Sirens of Titan
Boston & Cambridge, Houghton Mifflin and Co., 1961. First edition, first impression. Hardback. A very good book in a near fine jacket. "…you read it for the first time and you think it's very loosely, casually written. You think the fact that everything suddenly makes such good sense at the end is almost accidental. And then you rear it a few more times, simultaneously finding out more about writing yourself, and you realise what an absolute tour de force it was, making something as beautifully honed as that appear so casual." [Douglas Adams]. Some bumping to the spine tips and a little foxing to the top edge and jacket flaps. Some spots to the endpapers. Front hinge professionally repaired. Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) is one of those rare writers bridging the gap between literary fiction and science fiction. He's best remembered for Slaughterhouse Five, along with Cat's Cradle and The Sirens of Titan. [11437, Hyraxia Books].
More from Hyraxia Books
The Golden Kingdom
London, Hutchinson, 1903. First edition, first impression. Hardback. A very good copy. Some rubbing and pushing to the boards and edges. Pulling to the hinges, with some webbing showing and a small bookseller's sticker. 8pp ads to the rear. Subtitled: Being an account of the quest for the same as described in the remarkable narrative of doctor Henry Mortimer contained in the manuscript found within the boards of a Boer Bible during the late war. [11487, Hyraxia Books]. The Furthest Station
Burton, MI, Subterranean Press, 2017. Limited Edition. Hardback. A fine copy. 140 of 1500 copies, signed by the author as issued. A novella in the Peter Grant series (also known as the Rivers of London books), set between books five and six. A lovely copy. Ben Aaronovitch (1964-) hit the radar of many a fantasy reader with Rivers of London, an urban fantasy involving PC Grant a London police officer / magician. He's also written a number of Doctor Who books and TV episodes. [11451, Hyraxia Books]. Academic Exercises
Burton, MI, Subterranean Press, 2014. Limited Edition. Hardback. A fine copy. 289 of 1000 copies. K.J. Parker (1961-) is the pseudonym of Tom Holt for his fantasy works. Holt is better known for his comedic fiction, but his fantasy has become well regarded too. Cover art by Vincent Chong [11447, Hyraxia Books]. The Peril of Pine’s Place: A Story of an Averted Invasion
London, F.V. White, 1912. First edition, first impression. Hardback. A very good copy. A future war novel with the UK narrowly avoiding an impending socialist invasion. Lacking the dustjacket, some fading to the spine, and softening to the spine tips and corners. James Blyth (1864-1933) is best known in the genre for his future war novels, though he is largely unread nowadays. [11458, Hyraxia Books]. Desperation
Hampton Falls, NH, Donald M. Grant, 1996. Limited Edition. Hardback. A fine copy, 616 of 2000 copies, signed by the author and the illustrator. In a large clamshell. A nice, chunky book. A parallel novel to The Regulators written under the Richard Bachman pseudonym. Small area of sticker residue (probably the number sticker) to the top edge. Illustrations by Don Maitz [11392, Hyraxia Books]. Bag of Bones
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1998. Limited Edition. Hardback. A fine copy, signed by the author by way of a numbered plate (833 of 2000). These were issued at an event, and are basically the trade issue with the plate added as part of the official event. Small ding to the jacket and a little rolling to the edges. [11391, Hyraxia Books]. Ichabod
London, John Milne, 1910. First edition, first impression. Hardback. A very good book, in a good jacket. A future war novel, with the UK destroying Germany using thought reading, but also getting rid of all the Jews who align with the Germans, so a mixed bag as far as prescience goes. The jacket's uncommon, and this appears to have two. Not enough data out there to determine if the outer glassine jacket is original or later. It's certainly early, and I find it unlikely that a later owner would use it to protect the jacket. The printed jacket is in two pieces with a good deal of loss primarily to the spine. Still, it is what it is. The book itself is neat enough with some softening to the spine tips and a little offsetting from the flaps. Owner's inscription. James Blyth (1864-1933) is best known in the genre for his future war novels, though he is largely unread nowadays. [11463, Hyraxia Books]. The Terminal Beach
London, Gollancz, 1964. First edition, first impression. Hardback. A very good copy. One of Ballard's most collectable works. A collection of 12 short stories, in some ways being the epitome of modern sf short stories. Some tanning to the spine, and a few small nicks to the jacket, owner's name to the front endpaper. A few marks to the boards. J.G. Ballard (1930-2009) was one of the most influential writers in the genre, beyond his exceptional and unique take on the genre, he was vital to the transition to modern sf via his work in the New Wave movement in the 50s and 60s. [11440, Hyraxia Books]. The Song of Floggawaya
London, C.S. Burbige, 1856. First edition, first impression. Hardback. A very good copy. An uncommon parody of Longfellow's Hiawatha (Longfellow's Hiawatha is bound in with Floggawaya - it's the fifth edition, and takes up most of the book). Of Etonian interest. Ink inscription dated 1858 to the front endpaper, some rubbing to the leather and a little chipping. [11400, Hyraxia Books]. Perdido Street Station
London, Macmillan, 2000. Proof. Paperback. A fine copy, signed by the author without inscription. Limited edgewear, the spine is unfaded (this proof often suffers from fading). Perdido Street Station remains Mieville's magnum opus, particularly when couple with The Scar and Iron Council. A baroque fever dream with deep world-building quite a stretch from the usual. China Mieville (1972-) is one of the most unique voices in the realm of speculative fiction, and a leading name in the new weird genre. He's best known for his Bas-Lag series, and The City and The City which was adapted successfully for the BBC. [11469, Hyraxia Books]. Lord Tyger
New York, Doubleday, 1970. First edition, first impression. Hardback. A near fine copy. The main premise of the tale is a rich guy raising his own real-life Tarzan requiste with all childhood tragedy etc. A little bumping to the spine, and some tanning to the spine also. Overall a lovely copy. Philip Jose Farmer (1918-2009) was a standout writer with more pen names than most authors have books. He wrote mostly in the science fiction and fantasy genres and is best known for his Riverworld run and works on sexuality and religion. Cover art by Seymour Chwast [11453, Hyraxia Books]. Crampton
Thomas Ligotti and Brandon Trenz London, Durtro Press, 2002. First edition, first impression. Paperback. A fine copy. An unproduced X-Files screenplay. Presented with the Unholy City CD. The CD contains six tracks inspired by the script. Still in the shrinkwrap. [11403, Hyraxia Books].- $266
- $266
Meet…The Common People…
Edward Carrick [Edward Craig] & Gerry Bradley London, The Studio Publications, nd [1942]. First edition, first impression. Hardback. Very good condition. Comprising: [1] Signed first edition of the book, with some light edgewear. [2] 3pp typescript for part of the book, some wear and a little loss [3] Suite of 10 photos, some used in the book [4] 84pp storyboard for the book, autograph [5] 9pp Autograph ms for the text portions of the book [6] 9 letters, mostly replies thanking Craig for sending the book. Craig (1905-1998), better known as Carrick, was the son of Edward Gordon Craig. He was designer for film as well as an author and illustrator. [11500, Hyraxia Books]. nd [1942]- $333
- $333
88 Gray’s Inn: A Living Space Odyssey
William F. Temple London, Sansato Press, 2000. Limited Edition. Hardback. A fine copy. Signed by way of a pasted in plate by Arthur C. Clarke. Number 46 of 50 copies. The signed limited edition is pretty scarce on the ground, with only around half being issued at publication time. Clarke provided a short preface for this volume. George Locke provides an introduction, and then we have a novelette and two short stories. For context 88 Gray's Inn Road was where Clarke and Temple lived in 1936, along with Maurice Hanson. He tried to get his biography of those times published in the 1940s but it never worked out. William F. Temple (1914-1989) was a British science fiction author, he's perhaps best remembered for The Four-Sided Triangle, which was adapted for the big screen. Illustrations by Jim Cawthorn [11466, Hyraxia Books].- $80
- $80
Something About Eve
James Branch Cabell New York, Robert M. McBride, 1929. First edition, first impression. Hardback. A very good copy. Fantastic illustrations by Pape. Some edge wear to the jacket, a few short tears and nicks. Some tanning to the spine, and a little rubbing. Some offsetting to the tissue guards from the illustrations. Illustrations by Frank C. Pape [11399, Hyraxia Books].- $133
- $133
Railsea
China Mieville Burton, MI, Subterranean Press, 2012. Limited Edition. Hardback. A fine copy. 469 of 500 signed numbered copies. A dystopian world criss-crossed with rail tracks and infested with giant burrowing insects. China Mieville (1972-) is one of the most unique voices in the realm of speculative fiction, and a leading name in the new weird genre. He's best known for his Bas-Lag series, and The City and The City which was adapted successfully for the BBC. Cover art by Vincent Chong [11383, Hyraxia Books].- $100
- $100
Nicolai Klimii iter subterraneum, novam telluris theoriam ac historiam quintae monarchiae adhuc nobis incognitae exhibens e bibliotheca B. Abelini.
Ludwig Holberg Copenhagen & Leipzig, Jacob Preuss, 1741. First edition, first impression. Hardback. A very good copy. An early classic of underworld science fiction by the father of modern Danish-Norwegian literature. This novel was a major inspiration for Verne, and the first work of fiction to use Halley's theory that planets comprise concentric spheres surrounding a small central sun. Set in the year 1665, the story is told by Niels Klim, who comes back to his native town Bergen after receiving his degree from the University of Copenhagen. While climbing a mountain with a group of friends, he falls into a pit to emerge - after fifteen minutes - in the hollow interior of the Earth. This space is a small cosmos with planets orbiting around a miniature sun. After floating for a while, he eventually lands on a planet named Nazar, in the kingdom of Potu (which echoes "utopia" spelled backwards), and discovers a species of intelligent anthropomorphic tree-men. Holberg's work "blends satire with a fantastic voyage and breathes the spirit of the eighteenth century. Other than its Latin language and passages of verse and prose adapted from classical authors, this novel is entirely modern in spirit. Its description of travel to exotic lands reminds one of his near-contemporary Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726), but with far more wit and humour. Rebacked with original spine laid down, engraved frontis and three smaller plates. Ownership inscriptions. Extremities and surfaces rubbed and worn, some light foxing and a couple of neat repairs to leaves. A nice copy. [11439, Hyraxia Books].- $2,331
- $2,331
The Violent Century
Lavie Tidhar Hornsea, UK, PS Publishing, 2013. Limited Edition. Hardback. A fine copy, signed by the author as issued. An overrun copy from the run of 200, denoted PC. Slight bump to the lower spine tip. Lavie Tidhar is an Israeli-born writer, with a World Fantasy Award under his belt. Bump to the lower spine tip. [11397, Hyraxia Books].- $67
- $67
