Posts Tagged ‘Roger Zelazny’

Books Bought in Denton December 20, 2013: Signed Vance, Farmer, Wellman, Zelazny

Thursday, December 26th, 2013

I had a family Christmas event at my aunt’s house in Dallas over the weekend, so I hit a few bookstores on my way up I-35, buying a smattering of things.

Then I went to Recycled Books in Denton and dropped $1,100. (This is not an uncommon occurrence.) This post just covers the things I found in their locked rare books section; the rest will be covered in posts over the next few days. (I’m running out of year!))

  • Farmer, Philip Jose. Lord Tyger. Doubleday, 1970. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight crimping at head and heel and trace of foxing along gutters, in a Fine- dust jacket with slight darkening to spine and a few traces of dust soiling. Signed by Farmer. Farmer’s SF take on Tarzan. Currey (1979), page 153. Bought for $60.

    Lord Tyger

  • Vance, Jack. Araminta Station. Underwood Miller, 1987. First edition hardback, #443 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine slipcase. First book of the Caldwell Chronicles. Precedes both the NEL and Tor editions by six months. Hewett, A79. Chalker/Owings (1991), pages 437-438. Bought for $120.

    Araminta Station

  • Vance, Jack. Lyonesse: Suldrun’s Garden. Underwood/Miller, 1983. First hardback edition, #78 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. (Note: Unlike the signed, numbered edition of Lyonesse: The Green Pearl, this was not issued in a slipcase.) Hewett, A70b. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 436. Supplements my copy of the unsigned library edition in decorated boards issued without a dust jacket. Bought for $100.

    Suldrun's Garden

  • Wellman, Manly Wade. Worse Things Waiting. Carcosa, 1973. First edition hardback, Trade Edition issue, a Fine- copy with a couple of pinpricks of wear, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed to fellow horror writer Dennis Etchison: “Better Things Waiting/for/Dennis Etchison/Manly Wade Wellman/Dec 7, 1979”. Being a Wellman collector, I could hardly pass up an associational copy of this, his best and most important collection, inscribed to another top horror writer. (This is the second Wellman-inscribed association copy I own along with Third String Center inscribed to Wellman’s own brother, western writer Paul I. Wellman.) Currey (1979), page 515. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 87. Bleiler, Guide to Supernatural Fiction, 1672. Jones/Newman, Horror 100, 70. Bought for $100.

    Worse Things Waiting

    Worse Things Inscription

  • Zelazny, Roger. Knight of Shadows. Ultramarine Press, 1989. First limited hardback edition, #20 of 40 signed, numbered copies, bound in quarter leather, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Kovacs, 27-d-i. Chalker/Owings (1991), page 612. Proof that being a collector drives you slightly insane. (“Slightly?” asks the peanut gallery.) Ultramarine Press would take the sheets of the trade edition, then add a signed limitation page and leather binding. Honestly, I’m less than impressed with both their business model and most of the books produced, and I’m not too wild about post-first edition limiteds, but this edition seems nicer than many, 40 is a pretty low limitation for a Zelazny limited, and since I have such an extensive Zelazny collection, I decided to pony up for it. Bought for $240.

    Zelazny Knight

  • Library Additions: Limited Hardback Edition of Ides of Octember Roger Zelazny Bibliography

    Wednesday, October 30th, 2013

    Another crazy collector item for my Zelazny library:

    (Zelazny, Roger) Kovacs, Christopher, compiler. The Ides of Octember: A Pictorial Bibliography of Roger Zelazny. NESFA Press/Camelot Books, 2011. First hardback edition, letter M of 21 lettered copies with a Zelazny signature sheet (taken from unused Ultramarine Press Zelazny books), a Fine copy in three-quarters bound leather, in a Fine patterned traycase with the pictorial cover from the trade paperback edition, sans dust jacket, as issued.

    An elaborate aftermarket edition of this Zelazny incorporating unbound NESFA sheets obtained by the compiler.

    Octember HD

    I paid $191 for it, considerably less than the $500 list price it was offered at.

    Lame Excuse Books July Catalog

    Wednesday, August 21st, 2013

    Time once again for Lawrence Just Plops the Latest Book Catalog on the Blog. I should be taking all these books (and many more besides) to Worldcon.


    Greetings, and welcome to Lawrence Person’s Lame Excuse for a Book Catalog!

    Before the catalog itself, some big news: I will be dealing books at this year’s Worldcon in San Antonio. I’ll have three tables there and as much of my stock as I think will fit. Come on by! (Also, if you have some tasty SF/F/H first editions you want to part with, let me know.)

    Back to the catalog! Once again there’s lots of great stuff, including new books from Joe R. Lansdale, Philip K. Dick, Tim Powers, Avram Davidson and Jack Vance, Nebula and World Fantasy Award winners, some early Iain Banks (one signed), the collecting bible of the field (L. W. Currey’s guide to first editions), a big, thick guide to SF speciality publishers of the golden age, and numerous small press books from Golden Gryphon, Subterranean, PS Publishing, Centipede Press, and Fedogan & Breamer (yeah, they’re back) among others. Only a few sale books this time around, since I’m hoping to sell a boatload at Worldcon. Most in-print hardbacks start at $3 off cover price, and as usual I only have one or two copies for most titles, so you might want to act quickly.

    The URL for the main Lame Excuse Books webpage is:

    https://www.lawrenceperson.com/lame.html

    My blog, where I do a lot of book geeking (including new additions to my own collection; I just bought a bunch of rare Zelazny) is:

    https://www.lawrenceperson.com

    I’m still doing a Lame Excuse Books Twitter feed:

    https://twitter.com/LameExcuseBooks

    Payment, Contact & Shipping Information

    E-mail me at lawrenceperson@gmail.com. I can hold books ten days on e-mail or phone requests (please leave a message on my voice mail for the latter: (512) 569-9036). U.S. shipping is $5.00 for the first book, and $1.00 a book thereafter. Foreign shipping is at cost (please inquire; for most locations, Global Priority starts at $23.95 now; yes, it’s gone up again). Books may be returned in the same condition sent for any reason within 10 days of purchase for a full refund. Please make checks payable to Lawrence Person. I can also take PayPal payment to this e-mail address at http://www.paypal.com, and I can take MC and Visa directly through my merchant account.

    Please mail checks to:

    Lawrence Person
    Lame Excuse Books
    P.O. Box 27231
    Austin, Texas 78755

    Finally, if you want me to take you off this mailing list, please let me know. I hate spam just as much as the next person.

    Now the books!

    Hardbacks

    LP2063. Baker, Kage. Black Projects, White Knights. Golden Gryphon, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread.Short stories about The Company $15.

    LP2064. Banks, Iain M. Against a Dark Background. Orbit, 1993. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight haze rubbing (which means the glossy black areas seem to have a bit of haze on them if you move them back and forth under a strong light), otherwise new and unread. Banks first “pure” non-Culture SF novel. Banks was a phenomenally talented writer who died way too young. $150.

    LP2065. Banks, Iain M. Consider Phlebas. Macmillan, 1987. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of bend at edge of head and heel, in a Fine, Mylar-protected dust jacket. Read once, by me. The first Culture novel, and Banks’ first “pure” SF novel. Recommended. I’m not seeing a single unsigned first of the Macmillan Consider Phlebas anywhere online. $400.

    LP2066. Banks, Iain M. Excession. Orbit, 1996. First edition hardback, a Fine copy (though with the characteristic slight page darkening of Orbit books of this era) in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Banks: “To Narayan/—best wishes/Iain M. Banks”. Recommended. A Culture novel. For some reason I can’t find a single signed Excession on Bookfinder. $200.

    LP2068. Bradbury, Ray. Nemo! Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Previously unpublished Ray Bradbury screenplay set in Winsor McCay’s Little Nemo in Slumberland comic strip. Now sold out from the publisher, but I still have it at cover price. $35.

    LP2070. Dahlquist, Gordon. The Dark Volume. Bantam, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Sequel to The Glass Book of the Dream Eaters. Only have one. $19.

    LP2071. Dann, Jack. The Fiction Factory. A Thousand Deaths. Golden Gryphon, 2005. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Collection of all Jack’s collaborative stories, including those with Gardner Dozois, Michael Swanwick, Barry Malzberg, etc. haven’t read all of them, but recommended based on the ones I have, especially “Down Among the Dead Men.” $15.

    LP2072. Dick, Philip K. The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick Volume 3: On the Dull Earth. Subterranean, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. I don’t really need to provide a blurb here, do I? $37.

    LP2073. Di Filippo, Paul. Strange Trades. Golden Gryphon, 2001. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Short story collection about various jobs. Introduction by Bruce Sterling. Recommended, especially for “The Mill.” $15.

    LP1114B. Effinger, George Alec (Neil Gaiman, Howard Waldrop, Neal Barrett, Jr., Gardner Dozois, Bradley Denton, Michael Bishop, Mike Resnick, Barbara Hambly, Lawrence Person, Jack Dann, Pamela Sargent, George Zebrowski, Lawrence Person, Richard Gilliam).Live! From Planet Earth. Golden Gryphon, 2005. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread. Posthumous collection of some of George’s best non-series stories, including “The Aliens Who Knew, I Mean, Everything,” “Two Sadnesses,” “All the Last Wars at Once,” and “Seven Nights in Slumberland.” Includes introductions by Neil Gaiman, Howard Waldrop, Neal Barrett, Jr., Gardner Dozois, Bradley Denton, Michael Bishop, Mike Resnick, Barbara Hambly, Lawrence Person, Jack Dann, Pamela Sargent, George Zebrowski, Lawrence Person, and Richard Gilliam. Signed by me (I did the introduction to “My Old Man”) at your request. You need one. $15.

    LP1950. Effinger, George Alec. A Thousand Deaths. Golden Gryphon, 2000. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Includes all of George’s stories featuring his often-killed protagonist Sandor Courane, including the novel The Wolves of Memory, which George considered the best of his own work before When Gravity Fails. $15.

    LP2074. Landis, George. Impact Parameter. Golden Gryphon, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Short story collection. $15.

    LP904B. Lansdale, Joe R. Bumper Crop. Golden Gryphon, 2004. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. The second Golden Gryphon best of Lansdale collection, companion to the earlier High cotton (see below). Recommended. You can pay $15 for it now, or $20 after I get it signed at Worldcon (if there are any left).

    LP2075. Lansdale, Joe R. Dead Aim. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Latest Hap and Leonard novella. This trade edition is already sold out from the publisher, but I’ve still got it at cover price. $25.

    LP2077. Lansdale, Joe R. Devil Red. Knopf, 2011. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. The latest Hap and Leonard novel, and compulsively readable. The boys go up against another contract killer, and Vanilla Ride makes another appearance. $15.

    LP1962B. Lansdale, Joe R. High Cotton. Golden Gryphon, 2000. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Best of Lansdale collection. Highly recommended. Same deal here: You can pay $15 for it now, or $20 after I get it signed at Worldcon (if there are any left).

    LP2078. Lansdale, Joe R., with John Farris and Stephen Gallagher (with introduction by Robert R. McCammon). Night Visions 8. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Anthology series of original horror stories. The Lansdale story, “Incidents On and Off a Mountain Road,” was the basis of an episode in the Masters of Horror TV show. $20.

    LP2079. (Lovecraft, H. P.) Price, Robert M., editor. Worlds of Cthulhu. Fedogan & Breamer, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Cthulhu Mythos anthology. Good to see Fedogan & Breamer wake from their deathless slumbers. $26.

    LP2080. Lupoff, Richard A. Claremont Tales. Golden Gryphon, 2001. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. $15.

    LP2081. McDevitt, Jack D. Seeker. Ace, 2005. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Nebula Award winner for best novel. $25.

    LP2082. Powers, Tim. Salvage and Demolition. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, one of 350 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Powers latest novella, about a rare book dealer. Now sold out from the publisher, but I’m offering it at cover price. $60.

    LP2083. Powers, Tim. Salvage and Demolition. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. This trade edition is also sold out from the publisher, and also offered at cover price. $30.

    LP1970. Resnick, Mike. Blasphemy. Golden Gryphon, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. All of Resnick’s stories dealing with religion in one place. $15.

    LP1698. Resnick, Mike. Dreamwish Beasts and Snarks. Golden Gryphon, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Short story collection. $15.

    LP2084. Rusch, Kristine Kathryn. Recovering Apollo 8. Golden Gryphon, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. $15.

    LP2085. Rusch, Kristine Kathryn. Stories for an Enchanted Evening. Golden Gryphon, 2001. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. $15.

    LP1353. Russell, Eric Frank (edited by John Pelan & Phil Stephenson-Payne). Darker Tides: The Weird Tales of Eric Frank Russell. Midnight House, 2006. First edition hardback, one of only 500 copies. Fine in a Fine dj, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. $35.

    LP2086. Swanwick, Michael. Vacuum Flowers. Arbor House, 1987. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with a bit of dust staining and age darkening to white rear cover and a bit of haze rubbing. His second novel, a well-regarded cyberpunk work. $9.

    LP2087. Tidhar, Lavie. Osama. PS Publishing, 2011. First edition hardback, #36 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, as issued. Alternate History novel and winner of the 2011 World Fantasy Award. Only have one. $70.

    LP2088. Tidhar, Lavie. Osama. PS Publishing, 2011. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Trade edition. Only have one. $35.

    LP2089. Vance, Jack. Magic Highways. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Third in Subterranean’s series reprinting the early Jack Vance, gathering sixteen early science fiction stories from 1946 to 1956. $42.

    LP2090. VanderMeer, Jeff. Secret Life. Golden Gryphon, 2004. Golden Gryphon, 2004. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Short story collection. $15.

    LP801B. Waldrop, Howard (with Bruce Sterling, George R. R. Martin, Leigh Kennedy, Steven Utley, Buddy (Jake) Saunders, and A. A. (Al) Jackson, IV. Custer’s Last Jump and Other Collaborations. Golden Gryphon, 2003. First edition hardback, Fine in a Fine dj. New and unread. Signed by Waldrop, Jackson, Sterling and Utley. In addition to the swell title story, there’s an 11th century Japanese detective story written with Bruce Sterling (“The Latter Days of the Law”) original to this volume, “Black as the Pit From Pole to Pole” (Frankenstein’s Monster in the Hollow Earth, with Utley), and tons more neat stuff. Highly Recommended. You need it. $15 now, $20 after I get Howard to sign it at Worldcon, assuming it doesn’t sell out there.

    LP2091. Wellman, Manly Wade. The Complete John Thundstone. Haffner Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. All Wellman’s stories featuring his brainy/brawny psychic detective in one place. Gotta a love a scholar who has a swordcane to fight supernatural evil. Fun stuff. If you don’t already have Carcosa House’s long-out-of-print Lonely Vigils and the two Doubleday novels, What Dreams May Come and The School of Darkness, then you need this. Hell, you might need it anyway. Recommended. $42.

    LP2100. Zebrowski, George. Empties. Golden Gryphon, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Horror novel. Howard says it’s a good one. $15.

    LP2101. Zebrowski, George. Swift Thoughts. Golden Gryphon, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Short story collection, something of a a Best of from this hard SF writer. Introduction by Gregory Benford. $15.

    LP2093. Zelazny, Roger. Bridge of Ashes. Gregg Press, 1979. First hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Near Fine- dust jacket with one tiny (1/32″) chip and several small (1/16″) closed tears along bottom front, and wear at points. One of Zelazny’s less common hardbacks. Levack 2e. $49.

    Trade Paperbacks

    LP2094. Anderson, Kevin David and Sam Stall. Night of the Living Trekkies. Quirk Books, 2010. First edition trade paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with black remainder mark to top edge, otherwise Fine. Zombies at a Star Trek convention. A little divertimenti to read between chapter’s of Finnigans Wake. $5.

    LP2095. Davidson, Avram. The Wailing of the Gaulish Dead. The Nutmeg Point District Mail, 2013. Perfect-bound chapbook first edition, one of 200 copies in heavy cardstock with self-wrapper flaps and errata sheet pasted inside, a Fine copy. $22.

    LP2096. Kemp, Earl Terry. The Anthem Series: A Guide to the Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Weird Specialty Publisher’s of the Golden Age. The Last Stand, 2012. First edition trade paperback original (TPO), oversized, a Fine copy. Covers SF/F/H small press publishers from the beginning up into the early 1960s, including complete descriptions of all the contents, including plot synopsis for ever individual story! Scattershot and oddly organized, but contains lots of works that aren’t in Chalker/Ownings, as well as listing a lot of ephemera, and pictures of first edition covers compared to later covers. If you collect SF books of this period, you need it. $72.

    LP2097. (Lansdale, Joe R.) Michael Blaine, Dennis Etchison, James Kisner, Dean R. Koontz, Joe R. Lansdale, Richard Christian Matheson, Robert R. McCammon, William F. Nolan, Alan Rodgers, David B. Silva, J. N. Williamson and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. The Monitors of Providence. World Fantasy Convention, 1986. First edition chapbook original, one of 1000 copies given out at the 1986 World fantasy Convention in Providence, RI, a Fine- copy with a tiny bend to one corner. These aren’t as easy to find as they used to be… $35.

    LP2098. Mieville, China. London’s Overthrow. The Westbourne Press, 2012. First edition trade paperback original (I code on copyright page), a format every-so-slightly bigger than a mass market paperback, a Fine copy, new and unread. Appears to be a political rant with color pictures of run-down London, just shy of a hundred pages. Only have one. $25.

    LP2099. Robinson, Kim Stanley. The Best of Kim Stanley Robinson. Night Shade Books, 2011. First trade paperback edition, reprinting the hardback of the year before. $10.

    LP2113. Shaver, Richard S. The Shaver Mystery Volumes I-IV. Armchair Fiction, 2011-2013. First edition trade paperback editions, all Fine, new and unread. Collects stories and ancillary material from the “Shaver Mystery,” Shaver’s weird, strangely compelling conspiracy theory/alternate reality in which a hateful race of “deros” (“detrimental robots”) lived inside he earth, beaming mind-control rays at surface dwellers (and occasionally kidnapping them for torture, food, or sport). Shaver’s elaborate, unhinged vision brought a vast legion of cranks out of the shadows and onto the subscriber ranks of Amazing, whose editor Ray Palmer started publishing Shaver’s stories in 1947, which was to have a considerable impact on SF fandom. I doubt much of this has seen print since it’s original appearance in Amazing, or in Palmer’s subsequent The Hidden World. If you’re a connoisseur of crank literature, Shaver is up there with the whackiest. Collective list price of $52, but yours for $45.

    LP2102. Zelazny, Roger. (and Thomas T. Thomas). The Mask of Loki. Baen, 1990. Uncorrected page proofs, trade paperback format, of the paperback first edition, a Fine copy, new and unread. Don’t see another copy online. Previously part of Bob Pylant’s vast collection of Zelazny first editions. $49.

    Mass Market Paperbacks

    LP2103. Broderick, Damien. The Dreaming Dragons. Pocket Books, 1980. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy, with wear at tips, otherwise tight and square. Interesting novel about an investigation that leads to a dramatic revelation about human consciousness. Pringle, SF100 list. $7.

    LP2104. Carriger, Gail. Blameless. Orbit, 2010. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Third book in the very clever Parasol Protectorate steampunk series that started with Soulless. $10.

    LP2105. Crichton, Michael. Westworld. Bantam, 1974. Presumed first edition paperback original (no additional printings listed), an Ex-Library copy with stamps and checkout sheet inside front cover, blurb page clipped, stamp on title page, bottom 1″ of front cover starting to detach, and general wear; call it Good+, but it is structurally sound. The novelization of his own script for the “robots go crazy” thriller he directed. $10.

    LP2106. Eckert, Allan W. The Hab Theory. Popular Library, 1977. Apparent first paperback edition, preceded by the hardback, a VG copy with spine creases and lean. Well-regarded 700 page disaster novel. $10.

    LP2107. Herbert, Frank. The Worlds of Frank Herbert. Ace, 1971. First edition paperback original thus (adding one story not in the UK PBO) with no statement of printing on copyright page and 75¢ on the cover, as per Currey, a VG+ copy with stamp at heel, wear along extremities and at tips, and a pinhead sized indention/scrape to front cover. Short story collection. $5.

    LP2108. McDonald, Ian. Empire Dreams. Bantam Spectra, 1988. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine+ copy with edgewear at head, otherwise tight and square. His first short story collection, including the short version of “King of Morning, Queen of Day” and “Unfinished Portrait of the King of Pain, by van Vogh.” Recommended. $7.

    LP2109. Moon, Elizabeth. Lunar Activity. Baen, 1990. First edition paperback original, a VG+ copy with spine creasing and lean, crease along top front cover, and general wear. Short story collection. $5.

    LP2110. Moon, Elizabeth. Phases. Baen, 1997. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with one page (9/10) formerly dog-eared, otherwise apparently new and unread. Inscribed by Moon: “For Lauren/Best wishes/Elizabeth Moon.” Short story collection. $10.

    LP2111. Nolan, William F. Logan’s World. Bantam, 1977. First edition paperback original (no additional printings listed), a Near Fine copy with phantom creasing to front cover, and a few touches of general wear, but tight and square. Sequel to Logan’s Run. $10.

    LP2112. van Vogt, A. E. Masters of Time. Manor Books, 1975. Paperback reprint, Near Fine. $3.

    LP2113. Waldrop, Howard, and Jake Saunders. The Texas-Israeli War: 1999. Ballantine Books, 1974. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with a bit of bunching near spine and a small crease along outer front cover edge, otherwise a solid square copy. $10.

    Library Additions: A Major Collection of Roger Zelazny Books

    Monday, July 15th, 2013

    Bob Pylant is a major Roger Zelazny collector in Austin to whom I had sold the odd item to (like the NESFA Press Collected Zelazny volumes) over the years. Unfortunately, he suffered a car accident and had to sell some of his collection. So I went over to his house on June 13, made an offer on some choice items, and we reached an agreement.

    Which is how I spent $5,000 on Roger Zelazny books in a single day. (An amount that would go up to $5,400 when I won another item he had listed on eBay.) Several were upgrades of signed first edition hardbacks where I had either unsigned copies or Ex-Library copies.

    Bibliography
    For bibliographic details and first edition verification, I cite the following reference books:

  • Currey, L.W. Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of First Printings of Their Fiction. G. K. Hall, 1978.
  • Chalker, Jack & Owings, Mark. The Science Fantasy Publishers: A Critical and Bibliographic History. Mirage Press, 1991 (“Third Edition Revised and Enlarged”).
  • Kovacs, Christopher S. The Ides of Octember: A Pictorial Bibliography of Roger Zelazny. NESFA Press, 2010. (Note: Kovacs lists proofs, ARCs, etc. when known, so many hardback firsts are designated with the a “b” rather than an “a”.)
  • Levack, Daniel J. Amber Dreams: A Roger Zelazny Bibliography. Underwood/Miller, 1983.
  • The Zelazny Books

  • Zelazny, Roger. And the Darkness is Harsh. Pretentious Press, 1994. First edition chapbook, one of only 85 copies (of which 70 were given away for free) signed by Zelazny, with photo of the young Zelazny pasted in at front, and one sheet chapbook catalog laid in, a Fine copy. Contains the title story, “Mr. Fuller’s Revolt,” and the poem “Diet,” all taken from his high school literary magazine, where they were published when he was 16. Virtually impossible to find these days. Kovacs, VIII-1-a.

  • Zelazny, Roger and Fred Saberhagen. The Black Throne. Baen Books/SFBC, 1990 (stated; Kovacs says it actually came out in 1991). First edition hardback (book club, and the only hardback) a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed by Zelazny: “For Scott,/Best, ever/Roger Zelazny/ 11/30/91”. Supplements my unsigned copy. Kovacs, I-1-c.

  • Zelazny, Roger, and Robert Sheckley. Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming. Bantam Spectra, 1991. Uncorrected proof (trade paperback format) of the first edition, a Fine copy with slight bumping at head, with signature plate by Zelazny affixed to blurb page. Kovacs, I-14-a.

  • Zelazny, Roger, and Robert Sheckley. Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming. Bantam Spectra, 1991. First edition trade paperback original (simultaneous with the hardback), a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head, inscribed by Zelazny: “To Shirley,/Roger Zelazny.” Supplements my signed hardback copy. Kovacs, I-14-c.

  • Zelazny, Roger. The Changing Land. Del Rey, 1981. Uncorrected Proof of the paperback original first edition, a Near Fine- copy with what appears to be glue staining to the front cover (possibly from a publicity department sticker or attached sheet), and pinpoint spots of other staining, but otherwise square and unread. Supplements my signed, read paperback, and my signed/limited Underwood/Miller edition. Levack, 4a (for the PBO), Kovacs I-6-a (for the proof). See also the manuscript section below.

  • Zelazny, Roger. Creatures of Light and Darkness. Doubleday, 1969. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of age-darkening and dust staining, inscribed by Zelazny: “For Larry Woods/Roger Zelazny”. Levack, 8a. Kovacs, I-9-a. Currey, P. 570.

  • Zelazny, Roger. Damnation Alley. Doubleday, 1969. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Zelazny: “All best-/Roger Zelazny/ 10/6/79”. Levack, 9a. Kovacs, I-10-b. Currey, P. 570. Naturally I’d pick this up just after I picked up a nice unsigned copy.

  • Zelazny, Roger. The Dream Master. Ace, 1966. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with “ZELAZNY DREAM MASTER” printed at heel, previous owner’s small ownership stamp on inner cover, two small pieces of tape at same spot, bookstore stamp at rear, and the usual age darkening to pages and foxing to inner covers, otherwise tight, square and apparently unread. Signed by Zelazny. This was in a picture frame, so I missed the stamps. Supplements my signed UK hardback first. Levack, 14a. Kovacs, I-18-a. Currey, P. 570.

  • Zelazny, Roger, and Robert Sheckley. A Farce to Be Reckoned With. Bantam, 1995. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Not signed, alas. Third in the series that started with Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming. Kovacs, I-20-b.

  • Zelazny, Roger. For a Breath I Tarry. Underwood/Miller, 1980. First edition hardback, #65 of 200 signed, numbered hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with publisher’s letter included. One of my favorite Zelazny novellas. Supplements my trade paperback copy. Levack, 16a. Kovacs, VI-3-a-i. Chalker/Owings, P. 432.

  • Zelazny, Roger. The Guns of Avalon. Doubleday, 1972. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket that is ever so slightly spine-faded, but much less than usual for this orange spine, and slight wrinkling. Signed Twice by Zelazny, once on title page and once on signature plate affixed sideways on FFE. The second Amber novel. Supplements my signed Ex-Library copy. Levack, 18a. Kovacs, I-22-a. Currey, P. 570.

  • Zelazny, Roger (& Kate Wilhelm). He Who Shapes b/w The Infinity Box. Tor, 1989. First separate edition and first edition thus, a paperback original, a Fine- copy, new and unread. Signed by Zelazny. Kovacs, VI-5-a.

  • Zelazny, Roger (& Samuel R. Delany). Home is the Hangman b/w We, In Some Strange Power’s Employ, Move On a Rigorous Line. Tor, 1990. First separate edition and first edition thus, a paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Signed by Zelazny and inscribed by Delany: “Samuel R. Delany/N.Y.C./’91”. The Delany story is also something of a Zelazny pastiche, with a disguised Zelazny (“his last name was Z-something unpronounceable”) as one of the main characters. Kovacs, VI-8-a.

  • Zelazny, Roger. The Last Defender of Camelot. Underwood/Miller, 1980. First edition hardback, #5 of only 35 numbered hardbacks with a signed bookplate pasted onto the copyright page, a Fine- copy with wear at edges. Just the story (making it different from the next item), and far and away Zelazny’s scarcest hardback (even more so than Nine Princes in Amber). This is the one I bought for $400 off eBay. Levack, 23b. Kovacs, VIII-4-b (also II-132-d). Chalker/Owings, P. 432. See also the manuscript section below.

  • Zelazny, Roger. The Last Defender of Camelot. Pocket Books, 1980. Uncorrected proof of the paperback first edition, a Fine copy. Levack, 24a (for paperback edition). Kovacs, V-15-a (for proof).

  • Zelazny, Roger. The Last Defender of Camelot. Underwood/Miller, 1981. First limited (and non-book club) hardback edition, #6 of 333 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Short story collection. Includes stories not in the Pocket Books or SFBC editions. Supplements my signed SFBC edition. Levack, 24c. Kovacs, V-16-a-i. Chalker/Owings, P. 433.

  • Zelazny, Roger (as editor). Nebula Award Stories Three. Doubleday, 1968. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine-, completely unfaded white dust jacket with extremely minor wrinkling at head, with small Zelazny signature plate affixed to bottom inner flap of dust jacket. Nigh on impossible to find with the dust jacket this bright, much less signed. And most of the stories are pretty good as well!

  • Zelazny, Roger, and Alfred Bester. Psychoshop. Vintage, 1998. Uncorrected proof of the trade paperback first edition, a Fine copy. Kovacs, V-36-a.

  • Zelazny, Roger. Today We Choose Faces Signet, 1974. First edition paperback original (and trickier than usual to identify; it says “First Printing, April, 1973” at the bottom, but “FIRST PRINTING/SECOND PRINTING/”etc. through “TENTH PRINTING” above it), a Fine- copy with a touch of edgewear. Signed by Zelazny. Supplements a signed copy of the UK hardback first. Levack, 35a. Kovacs, I-41-a. Currey, P. 571.

  • Zelazny, Roger. To Die in Italbar. Doubleday, 1973. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ copy with foxing along gutters and in a large rectangle on FFE where I presume the signed bookplate of the exact same size and shape now affixed to the title page once resided, in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with slight dust staining to rear white cover, and a bit of wear at points. Sequel to Isle of the Dead, and one of my least favorite Zelazny novels (which is why I waited until I had pretty much everything else to pick it up). Levack, 37a. Kovacs, I-42-a. Currey, P. 571.

  • Zelazny, Roger and Neil Randall. Roger Zelazny’s Visual Guide to Castle Amber. Avon/SFBC, 1988. First edition hardback (book club; the only hardback edition), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Zelazny. What the title says. Lots of illustrations and maps. Kovacs, X-14-b.

  • Zelazny, Roger. This Immortal. Ace, 1966. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine+ copy with small phantom creases to font and rear cover, a trace of edgewear along spine, and usual slight age darkening to pages and foxing of interior covers, otherwise square. Signed by Zelazny. Hugo Winner for Best Novel (tied with frank Herbert’s Dune), Nebula finalist. Levack, 34a. Kovacs, I-40-a. Currey, P. 571.

  • Zelazny, Roger. Wizard World. Baen, 1989. First edition paperback original thus, being an omnibus edition of Changeling and Madwand, a Fine copy, new and unread. Signed by Zelazny and cover artist David Mattingly. Kovacs, I-5-e-1

  • (Zelazny, Roger) Levack, Daniel J. Amber Dreams: A Roger Zelazny Bibliography. Underwood/Miller, 1983. First edition hardback, one of 200 signed hardbound copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Comparing the signed edition (left) to the unsigned edition (right), they seem printed in slightly different colors; the signed is more green, and the unsigned more yellow. The uniformity of tone in each makes me doubt either is the result of fading. Kovacs, XIII-1-a-1. Chalker/Owings, P. 435.

  • Zelazny Manuscripts/Etc.

    Note: Bob carefully inserted each page of manuscript or correspondence into clear page protectors with 2-ring binder tabs.

  • Zelazny, Roger. The Changing Land. 340 page typesetting copy of the original manuscript for the Del Rey edition, with Zelazny’s hand corrections and typesetting notes, as well as ancillary editorial material, original bill of sale, catalog description, and letter of provenance from L. W. Currey.
  • Zelazny, Roger. “The Last Defender of Camelot”. Roger Zelazny’s original story manuscript, 24 pages typed (many of which are typed on the back of sheets of scrap paper), with numerous hand corrections by Zelazny, along with a few pages of ancillary material. Each sheet is in a plastic sheet protector in a three-ring binder. Also in the binder is what appears to be a copy of the hand-corrected manuscript for “Stand Pat, Ruby Stone.”

  • Zelazny, Roger (adapted and illustrated by James Zimmerman). The Last Defender of Camelot. Zim Graphics, 1993. First edition of the graphic novel adaptation in cardstock covers, #5 of 25 copies signed on the cover by Roger Zelazny, and #5 of 200 copies signed by Zimmerman, a Fine copy. Something to drive Zelazny completists crazy! Kovacs, II-133-a and VI-10-a.

  • Zelazny, Roger. “Unicorn Variations”. Zelazny’s original story manuscript, 37 typed pages, with hand corrections by Zelazny and type-setting instructions undoubtedly added by the staff of Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, where the story appeared (the manuscripts for my own stories that appeared in Asimov’s came back marked up the same way). Each sheet in a plastic sheet protector in a three-ring binder, along with a few pages of ancillary material.

  • Roger Zelazny’s Professional Correspondence Archive. Two huge three-ring binders containing copies of all Zelazny’s outgoing letters, from about 1970 through 1981, plus the originals of incoming correspondence to him. Includes letters to him from Robert A. Heinlein, Thomas Disch, Lloyd Biggle, Jr., Marion Zimmer Bradley, George R. R. Martin, Fredric Pohl, Connie Willis, Pat Cadigan, Jack Dann, Lisa Goldstein, David Bischoff, John F. Carr, Ellen Kushner (rejecting a story!), Bruce McAllister, Victor Milan, Michael Stackpole, Reginald Bretnor, Phyllis Eisenstein, Thomas Canty (plus art proofs), Judy-Lynn Del Rey, Jim Baen, Byron Preiss, Jim Turner, David Hartwell, Jim Frenkel, Mike Ashley, George Scithers, Gerry de la Ree, Glenn Lord, Bob Frazier, (among many others), and a telegram from Philip K. Dick (with Zelazny’s scrawled notes from the ensuing telephone conversation). Plus other letters from agents, editors, academics, Hollywood functionaries, and random fans. Plus some SFWA Forums and convention program books Zelazny had material in. According to Bob, L. W. Currey got the archive as part of a purchase from the Zelazny estate. Since Bob had bought a number of expensive items from him in the past (some listed here), he said “Look, Bob, I don’t want to catalog all this. Let me sell it to you as a lot.” Which is how Bob got it.

  • Non-Zelazny Books

    Bob did have a few non-Zelazny books I picked up.

  • Banks, Iain. Against A Dark Background. Orbit, 1993. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Banks. Replaces an unsigned copy.
  • Banks, Iain. Consider Phlebas. Macmillan, 1987. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Signed by Banks. Replaces an unsigned copy.
  • Powers, Tim. The Anubis Gates. Mark V. Ziesing, 1989. First American hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Already had inscribed firsts of the PBO, and the UK first hardback editions, as well as the copy of the original hand-written manuscript in the ultralimited edition of the Berlyne Power bibliography. I picked up this to complete my Mark V. Ziesing collection…
  • Vance, Jack. The Best of Jack Vance. Taplinger, 1978. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine, slightly dust soiled/age darkened dust jacket.
  • I also made two mistakes: Picking up a proof of Zelazny and Thomas T. Thomas’ The Mask of Loki (forgot I already had a signed proof) and a signed hardback first of Iain Banks’ Excession (already had one). Those will be offered in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, which I’ll start working on right after I post this.

    Roger Zelazny Books I Still Lack

    Believe it or not, this doesn’t actually complete my Zelazny collection, as there are still a few odds and ends I don’t have, mainly in edited works and works about Zelazny. Some aren’t particularly hard to find, I just haven’t picked them up yet.

  • The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth (Pulphouse hardback of just that story)
  • Home is the Hangman (SFBC, 1996)
  • Trumps of Doom (Underwood Miller, 1985)
  • (with Thomas T. Thomas) Flare (Baen, 1992, paperback original)
  • (as editor) The Williamson Effect (Tor, 1996)
  • (as editor) Wheel of Fortune (AvoNova, 1995, paperback original)
  • Greenberg, Martin H., editor. Lord of the Fantastic: Stories in Honor of Roger Zelazny (Avon Eos, 1998)
  • Lindskold, Jane. Roger Zelazny. Twayne, 1992.
  • Sanders, Joseph L. Roger Zelazny: A Primary and Secondary Bibliography (G. K. Hall, 1982)
  • Yoke, Karl B. Roger Zelazny: Starmont Reader’s Guide (Borgo Press (Library binding hardback), 1979)
  • Yoke, Karl B. Roger Zelazny and Andre Norton: Proponents of Individualism (State University of Ohio, 1979)
  • Library Additions: January 1, 2013—June 13, 2013

    Thursday, June 20th, 2013

    Time for another roundup of the books I’ve bought over the lat (roughly) half year. (Why June 13 rather than the end of the month? Because I’ve just purchased a large Roger Zelazny collection I have yet to catalog, and I want to get all this out of the way and posted before I start cataloging that.)

    As always, all books listed here are Fine first edition hardbacks in Fine dust jackets unless otherwise noted.

  • Anderson, Poul. Homebrew. NESFA Press, 1976. First edition hardback, one of 500 copies signed by Anderson (Currey B, no priority), a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of dust patterning to rear dust jacket. Currey (1978), pages 10-11. Three short stories plus miscellany.

  • Ashley, Mike, editor. Steampunk. Fall River Press, 2011. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Anthology.
  • Asimov, Isaac. Foundations Edge. Whispers Press, 1982. First limited edition (consensus seems to be that the Doubleday trade edition precedes by about a month), #282 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in quarter-bound leather over embossed cloth boards, top edge gilded in real gold, sans dust jacket, as issued. Hugo winner and Nebula Finalist. Chalker/Owings, p. 476. Bought off the Internet for $160.

  • Asimov, Isaac and Theodosius Dobzhansky. The Genetic Effects of Radiation. U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, 1966. Presumed first edition chapbook (no additional printings listed), a Near Fine copy with slight dust soiling and age darkening to covers, and phantom crease to bottom corner. Non-fiction pamphlet. Marjorie M. Miller, Asimov: A Checklist, page 48.

  • Baker, Kage and Kathleen Bartholomew. Nell Gwynnes’s At Land and At Sea. Subterranean Press, 2013.
  • Baxter, Stephen. Gravity Dreams. PS Publishing, 2011. First edition hardback, #17 of 100 signed, numbered copies, Fine in a Fine dust jacket.
  • Benford, Gregory. At the Double Solstice. Cheap Street, 1986. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy, in original mailing envelope. Chalker/Owings, page 108, which lists this copy (with publisher’s greetings on (unnumbered) page 23) as one of 60 copies thus, one of apparently four states.

  • Benford, Gregory. Time’s Rub. Cheap Street, 1984. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy, in original mailing envelope. Chalker/Owings, page 107, which lists this copy (with publisher’s greetings on (unnumbered) page 19) as one of 73 copies thus, one of apparently four states.

  • Bishop, Michael and Steven Utley, editors. Passing for Human. PS Publishing, 2009. First edition hardback, #189 of 200 numbered copies signed by all the contributors, supposedly in a slipcase, but this copy actually came in a traycase, Fine in a Fine dust jacket and traycase.
  • Bok, Hannes. Bok 1. Glenn Nigra, 1975. Portfolio with 12 loose Hannes Bok illustration sheets, portfolio folder Fine- with bumping to corners, all illustrations Fine. Uneven shading in pic is a scanner artifact, as the portfolio folder is actually slightly too large to fit on the scanner.

  • Bradbury, Ray. Nemo! Subterranean Press, 2013.
  • Buekes, Lauren. The Shining Girls. Umuzi (South Africa), 2013. First edition hardback, #224 of 1000 copies signed and numbered by the author, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Precedes both UK and U.S. editions.

  • Dann. Jack. Insinuations. PS Publishing, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 100 signed, numbered copies (my number could either be 04, 14, or 64), Fine in a Fine dust jacket. Autobiography (non-fiction).
  • Davidson, Avram. The Beasts of the Elysian Fields by Conrad Amber. The Nutmeg Point District Mail, 2001. First edition chapbook, Fine.

  • Davidson, Avram. The Wailing of the Gaulish Dead The Nutmeg Point District Mail, 2013. Perfect-bound chapbook first edition, one of 200 copies in heavy cardstock with self-wrapper flaps and errata sheet pasted inside, a Fine copy. I’ll have copies for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

  • De Camp, L. Sprague, and Fletcher Pratt. The Carnelian Cube. Gnome Press, 1948. First edition hardback, a Very Good+ copy with bumping at head and heel and wear at heel and tips, and slight dust soiling at head, in a Very Good- dust jacket with 1/4″ loss at head, and slightly less loss at heel and tips, significant fading to red ink on spine (the cube is barely carnelian anymore), partial stamp on rear flap, top front (non-price) flap trimmed at very tip, and general wear. The first Gnome Press book. Chalker & Owings, page 197. Earl Terry Kemp, The Anthem Series (see below), page 191. Currey (1978), page 132.

    Really only a placeholder copy, and I wouldn’t even have picked it up if it hadn’t been part of a lot with:

  • De Camp, L. Sprague, and Fletcher Pratt. Land of Unreason. Henry Holt and Company, 1942. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ plus copy, with slight bumping at head and heel and slight dust soiling to page block at heel, in a Near Fine dust jacket with age darkening to rear cover. A very nice copy, and a splendid example of the Boris Artzybasheff dust jacket. Bought for $34 for this and the above (plus shipping and buyers premium) off Heritage Auctions.

  • DeVore, Chuck. The Texas Model: Prosperity in the Lone Star State and Lessons for America. Texas Public Policy Foundation, 2012. Trade Paperback Original, Fine. Inscribed by the author. Non-fiction.
  • Dick, Philip K. The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick volume 3: On the Dull Earth. Subterranean, 2012.
  • Dick, Philip K./Howard L. Cory. The Unteleported Man/The Mind Monsters. Ace, 1966. First edition paperback original (PBO) (Ace Double G-602, 50¢ price on cover), a Near Fine copy with faint spine crease, touches of edgewear, a few dog-eared pages, and slighting foxing. Levack, PKD, 43a. Currey, page 159.
  • Dick, Philip K. The Unteleported Man. Berkley, 1983. First edition paperback original thus, with previously unpublished original ending, VG+ with spine creasing.
  • Di Filippo, Paul. Roadside Bodhisattva. PS Publishing, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 100 signed copies in traycase.

  • Ellis, Novalyne Price. One Who Walked Alone: Robert E. Howard: The Final Years. Donald M. Grant, 1986. Non-fiction. Basis of the movie The Whole Wide World.

  • Ellison, Harlan. The Deadly Streets. Edgeworks Abbey/Subterranean Press, 2013. First hardback edition. One of 750 trade copies.
  • Ellison, Harlan. Gentlemen Junkie. Edgeworks Abbey/Subterranean Press, 2013. First hardback edition. One of 750 trade copies.
  • Fanthorpe, R. L. (as Pel Torro). Galaxy 666. Tower Books, 1968. First American paperback edition, a Fine- copy with a touch of edgewear and a penciled letter at head. Reported to be the worst science fiction novel ever professionally published.
  • Gaiman, Neil. Day of the Dead: An Annotated Babylon 5 Script. DreamHaven Book, 1998. First edition trade paperback original, Fine. Bought for $1.
  • Gingrich, Newt. To Renew America. Harper Collins, 1995. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket with crease to front inner flap. Inscribed to me by the author. Non-fiction.
  • Haldeman, Joe. The Best of Joe Haldeman. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, #147 of 250 signed, numbered copies.
  • Haldeman, Joe. The Best of Joe Haldeman. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, trade edition.
  • Howard, Robert E. Lord of the Dead. Donald M. Grant, 1981.
  • Kemp, Earl Terry. The Anthem Series: A Guide to the Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Weird Specialty Publisher’s of the Golden Age. The Last Stand, 2012. First edition trade paperback edition, oversized, a Fine copy (or it was before I started reading it). Non-fiction. I’ll try to finish a review of this in the near future.

  • Kinsella, W. P. Shoeless Joe. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1982. First edition hardback, a Near Fine- copy with a trace of spine lean and faint dust soiling at heel in a Fine- dust jacket with a thin line of very slight discoloration at the very top. Locke, Spectrum of Fantasy Three, page 49.
  • Klaw, Rick, editor. The Apes of Wrath. Tachyon, 2013. Trade paperback original, Fine. Inscribed to me by the author.
  • Lake, Jay (with illustrations by Frank Wu). Greetings From Lake Wu. Traife Buffet, 2006. First hardback edition, one of 250 copies signed by the author and illustrator, a Fine copy in decorated boards and cut-out slipcase, sans dust jacket, as issued. Contents differ considerably from 2003 trade edition. When this originally came out I thought “$150 for 250 signed, numbered copies? That’s a reasonable price point…for a Neil Gaiman limited.” (Sorry, Jay.) I picked this up for $30.

  • Lansdale, Joe R. Dead Aim. Subterranean Press, 2013. One of 400 signed, numbered copies.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. Dead Aim. Subterranean Press, 2013. Trade edition.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. (writing as Ray Slater). Texas Night Riders. Chivers Press/Curley Publishing, 1991. First hardback edition (preceded by the 1983 Leisure Books paperback original), an ex-library copy with minimal markings (a stamp on front free endpaper), otherwise VG in decorated boards with bumping along extremities, sans dust jacket, as issued. Part of the Large Print Atlantic Western line. Hankow, A Checklist of Joe R. Lansdale, A3b.

  • (Lansdale, Joe R.) Michael Blaine, Dennis Etchison, James Kisner, Dean R. Koontz, Joe R. Lansdale, Richard Christian Matheson, Robert R. McCammon, William F. Nolan, Alan Rodgers, David B. Silva, J. N. Williamson and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. The Monitors of Providence. World Fantasy Convention, 1986. First edition chapbook original, one of 1000 copies given out at the 1986 World fantasy Convention in Providence, RI, a Fine copy.

  • Leiber, Fritz. In the Beginning. Cheap Street, 1983. First edition hardback, #67 of 128 copies of the “Collectors’ Edition” signed by both Leiber and illustrator Alicia Austin (there were also 10 lettered collector’s copies, and 7 lettered and 32 number publisher’s copies), a Fine copy, in full cloth with title labels pasted on front and spine, sans dust jacket, as issued, with prospectus laid in. Chalker/Ownings, pages 106-107.

  • Ligotti, Thomas. The Agonizing Resurrection of Victor Frankenstein & Other Gothic Tales. Silver Salamander Press, 1994. First edition hardback, number 116 of 125 hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with small black and white art plate laid in. Bought for $200, marked down from $400, from the Half Price Books on 183 with their 50% off coupon (I showed up when the door opened). Probably the rarest Ligotti hardback. (Evidently the hardback state of The Silver Scarab Press edition of Songs From a Dead Dreamer is spurious; proof yet again you can’t completely trust Chalker & Ownings.)

  • (Lovecraft, H. P.) Burleson, Donald R. H.P. Lovecraft: A Critical Study. Greenwood Press, 1983. Non-fiction.
  • (Lovecraft, H. P.) Price, Robert M., editor. Worlds of Cthulhu. Fedogan & Breamer, 2012. Cthulhu Mythos anthology. Good to see Fedogan & Breamer wake from their deathless slumbers. I’ll have copies of this for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
  • MacLeod, Ian R. Wake Up and Dream. PS Publishing, 2011. First edition hardback, #38 of 100 signed, numbered copies, Fine in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase.
  • McKillip, Patricia A. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Atheneum, 1974. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with bend at head and heel in a Near Fine- dust jacket with crimping at head and heel, edgewear and a closed 1/4″ tear at top front cover. The very first winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. Pringle, Modern Fantasy 100, #54. Bought for $26 off the Internet.

  • Martin, George R. R. (and Roger Zelazny). The Last Defender of Camelot. Subterranean Press, 2003. First edition chapbook, a Fine copy, new and unread. Includes Martin’s teleplay for the revived Twilight Zone as well as Zelazny’s original story. Evidently done as part of the slipcased edition of Martin’s GRRM career retrospective collection.

  • McCammon, Robert. I Travel By Night. Subterranean Press, 2013. Trade edition.
  • McCammon, Robert. I Travel By Night. Subterranean Press, 2013. #306 of 474 signed, numbered copies. The trade edition precedes by about 8 weeks.
  • Moorcock, Michael. Epic Pooh. British Fantasy Society, 1978. First edition chapbook, Fine- with tiny bit of creasing to bottom outer corner tip. Non-fiction.

  • Moorcock, Michael. Wizardry and Wild Romance. Gollancz, 1987. Non-fiction.
  • Novik, Naomi. Empire of Ivory. Harper Voyager, 2007. First hardback edition; the U.S. edition, which I have, is a PBO that precedes by a month. The fourth Temeraire, and since I have the rest in hardback, and just read the third one, I thought it was high time to pick this up…
  • Potter, J. K. (William Schafer and Bill Sheehan, editors). Embrace the Mutation. Subterranean Press, 2002. First edition hardback, one of 250 copies signed by the artist and editors. Anthology of stories based on Potter’s work.
  • Powers, Tim. Salvage and Demolition. Subterranean Press, 2013. One of 350 signed, numbered copies.
  • Powers, Tim. Salvage and Demolition. Subterranean Press, 2013. Trade edition.
  • Resnick, Mike. Lucifer Jones. Warner Questar, 1992. First edition paperback original this, a Fine- copy with just a trace of wear at tips.
  • Russell, Eric frank. The Space Willies b/w Six Worlds Yonder. Ace Books, 1958. Paperback reprint, VG with spine creasing and wear.
  • Scalzi, John. Redshirts. Tor, 2012. Bought for half cover price at Half Price Books.
  • Simmons, Dan. The Guiding Nose of Ulfänt Banderōz. Subterranean Press, 2013. First separate hardback edition, #179 of 250 signed, numbered copies.
  • Simmons, Dan. The Guiding Nose of Ulfänt Banderōz. Subterranean Press, 2013. First separate hardback edition. Trade edition.
  • Smith, Clark Ashton. The Tartarus of the Suns. Roy A. Squires, 1970. First edition thread-bound chapbook, a Fine copy in envelope. The Fugitive Poems, First Fascicle, Zothique Edition. This is copy 105. Donald Sydney-Fryer, Emperor of Dreams: A Clark Ashton Smith Bibliography, P. 140. Chalker Owings, P. 588.

  • Smith, Clark Ashton. The Titans in Tartarus. Roy A. Squires, 1974. First edition thread-bound chapbook, a Fine copy in envelope. The Fugitive Poems, Second Series, First Volume, Xigarph edition. This is copy 30 of the “small” edition (as opposed to the “manuscript” sized edition). Donald Sydney-Fryer, Emperor of Dreams: A Clark Ashton Smith Bibliography, P. 140. Chalker Owings, P. 589.

  • (Smith, Clark Ashton) Sidney-Fryer, Donald. Clark Ashton Smith: The Sorcerer Departs. Tsathoggua Press, 1997. First edition chapbook, Fine-. A critical miscellany, plus one poem by Smith.

  • (Smith, Clark Ashton). The Tales of Clark Ashton Smith: A Bibliography. Thomas C. L. Cockcoft, 1951. First edition chapbook, one of 500 copies, Near Fine- with a few small spots of soiling, phantom crease to rear dust jacket, and age darkening. Non-fiction. Currey (1978), P. 455. Tymn Schlobin Currey, A Research Guide to Science Fiction Studies, 323. A very early Clark Ashton Smith bibliography. Not as useful as I hoped it would be.

  • Smith, Michael Marshall (translation and re-translation by Benoît Domis and Nicholas Royle). The Gist. Subterranean Press, 2013. One of 300 signed, numbered copies. Literary experiment in which a story by Smith is translated into French, and then translated back.
  • Smith, Michael Marshall (translation and re-translation by Benoît Domis and Nicholas Royle). The Gist. Subterranean Press, 2013. Trade edition.
  • Smith, Reginald. Weird Tales in the Thirties. Self published, no date (but 1966). First edition, 8 1/2″ x 11″ side-stapled, mimeographed from typewritten copy, Near Fine- copy with small abrasion at top front, and slight bend to front and rear self-covers. Long essay about the magazine. Joshi, H. P. Lovecraft: An Annotated Bibliography, III-D-574.

  • Stableford, Brian. Optiman. DAW, 1980. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with a few pinpoint rubs.
  • Swanwick, Michael. It Came Upon a Midnight. Dragonstairs Press, 2011. First edition chapbook original, #81 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine- copy with one faint stray mark to front.

  • Swanwick, Michael. Midwinter Elves. Dragonstairs Press, 2012. First edition chapbook original, #15 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine- copy with small stain on rear.

  • Vance, Jack. The Avatar’s Apprentice. Sadlark Press, 2011. First edition chapbook, one of 30 copies printed from photopolymer plates, a Fine copy, new and unread. According to the publisher “I collected all the excerpts from the five Demon Princes novels that dealt with the Avatar’s Apprentice: Scroll from the Ninth Dimension, and put them into one book. I letterpress printed, illustrated, and hand bound an edition of thirty-five. I used photopolymer to print all the text and images in this book.” I’ve comfirmed with the publisher via email that the edition is actually the 30 stated on the limitation page at back.

  • Vance, Jack. The Eyes of the Overworld. Gregg Press, 1977. First hardback edition, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Sequel to The Dying Earth featuring Cugel the Clever. Precedes the Underwood/Miller edition. Hewett, A26g. Currey (1978), page 498.

  • Vance, Jack (writing as Ellery Queen). Four Men Called John. Gollancz Detection, 1976. First hardback edition a Fine- copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of crimping at head, and a few faint invisible, non-breaking surface scratches. Hewett, A14j. Actually, Jerry Hewett was the one who picked this up for me, since he knew I was looking for it…

  • Vance, Jack. Magic Highways. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback. Omnibus.
  • Vance, Jack. Strange Notions with The Dark Ocean. Underwood/Miller, 1985. First edition hardbacks, number 47 of 500 signed (Strange Notions only, as issued), numbered sets in slipcase, Fine, sans dust jackets, as issued. Mystery novels. Hewett, A75 and A76.

  • Vance, Jack. To Live Forever. Ballantine books, 1956. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Near Fine- dust jacket with slight spine fading and tiny (1/32″) chipping at head and heel. Signed by Vance. Currey (1978), page 500, A1 (dark blue) binding. Hewett, A4ab.

  • Varley, John. Good-bye, Robinson Crusoe and Other Stories. Subterranean Press, 2013. First edition hardback, #146 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies.
  • Vinge, Vernor. Children of the Sky. Tor, 2011
  • Waldrop, Howard. Strange Things in Closeup. Legend, 1989. Trade paperback original, Near Fine- with slight spine crease and the usual age darkening to the paper (ubiquitous for Orbit/Legend books of this era).
  • Wellman, Manly Wade. The Complete John Thunstone. Haffner Press, 2012.
  • (Wells, H. G.) William J. Scheick and J. Randolph Cox. H. G. Wells: A Reference Guide. G. L. Hall & Co., 1988. Fine-, with tiny crimps at head and heel, sans dust jacket, as issued.
  • Williams, Tad. Diary of a Dragon. Subterranean Press, 2013. Trade paperback chapbook first edition, #86 of 750 signed, numbered copies.
  • Wilson, Robert Charles. Vortex. Tor, 2011.
  • Wolfe, Gary K. American Science Fiction: Nine Classic Novels of the 1950s. The Library of America, 2012. First Edition hardback thus, being a two volume compilation of some of the best American SF novels of the 1950s: Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth’s The Space Merchants, Theodore Sturgeon’s More Than Human, Leigh Brackett’s The Long Tomorrow, Richard Matheson’s The Shrinking Man, Robert A. Heinlein’s Double Star, Alfred Bester’s The Stars My Destination, James Blish’s A Case of Conscience, Algis Budrys’ Who?, and Fritz Leiber’s The Big Time, both volumes Fine in Fine dust jackets, new and unread, in a Fine slipcase. This is an example of book collecting madness, since I either have first editions of, or have already read, all the books here except Who?, but I thought this was a handsome set when it came out, and snapped this up when it showed up at Half Price Books.

  • (Wolfe, Gene) Andre-Driussi, Michael. Gate of Horn, Book of Silk. Sirius Press, 2012. Non-fiction.

  • (Wolfe, Gene) Fawcett, Bill and J.E. Mooney, editors. Shadows of the New Sun: Stories in Honor of Gene Wolfe. Tor, 2013. Uncorrected proof (trade paperback format) of the first edition, Fine.

  • Wyly, Sam and Andrew. Texas Got It Right! Melcher Media, 2012. Trade Paperback Original, Fine. Non-fiction.
  • Zelazny, Roger. Damnation Alley. Putnam, 1969. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a tiny bit of edgewear along top front. Levack, Amber Dreams, 9a. Currey (1978), page 570.

  • Zelazny, Roger and Robert Sheckley. If At Faust You Don’t Succeed. Bantam, 1993. Uncorrected proof (trade paperback format) of the trade paperback original first edition, Fine, new and unread.

  • Zivkovic, Zoran. The Ghostwriter. PS Publishing, 2012. #44 of 100 signed, numbered copies. Fine in a Fine dust jacket.
  • Recent Library Acquisitions: A Few Random Interesting Books

    Tuesday, February 12th, 2013

    No particular theme, just a few books fellow science fiction bibliophiles might find of interest.

  • Anderson, Poul. Homebrew. NESFA Press, 1976. First edition hardback, one of 500 copies signed by Anderson (Currey B, no priority), a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of dust patterning to rear dust jacket. Currey (1978), pages 10-11. Three short stories plus miscellany.

  • Asimov, Isaac and Theodosius Dobzhansky. The Genetic Effects of Radiation. U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, 1966. Presumed first edition chapbook (no additional printings listed), a Near Fine copy with slight dust soiling and age darkening to covers, and phantom crease to bottom corner. Non-fiction pamphlet. Marjorie M. Miller, Asimov: A Checklist, page 48.

  • Smith, Reginald. Weird Tales in the Thirties. Self published, no date (but 1966). First edition, 8 1/2″ x 11″ side-stapled, mimeographed from typewritten copy, Near Fine- copy with small abrasion at top front, and slight bend to front and rear self-covers. Long essay about the magazine. Joshi, H. P. Lovecraft: An Annotated Bibliography, III-D-574.

  • Vance, Jack. Strange Notions with The Dark Ocean. Underwood/Miller, 1985. First edition hardbacks, number 47 of 500 signed (Strange Notions only, as issued), numbered sets in slipcase, Fine, sans dust jackets, as issued. Mystery novels. Hewett, A75 and A76.

  • Zelazny, Roger. Damnation Alley. Putnam, 1969. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a tiny bit of edgewear along top front. Levack, 9a. Currey (1978), page 570.

  • Lame Excuse BooksJune/July 2012 Catalog

    Sunday, July 15th, 2012

    It’s time once again for “Lawrence throws up the latest book lists on the blog without any formatting.” All the books listed below are for sale. The main Lame Excuse Books page can be found here.

    Hardbacks

    LP1247. Attanasio, A. A. Radix. William Morrow and Company, 1981. First edition hardback, an Ex-Library copy, some of the usual flaws (see Ex-Library Note), including stamps on all three edges, interior stamps and dj protector remnants inside front and rear covers, a slight bit of spine lean, and a slight bit of wear at heel; however, the dust jacket is in Near Fine shape, with moderate, slightly uneven (from a successful sticker removal that left no other signs) sunfading to spine, but otherwise complete and very attractive. Spine out, there is no sign this is an Ex-Library copy. The true first hardback edition of Attanasio’s first book (and a Nebula Finalist), and very uncommon thus (reportedly only 1000 hardbacks were done). This was my own personal copy until I recently obtained an non Ex-Lib copy. Fine/Fine copies go for north of $1000; of post-1980 SF from a major US publisher, probably only Ender’s Game goes for more. $200.

    LP1935. Baker, Kage. The Best of Kage Baker. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. 500 pages. Only have one. $37.

    LP1936. Baker, Kage. Black Projects, White Knights. Golden Gryphon Press, 2002. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Company stories. Back in stock. Only have one. $17.

    LP9. Barnes, John. The Man Who Pulled Down the Sky. Congdon & Weed, 1986. First edition hardback Fine/Fine-, with some slight rubbing to back cover and the usual age darkening of the pages. One of the more desirable titles in the Asimov Presents line. $12.

    LP1937. Barrett, Neal. Perpetuity Blues. Golden Gryphon, 2000. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Some fine, fun, weird stories in here: “Ginny Sweethips Flying Circus,” “Highbrow,” etc. If you haven’t read it, you need to, by the guy both Joe R. Lansdale and Howard Waldrop look up to. Recommended. $15.

    LP1938. Barrett, Neal. Prince of Christler-Coke. Golden Gryphon, 2004. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Original novel. $15.

    LP883. Baxter, Stephen. Flux. Harper Collins, 1993. First edition hardback, an Ex-Library copy in a library binding with reinforced gutters, library card (loosely attached) to FFE, stickers on FFE and copyright page, slight page yellowing, and slight wear on the corners of the dj and one 1/8″ closed tear on dj back; probably a VG/F- copy were it not for the Ex-Lib markings. There are no external stamps on the book itself, and no Ex-Lib marks at all on the dj. A Xeelee novel set among the inhabitants of a neutron star. A fairly nice space-filler copy of Baxter’s fourth novel, and a very nice copy of the dj. $49.

    LP1939. Bear, Elizabeth. ad eternum. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, one of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Part of her New Amsterdam series. Also included in this edition is the 9,000 word chapbook Underground. $42.

    LP1588. Bear, Greg. The City at the End of Time. Gollancz, 2008 (true first, precedes the Del Rey edition by three weeks). First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket, with corners, head and heel all slightly bumped, otherwise new and unread. I was going to send this back, but at Worldcon Greg told me that these were all but impossible to find. Even the UK trade paperbacks are already into third printings. $35.

    LP1940. Bishop, Michael. The Door Gunner and Other Perilous Flights of Fancy. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, one of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Only for customers on this list, and only while supplies last, you can have this LTD edition at the price of the trade edition. $45.

    LP386. Bishop, Michael. No Enemy But Time. Timescape, 1982. First edition hardback, an ex-library copy with all the usual flaws, otherwise G+/VG+, with spine leaned and rolled, wear to top and bottom boards, internal mends, leaves starting to loosen (and some mended), and some water rippling or spotting to a few interior pages. A well read copy, but a true first of his Nebula winner. Not too bad spine out, an adequate space filler or reading copy. Signed by Bishop. $5.

    LP1250. Bleiler, Richard, editor. Science Fiction Writers: Second Edition. Charles Scribner’s Son, 1999. Second printing of the second edition, hardback, a Fine- copy with some faint scratches and rubs to (mostly) the rear cover (not uncommon in a reference work this large), sans dj, as issued. Update by Bleiler the Younger of the first edition, which was edited by his father E. F. Bleiler. Looks like a very solid reference work with many very knowledgeable contributors (including Brian Stableford and David Langford, among many others). Larger than usual book, so $7 domestic shipping and considerably more than usual overseas. Originally published at $115. Your price: $15.

    LP1589. Blish, James. Black Easter. Doubleday, 1968. First edition hardback (code J21 on page 165), a Near Fine copy with a tiny bit of spine lean and a tiny bit of wear at heel and a tiny stain on page 165, in a Near Fine, off-white dust jacket with very slight age darkening of spine and tiny, faint spotting at inner flap edges, with corresponding very faint discoloration in a vertical line along front and rear free endpapers matching the dj flap edges (possibly from non-acid-free paper in the dj), but absolutely no chips or tears; a very attractive copy. The first part of the second volume of the After Such Knowledge thematic trilogy, and a very good book in it’ own right. A rich arms merchant conspires to loose all the demons of Hell on Earth for a single day. One of Blish’s best. Fantasy 100 Best List, Modern Fantasy 100 Best list. $65.

    LP1625. Bloch, Robert (Gahan Wilson). Skeleton in the Closet, and Other Stories (The Reader’s Bloch Volume 2). Subterranean Press, 2008. First edition hardback, one of only 750 copies, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dj, as issued, new and unread. More uncollected Bloch. Illustrated by Gahan Wilson. $33.

    LP1941. Bloch, Robert. Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper. Subterranean Press, 2011. First edition thus, one of 750 hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Collects all Bloch’s Jack the Ripper-related material together in one place for the first time. Out of print from the publisher. Cover price, but I only have one. $40.

    LP1942. Brackett, Leigh. Shannach: The Last Farewell to Mars. Haffner Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. Another hefty, bug-crushing collection of stories from Haffner Press. I’m reading some Leigh Brackett right now, and she had lots of swell Golden Age imagery and action. $37.

    LP1943. Buckell, Tobias. Crystal Rain. Tor, 2006. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with the tiniest bit of crimping at heel, otherwise apparently new and unread. His very novel, and quite a good one, depicting a world settled by people of Caribbean decent caught in the middle of a war between two different types of aliens, each pretending to be different types of Gods. Recommended. $15.

    LP1944. Campbell, John. A New Dawn: The Complete Don A. Stewart Stories. NESFA Press, 2003. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a slight wrinkle top front, top of front inner flap, and a phantom crease on inner front flap, otherwise apparently new and unread. Includes “Who Goes There?” and “Twilight,” among many others. (No, not THAT Twilight. No Whiny Vampires of Annoying Sparklyness here.) $25.

    LP655. Cherryh, C. J. Cyteen. Warner Books, 1988. First edition hardback, an Ex-Library copy, with all the usual flaws, otherwise G+/NF+ with spine lean, significant wear to bottom boards, long black marker line on heel, spine leaned and slightly concave. Well-worn, but an attractive dj for an Ex-Lib, and a true first of a Hugo winner. $5.

    LP1947. Dahlquist, Gordon. The Glass Book of the Dream Eaters. Bantam, 2006. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Got all sorts of huge buzz when it came out. “A sinister cabal seeks to rule the world through sex and dreams.” Well, who DOESN’T want to rule the world for sex? Though admittedly, John Holmes’ brief stint as Secretary General of the UN didn’t work out too well… $20.

    LP1948. Dick, Phillip K. The Complete Stories of Philip K. Dick Volume 2: Adjustment Team. Subterranean Press, 2011. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Out of print from the publisher. From Sex to Dick…nah, too easy. $40.

    LP1949. Duncan. Andy. The Pottawatomie Giant and Other Stories. PS Publishing, 2012. First edition hardback, Fine in decorated boards, sans dust jacket. as issued. Only have one. $35.

    LP841. Effinger, George Alec. Budayeen Nights. Golden Gryphon Press, 2003. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of edgewear at head. Collection of all the stories set in the Arabic future of When Gravity Fails, including the Hugo and Nebula winning “Schrodinger’s Kitten.” Back in stock. $20.

    LP1950. Effinger, George Alec. A Thousand Deaths. Golden Gryphon Press, 2007. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. All George’s Sandour Courane stories, including the very funny (and very dark) novel The Wolves of Memory, which George considered the best of his pre-When Gravity Fails novels. $20.

    LP1836. Egan, Greg. Zendegi. Night Shade Press, 2010. First U.S. edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Egan’s latest novel, set in a post-theocracy Iran and a popular virtual reality game. “We’ll have it out before the UK edition,” they said. “You’ll be able to sell it,” they said. $15.

    LP1951. Farmer, Philip Jose (and Christopher Paul Carey). Gods of Opar: Tales of Lost Khokarsa. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, one of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Omnibus of three Opar novels, the last of which, completed by Carey, has never before been published, and the other two of which have never before appeared in hardback. This limited edition, which contains additional supplemental material not in the trade edition, is sold out from the publisher. Despite that, and despite the fact that I only have one copy, I’m offering it at the cover price of $65. First one gets it. $65.

    LP487. Fuentes, Carlos. The Good Conscience. Ivan Oblensky, Inc., 1961. First edition hardback (“First Printing” stated), an Ex-Library copy will all the usual flaws, otherwise G+/NF- with wear to head and heel as well as a thin line staining at top and bottom boards (almost certainly from an old style library dust jacket protector), front hinge starting to crack and shallow chipping at dj head. His second novel. $15.

    LP1952. Gaiman, Neil. The Rhyme Maidens. Biting Dog Press, 2012. Folio Edition of the first edition broadsheet, one of 50 copies so issued, a Fine copy, with one broadsheet on each side of an oversized folio case with accompanying slipcase. This thing is huge, about 16 1/2″ high by 14 1/2″ wide. This is about the point where it stops being a book and starts being a fetish object. I’ve got a pictures of it here. I only have one for sale, and it’s out of print from the publisher. Offered at cover price. $450.

    LP1953. Gaiman, Neil. The Rhyme Maidens. Biting Dog Press, 2012. Trade edition of the broadsheet, just a single 15″ x 11″ page, with the poem, illustration and Gaiman’s signature on front, and the Biting Dog logo on back. a 16″ x 12″ frame fits it nicely. Only have one, but $5 off cover price. $75.

    LP1123. Gentle, Mary (S. M. Stirling). Under the Penitence. PS Publishing, 2004. First edition hardback, 1 of 300 numbered, limited hardback copies signed by Gentle and introduction author S. M. Stirling, Fine in Fine dj, new and unread. A novella set in the Visigothic Carthage of Ash: A Secret History. Maybe I’d find it easier to sell to people if I didn’t tell them it sucks. But God, it really DOES suck. Can’t lie just to sell books, and suck is suck. $30.

    LP1956. Kennedy, Leigh. Wind Angels. PS Publishing, 2011. First edition hardback, Fine in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. New short story collection, including one in collaboration with Howard Waldrop. $33.

    LP1693. Kress, Nancy. Nano Comes to Clifford Falls. Golden Gryphon, 2008. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Her latest short story collection. Introduction by Mike Resnick. $20.

    LP1957. Kurtz, Katherine. The Quest for Saint Chamber. Del Rey, 1986. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with previous owner’s stamp (a teddy bear catching a baseball) on FFE, in a Near Fine dust jacket with slight crimping and creasing at dust jacket heel, a 1 1/2″ wrinkle on rear cover near heel, and slight haze rubbing on rear dj cover, must noticeable along spine join. Inscribed by Kurtz: “To Beau—Katherine Kurtz.” I haven’t ever seen Kurtz at an SF convention, but she has more signed books online than I thought. Let’s sell this for…$49.

    LP1958. Kuttner, Henry. Thunder in the Void. Haffner Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwarp. The latest Haffner press Kuttner volume, including tales Kuttner published between 1937-1950, plus one never before published Kuttner story. mike resnick provides the introduction, so you can have him sign it at Worldcon where he’s Guest of Honor. Only have one. $37.

    Hey, I see that I also have one copy left each of Terror in the House and Detour to Otherness, the previous Haffner Kuttner collections. Pick up all three for $100.

    LP1959. Lansdale, Joe R. Act of Love. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback thus, with a new novelette, “A Bone Dead Sadness,” and interview with Lansdale not included in any previous edition, one of 200 signed, numbered slipcased copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase, new and unread. Only have one. $100 List. For you, $95.

    LP1960. Lansdale, Joe R. Act of Love. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback thus, with a new novelette, “A Bone Dead Sadness,” and interview with Lansdale not included in any previous edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Trade edition. Only have one. $37.

    LP1961. Lansdale, Joe R. A Fine Dark Line. Weidenfeld Nicolson, 2003. First British edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Solid historical mystery. Recommended. $10.

    LP1962. Lansdale, Joe R. High Cotton. Golden Gryphon, 2000. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Back in stock. Lots of great stories in here. Highly recommended. $20.

    LP1850. Leiber, Fritz. Strange Wonders. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Collection various work, some previously unpublished or uncollected. $8 off cover price. $32.

    LP1964. Lethem, Jonathan. Motherless Brooklyn. Doubleday, 1999. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny bit of wrinkling at head and heel. National Book Critics Circle Award winner. $25.

    LP1277. Lovecraft, H. P. (edited by S. T. Joshi). Collected Essays Volume 3: Science. Hippocampus Press, 2006. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. I haven’t seen a print run listed for this, but according to the publisher, the print run for the hardbacks for the first two volumes was only 250 copies (and I’ve sold all my copies of those). LAST COPY! $35.

    LP1346. Lovecraft, H. P. Collected Essays Volume 4: Travel. Hippocampus Press, 2006. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. I know that there were only 250 copies of the hardback printed for some of the earlier volumes, and of the five copies I ordered, I only have one left. LAST COPY! $35.

    LP1414. Lovecraft, H. P. Collected Essays Volume 5: Philosophy, Autobiography & Miscellany. Hippocampus Press, 2007. First edition hardback, one of only 250 hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. The final volume of Lovecraft Essays. LAST COPY! $35.

    LP1965. (Lovecraft, H. P.) Joshi, S. T. (editor) (William Browning Spencer, Michael Shea, David J. Schow, Brain Stableford, Michael Marshall Smith, Ramsey Campbell, etc.) Black Wings: Tales of Lovecraftian Horror. PS Publishing, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Anthology of Lovecraftian horror featuring lots of very solid writers. Back in stock. Might want to pick one up before Black Wings II hits later this year. $37.

    LP1966. Martin, George R. R. Tuf Voyaging. Baen Books, 1986. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight crimping at head and heel in a Near fine+ dust jacket with slight haze rubbing to rear, and slight edgewear to head and heel, including a semi-closed 1/16″ tear at head. All of martin’s Haviland Tuf stories in one volume, the story of a perfectly honest trader with an Earth Ecological Corps see ship, who somehow always seems to get the better of people. Recommended. You might have noticed that George is just a wee tiny bit popular now… $15.

    LP1415. Marusek, David. Getting to Know You. Subterranean Press, 2007. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. First short story collection by this talented writer (and a nice guy to boot). Already out of print from the publisher. $22.

    LP1695. McAllister, Bruce.The Girl Who Loved Animals. Golden Gryphon, 2007. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Introduction by Barry Malzberg. By the well-respected author of Dream Baby. $18.

    LP1967. McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. Knopf, 2006. First edition hardback (First Edition stated, no additional printings listed), a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just a tiny bit of haze rubbing along spine join, and a tiny bit of dj crimping at head. His Pulitzer prize-winning post-apocalyptic novel, made into a happy, feel-good movie! $49.

    LP1471. Moon, Elizabeth. Moon Flights. Night Shade Books, 2007. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread. Short story collection by the Nebula and Robert A. Heinlein Award-winning author of The Speed of Dark. Signed by Moon. $17.

    LP1853. Niven, Larry. The Best of Larry Niven. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Huge Subterranean career retrospective collection. $35.

    LP1968. Powers, Tim. The Bible Repairman and Other Stories. Subterranean Press, 2012. First hardback edition, one of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. let’s do this at $5 off cover price. $70.

    LP1969. Reed, Robert. Eater-of-Bone and other novellas. PS Publishing, 2002. First edition hardback, Fine in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Includes his Hugo-winner “A Billion Eyes.” Only have one. $32.

    LP1970. Resnick, Mike. Blasphemy. Golden Gryphon, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. All of Resnick’s stories dealing with religion in one place. $20.

    LP1971. Rickert, M. Holiday. Golden Gryphon, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Short story collection. $20.

    LP1643. Roberson, Chris. The Voyage of White Shining Night. PS Publishing, 2006. First edition, one of 300 signed hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Alternate universe tale of the Imperial Chinese Space Program by this prolific Austin writer. List: $45. Your price: $25.

    LP1972. Russell, Mary Doria. The Sparrow. Villard, 1996. First Edition hardback, with all first edition points present (First Edition stated, has a printing line reading “9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2” (yes, Villard starts their printing lines at 2–don’t ask me why); dj flap bears cover price: “U.S.A. $23.00/Canada $32.00” (there are book club editions which are otherwise identical to the first edition, but lack the price); photo credit on dj flap reads “Dina Ross,” corrected “Dina Rossi” on later editions; page 16, third full paragraph, first line, last word is “karstic”, later corrected to “karst”; and page 95, second paragraph reads “At 32 feet per second, you’d have,” later corrected to “At 32 feet per second per second, you’d have”), a Fine- copy with two tiny, light pinhead sides dots of discoloration at head, in a Fine- dj with a tiny bit of crimping at head and heel, but NO remainder mark. Perhaps the most important SF debut novel of the 1990s by this John W. Campbell award winner. $25.

    LP1066. Ryan, Alan (Charles L. Grant, Steve Rasnic Tem, Tanith Lee). Night Visions 1. Dark Harvest, 1984. First edition hardback, one of only 1500 trade copies, an Ex-Library copy with all the usual flaws, otherwise VG-/NF with spine lean, wear to bottom boards, inner front hinge just starting to crack at top, and crimping to dj head and heel. The first book in the Night Visions series, each of which features 30,000 words or so of original fiction from today’s best horror writers, and the third book produced by Dark Harvest. $10.

    LP1973. Sargent, Pamela. Thumprints. Golden Gryphon, 2004. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Signed by Sargent. $20.

    LP1287. Sawyer, Robert J. The Terminal Experiment. Easton Press, 2001. First edition hardback thus (“Collectors Edition”), a Fine leatherbound copy, new and unread, sans dj, as issued. Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel. This edition contains a new introduction by James Gunn, as well as original artwork. Easton Press “Collector’s Notes” laid in. Sawyer: Can’t move his books. It’s like they’re made of neutronium. $49.

    LP1974. Scalzi, John. 24 Frames Into the Future. NESFA Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Non-fiction essays on science fiction films. $25.

    LP1975. Scalzi, John. 24 Frames Into the Future. NESFA Press, 2012. First edition hardback, one of only 140 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and slipcase, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. Non-fiction essays on science fiction films. The limited is out of print from the publisher. 140 is a pretty small run for a Scalzi limited. Only have one. $150.

    LP1976. Shepard, Lucius. The Dragon Griaule. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. All Shepard’s Dragon Griaule stories in one volume. $42.

    LP1977. Silverberg, Robert. The Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg Volume Six: Multiples 1983-1987. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. I still have copies of volumes (goes and checks) one copy of Three? Really? That’s it? The rest are gone baby gone… $32.

    LP1700. Silverberg, Robert. Other Spaces, Other Times. Nonstop Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dj, as issued. Collection of autobiographical essays by one of the most central and prolific SF writers of the last 50 years. Contains an extensive chronological and alphabetical bibliography. Silverberg fans and serious students of the genre need this. Only have one. $25.

    LP1288. Smith, Clark Ashton (edited by Scott Connors and Ron Hilger). Star Changes: The Science Fiction of Clark Ashton Smith. Darkside Press, 2005. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. $35.

    LP1887. Stephenson, Neal. Zodiac: The Eco Thriller. Subterranean Press, 2011. First hardback edition, one of 500 copies signed by Stephenson, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, in slipcase. First hardback of Stephenson’s second novel, and the usual quality Subterranean Press production. $25 off the publisher’s price. $125.

    LP1978. Sterling, Bruce. Gothic High-Tech. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. His latest short story collection. $22.

    LP1979. Straub, Peter. The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. New novella of erotic obsession on the Amazon. $17.

    LP1980. Streiber, Whitley. The Hunger. Morrow, 1981. First edition hardback, a near Fine copy with former owner’s blindstamp on FFE, in a Near fine dust jacket with what look two tackhead-sized gray stains, which are actually thinning to the blind side of the dust jacket. Vampire novel and basis of the noted Tony Scott film with David Bowie that has Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon making the sign of the three-humped wildebeest. Back when Streiber was a good horror writer before he was probulated. $15.

    LP1981. Stross, Charles. Palimpsest. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, one of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. His Hugo-winning, far-future novella. $32.

    LP1427. Utley, Steven. Where or When. PS Publishing, 2006. First edition hardback, one of 500 signed, numbered copies signed by Utley; also, although not so called for in this edition, this copy has been specially signed by introduction author Howard Waldrop (so the only difference between this and the slipcase edition is, well, the slipcase), a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread. Linked time travel stories. $35.

    LP1983. Vance, Jack. Hard-Luck Diggings: The Early Jack Vance. Subterranean Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Way out of print from the publisher, but I managed to lay my hands on a copy. $95.

    LP1984. Vance, Jack. Dream Castles: The Early Jack Vance Volume 2. Subterranean Press, 2012. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. $42.

    LP199. Vollmann, William T. You Bright and Risen Angels. Andre Deutsch (UK), 1987. First edition hardback, Fine/Fine-, with barely visible crease to dj spine. True first edition of an important slipstream novel by a hot writer done in a very small print run of 2,500 copies. Gets compared to Pynchon a lot. $75.

    LP1985. Wagner, Karl Edward. Where the Summer Ends: The Best Horror Stories of Karl Edward Wagner Volume One, WITH Wagner, Karl Edward. A Walk on the Wild Side: The Best Horror Stories of Karl Edward Wagner Volume Two. Centipede Press, 2012, Each one of 500 first edition hardback copies, each Fine in a Fine dust jacket. First printings are sold out from the publisher. $70 for the set.

    LP1986. Watts, Peter. Behemoth: B-Max. Tor, 2004. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with review slip laid in. By the author of Blindsight, so I’m sure it’s filled with light and joy. $49.

    LP921. Wellman, Manly Wade. Lonely Vigils. Carcosa House, 1981. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Near Fine- dj with a trace of bumping to book head and heel, in a price-clipped dj with rubbing along the folds of the extremities and a 3/8″ closed tear and small associated crease to the top rear dj, in dj protector. Signed on the publisher’s bookplate by Wellman and illustrator George Evans. I am given to understand that Carcosa House remaindered copies of the signed edition, which explains the corner clip. All of Wellman’s occult detective stories featuring John Thundstone, Judge Pursuivant, and Professor Enderby. A reasonably attractive copy of a very rich and entertaining landmark short story collection. Recommended. $75.

    LP1190. Wells, H. G. (Edward Gorey). The War of the Worlds. Looking Glass Library, 1960. First edition thus, illustrated by Edward Gorey, an Ex-Library copy (see Ex-Library Note) with all the usual flaws, otherwise a VG copy in rubbed and spine-faded pictorial boards, with two dime-sized stains to head, sans dj, as issued. One of the greatest science fiction novels ever written, illustrated by one of the most famous illustrators of the 20th century. $5.

    LP1987. Wilson, Robert Charles. Julian Comstock. Tor, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Hugo nominee. $20.

    LP1918. Williamson, Jack. The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson Volume Eight: At the Human Limit. Haffner Press, 2011. First edition, hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. Last volume of the Collected Williamson. $35.

    LP1988. Willis, Connie. All About Emily. Subterranean Press, 2011. First edition hardback, one of 400 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Only have one. $42.

    LP1447. Willis, Connie. D. A. Subterranean Press, 2007. First edition hardback, one of only 400 signed/numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread. Only have one. $34.

    LP1989. Wolfe, Gene. The Wizard. Tor, 2004. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with slight crimping at heel. Second and concluding book of the brilliant Wizard Knight sequence. Highly recommended. $15.

    LP1751. Zelazny, Roger. Bridge of Ashes. Gregg Press, 1979. First hardback edition, an Ex-library copy, with all the usual flaws, would otherwise be a Near Fine/Near Fine copy. Levack 2e. $20.

    Trade Paperbacks (including chapbooks)

    LP1991. Bester, Alfred, and Roger Zelazny. Psychoshop. Vintage, 1998. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine- copy with traces of wear along spine edge and a few other touches of wear. Collaborative novel, started by Bester and finished by Zelazny. $15.

    LP1992. (Dick, Philip K.) Williams, Paul. Only Apparently Real: The World of Philip K. Dick. Arbor House, 1986. First edition trade paperback original (a format that was pretty rare for Arbor House; I can’t recall another from their SF line), a Near Fine copy with former owner’s blindstamp on half-title page, otherwise nice and square. Book on Dick’s life by his close friend and literary executor. Includes lots of interview material. $20.

    LP1924. (Lovecraft, H. P.) Lockhart, Ross E. The Book of Cthulhu. Night Shade Boooks, 2011. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Cthulhu Mythos anthology, a mixture of new stories and reprints, with stories by Gene Wolfe, Charles Stross, Kage Baker, Ramsey Campbell, Thomas Ligotti, Bruce Sterling, etc. At 500+ pages, it’s a lot of Cthulhu for your money. $14.

    LP1993. Westerfeld, Scott. Evolution’s Darling. Four Walls Eight Windows, 1999. First edition trade paperback original (TPO), a Fine copy, apparently new and unread. Tale of a sentient ship seeking out a dead artist who may not be dead after all. Also has a healthy dusting of sex. Really hard to find now that he’s a big YA author. Can’t find another collectable first online at all. $75.

    LP1710. Westerfeld, Scott. Evolution’s Darling. Four Walls Eight Windows, 1999. First edition trade paperback original (TPO), a Fine- copy with a non-breaking phantom crease to top front corner, otherwise apparently new and unread. Slightly less perfect than the above. $49.

    LP1994. Wellman, Manly Wade. The Invading Asteroid. Stellar Publishing Corporation, 1932. First edition chapbook original, a VG copy with a tiny bit of “rounding” at head, i.e. a tiny bit of paper loss where it looks slightly nibbled, but it’s only about a 1/16 of an inch, but less browning than usual to paper stock. No. 15 in Hugo Gernsback’s Science Fiction Series, and Wellman’s first separate publication. $49.

    Mass Market Paperbacks

    LP1995. Anthony, Mark. Ravenloft: Tower of Doom. TSR, 1994. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine- copy with a hint of a non-breaking spine crease and wear at points, otherwise nice and square. Looks Quasimodorific. $9.

    LP1996. Bujold, Lois McMaster. Falling Free. Baen Books, 1988. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Near Fine+ copy with slight crease to top rear corner and touches of edgewear, otherwise nice and square and apparently unread. Nebula Award winner. Get your Nebula Award winner right here! $5.

    LP1997. Bujold, Lois McMaster. The Vor Game. Baen Books, 1990. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine- copy with just a trace of edgewear, otherwise nice and square and apparently unread. Miles Vorkosigan novel. Hugo Award winner. Get your Hugo Award winner right here! $10.

    LP1998. Bradley, Marion Zimmer (Laurell K. Hamilton, Mercedes Lackey, Nancy Jane Moore, etc.). Sword and Sorceress VII (Winterkill). First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine- copy with just a trace of edgewear, otherwise nice and square and apparently unread. Contains the Laurel K. Hamilton story “Winterkill,” written back before she went all werewolf-and-vampire gangbangy, $10.

    LP1999. Carringer, Gail. Soulless. Orbit, 2009. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine copy, new and unread. First book of the Parasol protectorate. Signed by Carringer. “Funny steampunk fantasy with werewolves and vampires? Not your typical reading material, is it Lawrence?” By and large no. But Gail’s a friend, and this is actually a solid, funny novel. Recommended. This series has gotten extremely popular, and firsts (much less signed firsts) are hard to find. $25.

    LP2000. DeLint, Charles, writing as Samuel M. Key. Angel of Darkness. Jove, 1990. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine copy with a slight crease halfway across bottom of back cover, edgewear, and one dog-eared page, otherwise nice and square. Pseudonymous horror novel. $10.

    LP2001. Dick, Philip K. Clans of the Alphane Moon. Caroll & Graf, 1993. Paperback reprint, a Fine- copy with a bit of edgewear. I read this earlier this year, and it’s one of Dick’s more insane books (and I mean that in a good way). I don’t know which is crazier, the entire society founded by ex-mental patients, or the CIA operative who’s job it is to operate the secret android accompanying his hated ex-wife. Recommended. $5.

    LP2002. Hamilton, Laurell K. Ravenloft: Death of a Darklord. TSR, 1995. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine copy, new and unread. Speaking of werewolf banging, this book has been reprinted a couple of times, but pristine firsts are pretty hard to find. $15.

    LP2003. Howard. Russ T. Spelljammer: The Cloakmaster Cycle: The Ultimate Helm. TSR, 1993. First edition paperback original, a Good+ only copy with a 3/4″ x 1/2″ out of rear cover, not affecting any text. Last and hardest to find book in this series. $5.

    LP2004. Hughart. Barry. Bridge of Birds. Del Rey, 1985 (stated; probably in the last few years). Paperback reprint, a Fine copy, new and unread. One of the great fantasy novels of the 20th century, very funny, and a book that just keeps selling and selling for me (when I’m not giving them away to friends. Highly recommended. $7.

    LP2005. Martin, George R. R., editor. Wild Cards Volume XI: Dealer’s Choice. Bantam, 1992. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine- copy with a trace of wear at tips, otherwise apparently new and unread. The latter Bantam Wild Card novels are hard to find, especially in collectable condition like this. $25.

    LP2006. Martin, George R. R., editor. Wild Cards New Cycle Book I: Card Sharks. Baen, 1993. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine copy, new and unread. First in the new Baen Wild Cards, which are also not particularly easy to find. $15.

    LP2007. Mayhar, Ardath. Battletech: The Sword and the Dagger. FASA Corporation, 1987. First edition paperback original, a VG+ copy with spine creasing, a long crease along top back corner, foxing to inside covers, and edgewear, but still square. The hardest to find of Mayhar’s work, and the hardest to find Battletech book. This is the first one I’ve chanced across in the last decade. $49.

    LP2008. Shea, Michael. Nifft the Lean. DAW, 1982. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Near Fine copy with faint repeating stamped number at head, small corner creases to bottom front and rear, and a few touches of edgewear. Brilliant, stylish dark fantasy, including the World Fantasy Award-winning “Pearls of the Vampire Queen” and the awesome “The Fishing of the Demon-Sea.” Highly recommended. $6.

    LP2009. Shea, Michael. The A’rak. Baen, 2000. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Fine- copy with a trace of edgewear, otherwise new and unread. A Nifft novel featuring a nasty giant spider god and its equally nasty brood. Man, this has really gotten hard to find as of late. $20.

    LP2010. Wagner, Karl Edward. Conan: The Road of Kings. Bantam, 1979. First edition paperback original (PBO), a Very Good+ copy with wear at head, remains of magic marker over price on spine, and general wear, though fold out cover is intact. Reportedly the best of the non-Howard Conan tales. $4.

    Lawrence Person’s Library: Reference Books (Part 1)

    Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

    I haven’t posted much the last week because I’ve been busy doing this and that, and one of the things I’ve been busy with is a long-overdue cleanup of my office, including doing something about those Nova Express review copies cluttering it up. Now that I’ve finally finished moving books around, and gotten a new camera (a Kodak Slice) to replace the one that died, I thought I would put up some long-overdue pictures of the books in my office, starting with the reference shelf right next to my computer, which contains the reference works I tend to reach for most often.

    (Click to embiggen.)

    Going left to right (left being the side closest to the computer, and thus the books I reach for most often) are:

  • Currey, L.W. Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of First Printings of Their Fiction. G. K. Hall, 1978. The bible of the field, and absolutely essential for any serious collector of science fiction first editions. Only goes up to 1978. For dates after 1983, you can use The Locus Online Database. Currey also sells a slightly updated CD-ROM version, which still only goes up to 1978. (Now if only someone would compile a book that covers 1979-1983…)
  • Chalker, Jack & Owings, Mark. The Science Fantasy Publishers: A Critical and Bibliographic History. Mirage Press, 1991 (“Third Edition Revised and Enlarged”). If you’re a serious SF collector, you need this. The problem is, you can’t trust it. No other reference work offers the wealth and scope of knowledge of SF small press publishers that this one does. There’s a lot of good information in here. The print edition shown above had major errors and omissions, and a very odd organizational structure, not to mention several sneers and the constant sound of ax-grinding for SF figures the authors disagree with; the CD-ROM version is more accurate, but no longer up to date as both Chalker and Owings have died. What this book is best for is the chatty, informative histories of the various publishing houses listed here. (If nothing else, I can unstintingly recommend this book for anyone thinking of starting up their own small press, as it provides numerous examples of what not to do.) It’s also quite useful for uncovering titles and publishers you might not have known existed before. In summary: A valuable tool for those who possess enough experience in the field to know which parts to take with a grain of salt.
  • Clute, John, & Nichols, Peter. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. St. Martins, 1993 (first U.S. edition, offset from the same plates as the Orbit (UK) first). An absolutely essential general reference work.
  • Clute, John, & Grant, John. The Encyclopedia of Fantasy. St. Martins, 1997 (first U.S. edition). Slightly more scattershot than the above, but still an essential guide.
  • Reginald, Robert. Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature: Indexes to the Literature, Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature:Contemporary Science Fiction Authors, and Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature: 1975 to 1991. Gale Research, 1980, 1981, 1992. Not the first reference work I reach for, but contains a lot of information that has slipped through the cracks of other works.
  • Levack, Daniel. Amber Dreams: A Roger Zelazny Bibliography. Underwood Miller, 1983. The first of the single-author bibliographies.
  • Levack, Daniel. PKD: A Philip K. Dick Bibliography. Underwood Miller, 1981. I have a copy of the trade paperback edition for sale over on the Lame Excuse Books page.
  • Hewett, Jerry. The Work of Jack Vance: An Annotated Bibliography & Guide. Borgo Press/Underwood Miller, 1994. I know Jerry pretty well, and not only has he signed my copy, he crossed out “Borgo” and wrote in “Bozo” on the title page. I think he had some problems dealing with them…
  • Bleiler, Everett F. The Checklist of Science-Fiction and Supernatural Fiction. Firebell, 1978. Slightly updated edition of Bleiler’s classic Checklist of Fantastic Fiction (which I have on another shelf), and an absolutely essential reference work for older SF/F/H books.
  • Joshi, S. T. Sixty Years of Arkham House. Arkham House, 1999. Not 100% accurate, but essential none the less.
  • Bleiler, Everett. The Guide to Supernatural Fiction. Kent State University Press, 1993. Very good, and very solid, as a general reference work, but not really concerned with first edition points.
  • Locke, George. Spectrum of Fantasy I-III. Ferret Fantasy, 1980-2002. Perhaps the only SF dealer as knowledgeable as Currey. These are Locke’s descriptions of his own personal library of fantastic fiction. Quite enjoyable works, and George is a nice guy.
  • One guideline I’d offer aspiring SF/F/H book collectors is: Don’t skimp on the reference works. Some of these books can be expensive, but all it takes is one real find (or one expensive dud avoided) for a good reference work to pay for itself.

    More pictures of my reference library when I have the time…

    The Lame Excuse Books Catalog for March 2011

    Thursday, March 31st, 2011

    Greetings, and welcome to the latest installment of Lawrence Puts The Latest Book Catalog Up as a Whopping Big Block of Text Without Any Formatting. All these are available for sale. (Check out the Lame Excuse Books page for my previous stock and payment details.)

    Hardbacks

    LP1872. Anderson, Poul. The Collected Short Works of Poul Anderson Volume 3: The Saturn Game. NESFA Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Bob Eggleton cover. I still have one copy of Volume 2 around if you need one. $26.

    LP1247. Attanasio, A. A. Radix. William Morrow and Company, 1981. First edition hardback, an Ex-Library copy, some of the usual flaws (see Ex-Library Note), including stamps on all three edges, interior stamps and dj protector remnants inside front and rear covers, a slight bit of spine lean, and a slight bit of wear at heel; however, the dust jacket is in Near Fine shape, with moderate, slightly uneven (from a successful sticker removal that left no other signs) sunfading to spine, but otherwise complete and very attractive. Spine out, there is no sign this is an Ex-Library copy. The true first hardback edition of Attanasio’s first book (and a Nebula Finalist), and very uncommon thus (reportedly only 1000 hardbacks were done). $100.

    LP1874. Bacagalupi, Paolo. The Alchemist. Subterranean Press, 2011. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Novella set in the same fantasy universe as Tobias Buckell’s simultaneously published The Executioness. $18.

    LP1875. Buckell, Tobias. The Executioness. Subterranean Press, 2011. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Novella set in the same fantasy universe as Paolo Bacagalupi’s simultaneously published The Alchemist. $18

    PBTBCombo1: Pick up both The Executioness and The Alchemist for $35.

    LP1519. Bradbury, Ray. Moby Dick: A Screenplay. Subterranean Press, 2008. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. The basis of the John Huston movie. $29.

    LP1456. Brite, Poppy Z. Antediluvian Tales. Subterranean Press, 2007. First edition hardback, one of 400 numbered copies signed by Brite in a better binding with marbled endpapers, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread. Collection of short stories all written before her home town of New Orleans was flooded. $35.

    LP1253. Bujold, Lois McMaster. Falling Free. Easton Press, 2001. First edition hardback thus (“Collectors Edition”), and first non- book club hardback edition, a Fine- leatherbound copy, new and unread (though with a slight “scratch” to top edge gilt finish), sans dj, as issued. Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel. This edition contains a new introduction by James Gunn, as well as original artwork. Easton Press “Collector’s Notes” laid in. Precedes the NESFA edition by several years. $49.

    LP1838. Butler, Octavia. Patternmaster. Doubleday, 1976. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with previous owner’s signature on inside front cover and slight spine lean (but NO remainder spray) in a Near Fine dust jacket with a few tiny scratches and abrasions, tiny bit of foxing on interior flap edges, and foxing to blind side of dust jacket spine. Still a very attractive and presentable first edition of Butler’s first book. $60.

    LP1053. Campbell, Ramsey. The Overnight. PS Publishing, 2004. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, one of 500 limited copies signed by Campbell (plus an additional 200 slipcased), new and unread. Full length horror novel set in a bookshop. What self-respecting book junkie can resist that? Only have one. $30.

    LP889. Campbell, Ramsey (Poppy Z. Brite). Told By the Dead. PS Publishing, 2003. First edition hardback, one of 500 numbered “trade” hardbacks signed by Campbell and Introduction author Poppy Z. Brite, Fine in a Fine dj, new and unread. Full length short-story collection. Had an extra around a while I forgot to list. $35.

    LP1385. Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game. Tor, 1985. First edition hardback, an externally clean Ex-Library copy, with dj flaps formerly attached to book, pocket removal on FFE, and discard stamp on title page, otherwise VG with slight spine lean and slight wear at heel, in a Fine Mylar-protected dust jacket. Formerly my own personal copy. Far and away the most difficult domestic Hugo and Nebula winner of the last quarter century; you’d have to go back to Lord of Light in 1968 to find a domestic Hugo & Nebula winner that goes for more. $495

    LP1628. Carey, Jacqueline. Kushiel’s Dart. Tor, 2001. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight dust staining to head in a Fine- dj with just a tiny trace of wear at the top outer tips. First in the Kushiel series. Supposedly very good, very popular, and very kinky. $35.

    LP48. Carter, Raphael. The Fortunate Fall. Tor, 1996. First edition hardback, Fine/Fine-, unread, with trace of wear to matte black cover. One of the best first novels of the 1990s. Recommended. $10.

    LP655. Cherryh, C. J. Cyteen. Warner Books, 1988. First edition hardback, an Ex-Library copy, with all the usual flaws, otherwise G+/NF+ with spine lean, significant wear to bottom boards, long black marker line on heel, spine leaned and slightly concave. Well-worn, but an attractive dj for an Ex-Lib, and a true first of a Hugo winner. $8.

    LP1386. Clarke, Arthur C. Earthlight. Ballantine Books, 1955. First edition hardback (no statement of printing on copyright page, as per Currey), an Ex-Library Copy, with two lines of black marker on half title page, small stamp and writing on copyright page, “Salvage” stamp on FFE, pocket and stamps on RFE, and tape ghosts to boards, otherwise VG- with moderate dust soiling to top page block and wear to bottom boards in a VG+ dust jacket with 1″ x 2″ yellowed repair tape to head to repair what appears to be two 1/2 x 1/8″ sections of dj loss along front and rear join folds; save for that, this is a very attractive dust jacket in a Mylar protector that shows no signs of being from an Ex-Lib copy, and save the tape, the rear white panel appears to be free of the usual soiling. All and all, better than a shelf-filing copy of one of Clarke’s better novels, depicting a military conflict centered around a moon colony and near-Earth orbit. The Ballantine Books hardbacks of this era had very small runs compared to the simultaneous paperback editions; while this is not quite as hard to find as Childhood’s End, it’s hard enough. $225.

    LP1119. De Camp, L. Sprague. Time & Chance. Donald M. Grant, 1996. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread. De Camp’s massive, Hugo-award winning autobiography. $24.

    LP1878. Dick, Philip K. The Complete Stories of Philip K. Dick Volume 1: The King of the Elves. Subterranean Press, 2011. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. If you don’t have the Underwood/Miller Collected PKD set, then you need this. If you do, you should know that is expanded from the edition, incorporating new story notes, and two added tales, one previously unpublished, and one uncollected. So if you’re a serious Dick fan, you probably need this as well… $37.

    LP1395. Dick, Philip K. Voices from the Street. Tor, 2007. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Dick’s last previously unpublished novel (or at least the last for which a manuscript is known to exist). David Hartwell tells me that it’s actually much better than it’s reputation. $12.

    LP1260. Disch. Thomas M. The Prisoner. Dennis Dobson, 1979. First hardback edition, an Ex-Library copy, with faint signs of pocket removal from FFE, and stamps to copyright page, in an otherwise VG copy with spine lean, slight wear at heel, and a half a dime-sized stain to RFE, in a VG+ dj with no visible Ex-Lib signs, some slight 1/8″ or less chipping at head and heel spine joins, and a touch of darkening along top and bottom dj edges. Quite a presentable copy, actually. Based on the cult TV show starring Patrick McGoohan. $25.

    LP658. Dozois, Gardner. Strange Days: Fabulous Journeys with Gardner Dozois. NESFA Press, 2001. First edition hardback, Fine in Fine dj, new and unread. A short story collection, not completely overlapping with Slow Dancing Through Time and Geodesic Dreams. This also includes his 1995 travel diary, his novel Strangers, and introductions to the works by people like Michael Swanwick, George R. R. Martin, Ian MacLeod (whose name is misspelled on the back cover), Kim Stanley Robinson, Robert Silverberg, etc. Gardner is such an excellent and influential editor that it’s easy to forget what a fine writer he was before taking over Asimov’s. You need it. Signed by introduction author Connie Willis. $24.

    LP1334. Dozois, Gardner, editor (with Bruce Sterling, Howard Waldrop, Lucius Shepard, Michael Swanwick, William Gibson, Frederik Pohl, Bruce Sterling, John Crowley, Orson Scott Card, Karen Joy Fowler, Robert Silverberg, James Patrick Kelley, Avram Davidson, Nancy Kress, Joe Haldeman, Walter John Williams, James Tiptree, Jr., George R. R. Martin, Lucius Shepard, R. A. Lafferty, Pat Cadigan, James P. Blaylock, Lewis Shiner, Kim Stanley Robinson). The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Third Annual Collection. Bluejay, 1986. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dj with one 1/2″ closed tear at top front (right through the dj protector). Signed by Haldeman, Sterling and Waldrop. Man, look at that list of names above! If you want to know why Dozois won more Best Editor Hugos than anyone else, here’s a good place to start. With the exception of S. C. Sykes, every single person in this collection was or is a major writer in the field, even though many were just starting out when he picked these stories. This is one of the strongest of all the Year’s Bests he’s done. All the Bluejay Year’s Best volumes are hard to find now in any state or condition, and hardbacks firsts are nearly impossible. Highly recommended. $115.

    LP1527. Egan, Greg. Incandescence. Gollancz, 2008. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dj with a tiny bit of crimping at head, new and unread. Far future SF novel, and the first in several years for Egan. Precedes the Night Shade edition. Gollancz seems to have cut back drastically on their hardback print runs; this came out May 15, and was already OP in hardback on June 1, and I had to scramble around to find some in the UK. $49.

    LP1836. Egan, Greg. Zendegi. Night Shade Press, 2010. First U.S. edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Egan’s latest novel, set in a post-theocracy Iran and a popular virtual reality game. $15.

    LP1688. Farmer, Philip Jose. The Other in the Mirror. Subterranean Press, 2009. First hardback edition (and first thus), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Collects three novels (Fire and the Nigh, Jesus on Mar, and Night of Light), previously published as paperback originals. Only have one. $35.

    LP487. Fuentes, Carlos. The Good Conscience. Ivan Oblensky, Inc., 1961. First edition hardback (“First Printing” stated), an Ex-Library copy will all the usual flaws, otherwise G+/NF- with wear to head and heel as well as a thin line staining at top and bottom boards (almost certainly from an old style library dust jacket protector), front hinge starting to crack and shallow chipping at dj head. His second novel. $15.

    LP1879. Garton, Ray. Darklings. Bloodletting Press, 2004. First hardback edition, one of only 300 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. $30.

    LP1461. Gaiman, Neil (Gahan Wilson). M is for Magic. Subterranean Press, 2007. First Limited Edition, one of 1000 copies signed by Gaiman and illustrator Gahan Wilson, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread. New collection of stories, theoretically of the children-friendly variety, but I’m sure all Neil’s fans will want a copy, especially given the usual wonderful Gahan Wilson illustrations. List price is $60. Your price: $45.

    LP1785. Gentle, Mary. Ash: A Secret History. Gollancz, 2000. First edition hardback (the American edition was broken up into four paperback volumes, the first volume of which preceded this), a Fine- copy with a few pinhead sized spots of black ink to the front free endpaper (transfer from a former magic marker over the price on the dust jacket that wiped right off, leaving no sign on the dust jacket itself) and one page with the very tip slightly dog-eared, in a Fine- dust jacket with one tiny wrinkle at head, and one very faint brownish spot, smaller than a half dime, at the top of the inner flap; just short of a perfect copy, as these are all extremely minor flaws. Huge (1,110+ page), ambitious fantasy (with science fiction elements) about a female mercenary captain in a middle ages very different from our own (a world where a Visigothic Carthage not only never fell, but which lives under the Penitence, a sort of supernatural perpetual twilight), framed by a scholar reading the manuscript of same, only to find elements of this divergent reality leaking into our own. Recommended. $65.

    LP1058. Glass, Julia. Three Junes. Pantheon, 2002. First edition hardback (numberline goes down to I, “First Edition” statement present) in a first state dj (no mention of Good Morning America), a Fine-/Fine- copy with just the barest trace of bumping at head and heel, and a phantom wrinkle to top front cover just above title. National Book Award winner. $10.

    LP1880. Hamilton, Edmund. The Complete Edmund Hamilton, Volume One: The Metal Giants and Others. Haffner Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. First volume of the collected stories of this early science fiction giant, whose career started before and continued into the Golden Age. I’ve picked up a few Haffner Press titles to see how they sale, and like all of them this is a big fat, square book. Only have one. $5 off cover price. $35.

    LP1404. Hand, Elizabeth. Illyria. PS Publishing, 2006. First edition hardback, one of less than 400 signed copies (limited to Postscripts subscribers, plus 200 unnumbered copies, of which this is one), Fine in decorated boards, sans dj, as issued. This year’s Postscripts Christmas special. Only have one. $30.

    LP1690. Harris, Charlaine. The Julius House. Scribner, 1995. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ copy with small previous owner’s name in blue ink on FFE and slight spine lean, in a Near Fine+ dj with a slight crimping at head and heel and some slight, non-breking creasing to back top and back fold, otherwise fairly nice. Part of the Aurora Teagarden mystery series by the author of the enormously popular Sookie Stackhouse vampire books. $34.

    LP1534. Heinlein, Robert A. Project Moonbase and Others. Subterranean Press, 2008. First edition hardback, one of only 750 copies signed by introducer John Scalzi and illustrator Bob Eggleton, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread. A huge, 546 page volume containing the screenplay for the SF film of the same name, plus eleven finished teleplays and two story outlines for a projected television show. This, and a forthcoming companion volume, are the last unpublished Heinlein material existent, and 750 is a pretty puny print run considering the huge number of Heinlein fans. No unsigned edition. $60.

    LP1637. Hodgson, William, Hope. The Collected Fiction of William Hope Hodgson Volume 5: The Dream of X and Other Fantastic Visions. Night Shade Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dj, as issued. Fifth and final volume of the collected Hodgson. The first printings of all the rest are out of print. $28.

    LP1881. Kuttner, Henry. Terror in the House: The Early Kuttner, Volume One. Haffner Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Kuttner was one of the greats, did his best work in short fiction, and is an under-appreciated writer today, so I’m glad to see Haffner collecting all his stories. Only have one. $5 off cover price. $35.

    LP1882. Kuttner, Henry, and C. L. Moore. Detour to Otherness. Haffner Press, 2010. Haffner Press, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Moore was another great writer who did her best work in short fiction, and the two of them together were usually pretty damn good. Only have one. $5 off cover price. $35.

    LP1640. King, Stephen. Stephen King Goes to the Movies. Subterranean Press, 2009. First edition hardback, one of 2000 copies (and the only hardback edition), a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Includes five stories by King that were made into movies (“1408,” “The Mangler,” “Low Men in Yellow Coats” (made into Hearts in Atlantis), “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” “The Mist” and “Children of the Corn,” each with new introductions by King about how the moves were made and what he thought of them. Illustrations by Vincent Chong. With two color printing and heavier than usual paper, this is a lavish production beyond even the usual high Subterranean Press standards. I haven’t read all the stories in here, but the ones I have are among King’s best. Recommended. $65.

    LP1884. Lansdale, Joe R. Christmas With the Dead. PS Publishing, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dj, as issued. Zombie story. According to Joe, this has been fast-tracked to be turned into a film. $14.

    LP18840. Lansdale, Joe R. Christmas With the Dead. PS Publishing, 2010. First edition hardback, one of 300 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Now out of print from the publisher. $35.

    LP1277. Lovecraft, H. P. (edited by S. T. Joshi). Collected Essays Volume 3: Science. Hippocampus Press, 2006. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. I haven’t seen a print run listed for this, but according to the publisher, the print run for the hardbacks for the first two volumes was only 250 copies (and I’ve sold all my copies of those). $34.

    LP1346. Lovecraft, H. P. Collected Essays Volume 4: Travel. Hippocampus Press, 2006. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. I know that there were only 250 copies of the hardback printed for some of the earlier volumes, and of the five copies I ordered, I only have one left. $34.

    LP1414. Lovecraft, H. P. Collected Essays Volume 5: Philosophy, Autobiography & Miscellany. Hippocampus Press, 2007. First edition hardback, one of only 250 hardback copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. The final volume of Lovecraft Essays. $34.

    LP1885. Martin, George R. R. A Feast for Crows. Voyager, 2005. One of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, in slipcase, as issued, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. List price is $100. My price? $65.

    LP1018. McAuley, Paul [J.]. Whole Wide World. HarperCollins/Voyager (UK), 2001. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dj with a tiny bit of crimping at head and the barest trace of edgewear, otherwise new and apparently unread. They evidently took the J. out of his name in hopes of fooling the computers and making this his breakthrough mainstream technothriller. Actually looks like an SF murder mystery. This UK edition precedes the Tor edition by a year. $10.

    LP1886. Morris, Mark, editor (Joe R. Lansdale, Lucius Shepard, Alastair Reynolds, etc.). Cinema Futura. PS Publishing, 2010. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Companion volume to Cinema Macabre, with the likes of Joe R. Lansdale, Alastair Reynolds, Mike Resnick, etc. providing commentary on important SF movies from Metropolis to Avatar. If you’re a serious movie buff you probably want a copy, and I only have one. $42.

    LP1284. Pohl, Frederik. Gateway. St. Martins, 1977. First edition hardback (no statement of printing on copyright page, as per Currey), an Ex-Library copy with all the usual flaws, otherwise VG- with moderate wear at heel, slight bumping to head and heel, and sticker ghosts on covers, in a NF- dj with slight crinkling at head, library sticker on spine, and three tack-head sized spots of wear that may or may not be on the dj itself rather than the protector, not clipped, with price of $8.95 intact. Signed by Pohl. Hugo and Nebula winner. Perhaps the hardest domestic SF novel of the 1970s to find. $95.

    LP1887. Stephenson, Neal. Zodiac: The Eco Thriller. Subterranean Press, 2011. First hardback edition, one of 500 copies signed by Stephenson, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, in slipcase. First hardback of Stephenson’s second novel, and the usual quality Subterranean Press production. Let’s list this at $10 off the publisher’s price. $140.

    LP1888. Stross, Charles. Scratch Monkey. NESFA, 2011. First edition hardback, one of only 800 numbered trade copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. Previously unpublished novel of far-future, galaxy-spanning SF. 800 copies (plus 200 signed, slipcased copies) is ridiculously low for a Stross book, and the copies I got have numbers in the 790s, so you might ant to pick one up sooner rather than later. $24.

    LP523. Turtledove, Harry. Agent of Byzantium. First edition hardback, Fine/Fine-, with barest trace of edgewear to rear cover. Part of the “Asimov’s Presents” line edited by Gardner Dozois. $13.

    LP1889. Vance, Jack. Book of Dreams. Underwood/Miller, 1981. First hardback edition. On the exterior, this is a Fine copy; unfortunately, someone has annotated this volume with highlighting and several different colors of pen, including notes on the title, quarter title, and half-title page, so call it Very Good-. The fifth and final Demon Prince novel, and the hardest of the five to find by a good measure. $49.

    LP1890. Watts, Peter. Starfish. Tor, 1999. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket, with just the barest touches of wear hear and there, otherwise new and unread. His first novel, and increasingly hard to find since Blindsight was a Hugo finalist. $49.

    LP696. Warren, Bill. Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties: Volume II: 1958-1962. McFarland, 1986. First edition hardback, VG+ with slight scuffing to covers (mainly the back) and three tackhead to quarter sized stains to top edge, slightly affecting FFE at top, in yellow decorated boards, sans dj, as issued. The second volume of Bill Warren’s excellent and engaging set documenting and reviewing the science films of the 1950s, and is roughly twice the size of its predecessor (and includes a few films left out of that volume). Covers everything from The Time Machine and Village of the Damned to Plan 9 From Outer Space. Also includes cast and crew listings for the films covered. Truly a must for anyone with an interest in SF films of the era, and has earned the Howard Waldrop seal of approval. Recommended. $35.

    LP1192. Wells, Martha. The Element of Fire. Tor, 1992. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dj with just a trace of edgewear at extremities, otherwise immaculate. Difficult to find in any edition, nearly impossible for the hardback, and doubly so for a signed copy. $49.

    LP207. Williams, Walter Jon. Aristoi. Tor, 1992. First edition hardback, Fine in a Fine DJ. His best SF novel, IMHO. Recommended. $15.

    LP1069. Williams, Walter Jon. The Rift. Harper Prism, 1999. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine- dj with traces of bumping at head and heel; extremely minor for a book this large. His disaster novel, where the real life New Madrid fault along the Mississippi River gives way. $10.

    LP1103. Willis, Connie. To Say Nothing of the Dog. Bantam, 1998. First Edition hardback, a Fine- copy in a Fine- dj, with very faint bumps at head and heel (including a very slight wrinkle at heel), and the barest trace of haze rubbing to the rear cover. Otherwise this is a beautiful copy of a Hugo winning first that’s recently gotten quite pricey. Signed by Willis. $70.

    LP1552. Willis, Connie, with Cynthia Felice. Light Raid . Ace, 1989. First edition hardback, an Ex-Library copy with all the usual flaws, otherwise Near Fine/Fine copy with a trace of spine lean. Signed by Willis and Felice. $10.

    LP1432. Wilson, Robert Charles. Julian: A Christmas Story. PS Publishing, . First edition hardback, one of 300 numbered copies signed by Wilson and introduction author Robert J. Sawyer, a Fine copy in a Fine dj, new and unread. For those who care about such things, the numbers on the ones I got were all between 10 and 20. Out of print from the publisher. $28.

    LP1705. Zelazny, Roger (Neil Gaiman). The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny Volume Three: This Mortal Mountain. NESFA Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. The third in a six volume series of all Zelazny’s short fiction. Neil Gaiman and David Hartwell each provide an introduction. This volume also includes a deleted sex scene from The Guns of Avalon. Another cool thing about this series is a uniform illustration position on the dust jacket so that the spines form a unified picture. I’ll be getting the rest in as they’re published. Highly recommended. $4 off the cover price. $25.

    LP1706. Zelazny, Roger (Joe Haldeman, Steven Brust). The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny Volume Four: Last Exit to Babylon. NESFA Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. The fourth in a six volume series of all Zelazny’s short fiction. Joe Haldeman and Steven Brust each provide an introduction. Again, $4 off the cover price. $25.

    LP1752. Zelazny, Roger. The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny Volume Five: Nine Black Doves. NESFA Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. $25.

    LP17520. Zelazny, Roger. The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny Volume Six: The Road to Amber. NESFA Press, 2009. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. $25.

    LP1891. Zelazny, Roger. Eye of Cat. Underwood/Miller, 1982. First limited Edition, #207 of 300 numbered copies signed by Zelazny, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. A novel of a man of American Indian decent stalked by a fearsome alien he captured many years before. $80.

    LP1815. Zelazny, Roger. Nine Princes in Amber. Doubleday, 1970. First edition hardback (Currey, p. 571, Levack 28a) with First Printing stated and date code L16 on page 188 , an Ex-Library copy with all the usual flaws, including pocket remains to rear, numerous date stamps and paper attachments to FFE, book taped to dust jacket with non-archival tapes, the remains of which have now discolored, with spine lean, worn bottom boards, in a a largely intact but worn dust jacket, with sun-faded spine and stamp at spine heel, numerous white-line creases along spine and at top front of book, a few shallow chips (1/16″) on front dj bottom, small spots of abrasion near the line creasing next to (but not on) the “N” in “Nine” on the front cover, moderate discoloration to white back cover, and general wear; call it a Good/Good Ex-library copy, since the book is very well read, but still structurally sound. The first book in the Amber series. The story is that Doubleday’s warehouse was mistakenly ordered to pulp all Zelazny’s books the same day this one arrived from the printer, which means that only pre-orders and library sales escaped the pulping, and why the vast majority of the very few copies that come up for sale are Ex-Library copies. Normally a book in this condition would only be a space filler copy, but this is so rare that it may have to suffice unless you’re willing to drop a couple of grand for a non Ex-Lib. Highly recommended. $350.

    LP1754. Zelazny, Roger. The Sign of the Unicorn. Doubleday, 1975. First edition hardback (Currey, p. 571, Levack 33a), a Near Fine copy with a bookplate and previous owner’s signature on the FFE in a Near Fine- dust jacket, with a 1/2″ semi-closed tear on rear bottom spine join, a 1/2″ closed tear on front bottom spine join, tiny flecks of white rubbing along rear spine join, a 1/4″ closed tear on bottom rear, and some slight dust staining to white rear dust jacket, but otherwise a very presentable copy. The third Amber novel, and getting harder to find. Highly recommended, as are all five of the original Amber novels. $49.

    Trade Paperbacks

    LP1892. Bennett, Robert Jackson. Mr. Shivers. Orbit, 2010. Advanced Reading Copy (ARC), trade paperback format, of the first edition, a Fine copy, new and unread. First novel. As you can tell from this review, I’m think it’s pretty good: http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2011/02/review-mr-shivers-by-robert-jackson-bennett/ . $10.

    LP1893. Leicht, Stina. Of Blood and Honey. Night Shade Press, 2011. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Stina is a friend and long-time member of the Turkey City Writer’s Workshop, so it’s good to see her first novel make it out into the world. This is a fantasy set against the Troubles of Northern Ireland in the 1970s. Signed by Leicht. $14.

    LP1894. (Zelazny, Roger) Kovacs, Christopher C., compiler. The Ides of Octember: A Pictorial Bibliography of Roger Zelazny. NESFA Press, 2010. First edition trade paperback original (no hardback edition), a Fine copy, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. Same size and with a cover that extends the matching Whelan spine cover from the six-column Collected Zelazny set. Only have one… $23.

    New Lame Excuse Books Catalog Available

    Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

    I just sent out a new Lame Excuse Books catalog filled with interesting science fiction, fantasy, and horror first editions. Once again there’s lots of great stuff, including new books from Joe R. Lansdale, Jay Lake, Henry Kuttner, Charles Stross, Neal Stephenson, a Tim Powers Charnel House book, a signed Roger Zelazny limited edition, a desirable Jack Vance first, and numerous small press books from Subterranean, Haffner, PS Publishing, and Night Shade, among others. Let me know if you’d like me to email you a copy.

    The Lame Excuse Books homepage can be found here.