Library Addition: ARC of Joe R. Lansdale’s The Horror Hall of Fame

August 13th, 2025

I don’t usually pick up ARCs, but this was offered at a bargain price.

Lansdale, Joe R., editor. The Horror Hall of Fame. Cemetery Dance, 2011. First edition Advanced Uncorrected Proof, trade paperback format, of the hardback first edition, a Fine copy. Isajanko D13.a (but no mention of proof states). Bought off Facebook for $10.

Library Addition: Alastair Reynolds The Dagger in Vichy

August 12th, 2025

New signed, limited edition from Subterranean:

Reynolds, Alastair. The Dagger in Vichy. Subterranean Press, 2025. First edition hardback, #422 of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, with bookmark laid in. Novella described as a mixture of science fiction and fantasy, with perhaps a dollop of Eldritch Horror.

I will have a small number of these available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.

Library Additions: Two Avram Davidson Ellery Queen Firsts

August 11th, 2025

These are the last books from that Kathryn Cramer purchase:

  • Davidson, Avram (as Ellery Queen). And on the Eighth Day. Random House, 1964. First edition hardback (“First Printing” stated, as per Currey), a Near Fine- copy with wear at head, heel and points, in a Very Good dust jacket with several 1/4″ to 1/8″ chips at head, heel, points and bottom center, “3-24” written in pen on inside top flap, two hairline tears to bottom front cover, and trace of dust soiling to white rear cover. Currey, page 131. Hubin, page 326.

  • Davidson, Avram (as Ellery Queen). The Fourth Side of the Triangle. Random House, 1965. First edition hardback (“First Printing” stated, as per Currey), a Fine- copy with a trace of wear at head, heel and points in a Near Fine+ dust jacket with slight grubbiness to white jacket, 1/4″ close hairline tear at bottom front, and a touch of edgewear. Currey, page 131. Hubin, page 326. Currey says this Random House edition precedes, but Hubin says the Gollancz edition precedes.

  • Bought for $10 each.

    Library Addition: Signed, Limited Edition of Philip Jose Farmer’s The Unreasoning Mask

    August 6th, 2025

    Another Kathryn Cramer purchase:

    Farmer, Philip Jose. The Unreasoning Mask. Putnam, 1981. First edition hardback (simultaneous with the trade hardback), #349 of 500 signed, numbered copies, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Pringle, Science Fiction: The Hundred Best Novels 96. Pringle, Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, pages 339-340 (“***…Metaphsyical space opera, one of the author’s best”). Supplements a copy of the trade hardback. Bought for $35.

    Library Addition: Signed First of Kelly Link’s 4 Stories

    August 4th, 2025

    Another Kathryn Cramer purchase.

    Link, Kelly. 4 Stories. Jelly Ink, 2000. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy, singed by Link. Jelly Ink was Link’s own publishing house before Small Beer Press. Bought for $35.

    Library Addition: Signed First of Thomas Disch’s The Businessman

    July 31st, 2025

    Another Kathryn Cramer purchase:

    Disch, Thomas M. The Businessman: A Tale of Terror. Harper & Row, 1984. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Disch. Cawthorn and Moorcock, Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels 98. Pringle, Modern Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels 88. Supplements an unsigned copy. Bought for $20.

    Library Additions: Signed Firsts of Hal Clements’ Xi Bootis, Still River

    July 30th, 2025

    Two more Kathryn Cramer purchases:

  • Clement, Hal. Some Notes on Xi Bootis. Advent: Publishers, 1960. First edition chapbook original, one of 500 copies (per Chalker Ownings), a Fine copy save a penciled “118” at top rear left corner. Given away as a freebie at the 1960 Pittsburgh Worldcon, where Clement gave a speech on the topic of speculative fiction set in this star system. Chalker/Owings, page 5. Hassler, Hal Clement, page 57, footnote 47. Not in Currey. Bought for $45.

  • Clement, Hal. Still River. Ballantine Books, 1987. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Clement. Pringle, Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, page 302. (“**”). Bought for $15.

  • Library Addition: Signed First of Asimov’s Where Do We Go From Here

    July 29th, 2025

    Another purchase from Kathryn Cramer:

    Asimov, Isaac, editor. Where Do We Go From Here? Doubleday, 1971. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with one light thumbprint-sized blotch with a long sperm-like tail (binding flaw) to inside front cover, the ghost of that indention to the front free endpaper, slight bend at head, and front gutter just a little off from straight up and down (probably a binding flaw), in a Fine dust jacket, signed by Asimov. Reprint story anthology. Miller, Asimov: A Checklist, page 68. Currey, page 21. Bought for $100.

    Library Addition: Assocational Proof of Gene Wolfe’s The Island of Doctor Death Inscribed to David Hartwell

    July 28th, 2025

    Kathryn Cramer, after having numerous problems selling David Hartwell’s book collection in other venues, is now selling some directly. I contacted her, haggled over prices, and eventually we agreed on a purchase of several books, this being the first listed here.

    Wolfe, Gene. The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories. Pocket Books, 1980. Proof (trade paperback format) of the paperback original first edition, a Fine copy, inscribed by Wolfe to his longtime editor Hartwell: “To Dave Hartwell, who/had sense enough to/separate the Doctor stories./Gene Wolfe”. Supplements another signed copy of this proof inscribed to me by Wolfe. In his Nova Express interview, Gene said Hartwell was the best editor he ever worked with. I suppose it’s a bit greedy to have two signed proof firsts of this, but I had long wanted an associational copy of a Wolfe title inscribed to Hartwell, and this is a pretty good one. Bought for $100.

    Library Addition: Easton Press Limited of Dan Simmons’ Crook Factory

    July 23rd, 2025

    This was simply a case of browsing eBay and going “Well, that’s pretty damn cheap.”

    Simmons, Dan. The Crook Factory. Easton Press, 1999. First edition hardback thus, #264 of 1,050 copies, a Fine leatherbound copy, sans dust jacket, as issued, with “a note about THE CROOK FACTORY and the author DAN SIMMONS” and Certification of Authenticity laid in. Supplements an inscribed first edition. Bought off eBay for $20.