Obituary Watch: Toots Hibbert

September 12th, 2020

Reggae legend Toots Hibbert, of Toots & The Maytals, has died at age 77.

The number of Reggae tracks in regular rotation on my iTunes is pretty finite, but “Pressure Drop” is one of them:

I also liked their cover of Radiohead’s “Let Down” off the Radiodread, the complete reggae cover album of OK Computer.

Dune Trailer Checklist

September 10th, 2020

The trailer for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune just dropped:

Let’s do a checklist of encouraging signs that they’re going to actually follow the book:

  1. Gom Jabber: Check
  2. Litany Against Fear: Check
  3. Omnithopter: Check
  4. Holtzman shield: Check
  5. Sardauker: Check
  6. Baron Harkonnen: Check (albeit very briefly)
  7. Still-suits: Check
  8. Spice-eyes: Check
  9. Sandworm: Check

And it even a has a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse,” a nod to Jodorowsky’s planned but never-filmed version of Dune, which was to include music by Pink Floyd and Magma.

Only things missing: No Spacer Guild, and no Feyd-Rautha, which makes sense, since they’re only adapting the first half of the novel.

This one is still scheduled for December 18.

Mood: Cautious optimism.

Library Additions: Three Signed Firsts

September 9th, 2020

Three signed hardback firsts editions, of various types:

  • De Palma, Brian and Susan Lehman. Are Snakes Necessary? Hard-Case Crime, 2020. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by both authors. Bought from The Mysterious Bookstore at a dealer discount.

  • Holkins, Jerry and Mike Krahulik. Penny Arcade 6: The Halls Below. Del Rey, 2010. First edition hardback, #885 of 1000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy with inset color cover illustration, sans dust jacket, as issued. Collection of Penny Arcade cartoons. Bought from the Penny Arcade store for $30.

  • Russell, Mary Doria. Doc. Random House, 2011. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Russell. Western novel about Doc Holliday Bought from The Mysterious Bookstore for $10.
  • Two Joe R. Lansdale Red Range Firsts

    September 7th, 2020

    Two Lansdale graphic novels:

  • Lansdale, Joe R. Red Range: A Wild West Adventure. It’s Alive, 2017. First edition hardback graphic novel, the Kickstarter edition, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dust jacket, as issued. I am unclear on the precedence between this version (with the block cover) and the regular hardback with the red cover. Weird western featuring a hollow earth with dinosaurs and such.

  • Lansdale, Keith. Red Range: Pirates of Fireworld. It’s Alive, 2019. First edition comic, a Fine copy, as issued. Lansdale the Younger continues the story.
  • Both bought directly from the publisher at a dealer’s discount, and both will be available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

    Shoegazer Sunday: The Telewire’s “Slower”

    September 6th, 2020

    Here’s another dose of The Telewire, with “Slower” off their Airport EP.

    Library Addition: Traycased Edition of Karl Edward Wagner’s HorrorStory Volume Four

    September 3rd, 2020

    Stumbled across this on eBay and went “Hmm, that’s pretty close to a great deal!”, then made an offer that was accepted.

    Wagner, Karl Edward. HorrorStory Volume Four. Underwood-Miller, 1990. First edition hardback, #82 of 300 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine- traycase, with just a touch of blunting at points, a touch of edgewear around spine label, and a trace or two of wear. Omnibus and first hardback editions of Year’s Best Horror Stories X, XI and XII. Signed by Wagner, Harlan Ellison, Dennis Etchison, Michael Kube-McDowell, Richard Laymon, Michael Swanwick, David Drake, and many others. Chalker-Owings (1991), page 441. Supplements the trade edition. Bought off eBay for $65, or less than half the original offering price of $150.

    Now I guess I need the limited editions of the other two…

    Library Addition: Subterranean Press Signed, Limited Edition of Joe Hill’s Full Throttle

    August 31st, 2020

    Joe Hill’s Full Throttle already had a “signed, limited” edition in the form of a trade edition with a signature page bound in, but this edition is much, much nicer:

    Hill, Joe. Full Throttle. Subterranean Press, 2020. First signed, limited edition thus, #43 of 750 numbered copies signed by Hill and artist Dave McKean, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and Fine slipcase. An elaborate, lavishly illustrated edition in a square form-factor. I will have copies available for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

    Library Additions: Two Borderlands Little Books

    August 28th, 2020

    Two more Borderlands Press “little” books:

  • McCammon, Robert. A Little Amber Book of Wicked Shots. Borderlands Press, 2020. First edition hardback, #498 of 750 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Four stories, all of which involve alcoholic drinks. Plus an extra cocktail recipe in the introduction! I have copies of this available through Lame Excuse Books.
  • Pinborough, Sarah. A Little Magenta Book of Malevolence. Borderlands Press, 2020. First edition hardback, #498 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. I’ll have copies of this available for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
  • Library Additions: Slipcased and Traycased Editions of Joe R. Lansdale’s The Big Blow

    August 26th, 2020

    I essentially have all Joe’s first editions, so now I’m collecting the states of the first edition I didn’t already own…

  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Big Blow. Subterranean Press, 2000. First edition hardback, #178 of 250 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine slipcase. Bought for $30.40 after dealer discount.
  • Lansdale, Joe R. The Big Blow. Subterranean Press, 2000. First edition hardback, copy of D of 13 lettered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and a Fine traycase. Bought for $124.80 after dealer discount. Thirteen is an awfully small number for a Lansdale lettered edition…

  • Both supplement a trade edition inscribed to me by Joe.

    Library Additions: Three Signed Chapbooks (Swanwick, Matheson)

    August 24th, 2020

    More chabooks:

  • Matheson, Richard. Counterfeit Bills. Gauntlet, 2004. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy, signed by Matheson. Bought off eBay for $36.52.
  • Swanwick, Michael. Gulliver’s Wife. Dragonstairs Press, 2020. First edition chapbook original, #33 of 50 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy. Sold out upon publication. Bought from the publisher at full price.

  • (Wolfe, Gene) Swanwick, Michael. Swan/Wolfe. Dragonstairs Press, 2020. First edition chapbook original, #50 of 100 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy (save some slight wrinkling at head; since the outer paper wrapper is bigger than the inner chapbook page block, I suspect this is an endemic problem). Transcription of a Swanwick interview with the ReReadingWolfe podcast. As noted in the acknowledgements, I actually suggested the creation of this chapbook. Bought from the publisher at the usual bookseller discount. Sold out shortly after publication. I’ll have copies of this for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.