Browse All
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.
Complete Miniature Set of the Sherlock Holmes Stories
Van Nuys, CA: Barbara J. Raheb, 1979 - 1981. Complete 45 volume set, each volume 15/16 x 5/8". Black pyroxylin covers with gilt titles and decorations, mini bookplate on verso of front free endpaper in each volume, all housed in a miniature bookcase with two pewter bookends, in near fine condition. (Bradbury, Raheb 141 - 182)
Barbara Raheb published more than 500 miniature books in her lifetime, more than any other U.S. publisher during the 20th century. This set includes the elusive four volumes of Hound of the Baskervilles. Limited edition of 300 per volume, it is very difficult to find a complete set. Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 - 1930) was a British writer and physician. Although the Sherlock Holmes stories are his most well-known works and are milestone in the field of crime fiction, he was a prolific writer who also created science fiction/fantasy, humor, romances, poety, non-fiction, and historical stories.
Cowpokes
New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1999. Unpaginated. Approximately 10 x 10". First Limited Edition of 26 lettered copies, this being "P". SIGNED by both author and illustrator. Pictorial boards with full color illustrations throughout. Extra illustration for limited edition only, not in trade copies. Fine in fine dust jacket.
From the front flap, "They don their boots & hats & chaps, down their flapjacks, then it's up into the saddle & off they go." Beautifully done book that will charm both children and adults alike.
Crumbs From The Master's Table
New York: D. Appleton, 1831. 192 pp. Approximately 2 1/4 x 2 3/4". Blue cloth over boards, paper label on spine, corner bumping with small portion of boards showing through, otherwise in very good + condition. (Bradbury, D. Appleton, 1; Welsh 4865).
Daniel Appleton (1785-1849) began publishing in New York in 1831 and his first imprint was this miniature book. There are two editions of this book, both with 1831 on the title page. One edition has numbered pages and "stereotype edition" on the title page. The other edition has unnumbered pages and no mention of "stereotype edition". It is not possible to know which version came first. This edition was 2,000 copies and was very popular as inspirational books had a good market at that time.
D'Ambrosio: The Book as an Art Form
Gualala, CA: North Light Gallery, 1983. Approximately 17 x 21". LIMITED EDITION of 100 copies, this being #60. Broadside is a serigraph image with text, signed and numbered in pencil by the artist, in fine condition.
Joseph D'Ambrosio (1934 -2009) was an American artist and binder. He left a career in engineering to pursue a new career in making artist’s books. He wrote, set type, printed designs, did the artwork and the binding. His books were considered works of art and were signed and numbered similar to limited edition fine art prints. D’Ambrosio also produced many broadside posters on fine papers that were issued in conjunction with his book projects and for special events. This broadside from 1983 is a promotional work for his book of the same title.
Desert Rat Scrap Book, Packet Two of Pouch Six
Thousand Palms, CA: Harry Oliver, [1953]. First edition; 17 x 22" (folded double three times); heavy cream-colored stock; profusely illustrated with cover art by Art Loomer; minor puncture to lower fold-line and a small rubbed spot to front cover, else minor wear to edges; overall very good to near fine condition.
The "Desert Rat Scrap Book" (or DSRB) was a (somewhat irregularly published) quarterly Southwestern humor periodical created by art director, humorist, and artist Harry Oliver. Boasting to be "the smallest newspaper in the world" and the "only newspaper in America you can open in the wind," the current Packet Two, or The Contentment Packet, included the second installment of western-novels writer Dane Coolidge's "Death Valley Scotty, Prospector and Showman," Don Blanding's "The Desert," and the hilarious article "Mule Decides to Quit Army," etc. Considered by many to be the precursor to the zine culture - few copies of Oliver's journal have survived.
Dogear Wryde Postcards: Alms for Oblivion
n.p.: n.p., 1978. Sixteen postcards in near fine condition, enclosed in a white envelope with black pictorial stamping, creased with slight tears, in very good condition. (Toledano A68).
The recto of the postcards is a black and white Gorey illustration. The verso of each postcard has the title of the series and the description of each illustration. "Dogear Wryde" is an anagram for Edward Gorey.