Products
Bears, Pirates and Silver Lace
Portland, OR: Binfords & Mort, 1944. Hardcover, First Edition, 5 1/2 x 8". 134 pp. INSCRIBED by author, red cloth over boards with black lettering and picture of a pirate and treasure chest on front cover and black lettering on faded spine, some stains to cover, minor rubbing at corners, gift inscription on ffep and inscription from author on dedication page, very good condition.
Authentic stories of the early days of California, gathered from American and Spanish families. Illustrated in color and b/w by Phil Nesbitt.
Birds of a Feather
Tri State, Dothan, AL. Stiff Boards. James L. Dean (illustrator). Tri-State Publishing Company, Dothan, Alabama - No date - Published under the sponsorship of The Gladiolus Garden Club of Dothan, Alabama. Signed on the title page. Book is square and tight. Front cover is pulling away from binding but is still intact and all pages are present. Slight shelf wear but otherwise in very good condition. Ms. Odom is an Alabama writer and this particular volume is very scarce.
Cape Cod Yesterdays
Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1935. 48 pp. Approximately 6 3/4 x 9 3/4"; LIMITED EDITION of 1075, this being #471 as indicated on the colophon, although the slipcase indicates copy #826, signed by both author and illustrator. Slipcase slightly corner bumped but in near-fine condition with spine label showing title and limitation in excellent shape. Calico cloth covered boards with quarter-bound linen backing, beautiful pictorial endpapers, top edge of all-rag paper is trimmed but other edges are untrimmed, both b/w and full color illustrations by Harold Brett, extra label at rear of book, otherwise in fine condition.
Told from the point of view of remembrances of the departing way of life in Cape Cod. Informal diaglogue brings back the time of general stores, ships that sailed without gasoline engines, travelling by horseback instead of car, fishing, all told with the Cape Cod landscape as a beautiful and scenic background.
Cardography and Card Catalogue
Eugene, OR: Hypatia Press, 1987. 183 pages + Afterward and maps. 5 1/2 x 8 1/2"; LIMITED EDITION, 76 deluxe editions with 56 having hand-tinted tarot cards of the minor arcana tipped in, like this one, being the Lady of Wands. Beige leather slipcase in fine condition; Beige leather over boards with gilt design and lettering on cover and spine, illustrations throughout including beautiful copper tinted gilt endpapers, signed by Orson Scott Card (author), David Hartwell (editor) and Leslie Newcomer (artist) on limitation page, all in fine condition. Includes Catalogue of Card's works, signed by the compiler, Michael R. Collings and Card.
Orson Scott Card (1951 - ) is an American writer, public speaker, and columnist. He is known for many genres but best known for his science fiction and fantasy books, most especially Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead, both of which won Hugo and Nebula Awards.
Catacomb Years
New York: Published by Berkley Publishing Corporation Distributed by G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1979]. 396 pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8 1/4". Advanced copy, uncorrected proof for limited distribution of the first edition. A presentation copy with inscription by Bishop. Orange/yellow card stock outer wrap, corners slightly bumped, black titles on cover page, near fine condition
The prequel to this book, "Little Knowledge" and then this book, "Catacomb Years" are about a theocratic regime repressively dominating the near-future America, until a visiting alien race is also converted, thus beginning the destablization of society. (Clute and Nicholls, "The Encylopedia of Science Fiction", p 126.)
Cheaper by the Dozen
New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1948. 237 pp. Approx. 5 1/2 x 8". Illustrated dust jacket in very good condition, darkened spine, some rubbing and small chips, some foxing to the inside of the cover along with old repair tape, original price of $3.00 intact. Orange cloth over boards with crisp black lettering on spine, foxing to page edges, SIGNED by both authors on the front free endpaper, first printing stated on copyright page, some corner bumping and wear near spine top, otherwise in near fine condition.
A semi-autobiographical novel in which the authors talk about their childhood growing up in a household of twelve children. In 1950, it was adapted into a movie starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy. Adapted again in 2003, the movie starred Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt. A bestselling novel that still reads remarkably well, according to Jonathan Yardley from the Washington Post.
Children of the night
New York: G.P. Punam's Sons, 1992. 382 pp. 6 1/4 x 9 1/4". First Edition, first printing. Illustrated dust jacket in near-fine condition; black cloth over boards, crisp gilt lettering on spine, map endpapers, faint spotting on top page edges, inscribed on the title page to Diane Peterson, a well-known ABAA dealer, "To Diane Peterson -- /Greetings from Transylvania/Dan Simmons, accompanied by a unique vampire drawing by the author, in fine condition. (Clute & Nicholls, p 1111.)
Simmons' tenth novel, this is an epic horror novel about an American hematologist who adopts a Romanian boy with a mysterious illness that may hold the key to a cure of cancer and AIDS, who unfortunately has a hidden tie to the vampire family of Vlad Dracula. Scariness and horror ensues. This novel was a Locus Award Winner in 1993. Dan Simmons (1948 - ) was the winner of the 1986 World Fantasy Award for his novel Song of Kali.
Christmas in the Olde Coaching Days
[Manteno, IL]: Bronte Press, 1989. Approximately 2 3/4 x 2 1/8", oblong. (22) pp. First Edition. LIMITED EDITION of 75 copies, this being #61. Decorated paper boards with printed labels, letterpress, hand-colored illustrations by the author, signed and numbered on the colophon by Pruchnicki, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Bronte Press 21)
Printing since 1981, Bronte Press miniatures are notable in that all of the illustrations are original works and are often hand-colored. This beautiful miniature tells a charming story of a coachman's adventures during the Christmas season.
Chronicles of Texas, A Sesquicentennial Momento, 1836 - 1986
(San Antonio, TX: Windcrest Press, 1986). (29) pp. 3 x 2 1/4". LIMITED EDITION of 25 copies, this being #19. Blue cloth over boards with metal flag on front cover, postage stamps tipped in, illustrations, signed by the author, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Windcrest Press, 2)
Valentine J. Poska is a librarian by profession who also publishes miniature books under his Windcrest Press Imprint. He also wrote other miniature books published by other publishers. He was an early member of the Miniature Book Society. This little book chronicles many important and trivia related events in the history of Texas, starting with Texas gaining its independence from Mexico and ending with Texas Sesquicentennial (with Dallas Cowboys superbowl wins and a political figures sprinkled in).
Come Into My Parlour
London: Hutchinson & Co., [1946]. 384 pp. 5 1/4 x 7 1/2"; First edition presumed; Inscribed by the author on title page, Illustrated dust jacket has some rubbing and creases and a few tears, chipping and missing portion on back cover, price of 12s 6d net intact, in good condition; Black cloth over boards with crisp gilt lettering on spine, slight spine tilt, slight outer page edge foxing, otherwise in near fine condition.
Dennis Yates Wheatley (1897 - 1977) was an English writer who wrote 65 novels from the 1930's through the 1960's, mostly thrillers, science fiction, and occult novels. It is said that one of his main characters, Gregory Sallust, was one of the inspiration's for the James Bond character by Ian Fleming. This fictionalized World War II saga featuring the character of Gregory Sallust continues, following the conclusion of V for Vengeance. Set mostly in Russia, it's another Dennis Wheatley thriller.