Results
THE DEVIL'S MISTRESS ...
London: William Rider and Son, Limited, n.d., [1915]. Octavo, pp. [i-viii] ix [x] xi-xii 1-357; 358-360: ads, original decorated maroon cloth, front and spine panels stamped in gold and blind. First edition. "Supernatural romance of witchcraft and Satanism, excellent historical detail and use of Scots folklore. Based on the true case of Isabel Gaudie in early seventeenth century." - Robert Knowlton. "... a classic of its kind." - Sullivan (ed), The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural, p. 55. "... intelligent and with much interesting subject matter." - Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 277. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-36. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, p. 41. Bleiler (1978), p. 31. Reginald 01908.
THE ASPHALT JUNGLE.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1949. Octavo, boards. First edition. "Equalling his best, Little Caesar, High Sierra, this is a sustained and relentless story of the planning and execution of a foolproof crime, the robbery of a jewelry store in a middle western city...And from the first premonitions to the first wrong moves, this follows through the aftermath of the crime, the dragnet and the chase which ended in death or capture... In its accuracy, its intensity, this is pretty hard to beat." - Kirkus review, 22 August, 1949. Basis for the classic film noir with Sterling Hayden, Sam Jaffe and Marilyn Monroe, directed by John Huston. Hubin, pp. 119-120. Selby, Dark City: The Film Noir, 17. Silver and Ward (eds.), Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style (3rd edition), pp. 13-15. Johnson, The Dark Page II, p. 18.
THE ASPHALT JUNGLE.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1949. Octavo, boards. First edition. "Equaling his best, Little Caesar, High Sierra, this is a sustained and relentless story of the planning and execution of a foolproof crime, the robbery of a jewelry store in a middle western city...And from the first premonitions to the first wrong moves, this follows through the aftermath of the crime, the dragnet and the chase which ended in death or capture... In its accuracy, its intensity, this is pretty hard to beat." - Kirkus review, 22 August, 1949. Basis for the classic film noir with Sterling Hayden, Sam Jaffe and Marilyn Monroe, directed by John Huston. Hubin, pp. 119-120. Selby, Dark City: The Film Noir, 17. Silver and Ward (eds.), Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style (3rd edition), pp. 13-15. Johnson, The Dark Page II, p. 18.
CONANT.
New York: Popular Publications, [1961]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. Popular Library #G538. Paperback original. Crime novel.
CONANT.
New York: Popular Publications, [1961]. Small octavo, cover by Barye Phillips, pictorial wrappers. First edition. Popular Library #G538. Paperback original. Crime novel. Hubin, p. 120.
THE COOL MAN.
Greenwich, CT: Fawcett Publications, Inc., [1968]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. Gold Medal d1890. Paperback original. Crime novel.
THE COOL MAN.
Greenwich, CT: Fawcett Publications, Inc., [1968]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. Gold Medal d1890. Paperback original. Crime novel. Hubin, p. 120.
GOOD-BYE CHICAGO: 1928: END OF AN ERA.
New York: St. Martin's Press, [1981]. Octavo, boards. First edition. The author's final novel. Period crime novel. Hubin, pp. 119-120.
HIGH SIERRA.
New York [and] London: Alfred A. Knopf, 1940. Octavo, pp. [1-8] [1-2] 3-292 [293: blank] [294: printer's information] [295-296: blank], original dark orange cloth, front, spine and rear stamped in gray, top edge stained red, fore edge uncut, bottom edge rough cut. First edition. Signed inscription by Burnett on the verso of the half title page: "For / Jean / sincere best / W R Burnett." This classic novel is "...in effect, the biography of Roy Earle, a fictional creation who reflects the lives of several eminent American outlaws of the 1920s and 1930s...Far from the myths created by J. Edgar Hoover's biased attitude toward the criminals of the 1930s, Burnett gives us a sad, sometimes surreal look at a true outlaw." - Pronzini and Muller, 1001 Midnights, The Aficionado's Guide to Mystery and Detective Fiction, pp. 100-101. Filmed in 1941 by Raoul Walsh from a screenplay by Burnett and John Huston, starring Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart. Filmed as a Western in 1949, Colorado Territory and again in 1955 with Jack Palance as Roy Earle asI Died A Thousand Times. Hubin, pp. 119-120.
KING COLE.
New York and London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1936. Octavo, pp. [1-8] [1-2] 3-292, title page printed in orange and black, original green cloth, front and spine stamped in orange and black, fore and bottom edges rough cut. First edition. First leaf tipped in stating "This First Edition Presentation Copy is sent to you with the compliments of Red Book Magazine," in which the story first appeared. Political novel. "Somewhat timely in its subject matter -- the story of the period before an election, in which the Republican governor is up for reelection, and goes a bit Hitler in his endeavor to counterbalance his opponent's control of the farm vote. Political situation interspersed with counter plots -- his daughter is in and out of love, his son on the verge of expulsion, his own love life is in a precarious state, with scandal on the fringe. With his reelection, the personal problems fade away. Good fast business -- fairly vivid in the telling -- good entertainment for men especially. Burnett can tell a story well." - Kirkus review, 1 October, 1936. Hubin, pp. 119-120.
LITTLE MEN, BIG WORLD.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1951. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Crime and corruption in a Midwestern city. The second volume in what some consider his "urban trilogy" about the slow decline and decay of the American city, preceded by THE ASPHALT JUNGLE and followed by VANITY ROW. While not made into a feature film is was a television production on the anthology series Studio One. Hubin, p. 120.
ROUND THE CLOCK AT VOLARI'S.
Greenwich, CT: Fawcett Publications, Inc., [1961]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. Gold Medal #s1145. Paperback original. Crime novel.
ROUND THE CLOCK AT VOLARI'S.
Greenwich, CT: Fawcett Publications, Inc., [1961]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. Gold Medal #s1145. Paperback original. Crime novel. Hubin, p. 120.
THE SILVER EAGLE.
New York: Lincoln MacVeagh, The Dial Press, [1931]. Octavo, pp. [1-8] [1-2] 3-310 [311-12: blank], jacket art by John Gram, original cross hatched black cloth, front stamped in blind, spine stamped in silver. First edition. Burnett writes more about the Chicago of Little Caesar, this novel deals with racketeers and one who wants to achieve a higher social standing. An uncommon book in a dust jacket which features striking cover art. Hubin, pp. 119-120.
UNDERDOG.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1957. Octavo, cloth backed boards. First edition. Involves a political boss and murder. The "patsy" framed for murder seeks to get even. Hubin, pp. 119-120.
VANITY ROW.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1952. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Politics and big city corruption. The final volume in what some consider his "urban trilogy" about the slow decline and decay of the American city, preceded by THE ASPHALT JUNGLE and LITTLE MEN, BIG WORLD. Filmed in 1956 as "Accused of Murder." Hubin, pp. 119-120.
THE KING IN YELLOW ...
Chicago, New York: F. Tennyson Neely Publisher, 1895. Small octavo, pp. [1-2] [1-9] 10-316 [317: ad] [318: blank], original pictorial green cloth, front and spine panels stamped in brown, top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed. First edition. Of the three printings with title pages dated 1895, this one is generally accepted as the first. There is no inserted frontispiece, page [318] is blank, lizard design is on the front cover, and sheets bulk 1.5 cm. The author's second book and first collection of short stories. "One of the most important works of supernatural horror between Edgar Allan Poe and modern horror fiction." - Bleiler (ed), Supernatural Fiction Writers: Fantasy and Horror, p. 739. "Surprisingly vital stories, undoubtedly the best work that Chambers did. A landmark book in abandoning the ghosts of Victorian literary tradition and concentrating on the nightmare." - Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 364. "... one of the basic documents in the history of fantastic fiction." - Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 396. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 364. Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature II, pp. 844-47. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 2-12. Sargent, British and American Utopian Literature, 1516-1985, Additions. Tymn (ed), Horror Literature 3-49.
THE KING IN YELLOW ...
Chicago: Neely, 1895. Small octavo, pp. [1-2] [1-9] 10-316 [317: ad] [318: blank], original pictorial green cloth, front and spine panels stamped in brown, top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed. First edition. Brief handwritten note signed by Chambers laid in commenting to the recipient that his copy of THE KING IN YELLOW was not a first edition (obviously not this copy). Of the three printings with title pages dated 1895, this one is generally accepted as the first. There is no inserted frontispiece, page [318] is blank, lizard design is on the front cover, and sheets bulk 1.5 cm. The author's second book and first collection of short stories. "One of the most important works of supernatural horror between Edgar Allan Poe and modern horror fiction." - Bleiler (ed), Supernatural Fiction Writers: Fantasy and Horror, p. 739. "Surprisingly vital stories, undoubtedly the best work that Chambers did. A landmark book in abandoning the ghosts of Victorian literary tradition and concentrating on the nightmare." - Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 364. "... one of the basic documents in the history of fantastic fiction." - Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 396. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 364. Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature II, pp. 844-47. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 2-12. Sargent, British and American Utopian Literature, 1516-1985, Additions. Tymn (ed), Horror Literature 3-49.
THE KING IN YELLOW ...
Chicago: Neely, 1895. Small octavo, pp. [1-2] [1-9] 10-316 [317: ad] [318: blank], original pictorial green cloth, front and spine panels stamped in brown, top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed. First edition. Of the three printings with title pages dated 1895, this one is generally accepted as the first. There is no inserted frontispiece, page [318] is blank, lizard design is on the front cover, and sheets bulk 1.5 cm. The author's second book and first collection of short stories. "One of the most important works of supernatural horror between Edgar Allan Poe and modern horror fiction." - Bleiler (ed), Supernatural Fiction Writers: Fantasy and Horror, p. 739. "Surprisingly vital stories, undoubtedly the best work that Chambers did. A landmark book in abandoning the ghosts of Victorian literary tradition and concentrating on the nightmare." - Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 364. "... one of the basic documents in the history of fantastic fiction." - Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 396. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 364. Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature II, pp. 844-47. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 2-12. Sargent, British and American Utopian Literature, 1516-1985, Additions. Tymn (ed), Horror Literature 3-49.
THE MESSENGER [Novelette]. Original handwritten manuscript, corrected throughout in Chambers' hand. 104 pages, written in pencil on the rectos of ruled paper measuring 32x20 cm. Not dated, but written circa 1896-1897.
A tale by Robert W. Chambers (1865-1933) about the Black Priest, branded on the forehead and executed for treason during the Third Crusade and again 1760, whose skull is disinterred in a gravel pit, and who returns again to haunt the Breton countryside. The story was first published in THE MYSTERY OF CHOICE (1897), Chambers' third collection of short fiction. The published version largely follows the final text of the manuscript which has many deletions and revisions by Chambers. THE MYSTERY OF CHOICE "opens with a trilogy of tales sharing the same characters and set in the Breton countryside. They are reminiscent of 'The Demoiselle D'Ys' in mood and setting ... ['The Messenger'] is an effective treatment of a conventional theme" (Lee Weinstein, Bleiler, ed., SUPERNATURAL FICTION WRITERS II, 743). "By far and away the most powerful ... was 'The Messenger.' This is a long, sometimes rambling story that nevertheless guides the reader along to a most eerie conclusion. The setting -- coastal Brittany -- has seldom been used to such effect, and the historical tale behind the story's events has a grotesque ring of truth. This is one of Chambers' best stories, and its use of the traditional cowled figure has never been bettered" (Hugh Lamb, ed., Chambers, OUT OF THE DARK I, pp. xi-xii). "The Messenger" is "a material-horror story, possibly a little unsubtle, but it does have the characteristics of a nightmare with its disruptions of the time-dimension, interlocked identities, and repetitive fate, which are all novel touches for the period" (Bleiler, ed., Chambers, THE KING IN YELLOW AND OTHER HORROR STORIES, p. xi).
THE MYSTERY OF CHOICE ...
New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1897. Small octavo, pp. [i-iv] v [vi] vii-ix [x] [1-2] 3-288 [289-294: ads], fly leaves at front and rear, original pictorial green cloth, front panel stamped in blue, white, lavender and gold, spine panel stamped in gold, t.e.g., other edges untrimmed. First edition. Collects six fantasy, science fiction, and mystery stories including "The Messenger" and "The Purple Emperor." Barron (ed), Horror Literature 2-12. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 366. Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 397. Tymn (ed), Horror Literature 3-52. Queen, The Detective Short Story, p. 19. Bleiler (1978), p. 41. Reginald 02819. Hubin, p. 75. Wright (III) 975.
THE PILDITCH PUZZLE.
Chicago: Royce Publishers, n.d. [1946]. Small octavo, wrappers. First U.S. paperback edition. Trophy Books #402. First published in the U.K. as The Murderer (under the pseudonym of William Morton), the U.S. hardcover in 1932 uses the listed title. This edition is both illustrated and abridged.
VIOLENT SATURDAY.
New York: Harper and Brothers, 1955. Octavo, cloth backed boards. First edition. Author's first novel. Basis for the hard boiled film, directed by Richard Fleischer from a screenplay by Sidney Boehm starring Victor Mature, Richard Egan, Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine.
VIOLENT SATURDAY.
New York: Harper and Brothers, 1955. Octavo, cloth backed boards. First edition. Author's first novel. Basis for the hard boiled film, directed by Richard Fleischer from a screenplay by Sidney Boehm starring Victor Mature, Richard Egan, Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine.
THE MAN WHO STOLE THE EARTH ...
London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1909. Octavo, pp. [i-vi] vii-viii 9-382 [383-384: blank] [note: first leaf blank save for small signature mark "a" at bottom recto; last leaf is a blank], inserted frontispiece with color illustration by Arch Webb, title page printed in red and black, original red cloth, front panel stamped in black, spine panel stamped in gold, pictorial paper inlay (reproducing the color frontispiece) affixed to front cover. First edition. Advanced airship is used to dominate the earth and eventually to establish universal peace. Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 1119. Clarke, Tale of the Future, p. 34. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, p. 115. Bleiler (1978), p. 102. Reginald 07368.