Posts Tagged ‘signed’

Library Additions: Five Signed Firsts

Monday, September 2nd, 2019

All five of these books were picked up from Adventures in Crime & Space at Armadillocon, and all five came from the estate of late SF writer Carrie Richerson.

  • Banks, Iain. Canal Dreams. Macmillian (UK), 1989. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with a few pinpricks of light staining at head and a small wrinkle at top center to the first few pages, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed to Richardson: “Yo, Carrie!/This one’s for you./Iain Banks/10 March 90/at Wiscon 14.” Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $15.00.
  • Banks, Iain. Espedair Street. Macmillian (UK), 1987. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy one light pinprick stain at head and slight ear at heel, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed to Richardson: “To Carrie!/Weird regards/Iain Banks/10 March 90/at Wiscon 14.” Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $15.00.
  • Banks, Iain. The State of the Art. Mark V. Ziesing, 1989. First edition hardback, a Fine- with a few pinpricks of light staining at head, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed to Richardson: “To Carrie!/best wishes from am on the/GS GCU Arbitrary/Iain M. Banks/10 March 90/at Wiscon 14.” Interesting that he puts the middle “M” on the signatures for the SF books as well. Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $10.

  • Butler, Octavia. Xenogenesis. Guild America Books, 1989. First edition hardback thus (an omnibus edition of Dawn, Adulthoode Rights, and Imago), a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel, in a Fine- dust jacket with a trace of edgewear. Inscribed by Butler: “To Carrie/Good reading/Octavia E. Butler.” Supplements signed copies of the three individual first editions. Bought for $25.

  • Emshwiller, Carol. Carmen Dog. mercury House, 1990. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight spotting to head, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Emshwiller: “To Carrie,/Carol Emshwiller.” Nova Express slipstream list. Bought for $7.50.

  • Library Additions: Seven Signed PBOs (Allston, Harrison, Hawke, Powers)

    Saturday, June 15th, 2019

    Five of these came from a friend who was culling his library of books signed to his late wife for $1-2 each, while two were Half Price Books buys. All but one of these are PBO firsts of one stripe or another:

  • Allston, Aaron. Galatea in 2-D Baen, 1993. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with slight wear at points, inscribed by the author: “To Scott,/Many thanks!/Aaron Allston/ 11/5/93.” Replaces an unsigned copy. Bought from Half Price Books for $2.24.
  • Harrison, Harry. The Stainless Steel Rat for President. Bantam Books, 1982. First mass market edition and first paperback edition (preceded by the SFBC edition, for which I also have a signed copy), a Near Fine copy with a bit of edgewear, most notable at head join, where there is also a very short (1/4″) crease. Signed by Harrison. The fifth Stainless Steel Rat book (at least by publishing order).

  • Hawke, Simon. Timewars 1: The Ivanhoe Gambit. Ace, 1986. Paperback reprint, a Fine- copy with a tiny bit of edgewear. Inscribed by Hawke. “To Lori,/Best/Simon Hawke.”
  • Hawke, Simon (as Nicholas Yermakov). Jehad. Signet, 1984. First edition paperback original, a Very Good copy with spine creasing, edgewear, slight darkening to outer portion of white back cover, and slight foxing to inside covers. Inscribed by Hawke: “To Lori,/Best/(signature).” I think it may be signed as Yermakov; if so, it’s very similar in style to his Hawke signature. Hawke used to write under his birth name of Nicholas Yermakov, but legally changed his name to Simon Hawke in 1984. Third book in the Boomarang trilogy, about an alien race that possesses a form of linear immortality and human missions to the planet to “capture” it, and one with a number of notable cyberpunk elements.

  • Hawke, Simon. The Wizard of Camelot. Warner Books, 1995. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy. Inscribed by Hawke. “To Lori,/Best/Simon Hawke.”
  • Hawke, Simon. The Wizard of Santa Fe. Warner Books, 1991. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with an invisible spine crease. Inscribed by Hawke. “To Lori,/Best/Simon Hawke.”
  • Powers, Tim. The Drawing of the Dark. Del Rey, 1979. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with bookstore stamp on blurb page, wear along spine edges, and an invisible crease. Inscribed by Powers: “for/Richard—/Hoping you like/dark beer./Cheers,/Tim Powers/ 10/8/87.” Berlyne, A3a/1. Supplements the Hypatia hardback. For some reason I never picked this up when I was picking up all the other Powers PBOs. Bought from Half Price Books for $3.
  • I enjoyed the Nicholas Yermakov books I read, but never picked up any of his series work once he changed his name for Simon Hawke, so why not pick up some signed PBOs cheap?

    Library Addition: Signed First of Gene Wolfe’s Innocents Aboard

    Thursday, May 23rd, 2019

    Checking eBay after Gene Wolfe died, I came across a listing for a signed copy of Innocents Aboard, and wondered to myself “Is my copy signed?”

    That’s when I found out that, much to my chagrin, I did not own a copy of Innocents Aboard at all.

    Hence this:

    Wolfe, Gene. Innocents Abroad. Tor, 2004. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Wolfe. Bought off eBay for $14.99 plus shipping.

    Library Addition: Signed First of Gahan Wilson’s Everybody’s Favorite Duck

    Tuesday, May 21st, 2019

    Another signed first, this by an author more famous as an illustrator:

    Wilson, Gahan. Everybody’s Favorite Duck. Mysterious Press, 1988. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Wilson: “To/David-/Gahan/Wilson/and/the/duck” with an arrow pointing to a drawing of a duck. Looks like a literary mystery/adventure pastiche of multiple authors, much in the manner of Roger Zelazny’s A Night in the Lonesome October (or vice versa, as this precedes the Zelazny by five years), which, interestingly enough, was also illustrated by Gahan Wilson. Bought off the Internet for $17.

    This is the second book I own remarqued by Wilson, the first being the lettered state of the Subterranean Press edition of Neil Gaiman’s M is for Magic, which has a drawing of a bat.

    Sadly, Wilson is evidently suffering from dementia and not publishing cartoons anymore.

    Library Addition: Signed/Limited Edition of Paul Di Filippo’s Aeota

    Thursday, May 2nd, 2019

    Another Paul Di Filippo book:

    Di Filippo, Paul. Aeota. PS Publishing, 2019. First edition hardback, #76 of only 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in decorated boards and a Fine dust jacket, new and unread. “On the trail of a missing con man, our private eye hero uncovers a vast conspiracy that stretches from the dawn of time to the Omega Point—and find himself central to the whole enigmatic game.”

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

    Library Addition: Signed/Limited Edition of C. L. Moore’s Scarlet Dream

    Saturday, March 30th, 2019

    Slowly but surely I’m filling in the gaps of my complete Henry Kuttner/C. L. Moore collection:

    Moore, C.L. Scarlet Dream. Donald M. Grant, 1981. First edition hardback, one of 220 copies signed by Moore and illustrator Alicia Austin, a Fine- copy with a few pinhead spots of light staining at head, in a Fine- dust jacket with just a trace of wear at head and points, and very slight edge wrinkling at rear flap top, in a Near Fine slipcase with two tackhead sized abrasions to bottom. All the Northwest Smith science fiction adventure stories, including one (“Song in a Minor Key”) not in Northwest of Earth or Shambleau. Chalker/Owings, page 221. Bought for $60 from an internet dealer.

    This is the fourth signed Moore first I’ve picked up, along with The Best of C. L. Moore, Black God’s Shadow, and Mutant. I’m still looking for a nice Northwest of Earth that’s both affordable and not horribly spine-faded…

    Library Additions: Signed Editions of Two H. G. Wells Classics

    Thursday, March 7th, 2019

    Not signed by H.G. Wells, alas, (I have one of those) but by the illustrator.

    Wells, H. G. The Time Machine with The War of The Worlds. Limited Editions Club, 1964. First edition thus, #1327 of 1500 numbered sets signed by illustrator Joseph Mugnaini in each book, each Fine copies, sans dust jackets (as issued), in a Very Good+ slipcase with abrasions along the top and other touches of wear. Mugnaini is probably most famous to SF readers for his illustrations of Ray Bradbury books, especially the first edition of The Halloween Tree. This is a handsome set that usually lists for 2-3 times what I paid, and it’s possible I’ll never own nice copies of the true first editions of either. Bought off eBay for $50 for the set.

    Library Additions: Three Signed Ray Bradbury Books

    Tuesday, January 29th, 2019

    The signed Ray Bradbury buying spree continues apace:

  • Bradbury, Ray. Bullet Trick. Gauntlet Press, 2009. First edition hardback, one of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, new and unread, still in publisher’s shrinkwrap. Collection of teleplays and short fiction. List price of $85. Bought off eBay for $46.
  • Bradbury, Ray. Christmas Greetings 1982. Self-published, 1982. First edition broadsheet, a Near Fine copy with wrinkling on the right side (probably do to inadequate stiffing in an envelope shipped from France) and a former paperclip impression at top left. Inscribed by Bradbury. Bought for $30 plus shipping.

  • (Bradbury, Ray) Robin Anne Reid. Ray Bradbury: A Critical Companion. Greenwood Press, 2000. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. Signed by Bradbury. Non-fiction reference book. Bought from an Internet book dealer for $35.

  • Library Additions: Five Signed Ray Garton and David J. Schow Firsts

    Thursday, December 27th, 2018

    I haven’t been buying Ray Garton for a while, but I found a few things in the Camelot sale worth picking up:

  • Garton, Ray. Crucifax Autumn. Dark Harvest, 1988. First edition hardback, #194 of 300 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine- slipcase with a couple of minor dings. The best of Garton’s early splatterpunk novels. Supplements a trade edition. Bought for $20, marked down from $50.

  • Garton, Ray. A Little Gray Book of Grim Tales. Borderlands Press, 2015. First edition hardback, #25 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. I rather like these little books. Bought for $20, marked down from $50.
  • Schow, David J. DJSturbia. Subterranean Press, 2016. First edition hardback, #137 of 750 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Short story collection interspersed with essays. Bought for $16 marked down from $40.
  • Schow, David J. Havoc Swims Jaded (with Water Music). Subterranean Press, 2006. First edition hardback, #60 of 150 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Supplements a trade edition. With Water Music, a 40-page chapbook about The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Both bought for $16 marked down from $40.

  • Schow, David J. Zombie Jam. Subterranean Press, 2005. First edition hardback, #436 of 750 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Compilation of Schow’s zombie fiction. Bought for $16 marked down from $40.
  • Library Additions: Four Signed David Morrell and Peter Straub Firsts

    Wednesday, December 26th, 2018

    Back to cataloging those Camelot Books sale purchases:

  • Morrell, David. Black Evening. Cemetery Dance, 1999. First edition hardback, one of 1500 copies signed by Morrell, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Short story collection. Bought for $16, marked down from $40.
  • Morrell, David. Stars in My Eyes: My love Affair With Books, Movies and Music. Gauntlet Press, 2016. First edition hardback, #29 of 300 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Essays on Morell’s favorite books, movies and music, including essays on Richard Matheson, Dan Simmons and William Tenn, in addition to Geoffrey Household’s Rogue Male, the inspiration for First Blood. Bought for $20, marked down from $50.

  • Morrell, David. Rambo: First Blood II. Borderlands Press/Gauntlet Press, 2016. First hardback edition, first signed/limited edition, and first edition thus, with material not in the Jove paperback novelization, #27 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. (The original First Blood is a very good action movie, but it’s a great novel.) Bought for $24, marked down from $60.

  • Straub, Peter. 5 Stories. Borderlands Press, 2007. First edition hardback, #328 of 350 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Bought for $24, marked down from $60.