Posts Tagged ‘PBO’
Monday, September 11th, 2023
Only theme here is that I bought all of these on a day trip to San Antonio:
Bradbury, Ray (Jonathan R. Eller, editor). The Collected Stories of Ray Bradbury: A Critical Edition: Volume 2: 1943-1944. Kent State University Press, 2014. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a tiny bit of wrinkling at heel. Bought from Half Price Books for $37.49, considerably more than the $15 I paid for the first volume, but this one doesn’t seem to have been nearly as widely remaindered.
Jeter, K.W. Star Wars: Hard Merchandise. Bantam Spectra, 1999. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with just a trace of wear at points. The third book in the Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy, and evidently the hardest one to find. Supplements a signed first of the SFBC Bounty Hunter Wars Trilogy I bought from the Fred Duarte estate sale. I supposed now I need to find a PBO first of Slave Ship, the second in the trilogy, but it seems the easiest to find of the three. Bought from Half Price Books for $4.49.
Mundy, Talbot. Full Moon. D. Appleton-Century, 1935. First edition hardback (“(1)” on page 312), a very Good copy with slight spotting to top and bottom page block edges (and possibly side, but it’s hard to tell with deckled edges), slight concavity at top of spine, slight bend at head and heel, light foxing to inside covers, and a few penciled notes front and back, in a Very Good dust jacket with shallow chipping at head, heel and points, spine faded, top rear flap corner clipped (but front panel and price intact), wear along front fold edge, slight dust staining to white rear panel, one 1/2″ closed tear to top front and one 1/4″ closed tear to rear bottom, and slight foxing to flaps; not pristine, but nice for the age. Oriental adventure with magic set in India. Grant, Talbot Mundy: Messanger of Deastiny, page 184. Day, Talbot Mundy Biblio, page 5. Bleiler, Checklist (1978), page 145. Bought for $40 at Antiquarian Book Mart in San Antonio.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Half Price Books, K. W. Jeter, PBO, Ray Bradbury, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Talbot Mundy
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Monday, February 6th, 2023
Finishing up recorded the Metroplex PBO buys. All of these came from Half-Price Books.
Pohl, Frederik, and C. M. Kornbluth. The Space Merchants. Ballantine Books, 1953. First edition paperback original (no statement of printing, and simultaneous with the hardback edition, as per Currey), a Fine- copy with a touch of edgewear at points, otherwise new and unread. Pringle, SF 100 12. Currey, pages 289 and 405. Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 4 *3-147. Magill, Survey of Science Fiction volume 5, pages 2127-2131. Supplements a hardback first inscribed to my by Pohl. Bought for $3.
Pohl, Frederik, and Jack Williamson. Starchild. Ballantine Books, 1965. First edition paperback original (“”First printing: November 1965″ and 50¢ price, as per Currey), a Fine- copy with just a trace of edgewear at head and heel and a tiny 3/16” non-breaking indention to front cover, otherwise tight, square and unread. Second book in the Starchild trilogy. Currey, pages 405 and 544. Supplements the SFBC Omnibus The Starchild Trilogy inscribed to me by Pohl and Williamson. Bought for $3.
Smith, Cordwainer. Space Lords. Pyramid, 1965. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy save a trace of foxing to inside covers. Currey, page 315. Bought for $4.00.
Smith, Cordwainer. The Underpeople. Pyramid, 1968. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine copy with one faint spine crease, bookstore stamp to blurb page, and edgewear. Part two of Nostrilia. Currey, page 315. Pringle, SF 100 46 (for Nostrilia). Bought for $1.99.
Smith, E. E. “Doc”. The Galaxy Primes. Ace Books, 1965. First edition paperback original (no statement of printing and 40¢ price, as per Currey), a Fine copy save for a trace of foxing to inside covers, otherwise tight, square and unread. Lucchetti, Doc: First Galactic Roamer, pages 50-51 (“Never issued in hardback.”) Currey, page 456. Bought for $3.
Vance, Jack. Showboat World. Pyramid, 1975. First edition paperback original (“March 1975” on copyright page and $1.25 cover price, as per Currey), a Near Fine+ copy with one slight spine wrinkle near heel, a few very small, very faint phantom crease on rear cover, and two very faint parallel printing lines across teaser page (looks like an artifact of the printing process). I read this last year and it’s still great fun. Hewett A47a. Cunningham 71a. Currey, page 500. Bought for $2.99.
Waldrop, Howard. Strange Monsters of the Recent Past. Ace, 1991. First edition paperback original thus, adding A Dozen Tough Jobs to the contents of All About Strange Monsters of the Recent Past, a Fine copy, now inscribed to me by Waldrop. I’ve had a lot of copies of this over the years, but since I already had All About Strange Monsters of the Recent Past and A Dozen Tough Jobs, I never added a copy to my own library until now. Bought for $3.
Tags:Books, C. M. Kornbluth, Cordwainer Smith, E. E. "Doc" Smith, Fantasy, Frederik Pohl, Howard Waldrop, Jack Vance, Jack Williamson, PBO, Science Fiction
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Wednesday, July 20th, 2022
Another signed PBO:
Farmer, Philip Jose. The Lovers. Ballantine Books, 1961. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Very Good+ copy with crease across bottom rear corner and slight spine lean, signed by Farmer. One of the first science fiction novels to deal frankly with sexual themes. Brizzi, The Work of Philip Jose Farmer, pages 18-24. Currey, page 185. Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 4, *3-69. Supplements a signed copy of the later hardback first edition. Won off eBay for $9.99.
Tags:Books, PBO, Philip Jose Farmer, Science Fiction
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Wednesday, July 13th, 2022
Three different Jack Vance firsts, bought from various sources.
Vance, Jack (Terry Dowling and Jonathan Strahan, editors). The Jack Vance Treasury. Subterranean Press, 2006. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine, Mylar-protected dust jacket, new and unread. When this was published, I managed to pick up the signed, limited edition (probably on sale), but not the regular trade edition. Out of print for over a decade, but bought from Camelot Books at the original cover price of $38.
Vance, Jack. The Star King. Berkley Medallion, 1964. First edition paperback original, a near Fine copy with wrinkle along spine join, slight bumping at head, heel and bottom front corner, slight small creases to outer top corners, trace of age darkening and soiling to white cover, and slight foxing to inside covers, signed by Vance, with color laser-printed picture of Vance signing laid in. The first Demon Princes novel, shortened to Star King for many subsequent editions. Hewett, A15a. Cunningham, 76a. Bought off eBay for $15.50.
Vance, Jack. When The Five Moons Rise. Underwood Miller, 1992. First edition hardback, #245 of 300 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine slipcase. Short story collection. Hewett A86. Cunningham, 83a. Showed up on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $50, easily $100 below what they usually go for, so naturally I jumped on it.
Tags:Books, Jack Vance, Limited Editions, PBO, Science Fiction, Subterranean Press, Underwood/Miller
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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.
Tags:Associational Copy, Books, Fantasy, James P. Blaylock, John Pelan, PBO, signatures, Steampunk
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Thursday, March 24th, 2022
Another signed Harlan Ellison 1st, this one an Ace Double PBO:
Ellison, Harlan. The Man With Nine Lives/A Touch of Infinity. Ace Books, 1960. First edition paperback original (35¢ on cover, as per Currey), a Near Fine- copy with wear at head and heel and the usual age-darkening to pages, signed twice by Ellison at each of the two title pages. The Man With Nine Lives is a novella and A Touch of Infinity is a short story collection. Quite an attractive copy, nice and square with quite bright covers, and better than usually found. Richmond, Fingerprints on the Sky, page 107-108. Currey, page 178. Bought off eBay for $44.95.
Tags:Ace Double, Books, Fantasy, Harlan Ellison, PBO, Science Fiction
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Monday, June 8th, 2020
FACT honcho Robert Taylor was giving away books as part of downsizing before a move, so I picked up several books both for my own library and the next Lame Excuse Books catalog (now in progress). All but one of the books below are from Robert:
Beaumont, Charles. The Magic Man and Other Science-Fantasy Stories. Fawcett Gold Medal, 1965. First edition paperback original, a Very Good- copy with crease across bottom front corner, spine creasing and abrasions, age darkening to pages and general wear. Reginald, Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature Volume 1, page 40.
Beaumont, Charles. Shadow Play. Panther, 1964. First UK edition and first edition under this title, a Very Good- copy with chipper bottom front corner, spine creasing, age darkening to pages and general wear. Originally published in the U.S. in hardback as The Hunger and Other Stories. Reginald, Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature Volume 1, page 40. Some overlap between these two.
Bethke, Bruce. Headcrash. Warner Books, 1995. Advanced reading copy of the paperback original first edition, also mass market paperback size, a Fine copy, signed by the author. Bethke was doing some pioneering cyberpunk work (indeed, his story “Cyberpunk” probably coined the word in 1980, but wasn’t published until 1983), but most of it didn’t get published until after the 1980s. This is his first stand-alone non-tie-in novel. Philip K. Dick award winner. Obtained directly from the author. I’ll have another copy available in the next Lame Excuse books catalog.
Disch, Thomas M. Echo Round His Bones. Berkley Medallion, 1967. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine+ copy with slight edgewear, touches of wear elsewhere, and usual slight foxing and slight age-darkening of pages. Currey (1979), page 164.
Disch, Thomas M. The Genocides. Berkley, 1965. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with just a trace of edgewear and the usual foxing and age darkening to pages. Supplements the UK first hardback edition. Currey (1979), page 164. His first novel.
Disch, Thomas M. White Fang Goes Dingo. Arrow Books, 1970 (interestingly, Currey (both 1979 and 2002) says 1971). First edition paperback original under this title (an expanded version of 102 H-Bombs), a Fine- copy with slight edgewear and slight age-darkening to edges of pages. Currey (1979), page 165.
Lansdale, Joe R. Act of Love. Zebra Books, 1981. First edition paperback original, a Very Good copy with 1/4″ chip at top front cover near spine, slight spine creasing and slight general wear. Inscribed by Lansdale: “For Robert,/Hope you like it). Joe Lansdale.” (Robert said he had another copy of this title). His first novel. Supplements at least four other editions (including the Kinnell hardback first), but I lacked the PBO until now. Person, “Joe Lansdale: Notes Toward A Bibliography,” Nova Express Volume 3, Number 4, page 26, I.1. Hankow, A Checklist of Joe Lansdale, A1.
Malzberg, Barry. The Many Worlds of Barry Malzberg. First edition paperback original (no statement of printing on copyright page and $1.25 price, as per Currey), a Fine- copy, with a trace of edgewear and one pinhead-sized black mark near bottom edge of back cover. Short story collection.
Miller, Jr. Walter M. The Best of Walter M. Miller, Jr. Pocket Books, 1980. First edition paperback original, a near Fine copy with faint spine creasing and touches of wear. Short story collection, all from the 1950s.
Pumelia, Joe, and Bill Wallace (as M. M. Moamrath). The Cruse of the Kritix. “Deathnell Publications, 1932″ (actually Kenneth Donnell, 1976). First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy in a Very Good+ dust jacket with semi-closed 1/4” tear at top front with associated wrinkle, faint spotting along spine, and a few very small tears elsewhere. Lovecraftian parody.
Proctor, Geo W. Fire at the Center. Fawcett Gold Medal, 1981. First edition paperback original, a near Fine- copy with 1/32″ deep x 1/4″ wide loss at head of top front cover, slight edgewear, rim of foxing to interior covers, and slight age darkening to pages. Novel dedicated to the early Turkey City Writer’s workshop attendees.
Scholz, Carter. Cuts. Chris Drumm, 1995. First edition chapbook original, a Fine- copy with slight age darkening to edges. Short story collection.
Simak, Clifford D. and Jeff Sutton. So Bright the Vision b/w The Man Who Saw Tomorrow. Ace Double, 1968. First edition (no statement of printing and price of 60¢, as per Currey), a Very Good+ copy with small chips at corners of Sutton side, spine creasing, name or word on Sutton blurb page. Plus usual foxing. Currey (1979), page 447.
Tags:Books, Bruce Bethke, Carter Scholz, Charles Beaumont, FACT, Horror, Joe R. Lansdale, Jr., M.M. Moamrath, PBO, Robert Taylor, Science Fiction, Thomas M. Disch, Turkey City, Walter M. Miller
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Saturday, June 15th, 2019
Five of these came from a friend who was culling his library of books signed to his late wife for $1-2 each, while two were Half Price Books buys. All but one of these are PBO firsts of one stripe or another:
Allston, Aaron. Galatea in 2-D Baen, 1993. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with slight wear at points, inscribed by the author: “To Scott,/Many thanks!/Aaron Allston/ 11/5/93.” Replaces an unsigned copy. Bought from Half Price Books for $2.24.
Harrison, Harry. The Stainless Steel Rat for President. Bantam Books, 1982. First mass market edition and first paperback edition (preceded by the SFBC edition, for which I also have a signed copy), a Near Fine copy with a bit of edgewear, most notable at head join, where there is also a very short (1/4″) crease. Signed by Harrison. The fifth Stainless Steel Rat book (at least by publishing order).
Hawke, Simon. Timewars 1: The Ivanhoe Gambit. Ace, 1986. Paperback reprint, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of edgewear. Inscribed by Hawke. “To Lori,/Best/Simon Hawke.”
Hawke, Simon (as Nicholas Yermakov). Jehad. Signet, 1984. First edition paperback original, a Very Good copy with spine creasing, edgewear, slight darkening to outer portion of white back cover, and slight foxing to inside covers. Inscribed by Hawke: “To Lori,/Best/(signature).” I think it may be signed as Yermakov; if so, it’s very similar in style to his Hawke signature. Hawke used to write under his birth name of Nicholas Yermakov, but legally changed his name to Simon Hawke in 1984. Third book in the Boomarang trilogy, about an alien race that possesses a form of linear immortality and human missions to the planet to “capture” it, and one with a number of notable cyberpunk elements.
Hawke, Simon. The Wizard of Camelot. Warner Books, 1995. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy. Inscribed by Hawke. “To Lori,/Best/Simon Hawke.”
Hawke, Simon. The Wizard of Santa Fe. Warner Books, 1991. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with an invisible spine crease. Inscribed by Hawke. “To Lori,/Best/Simon Hawke.”
Powers, Tim. The Drawing of the Dark. Del Rey, 1979. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with bookstore stamp on blurb page, wear along spine edges, and an invisible crease. Inscribed by Powers: “for/Richard—/Hoping you like/dark beer./Cheers,/Tim Powers/ 10/8/87.” Berlyne, A3a/1. Supplements the Hypatia hardback. For some reason I never picked this up when I was picking up all the other Powers PBOs. Bought from Half Price Books for $3.
I enjoyed the Nicholas Yermakov books I read, but never picked up any of his series work once he changed his name for Simon Hawke, so why not pick up some signed PBOs cheap?
Tags:Aaron Allston, Books, Fantasy, Harry Harrison, Nicholas Yermakov, PBO, Science Fiction, signed, Simon Hawke, Tim Powers
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Friday, June 29th, 2018
I had already purchased this and was about to cue it up here when news of Ellison’s death reached me. This is the most I’ve ever paid for a mass-market paperback, but signed copies usually go for about thrice what I paid for this.
Ellison, Harlan. Rumble. Pyramid Books, 1958. First edition paperback original (“Pyramid Books edition 1958” on copyright page and 35¢ price, as per Currey), a Near Fine copy with slight wear along spine, faint crease on top front corner, slight characteristic age-darkening of pages, and a few other touches of wear, otherwise a bright, tight, square copy of a book usually found in much worse shape. Inscribed by Ellison: “Best of/luck to Perry/and to Sue, undisguised/lust and an all-expense paid/trip to anywhere with me/Harlan Ellison/22 JAN 73”. Mainstream novel of juvenile delinquency. Currey (1979), page 179. Slusser, Harlan Ellison: Unrepentant Harlequin, page 62, 1. Segaloff, A Lit Fuse, page 75. Bought for $66 off eBay.
Tags:Books, Fantasy, Harlan Ellison, PBO, Science Fiction
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