picking this up when it first came out because I already had the PBO firsts of the first two, the hardback firsts of al three (two from Kinnell, the third from Subterranean), and The Complete Drive-In omnibus of all three from Underland Press. But this disappeared pretty quickly, and I decided to pick it up because I’m crazy Lansdale completist. Bought off a fellow dealer for $120.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Hungry Snow. Death’s Head Press, 2021. First edition trade paperback original (a side-sewn chapbook), #40 of 500 numbered copies, a Fine copy, new and unread, with Death’s Head Press bookmark and card laid in. A Reverend Jedidiah Mercer story. Illustrated by Tim Truman. Bought from the publisher at a very thin discount. I’ll have copies of this available in the forthcoming Lame Excuse Books catalog (currently in progress).

  • (Lansdale, Joe R.) Isajenko, Fred. The World Lansdalean: The Authorized Joe R. Lansdale Bibliography. Short, Scary Tales (SST) Publications, 2021. Uncorrected proof, trade paperback format, of the hardback first edition. Sent to me for spot-checking, and I sent them back a list of some things that were missing, etc. I will have copies of the published book available for sale through Lame Excuse Books when it’s released.

  • Library Additions: Two Michael Swanwick Chapbooks

    Tuesday, June 1st, 2021

    Or, to be more pedantically correct, two states of the same Michael Swanwick chapbook:

  • Swanwick, Michael. The Book of Blarney. Dragonstairs Press, 2021. First edition chapbook original, #44 of 50 signed, numbered copies, this one in a patterned darker green wraps (call it state A, no precedence), a Fine copy. “Four whimsical, cynical vignettes on the theme of Ireland’s religious and literary history. 5 ½ by 4 ¼ inches. Wrapper of Nepalese lokta paper, in two different states. Decorated with an applied harp label and green ribbon. Numbered and signed by the author. Issued in an edition of 50, 11 of which were distributed to participants of Michael Swanwick’s virtual kaffeklatch at 2021 Boskone.”
  • Swanwick, Michael. The Book of Blarney. Dragonstairs Press, 2021. First edition chapbook original, #48 of 50 signed, numbered copies, this one in solid emerald green wraps (call it state B, no precedence), a Fine copy (though with a wrinkle present in the wraps paper). Both editions sold out the same day they were offered for sale.
  • I will have a very small number of copies available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog (which next on the to-do list after finishing my taxes).

    Library Addition: Philip K. Dick Chapbook The Slave Race

    Tuesday, December 29th, 2020

    Although this story previously appeared in Young Author’s Club, this is the first separate edition.

    Dick, Philip K. The Slave Race. Sangrail Press, 2020. First edition chapbook, #69 of 250 copies, a Fine copy, with additional linocut of the cardstock frontispiece illustration affixed inside the first page and note from publisher laid in. First separate publication of a 15-year old Dick’s first SF short story that appeared in the Berkeley Daily Gazette Young Author’s Club column on May 8th, 1944. Bought directly from the publisher at a dealer discount.

    I have copies of this chapbook available for sale through Lame Excuse Books.

    Library Additions: Three Signed Swanwick Chapbooks

    Monday, December 28th, 2020

    All bought directly from Dragonstairs Press:

  • Swanwick, Michael. Blue as the Moon. Dragonstairs Press, 2020. First edition chapbook original, #2 of 69 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Seven horror vignettes (“White as a Sheet,” “Yellow as Corn,” “Green as the Sea,” “Red as the Revolution,” “Purple as Prose,” “Orange as an Orange,” and “Black as Sin”), plus an introduction (“Blue as the Moon”). Offered at moonrise (5:54 PM EDT) on October 30, 2020 to celebrate the blue moon, and sold out that night.

  • Swanwick, Michael. Reindeer Season. Dragonstairs Press, 2019. First edition chapbook original, #20 of 120 signed, numbered copies. “It includes ten very brief musings on the magical nature of reindeer and their relationship with Claus-tse. Issued in an edition of 120, Reindeer Season is 4 1/4” x 5 1/2”, hand-stitched, numbered, and signed by the author. Most copies have been given to friends, family, and colleagues, but 37 are offered for sale.” There are two states of the chapbook: a.) A cream colored wrapper (as this copy), and b.) a mottled beige cover. All copies for sale sold out the day they were offered.
  • Swanwick, Michael. Reindeer Season. Dragonstairs Press, 2019. First edition chapbook original, #101 of 120 signed, numbered copies. There are two states of the chapbook: a.) A cream colored wrapper, and b.) A mottled beige cover (as this copy). All copies for sale sold out the day they were offered.

  • I have copies of Blue as the Moon available for sale through Lame Excuse Books, and will have copies of Reindeer Season available in the next catalog.

    Library Additions: Eight Jack Vance Firsts, Six Signed, One Strange

    Thursday, September 17th, 2020

    I’ve won a number of Jack Vance first off eBay as of late, many signed:

  • Vance, Jack. The Languages of Pao/The Dragon Masters. Vance Integral Edition, no date. Unpublished paper dust jacket proof for the “Science Fiction Volume” containing those two novels produced by the Vance Integral Edition in 2002. Ultimately they decided not to use dust jackets for either that or the Vance Integral Edition itself. Bought from the Jack Vance estate off eBay for $33, and with the Vance Estate stamp on the blind side. The scan below is only what would fit on my scanner:

  • Vance, Jack. The Last Castle. Underwood-Miller, 1980. First hardback edition, a Fine- copy with slight bumping at tips and traces of wear at head and heel, in a Fine- dust jacket with a few traces of wear and faint phantom crease down front flap, with signature card by artist Alicia Austin laid in (as issued) and Vance Estate stamp on title page. Hewett, A30d. Cunningham, B45b. Bought for $20.13 from the Vance Estate off eBay.
  • Vance, Jack. The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph. Dennis Dobson, 1977. First hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Near Fine, price-clipped dust jacket, signed by Vance. Hewett, a27f. Cunningham, b55b. Currey, page 499. Bought off eBay for $93.97. One of the few Vance hardbacks I lacked, and one of the more difficult ones signed.
  • Vance, Jack. Marune: Alastor 933. Ballantine Books, 1975. Currey, page 499. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine- copy with a trace of edgewear, signed by Vance. Hewett, A48. Cunningham, B56. Currey, page 499. Supplements the Underwood-Miller hardback. Bought off eBay for $16.50.
  • Vance, Jack. Maske: Thaery. Berkley, 1976. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny wrinkle at top of the front flap and a few tiny traces of edgewear. Signed by Vance. Replaces a slightly less attractive signed first. Hewett, A52. Cunningham, B57a. Currey, page 499. Bought off eBay for $14.99.
  • Vance, Jack. Night Lamp. Tor, 1996. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Vance. Cunningham, B61a. Supplements an unsigned trade first, the Underwood Books signed, limited edition, and Volume 42 of The Vance Integral Edition. Bought off eBay for $20.50.
  • Vance, Jack. Ports of Call. Tor, 1998. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine hardback, signed by Vance. Cunningham, B66a. Supplements an unsigned trade first, the Underwood Books signed/limited edition, and Volume 43 of The Vance Integral Edition. Bought off eBay for $14.99.
  • Vance, Jack. Sjambak. Wildside Press, 2010. First edition trade paperback original (perfect bound chapbook), a Fine copy, signed by Vance. I suspect this was produced because the story slipped out of copyright. Replaces an unsigned copy. Bought off eBay for $33.
  • Library Additions: Three Signed Chapbooks (Swanwick, Matheson)

    Monday, August 24th, 2020

    More chabooks:

  • Matheson, Richard. Counterfeit Bills. Gauntlet, 2004. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy, signed by Matheson. Bought off eBay for $36.52.
  • Swanwick, Michael. Gulliver’s Wife. Dragonstairs Press, 2020. First edition chapbook original, #33 of 50 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Sold out upon publication. Bought from the publisher at full price.

  • (Wolfe, Gene) Swanwick, Michael. Swan/Wolfe. Dragonstairs Press, 2020. First edition chapbook original, #50 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy (save some slight wrinkling at head; since the outer paper wrapper is bigger than the inner chapbook page block, I suspect this is an endemic problem). Transcription of a Swanwick interview with the ReReadingWolfe podcast. As noted in the acknowledgements, I actually suggested the creation of this chapbook. Bought from the publisher at the usual bookseller discount. Sold out shortly after publication. I’ll have copies of this for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

  • Library Additions: Three Michael Swanwick Chapbooks

    Wednesday, June 17th, 2020

    Actually, Swanwick was only the interviewer on one, but author of the other two:

  • Dozois, Gardner, with Michael Swanwick. ‘She Saved Us From World War Three’: Gardner Dozois Remembers James Tiptree, Jr. Temporary Culture, 2020. First edition chapbook original, one of 225 copies printed, a Fine copy in a Fine black envelope, as issued. Swanwick interviews Dozois on the subject of the reclusive Alice Sheldon AKA James Tiptree, Jr., who corresponded with Dozois and met him in person at least once. Haven’t read it yet, but the story Gardner told was that as a CIA analyst, Sheldon was told to look at satellite photographs the government, fearful of a nuclear first strike, thought showed hundred of mobile Soviet missile launchers. She told them they were hay drying carts for the fall harvest. (Neal Barrett, Jr. used to tell a story about how he had prevented World War III. He was with the army in West Germany in the late 1950s, and his night watch superior had gotten liquored up and wanted to invade East Germany. “I don’t think that’s a very good idea, sir.”)

  • Swanwick, Michael. The Devil’s Bestiary. Dragonstairs Press, 2020. First edition chapbook, #8 of 45 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in dyed paper wrappers. A short alphabetical vignette bestiary of supernatural creatures. Out of print upon publication.

  • Swanwick, Michael. The Death of Aubrey Darger. Dragonstairs Press, 2020. First edition chapbook thus, #14 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Excerpted from the 2015 novel Chasing the Phoenix.

  • I will have copies of all three chapbooks available in the Lame Excuse Books catalog currently in progress.

    Library Addition: Michael Swanwick’s In Memoriam Gardner Dozois

    Monday, April 13th, 2020

    Sometimes things just show up in my mailbox:

    Swanwick, Michael and Sean Swanwick. In Memoriam: Gardner Dozois 1947-2018. Dragonstairs Press, 2020. First edition chapbook, #60 of 70 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Came in the mail with a “with the Compliments of the Press” notice laid in. Originally appeared in the Philcon 2018 program book.

    I’ll have copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.