Library Addition: Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind

July 19th, 2019

Another Half Price Books find:

Rothfuss, Patrick. The Name of the Wind. DAW, 2007. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with the barest trace bend at points and a trace of haze-rubbing. Bought at Half Price Books for $14.99. Popular fantasy that seems to go in the $300-400 range these days.

Library Addition: John W. Campbell’s Frozen Hell

July 18th, 2019

A kickstarter purchase:

Campbell, John W. Frozen Hell. Wildside Press, 2019. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Longer version of Campbell’s “Who Goes There?” recently rediscovered. Introduction by Silverberg. Bought off Kickstarter for $25.

Library Addition: Samuel R. Delany’s Letters From Amherst

July 17th, 2019

A fellow collector alerted me to a bargain pre-publication price for this through Amazon:

Delany, Samuel R. Letters From Amherst. Wesleyan University Press, 2019. First edition hardback, a Fine new copy, sans dust jacket with ISBN price sticker, as issued. Subtitled “Five Narrative Letters.” Bought for $16.96, considerably off the list price of $45.

I have several other Delany non-fiction works. I hope this is more accessible than some of his critical works, which tend to be too heavily influenced by various academic critical trends (post-modernism, close-reading, etc.).

Library Additions: Two Signed Ardath Mayhar Firsts

July 16th, 2019

The late Ardath Mayhar was a casual acquaintance I would see around various Texas SF conventions, but who I didn’t know well. Save Cross Plains Universe, an anthology we’re both in, I don’t think I have anything signed or inscribed by her. So when I found these two first editions by her cheap, I went ahead and picked them up.

  • Mayhar, Ardath. Carrots and Miggle. Atheneum, 1986. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Mayhar: “For Marj/with love/Ardath Mayhar/May, 1986.” Would you believe it’s a young adult novel about two girls on a farm in east Texas? Not a lot of those in my library. Bought for $6.49.

  • Mayhar, Ardath. Golden Dream: A Fuzzy Odyssey. Ace, 1982. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine- copy with rubbing to raised golden foil letters on front cover and just a trace of wear at heel, otherwise new and apparently unread. Inscribed by Mayhar: “For Marj/May all your dreams/be golden./Ardath —/Oct. 14, 1982.” Sequel to H. Beam Piper’s “Little Fuzzy” stories. Bought for $5.99.

  • Shoegazer Sunday: A Beautiful Machine’s “Breathe in Space”

    July 14th, 2019

    Back when MP3.com was a going concern, I bought A Beautiful Machine’s Solar Winds, White Noise, Antigravity based on the strength of “Breathe in Space.” In fact, it’s the third most played track on my iTunes. It lasts from 37:06 to 42:50 here.

    A Beautiful Machine is evidently a part-time project of Skye Klein, better known for Terminal Sound System and HALO.

    Library Additions: Two Michael Moorcock Firsts

    July 10th, 2019

    Both Half Price Books finds:

  • Moorcock, Michael. Modem Times 2.0. PM Press, 2011. First edition trade paperback original, a Fine copy. Mixture of fiction (a Jerry Cornelius novella “Modem Times 2.0” previous published in different form as “Modem Times”), plus two essays and a bibliography. Bought for $4.99.

  • Moorcock, Michael, and Mervyn Peake. The Sunday Books. Duckworth/Overlook, 2011. First English language edition (originally published in France), a Fine copy in decorated cloth, sans dust jacket, as issued. Book of children’s story art by Peake, based on tales he told his children but never wrote down, with story text by Moorcock (a friend of Peake’s and a notable champion of his work). Bought for $7.99.

  • Library Addition: Two States of Michael Swanwick’s Dragonskin

    July 9th, 2019

    Another Swanwick Dragonstairs Press chapbook, and I picked up one copy in each state:

  • Swanwick, Michael. Dragonskin. Dragonstairs Press, 2019. First edition chapbook original, letter J of 10 copies bound in python skin, a Fine copy, new and unread. Essays on writers who have written works on dragons: “The Scale-Hunter’s Wayward Son,” “The Mother of Earthsea,” “A Daughter of Pern,” “The Iron Dragon’s Father,” and “Afterword.”

  • Swanwick, Michael. Dragonskin. Dragonstairs Press, 2019. First edition chapbook original, #39 of 50 numbered copies, a Fine copy. (Note: the numbered edition I have states that the lettered edition is in boa constrictor skin rather than python, and it has a more sand-colored look rather than dark green.)
  • I will have copies of each state for sale in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, probably around November.

    Shoegazer Sunday: The Radio Dept.’s “The New Improved Hypocrisy”

    July 7th, 2019

    A little more dreampop that Shoegaze, “The New Improved Hypocrisy” is a nicely pleasant piece:

    Library Additions: Four Subterranean Press Firsts

    July 3rd, 2019

    Got all of these through their most recent 50% off sale:

  • Carroll, Jonathan. The Crow’s Dinner. Subterranean Press, 2017. First edition hardback, #220 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Collection of essays.
  • Powers, Tim. More Walls Broken. Subterranean Press, 2019. First edition hardback, #378 (or possibly 318) of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Novella.
  • Powers, Tim. More Walls Broken. Subterranean Press, 2019. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Trade edition.
  • Schow, David J. The Big Crush. Subterranean Press, 2019. First edition hardback, #733 (or possibly 133) of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Novel.
  • Library Addition: David Russell’s Portfolio For Jack Vance’s Tschai

    June 19th, 2019

    More crazy Jack Vance collecting:

    David Russell (Jack Vance). Tschai: An illustrated Portfolio. First edition portfolio, #18 of 100 numbered copies signed by both artist Russell and Jack Vance, a Fine copy. Four black and white art prints. Bought off eBay for $35 plus shipping.

    The shadow effects on the image are a photo artifact, and the fact that it’s a pain to take it out of the plastic jacket the previous owner customer constructed for it.