THE JACKET (THE STAR ROVER).
London: Mills & Boon, Limited, [1915]. Octavo, pp. [1-4] [1] 2-333 [334: printer's imprint] [335-336: ads] 1-[32]: ads [note: the 32 pages of ads are signatures 22 and 23 and are not an inserted catalogue], inserted color frontispiece, original green cloth, front panel ruled in blind, spine panel stamped in gold, bottom edge rough-trimmed. First edition, first printing with "Published 1915" on copyright page. The British edition preceded the U.S. edition. The British edition was deposited in the British Library 4 August 1915 and was listed as "ready" in Athenaeum 7 August 1915. The U.S. edition, titled THE STAR ROVER, was published by Macmillan in October and a copy was received by the Boston Athenaeum 14 October 1915. The protagonist is tortured in prisoner and develops the ability to go into a trance like state and travel through an astral plane exploring past lives. "Possibly the most curious of London's novels. ... Some of the phantasmagoric episodes have considerable power. The book reveals an unexpected side of Jack London. Not only was he the victim of poverty in his youth, as his concern for social justice might suggest, he was the illegitimate son of a spiritualist and an astrologer." - T. Collins in Smith (ed), Twentieth Century Science Fiction Writers (1981), p. 343. Loosely based on the experiences of a San Quentin prisoner London came to befriend. Filmed as a silent picture in 1920. Anatomy of Wonder (1976) 2-110 and (1981) 1-119. Barron (ed), Fantasy Literature 3-223. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1031. Clareson, Science Fiction in America, 1870s-1930s 518. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, p. 142. Schlobin, The Literature of Fantasy 674. Survey of Science Fiction Literature V, pp. 2159-62. In 333. Bleiler (1978), p. 126. Reginald 09153. BAL 11962. Baird and Greenwood, An Annotated Bibliography of California Fiction 1664-1970 1544. Inked name to front free end paper, newspaper clipping affixed to copyright page, spine slightly color faded an attractive nearly fine copy. (22025). Item #22025
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