Recently Shelved
MARVEL TALES. (All published).
Everett, PA: Fantasy Publications, 1934-1935. Octavo, five issues and one duplicate, pictorial wrappers. A complete run of one of the better semi-pro magazines, approaching (or equaling in some instances) the quality of content of the SF specialty pulps of the 1930s. The first issue features "The Cossacks Ride Hard" by August Derleth, "Celephais" by H. P. Lovecraft, "Binding Deluxe" by David H. Keller, and other material. Issue two features "The Dark Beasts" by Frank Belknap Long and "The Garden of Fear" by Robert E. Howard. Issue three feature the first printing of "Lilies," Robert Bloch's first published story, he was seventeen at the time of this publication, (originally submitted to Weird Tales and rejected by Farnsworth Wright). This issue also includes "The Golden Bough," a weird fantasy by David H. Keller. Issue four includes a reprint of "The Doom that Came to Sarnath," a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Also includes "The Creator" by Clifford D. Simak (its first appearance in print) as well as fiction by P. Schuyler Miller, George Allan England (a reprint), John Beynon Harris, and Amelia Reynolds Long. The fifth and final issue includes Miles J. Breuer, Carl Jacobi, Ralph Milne Farley and Anders W. Drake, part three of "The Titan" by P. Schuyler Miller, part two of "The Nebula of Death," a reprint serial by George Allan England. Two copies of issue two are included, each with different cover are. Moskowitz, The Immortal Storm, pp. 22-3. Pavlat and Evans, Fanzine Index (1965), p. 66. Tymn and Ashley (eds), Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 401-04.
FANCIFUL TALES.
Oakman, Alabama: A Shepherd–Wollheim Publication, 1936. Octavo, single issue, pictorial wrappers, stapled. First edition. The only issue published. This copy signed by editor Wollheim. The second appearance of "The Nameless City," a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Joshi I-B-i-37. Also includes "Solomon Kane's Homecoming" by Robert E. Howard and "The Man from Dark Valley" by August Derleth as well as fiction by Donald A. Wollheim, David H. Keller and others. Pavlat and Evans, Fanzine Index (1965), p. 29.
FANTASY REVIEW [later SCIENCE-FANTASY REVIEW]. (all published).
Ilford, Essex: Walter H. Gillings, 1947-1950. Octavo, eighteen issues, pictorial self wrappers, stapled. A complete file of the eighteen issues published prior to incorporation as supplements in Gillings' professional magazine SCIENCE-FANTASY. "FANTASY REVIEW" was the title Gillings gave to his postwar revival of SCIENTIFICTION. Professionally printed as a neat twenty-page booklet (later growing to thirty-two and even forty pages), it was edited with Gillings' usual polish. Gillings also wrote most of the contents, often under such pen names as Thomas Sheridan and Geoffrey Giles, and the magazine contains an immense amount of news of all kinds, as well as intelligent reviews and criticism. FR was certainly the most mature news magazine British fandom had produced, and it is still one of the most elaborate of its kind." - Tymn and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 824-25. Pavlat and Evans, Fanzine Index (1965), p. 40 and p. 96.
SPACE SCIENCE FICTION. (Eight issues, all published).
New York: Space Publications Inc., 1952-1953. Small octavo, eight issues, pictorial wrappers. Digest magazine. Another short lived, but quality, magazine of the 1950s boomlet, done in by disagreement between the editor and publisher (which terminated all of the publishers fanstasy and science fiction magazines). Authors include Isaac Asimov, Henry Kuttner, Clifford Simak, Michael Shaara, Lester Del Rey (including pseudonyms), John Christopher, Damon Knight, Philip K. Dick, Robert Sheckley and others. Highlights include the first publication of the first of the newly discovered Conan stories which surfaced starting in the 1950s. This publication interestedly includes a short note by the editor of the story, L. Sprague De Camp, about the discovery of the story from unsold Howard manuscripts. De Camp also includes the transcript of a note which was attached to the manuscript by H. P. Lovecraft. Other notables include the publication of Algis Budrys first published story "Walk to the World" and two Philip K. Dick fictions, "Second Variety" and "The Variable Man." Tymm and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 585-586.
VORTEX SCIENCE FICTION. (Two issues, all published).
New York: Specific Fiction Corp. 1953]. Small octavo, two issues, covers by Chester Martin, pictorial wrappers. Digest sized magazine. The first issue includes "The Mitr" by Jack Vance and "Dealer's Choice" by S.A. Lombino who would change his name to Evan Hunter (and write mysteries as Ed McBain). The second issue is notable for publishing the first two professional stories by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Another short lived digest from the 1950s. Tymm and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 720-721.
AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION HANDBOOK.
London: Hamilton, [1954]. Small octavo, pp. [1-4] 5-31 [32: ad], pictorial wrappers. First edition. Digest sized booklet. Definitions of scientific terms "that have some relation to science fiction." The handbook is a revision and expansion of a feature first published in monthly instalments of Authentic Science Fiction. The ad on page [32] promotes Authentic Science Fiction. Classic 1950s rocket cover art.
THE VAIVAISUKKO'S BRIDE.
[Glasgow: Published by Scots Digest Ltd.], n.d., [1949]. Octavo, pp. [1] 2-63 [64: ads], pictorial wrappers, stapled. First edition. The author's second collection of horror fiction, preceded by NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH (1948). Collects ten stories, mostly weird. Includes "Not Forty Months Ago" (a tale of Victorian black magic) and a weird chess story, among others. Several tales quite effective, others sadistic, crude material horror. Author's strong suit was ideas, not execution. Cover has a large coverline, "The Horror Club," though it's not clear what this refers to. Reginald 12841. Tuck (1978), p. 382. Hubin (1994), p. 727.
AN OUTLINE HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN FANDOM I. (1935-1940).
Sydney: Australian Fantasy Foundation, [1953]. Octavo, pp. [1-3] 4-5 [6] 7-26 [27-28], printed wrappers, stapled. First edition. A short history on the beginning of Australian fan history, early organizations and clubs, members, publications, activities and disputes. Collins, ed., The MUP Encyclopedia of Australian Science Fiction & Fantasy (1998), p. 128. Tuck (1978), p. 315.
THE FIREMAN (Novella) in GALAXY SCIENCE FICTION, February, 1951.
[New York: World Editions, Inc., 1951]. Small octavo, single issue, cover by Chesley Bonestell, pictorial wrappers. First edition. Digest sized magazine. First appearance of the novella The Fireman which would be expanded into the novel Fahrenheit 451. Tymm and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 290-309.
THE FIREMAN (Novella) in GALAXY SCIENCE FICTION, February, 1951.
[New York: World Editions, Inc., 1951]. Small octavo, single issue, cover by Chesley Bonestell, pictorial wrappers. Digest sized magazine. First appearance of the novella The Fireman which would be expanded into the novel Fahrenheit 451. Tymm and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 290-309.
HOUDINI'S SPIRIT EXPOSÉS and DUNNINGER'S PSYCHICAL INVESTIGATIONS.
New York: Experimenter Publishing Company, Inc., 1928. Large octavo, single issue, pictorial wrappers. Large magazine format. First and only issue. 112 page magazine consisting of Part 1, (pp. 12-59) "Houdini's Spirit Exposés: Culled from his own manuscripts. Describing his investigations in a tireless search for genuine spirit manifestations and detailing his experiences in unearthing frauds." And Part 2, (pp. 60-107) "Dunninger's Psychical Investigations: The experiences of the author while investigating mediums in his official capacity as Chairman of the Science and Invention Magazine Committee for Psychical Research." Dunninger was a famous magician and mentalist, whose contemporaries included Harry Houdini and Blackstone. Dunninger also wrote a column for Gernsback's Science and Invention magazine. A strong debunker of spiritulalists and mediums he and the publisher's had a standing offer of $10,000.00 ($170,000 in money today) for any medium/psychic to prove they could contact the dead. It was never collected any many phonies were exposed. From the preface, "We do not wish to question anyone's religious beliefs, but we DO wish to take an emphatic stand against all unscientific demonstrations and all spiritistic "hocus pocus" which, as a rule, is designed only to prey upon trusting and believing people, either to extract money from them directly or idirectly..." (p. 8). Dunninger (18982-1975) published many articles and books, some ghost written by his close friend Walter B. Gibson, he also appeared on radio and television.
SCIENCE FICTION DIGEST. (Two issues, all published).
New York: Specific Fiction Corp. 1954. Small octavo, two issues, pictorial wrappers. First edition. Digest magazine. The only two issues of this short lived magazine. Fiction comprised largely of reprints from other magazines. The editor also featured articles telepathy and levitation. The second issue features a cover photo of the Creature From the Black Lagoon and a short article by George Pal on science fiction films. Tymm and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 533-534.
TALES OF THE FRIGHTENED. (Two issues, all published).
New York: Republic Features Syndicate, Inc., 1956. Small octavo, two issues, pictorial and printed wrappers. Digest magazine. The only two issues of this short lived magazine. Each issue contained all original stories with authors Michael Avallone, James Harvey, John Jakes, John Wyndham, John Christopher, Hal Ellson, A. Bertram Chandler, Mack Reynolds and others. "...clearly the very magazine that a nation of Weird Tales denied readers had been waiting for." - Cook, Mystery, Detective and Espionage Magazines, pp. 557-558. Sales were good but the pending demise of the mammoth distributing firm American News Company put them out of business. Tymm and Ashley, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, pp. 649-650.
ST. NICHOLAS.
New York: Scribner & Company, London: Frederick Warne, 1880. Octavo, single issue, pictorial wrappers. First edition. The 1880 Christmas issue of this long running children's magazine. This issue includes "A Christmas Dinner With the Man in the Moon" by Washington Gladden (with illustrations). Though clearly a fantasy story being told to children the author does include mention of the need for respirators for breathing on the moon.
THE WHOLE MAN.
New York: Walker & Company, [1969]. Octavo, boards. First U.S. hardcover edition. "World largely controlled by an international team of telepathists attached to the World Heath Organization." - Gerber, Utopian Fantasy (1973), p. 161. This novel, a 1965 Hugo nominee, was first published as a paperback original in 1964 by Ballantine Books and in Britain in 1965 as TELEPATHIST. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-176.
THE LIGHT THAT NEVER WAS.
Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1972. Octavo, cloth. First edition.
MISSION TO THE HEART STARS.
New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1965]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Three Earthmen are on a diplomatic mission to the Heart Stars, rulers of a planetary federation. Published simultaneously with the British edition. Anatomy of Wonder (1995) 5-15.
TWILIGHT OF THE CITY: A NOVEL OF THE NEAR FUTURE.
New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., [1977]. Octavo, boards. First edition. Revised expanded edition of THE CITY DWELLERS (1970). "...a substantial Near-Future look at the death of an unnamed city closely resembling New York and of the crisis-ridden America surrounding it." - SFE Online.
NONE BUT MAN.
Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1969. Octavo, cloth. First edition. New colonies in space are threatened by aliens preparing for war, will the old world sacrifice them for peace?
WELCOME TO MARS.
New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1968]. Octavo, boards. First U.S. edition.
FOUR CAME BACK...
New York: David McKay Company, Inc., [1968]. Octavo. First edition. Near future thriller which takes place on a space station in which a mysterious virus affects the crew.
TURNING ON: THIRTEEN STORIES.
Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1966. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Thirteen stories published in the SF magazines between 1951 and 1965, including "The Big Pat Boom, "Auto-da-fe" and others. Anatomy of Wonder (1987) 3-236. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 963.
SEEKERS OF TOMORROW: MASTERS OF MODERN SCIENCE FICTION.
Cleveland and New York: The World Publishing Company, [1966]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Companion volume to EXPLORERS OF THE INFINITE, the articles in this volume focuses on the emerging writers of the late '30s and early '40s. E. E. Smith, J.W. Campbell, Asimov, Van Vogt, Heinlein, Sturgeon, Clakre, etc. Anatomy of Wonder (1987) 10-191.
MODERN MASTERPIECES OF SCIENCE FICTION.
Cleveland and New York: World Publishing Company, [1965]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Collects twenty-one stories with emphasis on golden-age SF by Isaac Asimov, Clifford D. Simak, Robert A. Heinlein, John W. Campbell, John Wyndham, Henry Kuttner, Arthur C. Clarke, and others. Includes fiction by many of the writers profiled in Moskowitz's critical study, SEEKERS OF TOMORROW (1966). Anatomy of Wonder (1987) 3-450.
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HAND.
New York: Walker and Company, [1973]. Octavo, boards. First edition. A science fiction mystery novel, sequel to THE TRANSVECTION MACHINE.