Here are are several Arkham House books I’ve bought over the last couple of months. All except The Dark Man are widely available titles I picked up at bargain prices.
Library Additions: Several Arkham House Books
February 24th, 2015Library Additions: Two Olaf Stapledon First Editions
February 23rd, 2015I recently picked up a lot of Olaf Stapledon books from an Australian book auction, for AUD$119.50 plus shipping. For that I got imperfect firsts of two of Stapledon’s novels (plus a second printing of Odd John that will go in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog).
While I was in London for last year’s Worldcon, I dropped by Peter Harrington’s main bookstore, which had a number of lovely items far out of my price range. Among them was a set of inscribed Olaf Stapledon books in dust jacket they hadn’t finished cataloging yet, including at least one with a multi-page letter from Stapledon laid in, that I think they were going to price between £5,000 and £10,000 each…
Shoegazer Sunday: Manon Meurt’s “To Forget”
February 22nd, 2015Evidently Manon Meurt are from the Czech Republic.
Library Additions: Two Interesting Books
February 20th, 2015My signed Ray Bradbury first edition buying spree continues apace, and I picked up a Stanley G. Weinbaum first I’d been wanting to buy for a long time.
Sam Beckett, Private Dick
February 18th, 2015Someone’s been having fun imaging Samuel Beckett as the star of his own Quinn Martin private detective show:
The mention of Andre the Giant may seem random, but in fact Beckett used to drive the young Andre to school every morning because he was too big to fit on the bus.
(Hat tip: Don Webb.)
Tuvan Throat-Singing Cover of “In A Gadda Da Vida”
February 17th, 2015Really, who hasn’t longed to hear a Tuvan throat-singing cover of Iron Butterfly’s “In A Gadda Da Vida”? Now thanks to Yat Kha, that dream has finally come true:
Sadly, the 15 minute instrumental break in the middle of the song has been omitted, I’m assuming for space constraints. Still, I’m sure Dwight will be thrilled….
(Hat tip: Don Webb.)
Books Too Rich for My Blood: The Martian Legion
February 16th, 2015Some people seem to think I collect every damn SF/F/H book that comes down the pike, but this simply isn’t true. There are large swathes of horror I don’t read or collect and I’ve skipped the vast majority of bug-crushing high fantasy.
Finally, there are books that are just too ridiculously expensive for me to pick up.
The Martian Legion is one of those books.
The Martian Legion is a Tarzan/John Carter crossover book authorized by the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate created, backed and penned by longtime Texas SF writer and comic books dealer Jake “Buddy” Saunders. It’s a very elaborate, lavishly illustrated production, with five different states, the most expensive of which comes in an edition of three, with a commemorative platinum coin, for a cool $15,000. (The cheapest is $200, and the only edition without a presentation box.)
Will they sell? Dunno. The Burroughs collector market is a world unto itself. They may fly off the shelves at the next Dum Dum…
(Hat tip: Howard Waldrop.)
Shoegazer Sunday: Maps’ “Elouise”
February 15th, 2015Maps is evidently the shoegaze band name for UK musician James Chapman. “Elouise” is a pleasantly buzzy song, and the video features cutting edge screen saver technology from about 1997.
Shoegazer Sunday: Jeniferever’s “The Sound of Beating Wings”
February 8th, 2015This is pretty swell considering the lead singer can’t really sing. If this band was fronted by a top-notch singer like Rachel Goswell or Hope Sandoval, it would be unbelievably awesome.
Library Addition: H.P. Lovecraft: A Life
February 4th, 2015I finally found a copy of the definitive one-volume H. P. Lovecraft biography I could afford.
(Lovecraft, H.P.) Joshi, S. T. H. P. Lovecraft: A Life. Necronomicon Press, 1996. First edition, one of only 250 signed hardbacks (the only hardback edition), a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with a very tiny wrinkle at head. Widely considered to be the definitive Lovecraft biography until Joshi’s two volume expansion I Am Providence (which I also have) came out in 2010. The hardback of H. P. Lovecraft: A Life peaked around $500, but has since drifted down a bit. I bought this one from the publisher off eBay for $160.
