Posts Tagged ‘signatures’

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

Thursday, October 15th, 2026

Another book from that Mysterious Benefactor:

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

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

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

Monday, September 28th, 2026

Another limited edition came in from SST:

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

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

Library Addition: Signed First of Kasey Lansdale’s First Chance

Friday, September 18th, 2026

We interrupt our ongoing cataloging of that giant pile of books we were given to catalog a brand spanking new book:

Lansdale, Kasey. First Chance. Blackstone Publishing, 2026. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, inscribed to me at BookPeople on September 12, 2026, with a special bookmark laid in. I’ve known Kasey since I dropped by father Joe Lansdale’s house in the 1990s to compile his bibliography for Nova Express in the early 1990s (I think we went out for BBQ). This mystery is her first solo novel. Bought for cover price at BookPeople. This is a first, but Kasey said they’re already doing a second printing.

DVD Library Addition: Signed Fahrenheit 451

Monday, August 17th, 2026

Every now and then I come across something that’s not a book signed by an author I collect.

(Bradbury, Ray). Fahrenheit 451. Universal Studios, 2003. DVD of the 1966 Francois Truffaut film, let’s call it Fine, with only the seal at top slit, with sticker on front cover inscribed by Ray Bradbury: “Doug! 2006/Rosalie! XMAS Love! Ray B.” The auction listing said “Acquired at the estate sale of one of Bradbury’s best friends of 40 years.” Cursory investigation has not yielded who Doug and Rosalie might be, so further research is needed. Bought off eBay for $19.99.

I haven’t seen the movie yet, so it’s a dual-purpose purchase.

My signed(ish) hardback first of Fahrenheit 451 can be found here.

Library Addition: Pat Cadigan’s Chalk

Monday, July 27th, 2026

Here’s a chapbook I was unaware of before it popped up in a Cold Tonnage Books catalog:

Cadigan, Pat. Chalk. This Is Horror, 2013. First edition chapbook original, #46 of 125 copies, a Fine copy, signed by Cadigan, with an 8 written on the title page and eight Xs on the inside front cover. (I sent Pat an email asking what was up with that.) Horror novella about two girls that can disappear in plain sight. Bought for £10.

Library Addition: Signed First of Hal Clement’s Cycle of Fire

Monday, July 13th, 2026

I’m working on a complete Hal Clement collection, and this was one of the key titles I was missing.

Clement, Hal (pseudonym for Harry Clement Stubbs). Cycle of Fire. Ballantine Books, 1957. First edition hardback, an Ex-Library copy with all the usual flaws, including stamps on page block edged, inside covers and interior pages, tape ghosts, endpapers excised. etc., with wear along bottom boards, moderate crease to spine, and writing on lower spine, in a dust jacket with 1/4″ chips at head, sticker at heel, and severe sunfading to spine and an inch to free cover, completing fading the the title, and front label faded from orange to yellow, with a bit more wear at edges at points, otherwise intact; call it a Good/Very Good- Ex-Lib copy, signed by Clement (“Hal Clement” (Harry C. Stubbs)”). Hassley, Hal Clement, pages 33-37./ Currey, page 469. Pringle, Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, page 76. ought off a fellow Biblio dealer for $100, bargained down from considerably more. It’s been decades since I’ve seen a Fine/Fine copy offered for sale, and even Ex-Lib copies tend to list for several hundred dollars.

I knew Hal a little bit, having given him a ride back from an Armadillocon dinner decades ago. We talked about him flying B-24 Liberators in World War II.

Library Addition: Micheal Swanwick’s Basil, Pepper, Salt, and Garlic Greens

Tuesday, June 9th, 2026

Been a while since the last Dragonstairs Swanwick chapbook:

Swanwick, Michael. Basil, Pepper, Salt, and Garlic Greens: A Year in a Witch’s Kitchen. Dragonstairs Press, 2026. First edition chapbook original, #16 of 80 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Short stories tied to seasonal dishes.

I will have copies of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog (probably Novemberish).

Library Addition: Signed First of Greg Bear’s Take Back the Sky

Monday, June 8th, 2026

I picked this up because I had the first two books in the War Dogs trilogy and I found this signed first for less than cover price.

Bear, Greg. Take back the Sky. Orbit, 2016. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Bear. Third book in the War Dogs trilogy. Bought off a fellow Biblio dealer for $20.66 plus shipping

Library Addition: Signed First of Andrew Vachss’ Flood

Monday, June 1st, 2026

Another Half Price Books find:

Vachss, Andrew. Flood. Donald I. Fine, 1985. First edition hardback, a Fine-copy with slight bumping at head and heel, in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with a 3/4″ hairline crease at bottom front panel, and slight bumping at head, heel and points, signed by Vachss. His first novel, a mystery. Vachss died in 2021. Replaces an unsigned copy. Bought for $5.39 from Half Price Books.

I have two other things signed by Vachss: The Shaolin Cowboy Adventure Magazine No. 1, and the signed hardback edition of Veil’s Visit, his collaboration with Joe R. Lansdale.

Library Addition: Signed Illustrated First of Gail Carriger’s Souless

Monday, April 27th, 2026

Another Half Price Books find:

Carriger, Gail. Soulless. Orbit, 2018. First illustrated hardback edition, a Fine- copy with a tiny little ump at heel, sans dust jacket in illustrated boards, as issued, signed by Carriger. Supplements the signed PBO. I lack the Subterranean Press signed/limited edition, which was the first separate hardback. Bought for $13.50.