This is less “Halloween horror” that “Halloween comedy,” namely Dog 1, Creepy Japanese Ghost 0:
Get the hell out of my neighborhood!
Go be a ghost somewhere else! https://t.co/tg4o4BQKSR— The Figen (@TheFigen_) May 14, 2026
Halloween Horrors: “Go be a ghost somewhere else!”
October 4th, 2026Halloween Horrors: Monsters on Maneuver
October 1st, 2026The Halloween Season is upon us again.
I’m not particularly a fan of the “thinly animated scary story,” but this one stands out quite a bit, as the military details are what make the entire thing more plausible.
These feature “pale crawlers.”
The first story doesn’t do much for me, but the second, featuring a national guardsman on nighttime land navigation (“lan nav”), which means moving around in the dark and navigating by landmarks and a map.
While out there he spots something.
Then the thing starts tracking him on a parallel course…
Nicely creepy.
Library Addition: James Blish’s The Seedling Stars
September 30th, 2026Another Gnome Press first from that Mysterious Benefactor:
Blish, James. The Seedling Stars. Gnome Press, 1957. First edition hardback (“First Edition” on copyright page, as per Currey), in the Curry (D) binding (gray cloth, lettered in red), a Fine- copy with slight bend at head and heel and the usual age-darkening of pages for a Gnome of this period, in a Fine-, Mylar-protected dust jacket with a trace of wear at head and heel, a tiny bit of dust soiling on top of front panel near spine, and barely perceptible darkening to front flap fold, slightly exaggerated in scan. Story of the Adapted Man, preceding Pohl’s Man Plus by a quarter-century, and including Blish’s classic “Surface Tension.” Currey, page 42. Chalker/Owings, page 204. Kemp, The Anthem Series page 260. Pringle, Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, page 274 (“***”).
Library Addition: E. B. Cole’s The Philosophical Corps
September 29th, 2026Another Gnome Press first from that Mysterious Benefactor:
Cole, E. B. The Philosophical Corps. Gnome Press, 1962. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bumping at head and heel (though far less age darkening to pages that the average later Gnome), in a Fine- dust jacket with a tiny line of smudge on front panel and a trace of bumping to head and heel. The last Gnome Press book. Chalker/Owings, page 206 (“Really good series of connected stories from ASF. Deserved better, wider release”). Kemp, The Anthem Series, pages 282-283 (“A really good series of connected stories, science fiction in the good, old tradition).
Library Addition: Signed First of George Romero and Daniel Kraus’ Pay the Piper
September 28th, 2026Another limited edition came in from SST:
Romero, George A. and Daniel Kraus. Pay the Piper. Short Scary Tales (SST), 2026. First hardback edition, #330 of 500 copies signed by Kraus and illustrator Dirk Berger, a Fine copy in a Fine slipcase, with numbered bookmark and tissue closure stickers laid in. First signed, limited edition and first hardback of this Louisiana swamp monster with a grudge novel started by Romero and finished by Kraus. Oh, and Kraus just happened to win the Pulitzer Prize this year for his novel Angel Down.
I will have one copy of this available in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog, due out in just a couple of days.
Shoegazer Sunday: Prepare My Glider’s “One Look and I Know I’m Home”
September 27th, 2026Been a while since since we feature Prepare My Glider, and they just released an EP called “Change” a couple of weeks ago, so here’s a track from it that exhibits a nice ethereal wall of sound.
Library Addition: Arthur Barnes’ Interplanetary Hunter
September 25th, 2026Another Gnome Press first from that Mysterious Benefactor:
Barnes, Arthur K. Interplanetary Hunter. Gnome Press, 1956. First edition (stated) hardback, a Fine- copy with slight crimping at head and trace of foxing to gutters (plus the characteristic age darkening of the pages common to Gnomes of this vintage), in a Very Good-, Mylar-protected dust jacket with shallow chipping at head, plus small 1/4″ chips at top and bottom of rear panel, smaller chip at heel front join, small chipping at points, significant age-darkening to spine, and general dust soiling to white dust jacket. Chalker/Owings, page 203. Kemp, The Anthem Series, page 250 (“This is a book of thrilling adventure replete with visits to strange worlds and wonderful fascinating lifeforms.”)
Library Addition: Hardback First of John Brunner’s The Traveller in Black
September 24th, 2026Another item from that Mysterious Benefactor.
Brunner, John. The Traveller in Black. Severn House, 1979. First hardback edition, a Fine- copy with slight crimping at heel, in a Fine- dust jacket with a trace of wear at heel. Linked stories about a mysterious traveler who can drive back chaos.
Supplements a copy of the PBO first (spelled with only one “l” in Traveler).
Library Addition: Hardback Facsimile of July 1939 Issue of Astounding
September 23rd, 2026Here’s a fairly neat item that came from that Mysterious Benefactor.
Campbell, John W. A Facsimile of the July 1939 Issue of Astounding Science Fiction. Southern Illinois University Press, 1981. First edition hardback, a Fine- copy with slight bump at head, slight bend at heel and a trace of wear to bottom boards, in a Fine dust jacket. Just what it says, a hardback facsimile reprint of the July 1939 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, the one containing A. E. van Vogt’s classic first story “Black Destroyer,” as well as Isaac Asimov’s first sale to Astounding, “Trends.” This is the issue most historians mark as the beginning of the Golden Age of Science Fiction. This has an introduction by Stanley Schmidt, story notes by van Vogt and Asimov, and a reminiscence of Campbell by Ross Rocklynne.
Library Addition: Signed First of Jack Williamson’s The Reign of Wizardry
September 22nd, 2026Another small press book from that Mysterious Benefactor:
Williamson, Jack. The Reign of Wizardry. Phantasia Press, 1979. First hardback edition, a Fine copy in a Fine, Mylar-protected dust jacket, signed by Williamson on the title page. Fantasy set in Minoan Crete. The second Phantasia Press publication. Stephen Fabian dust jacket. Williamson, Wonder’s Child, page 121 (where he notes monthly rent when he wrote it was $12, and John W. Campbell’s penny-a-word check for publication in Unknown came to $510). Hauptmann, The Work of Jack Williamson A14.g. Chalker/Owings, page 339.
