And the Thrushes kick continues with “Crystal”!
Shoegazer Sunday: Thrushes’ “Crystal”
September 30th, 2012Lord Byron’s Autographed Copy of Frankenstein Up for Sale
September 25th, 2012I have a number of interesting association copies in my library, but a first edition of Frankenstein inscribed to Lord Byron by the author blows away anything I have by a good measure. That’s what bookseller Peter Harrington is offering up for a mere £350,000 or so (which, at this particular moment, comes out to $566,985.26). I’ll check my recliner for spare change, but I think that’s more than I’m willing to spend right now. (Plus it’s only the first volume of the three volume set, and you can’t expect me to lower my standards and buy an incomplete set, can you?)
I’ve refrained from putting up a post on it until now because I’m incredibly lazy I was waiting for the bookseller to put up a full prospectus, which he has now done. Here’s the relevant description:
[SHELLEY, Mary.] Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. London: for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, 1818. First edition, presentation copy to Lord Byron, with the author’s autograph inscription to the front flyleaf: “To Lord Byron from the Author”. An unsurpassable association copy of the best known fiction of the Romantic era, perhaps the most evocative presentation copy conceivable in all nineteenth-century literature.
Condition: Vol. 1 only (of 3), duodecimo (184 × 114 mm). Bound for presentation in contemporary calf, boards ruled in gilt with a double fillet enclosing a leaf-and-flower-head roll in blind with floral tools in blind at inside corners, marbled endpapers, green silk book mark. Inscribed by the author on the binder’s blank immediately preceding the half-title; complete with the half-title and final advert leaf. Spine perished (a small fragment with a single blind-tooled oriel preserved in archival paper tipped-in on the rear pastedown), inner hinges expertly repaired by James Brockman, boards rubbed and a little stained, tips just worn, a few faint spots and some light offsetting, a tall, well-margined copy.
Worth that much? Probably. Though I would really want the second and third volumes…
Shoegazer Sunday: Thrushes Cover “Fade Into You”
September 23rd, 2012You may already know of my affection for Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You,” and a couple of week’s ago I put up a Thrushes song, so naturally a Thrushes cover of “Fade Into You” peaked my interest.
The nice thing about this version is that it foregrounds the similarities with Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door,” and if anything is more wistfully melancholy than the original. The only flaw is that lead singer Anna Conner, while good, just isn’t Hope Sandoval. But who is?
The Man Who Turned His House Into a Library
September 20th, 2012The idea is simple. Readers can take as many books as they want, for as long as they want – even permanently. As Guanlao says: “The only rule is that there are no rules.”
It’s a policy you might assume would end very quickly – with Guanlao having no books at all.
But in fact, in the 12 years he’s been running his library – or, in his words, his book club – he’s found that his collection has grown rather than diminished, as more and more people donate to the cause.
Pictures from the 2012 Chicago Worldcon: Monday
September 17th, 2012And here’s the final set of picture from the Chicago Worldcon, taken on Monday before I left, including some book dealers.
Willis Siros, bookdealer and next year’s Worldcon Fan Guest of Honor:
Mike Walsh, owner of Old Earth Books (and if you’re looking for any of his Howard Waldrop books signed by Howard, I can hook you up).
Greg Ketter of Dreamhaven Books, along with a big of the dealer’s room. For some reason pictures that include large interior spaces always seem to come out orange on my camera.
Larry Hallock of Ygor’s Books.
Sheila Williams, holding her Hugo.
Stephen Haffner, of Haffner Press.
Mel Korshak, founder of Shasta Publishers and someone who attended the first Worldcon in 1939!
I’ve put up two crappy pictures of Charlie Stross, so finally here’s a good one, after he came over to join me, Pat Cadigan and Gardner Dozois for drinks.
And that’s all she wrote for the 2012 Worldcon! See you in San Antonio!
Pictures from the 2012 Chicago Worldcon: Sunday
September 16th, 2012Yes, more Worldcon photos. I’ve broken them up across multiple posts so the page didn’t load so slowly readers would think they were back in the Geocities era.
Dantzel Cherry and her friends charge up their eye lasers.
Legendary fan David Kyle, who attended the first Worldcon in New York City in 1939!
How many legends can you spot in this photo? David Hartwell, Robert Silverberg, and Joe and Gay Haldeman all talk to David Kyle.
Connie Willis, enjoying the first Worldcon where she wasn’t required to present an award since she was six years old.
With Mary Robinette Kowal, who survived the ordeal of being a SFWA officer.
Michael Cassutt, just minutes before he was tragically bored to death at the Robert A. Heinlein Society annual meeting.
Adam-Troy Castro. “I said sell Greek bonds! SELL!”
Steve Jackson, who was there with his Chaos Machine setup. “What’s that? I can’t hear you over the sound of all that money my Ogre Kickstarter made.”
Not-so-secret master of Fandom Ben Yalow.
John Picacio, in the last known photo of him before he won the freaking Hugo Award.
James Patrick Kelly and Robert Silverberg.
Saturday night I dined with Scott Bobo, Kurt Baty, Sarah Felix, Ed Scarborough, and Spike and Tom at Everest, a 7 course meal that took three and a half hours and cost $200. Sunday, before the Hugos? I ate at Chipolte with Dantzel and some of her friends.
Remember, pictures of attractive women are your best blog-visit drivers!
David Brin is the Belle of the Ball:
Molly Nixon, ready for the Hugos.
As is Mary Robinette Kowal.
Jim Minz and Mike Resnick at the door of the Baen party.
Scott Edelman and Robert Reed, in a diagonally framed shot to get both of them in.
Jay Lake, embossed by rocketship.
You go, I go, for podcasting Hugos:
Neil Gaiman, after the Hugos.
John Scalzi in Murder by Hugo (Neil’s, as it happens).
Scott Edelman’s fashion approaches David Hartwell levels of taste.
And now, for the full effect: With the shoes.
A better picture of Sue Burke, with 85% less “about to be eaten by zombies” grimness.
Texas Worldcon Chairman Bill Parker looking sharp.
Jim Mann, proving that some moose ties kan be pretty nasti.
Another crappy picture of Charlie Stross, this one wearing his “Christopher Priest yells at a cloud” inspired t-shirt.
It’s not my fault! She kept changing her outfit!
Shoegazer Sunday: Malory’s “Floating”
September 16th, 2012Malory is a second-wave Shoegazer band from Germany. Though they get compared to Slowdive a lot, “Floating” strikes me as about halfway between Echodrone and Midsummer. I could do without the French spoken word bit at the beginning, but the part that kicks in after 1:50 is pretty tasty.
This breaks up what is likely to be a big Thrushes kick…
Hephaestus Press Gone From Amazon?
September 10th, 2012It took a while, but it looks like Hephaestus Press’ offerings have finally been removed from Amazon. If you don’t remember Hephaestus Press, they were the ones who published “books” that were just articles scrapped from Wikipedia, many of which looked like omnibus editions of several novels.
Given other evidence, it looks like they’re finally kicking all similar crap off their system as well.
Shoegazer Sunday: Thrushes’ “Heartbeats”
September 9th, 2012Thrush is a relatively new band out of Baltimore. They sound a bit like Jesus and Mary Chain by way of Ride and Slowdive, with maybe a bit of Mazzy Star.
Pictures from the 2012 Chicago Worldcon: Saturday
September 8th, 2012Dantzel Cherry, show us your buffalo!
As long as you’re not using it to flack for another science fiction writer named Lawrence…damnit!
Part of a big crowd (along with Beth Mechem and Willie Siros) in the Tor Party:
David Brin, caught mid-laugh:
A very sleepy Lawrence Watt-Evans:
One spins, one measures, one cuts.
I attended the Worldcon SFWA Business meeting at 9 AM that morning, which included a “breakfast” of fruit and bagels. For San Antonio, may I suggest breakfast tacos?
Joe Haldeman also attended.
As did Eileen Gunn.
Gardner Dozois and Eileen.
Elizabeth Bear. If Elizabeth Bear and Greg Bear ever meet, they have the power to transform into a giant grizzly.
A crappy picture from the totally awesome “Secret History of Worldcon” panel. George R. R. Martin (who I was finally able to get my Hugo Loser ribbon from), Mike Resnick, Joe Haldeman, Robert Silverberg. Gardner Dozois, who spaced on the time, joined later. I hope someone recorded that panel. It was epic!
Paolo Bacigalupi and his crying/vomiting cat t-short.
Night Shade Press publisher and infamous clothes horse Jeremy Lassen.
And I never knew he was a Texas Longhorns fan!
John Two-Time Hugo NomineeOne-Time Hugo WINNER DeNardo of SF Signal.
Sue Burke and hubby. I wanted to get pictures to remember them by after the Iberian cannibalism breaks out.
Scott Lynch, with nifty Lovecraft & Tesla T-shirt.
Up close and personal.
James Patrick Kelly must be going.
Gardner Dozois and Amy Sisson:
Janis Ian. Yes, that Janis Ian.
