A friend is gradually culling the book collection of his mother, a literary academic, and I’ve been helping him seperate out books that might have some value from those that don’t. Here are three SF (or SF adjacent) critical works I saved for myself.
Clareson, Thomas D. Understanding Contemporary American Science Fiction: The Formative Period, 1926—1970. University of South Carolina Press, 1992. Second printing trade paperback, a Fine- copy with two small spots to page block edges. Clareson wrote a number of SF reference works, so I expect this to be pretty decent.
(Le Guin, Ursula K.) Cummins, Elizabeth. Understanding Ursula K. Le Guin. University of South Carolina Press, 1993. First edition trade paperback original of this revised edition, a Fine copy. Critical book on Le Guin.
(Pynchon, Thomas)Tanner, Tony. Thomas Pynchon. Methuen, 1982. First edition trade paperback original, a Poor copy since the center two leaves were falling out when I received this, but I’ve glued them back in. Critical companion to Pynchon’s work, covering early short work, V, The Crying of Lot 49 and Gravity’s Rainbow. Part of Methuen’s Contemporary Writers series.
Normally I wouldn’t add reprints (or a book falling apart) to my reference library, but at “free” the price was certainly right…