Classic Science Fiction and Fantasy: 19th-20th Century.
A short list of mostly classic science fiction and fantasy featuring a number of award winning titles. From a recent collection purchase with my colleague L. W. Currey.
THE OCTOBER COUNTRY.
New York: Ballantine Books, [1955]. Octavo, Illustrated by Joe Mugnaini, original red cloth, lettered in black. First edition. Currey binding B1, probable first state of the trade binding with publisher's logo inverted at base of spine. This title reprints the contents of DARK CARNIVAL (1947), most with revisions and it also includes four stories collected here for the first time; "The Dwarf," "The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse," "Touched With Fire," and "The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone." See Barron: Horror Literature 3-34. Bleiler: The Guide to Supernatural Fiction #259.
STARTIDE RISING.
West Bloomfield, MI: Phantasia Press, 1985. Octavo, cloth. First hardcover edition. This edition includes textual revisions by the author. "Superior space opera of a very high order" - Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-162. Nebula award winner, 1983, Hugo award winner, 1984 for best novel.
THE SHEEP LOOK UP.
New York, Evanston, San Francisco, London: Harper & Row, Publishers, [1972]. Octavo, quarter cloth with boards. First edition. Signed by Brunner on the title page. 1972 Nebula nominee. "The most elaborate alarmist novel about industrial pollution." Anatomy of Wonder (1995) 4-72. Jones and Newman (eds), Horror: 100 Best Books 69. Survey of Science Fiction Literature IV, pp. 1913-16.
THUVIA, MAID OF MARS.
Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., 1920. Octavo, pp. [1-8] 1-256 [257: ad] [258: blank] [259-263: ads] [264: blank] [265-267: ads] [268: blank], ten inserted plates with illustrations by J. Allen St. John, ten inserted plates with illustrations by J. Allen St. John, original olive-green cloth, front and spine panels stamped in black. First edition. Total of 17,000 copies printed. There were multiple printings, at least two, last dated 1921. Fourth book of the Mars series. Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 307. Clareson, Science Fiction in America, 1870s-1930s 128. Bleiler (1978), p. 36. Reginald 02340. Heins TMM-1. Zeuschner 802.
NOVA EXPRESS.
New York: Grove Press, Inc., [1964]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. "The Nova Mob attempts to take over the Earth, in a 'hallucinatory interplanetary cops and robbers game.' Horrific, fragmentary and very funny in its ghastly way, this book about drug addiction and other forms of manipulation is in much the same vein as the author's THE NAKED LUNCH." - Pringle, The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, second edition (1995), p. 260.1966 Nebula nominee. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-195. Pringle, Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels 42. Survey of Science Fiction Literature IV, pp. 1566-70. Maynard and Miles A10a.
R.U.R. (ROSSUM'S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS): A PLAY IN THREE ACTS AND AN EPILOGUE ... Translated from the Czech by P. Selver and Adapted for the English Stage by Nigel Playfair.
London …: Humphrey Milford / Oxford University Press, 1923. Small octavo, pp. [1-5] 6-102 [103: ads] [104: blank], original printed black wrappers. First edition. This adaptation differs from that of the 1923 Doubleday, Page edition. "This play was first performed in 1921 in Prague and has since that time been translated and performed through the world. The word robot which Josef Capek coined for the play, based on the Czech word robota, 'forced labor,' has become a part of most modern languages." – Lewis, Utopian Literature, pp. 38-9. Anatomy of Wonder (1976) 2-37; (1981) 2-13; (1987) 2-15; (1995) 2-16; and (2004) II-214. Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 358. Negley, Utopian Literature 182. Survey of Science Fiction Literature IV, pp. 1837-43. Bleiler (1978), p. 39.
WAR WITH THE NEWTS. Translated by M. & R. Weatherall.
New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1937]. Octavo, pp. [1-6] 7-348 [349-352:blank] [note: first and last two leaves are blanks], original cream cloth, front and spine panels stamped in black, top edge stained yellow,fore-edge untrimmed, bottom edge trimmed. First U. S. edition. "A masterpiece of political satire in which a race of intelligent and imitatively gifted amphibians discovered in the South Pacific are initially enslaved by humankind, but soon find a 'newt Hitler' to liberate them; when they flood the planet to increase their lebensraum their former conquerors are doomed. Its blackly effervescent humor acquired new depths of horrid irony within two years, establishing it as a uniquely fascinating work in retrospect." - Brian Stableford, Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-215. Anatomy of Wonder (1976) 3-10; (1981) 2-14; (1987) 2-16; and (1995) 2-17. Clarke, Tale of the Future (1978), p. 71. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, p. 47. Survey of Science Fiction Literature V, pp. 2424-28. Bleiler (1978), p. 39. Reginald 02558.
THE FOUNTAINS OF PARADISE.
London: Victor Gollancz Ltd., 1979. Octavo, boards. First edition. Winner of the 1979 Nebula and 1980 Hugo awards for best novel. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-250.
LITTLE, BIG.
London: Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1982. Octavo, boards. First British and first hardcover edition. 1982 World Fantasy award winner. "A now recognized landmark of modern fantasy, Crowley's novel encompasses many worlds in its ambitious scope and triumphs on all counts ..." "A literate, touching and unassuming masterpiece." - Barron (ed.), Fantasy Literature, 4A-79. Barron (ed), Fantasy and Horror (1999) 7-85. Pringle, Modern Fantasy: The 100 Best Novels #76.
THE LAND OF MIST.
New York: George H. Doran Company, [1926]. Octavo, pp. [1-10] 11-285 [286-288: blank] [note: final leaf is a blank], original decorated yellow-green cloth, front and spine panels stamped in black. First U. S. edition. The third Professor Challenger novel, in which the scientist investigates and is converted to spiritualism. Anatomy of Wonder (1995) 2-32. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 558. Clareson, Science Fiction in America, 1870s-1930s 263. Bleiler (1978), p. 63. Reginald 04495. Green and Gibson A45b.
THE RED NAPOLEON.
New York: Jonathan Cape & Harrison Smith, [1929]. Octavo. pp. [1-8] 1-475 [476: blank] [note: first leaf is a blank], several battle diagrams in the text as well as a fold-out plate opposite page [464] with diagram of decisive battle in Caribbean, original orange cloth, front and spine panels stamped in red, top edge stained orange. First edition. A yellow/red peril future war novel whose main action is set in the U.S.S.R., London and Mexico during the period of 1932-1936 as a communist Tartar-Mongol nearly succeeds in subjugating the world, only to be defeated at the Battle of Jamaica. "Because of the writer's intimate knowledge of war reportage, one of the best imaginary war novels, despite wooden characters and an unconvincing American victory." - Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 879. Anatomy of Wonder (1976) 3-21; (1981) 2-31; (1987) 2-34; and (1995) 2-42. Clareson, Science Fiction in America, 1870s-1930s 337. Clarke, Tale of the Future (1978), p. 58. Clarke, Voices Prophesying War: Future Wars 1763-3749, p. 238. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, pp. 90-91. Bleiler (1978), p. 81. Reginald 05938. Hanna, A Mirror for the Nation 1385.
STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND.
New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1961]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Winner of the 1962 Hugo award for best novel. "Of all Heinlein's works this is the best known. It reached large audiences farther away from his science fiction roots than anything else he wrote..." "Stranger's cultural impact on an entire generation is, nonetheless, undeniable." - Anatomy of Wonder (1995) 3-91. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-518. Survey of Science Fiction Literature V, pp. 2195-2200.
THIS ISLAND EARTH.
Chicago: Shasta Publishers, [1952]. Octavo, quarter cloth with boards. First edition. Basis for the 1955 film starring Jeff Morrow. While not a great film, it is a science fiction classic, the sequences on the planet Metaluna are highly imaginative. Anatomy of Wonder (1987) 3-222.
THE DISPOSSESSED: AN AMBIGUOUS UTOPIA.
New York, Evanston, San Francisco, London: Harper & Row, Publishers, [1974]. Octavo, cloth-backed boards. First edition. "The novel reveals the author's understanding of anarchist theories with the idea that the personal and political growth of the individual are complementary ... [With her] complex literary, philosophical, and political construction, Le Guin challenges the idea of utopia itself and sets the basis for what has been called the 'critical utopia' -- an imperfect utopia in progress that, by questioning the very notion and convention of the genre, revitalizes it." - R. Baccolini, Fortunati and Trousson (eds), Dictionary of Literary Utopias, pp. 174-6. Winner of the 1974 Nebula and 1975 Hugo awards for best novel. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-640. Pringle, Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels 74. Survey of Science Fiction Literature II, pp. 548-53.
THE UNINVITED.
Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc., 1942. Octavo, pp. [i-vi] vii-viii [ix-x] [1] 2-342, original blue-green cloth, spine stamped in gold. First edition. A brother and sister move to rural Devon and purchase Cliff House in which they find it is haunted by a ghost. The author's best known novel which became a bestseller U. S. (first published in the U. K. as UNEASY FREEHOLD, 1941). Filmed in 1944 with Ray Milland. Ashley, Who's Who in Horror and Fantasy Fiction, p. 124. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1064. Sullivan (ed), The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural, p. 275. In 333. Bleiler (1978), p. 128. Reginald 09409A.
DRAGONQUEST: BEING THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN.
London: Rapp + Whiting / Andre Deutsch, [1973]. Octavo, boards. First British (and first hardcover) edition. Second book of the "Dragonriders of Pern" series. 1972 Hugo nominee. Anatomy of Wonder (1995) 4-289. Barron (ed), Fantasy Literature 4A-179.
HALF THE DAY IS NIGHT.
New York: Tor, [1994]. Octavo, boards. First edition. The author's second novel. Science fiction thriller set in an underwater country.
A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ ...
Philadelphia & New York: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1960. Octavo, cloth-backed boards. First edition. 1961 Hugo award winner. "600 years after an atomic deluge the Age of Simplification reigns supreme, but a development to new civilization follows." - Gerber, Utopian Fantasy (1973), p. 160. "Named by many as best SF novel of the modern period." - Anatomy of Wonder (1987) 3-287. Anatomy of Wonder (1995) 3-125 and (2004) II-766. Pringle, Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels 30. Survey of Science Fiction Literature I, pp. 288-93.
NEUTRON STAR.
[London]: Macdonald Science Fiction, [1969]. Octavo, boards. First edition. The first collection of Niven's hard science fiction stories, eight early works developing the "Known Space" future history. The title story was a 1967 Hugo Award winner. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-805.
WORLD OF PTAVVS.
[London: MacDonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., 1968]. Octavo, boards. First edition. Inscribed by Niven on the title page. The author's first book and first in the "Known Space" series.
THE TIME MACHINE: AN INVENTION ...
London: William Heinemann, 1895. Small octavo, pp. [1-8] 1-151 [152] + [16]-page publisher's catalogue with first page headed "THE MANXMAN" inserted at rear, original decorated tan buckram, front and spine panels stamped in purple, publisher's monogram stamped in purple on rear panel, top and fore edges untrimmed, bottom edge rough trimmed. First British edition, first binding, earliest form of inserted publisher's catalogue. The author's first SF novel. "Many rank it as Wells's best book, certainly its qualities are striking and direct ... All time-travel stories since owe a debt to Wells, none has become so acclaimed." - Bleiler (ed), Science Fiction Writers, p. 26. "THE TIME MACHINE might be considered the first work of modern science-fiction, and it is still the classic statement of an important subgenre ... A remarkable work, and necessary reading." - Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 2325. The Heinemann edition is preceded by the U.S. Holt edition, which has a different text, presumably from an earlier version of the story, this edition is considered the better text. Anatomy of Wonder (1976) 2-161; (1981) 1-171; (1987) 1-103; (1995) 1-103; and (2004) II-1232. Clareson, Science Fiction in America, 1870s-1930s 800. Clarke, Tale of the Future (1978), p. 21. Lewis, Utopian Literature, p. 207. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, p. 227. Negley, Utopian Literature: A Bibliography 1175. Sargent, British and American Utopian Literature, 1516-1985, p. 107. Survey of Science Fiction Literature V, pp. 2287-92. Suvin, Victorian Science Fiction in the UK, pp. 62-3. Bleiler (1978), p. 205. Reginald 15085. Currey, p. 525 (binding B, catalogue 1). Hammond B1. Wells 4. Wolff 7107.
WAR OF THE WORLDS.
London: William Heinemann, [1898]. Octavo, pp. [i-vii] viii [1] 2-303 [304: blank], original gray cloth, front cover and spine stamped in black. First edition. This book was issued with and without an inserted publisher's catalogue, this copy without. "The great classic of interplanetary invasion ..." - Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 2331. "... a forceful, sophisticated novel that remains original, intense, and provocative today." - Survey of Science Fiction Literature V, pp. 2416-23. "... still the most remarkable fantasy of imaginary warfare that has so far appeared in the history of the genre." - Clarke, Voices Prophesying War: Future Wars 1763-3749, p. 86. THE WAR OF THE WORLDS "set the seal on Wells's success. The novel was immediately taken up in Britain and America, and translated into European languages. It has remained popular ever since, spawning many imitations, fathering all invasion-of-earth stories, yet transcending them in the grandeur of its concept." - Bleiler (ed), Science Fiction Writers, p. 27. Filmed twice, the first memorably by George Pal in 1953 and most recently by Stephen Spielberg in 2005. Anatomy of Wonder (1976) 2-164; (1981) 1-173; (1987) 1-105; (1995) 1-105; and (2004) II-1234. Clareson, Science Fiction in America, 1870s-1930s 802. Clarke, Tale of the Future (1978), p. 24. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, p. 228. Locke, Voyages in Space 210. Suvin, Victorian Science Fiction in the UK, p. 75. In 333. Bleiler (1978), p. 205. Reginald 15108. Currey (2002), p. 426. Hammond B5. Wells 14. Wells Society 14.
THEY FOUND ATLANTIS: A NOVEL ...
Philadelphia, London: J. B. Lippincott Company, [1936]. Octavo, pp. [1-10] 11-325 [326-328: blank] [note: last leaf is a blank], original light orange cloth, front and spine panels stamped in dark blue, top edge stained black, fore-edge untrimmed, endpaper maps. First U. S. edition. A tiny colony of Atlantean descendants is found in a utopian subterranean city under the sea. Eichner, Atlantean Chronicles, p. 194. Sargent, British and American Utopian Literature, 1516-1985, Additions. Teitler (2013) 1312. In 333. Bleiler (1978), p. 207. Reginald 15207.
THE HUMANOIDS.
NY: Simon and Schuster, 1949. Octavo, boards. First edition. Inscribed and signed by Williamson on the title page. Sequel to "With Folded Hands" (ASF, 1947), this was first published in ASF in 1948 as "...And Searching Mind." "Intelligent robots, instructed to let no come to harm, serve their masters so well that they institute a new tyranny of kindness which provokes rebellion." - Pringle, The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, second edition (1995), p. 178. "...early in the genre's timetable of speculative insights, the [Humanoids] series confronted the near impossibility of assessing the pluses and minuses of a humanoid (i.e., AI-driven) hegemony over the world, however benevolent." - SFE online. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-1257. Berger, Science Fiction and the New Dark Age, pp. 34-6. Sargent, British and American Utopian Literature, 1516-1985, p. 237. Survey of Science Fiction Literature II, pp. 981-85. In 333.