Oh, Now I am going to have to go the bookcase and see how many special editions I have. Maybe in the morning. It's the illustrations in so many of them that push me over the purchasing edge and the thought of new material from Ray that I have not read before. At least some have come into my favorite used bookstore over the years, so I could trade for them. I really can't keep up with Ray. He comes out with books faster than I can buy them.
-Patricia

Better start saving up for what's to come...

Things To Come?

So many specialty presses. Gauntlet, P&S, Subterranean, Lord John, Easton, Graham, Cemetery Dance, Stealth, Heritage Club, Hill House, Turner, and The Limited Editions Club. I'm sure there are more that I do not have.

I love gorgeous printing of the Mugnaini art in the LEC and Easton editions. The Gauntlet editions of Halloween Tree, Dark Carnival and Something Wicked are some of my favorites. The slim Lord John editions of poetry are small jewels. The Fahrenheit 451 by Graham with illustrations by Ralph Steadman is memorable. I counted 27 special editions in my bookcase but there are so many different reprints, that I did not include, it is hard to gauge.

jkt-Things to come? You like Howard Carter get the first look at the "Wonderful Things!" I can't wait to see what is coming next.

Too many to count, but two of my favorites are They Have Not Seen the Stars (Stealth Press, 200 copy limitation edition) & the 7 volume, hardcover collection of the adaptations of all the Bradbury comics (each book signed by Ray & most signed by all of the artists, between 700 - 1200 copy limitation). I guess that's eight books actually...

I have the standard edition of THEY HAVE NOT SEEN THE STARS and never saw the limited. 200 copy limitation is quite small...very nice! I have aim on a Graham edition of 451 next, but I would like some detailed feedback regarding the books production values. Too many "limited editions" are no better than a basic hardcover with a tip-in page....

quote:

Originally posted by Carcosa:
I have the standard edition of THEY HAVE NOT SEEN THE STARS and never saw the limited. 200 copy limitation is quite small...very nice!

I may be mistaken, but I think the signed/numbered/limited from Stealth Press was published as the company was folding. It is my understanding that most, if not all of the copies came from an estate sale or auction? Luckily I ended up with a perfect copy at a reasonable price. I could be wrong about the whole estate thing, but I recall reading about it when I got the book.

Shame on me for forgetting the name of the story, but I also received a very small book with a limitation of something like 25 copies (signed) from Hill House. I want to say it's The Wish? Gosh I forget; It's been years & I rarely take it out due to the nature of its rarity (combined with a 2 year-old running around grabbing everything in sight.) I received it along with a PC copy of The Cat's Pajamas (in addition to the regular copy I purchased) during the end of the Hill House fiasco (which we will NOT revisit!) Maybe someone else on the boards remembers the title...

EDIT - Sorry for the excessive use of parentheses.

All this talk of limited editions is making me feel twitchy. I have "that look" in my eyes.

This is such an active group. Has anyone traded Bradbury items here? There must be a trading group...

I would imagine that many of us have collectibles that we would be willing to trade for other collectibles.

Is this an "ethical" issue?

Hmmm... off to the Gauntlet site now...

I bought my copy of THEY HAVE NOT SEEN THE STARS signed/numbered/limited from Stealth Press when it first came out. I got 198/200. My only disappointment is that it did not have the dandelion cover art that was on the trade edition. The special edition is kinda dull in all brown.

Replying to a couple of threads.

The Wish was the chapbook Hill House published. there was a lettered and limited. My guess is under a hundred ever made it out of Hill House.

I agree the Limited of They Have Not Seen the Stars is dull.

@Carcosa, yea the Limited of Fahrenheit 451 is unique and a very nice production, as all the Easton Press editions and the LEC use the same artwork, but the Graham edition uses a different illustrator(forget the name) and it's new artwork..

Although the new Fahrenheit 451 has additional black & white illustrations that accompany the Mugnaini artwork. It also has a slipcase, which makes it unique to an Easton Press book.

And the LEC is much larger than the new Easton Press limited edition of Fahrenheit 451. The LEC edition is oversized while the Easton Press edition is not. Same artwork though.

Another press that was not mentioned: Roy A. Squires who did letter press chapbooks, which are very nice but overpriced.

I don't go in for too many of the special and limited editions: I only buy if the content is unique, and I'm not bothered so much by bindings or illustrations (exception: I agree with the earlier poster that the GOLDEN APPLES volume should most definitely have used the original Mugnaini illustrations. I felt cheated that they weren't there.)

I have a few Gauntlet and Subterranean titles, and that rather odd FUTURIA FANTASIA volume. The most expensive book I have ever bought was the MARTIAN CHRONICLES complete edition, and I get palpitations even now when I think of the expense!

quote:

Originally posted by Andrew:
Shame on me for forgetting the name of the story, but I also received a very small book with a limitation of something like 25 copies (signed) from Hill House. I want to say it's The Wish? Gosh I forget; It's been years & I rarely take it out due to the nature of its rarity (combined with a 2 year-old running around grabbing everything in sight.) I received it along with a PC copy of The Cat's Pajamas (in addition to the regular copy I purchased) during the end of the Hill House fiasco (which we will NOT revisit!) Maybe someone else on the boards remembers the title...

I ordered both THE CAT'S PAJAMAS and THE WISH directly from Hill House for some crazy, unbelievable package deal price they had on the website. That was the beginning of their downward spiral and they never sent them, but never charged my credit card either. I've never seen a copy of this one. I'll have to keep an eye out for one!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Carcosa,

quote:

Originally posted by gguthrie:
@Carcosa, yea the Limited of Fahrenheit 451 is unique and a very nice production, as all the Easton Press editions and the LEC use the same artwork, but the Graham edition uses a different illustrator(forget the name) and it's new artwork..

Thanks, you have sold me! I am in the process of fitting this one into the budget...especially after the LEC 451 and a few of the Fredric Brown limiteds I just picked up.

I'd like to bring up some of the Gauntlet books as well. I was very disappointed with the early "Classics Revisted" editions and sold them all. Now they selling for a frigging fortune. Another brilliant move on my part. Anyway, I do like some of the more recent books, with an improvement in presentation for sure, and they have always been great with the value-added content. Try MASKS, BULLET TRICK, and SOMEWHERE A BAND IS PLAYING...the pricier, lettered books are nicer than the lower end "numbered" limiteds from them.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Carcosa,

The point of these books is celebratory.
The people that put together (or contribute to) these limited editions have one of the best jobs in the world. I'm all for the the fine craftmanship, collectibilty, and artistry of these books. Been able to afford about 20 of the Bradbury editions out there (though usually the lesser expensive versions and yes, they are all 'brodarted' or similarly, sometimes creatively, protected).

MATCH TO FLAME The Fictional Paths to Fahrenheit 451 (sgnd&#), from Gauntlet, is one of my favorites. Its a real firecracker. All the vintage illos, the facsimilies, scholarship of Touponce and Eller, the Matheson-Bradbury correspondence, and here and there throughout, the devily doodlings of Ray Bradbury. I love the overall design of the book, and the dustjacket is ingenious. AND the stories, which in the preface Bradbury reveals were all written before "The Pedestrian."

I love what Subterranean Press does (own 6 eds.). And I dearly love the PS editions, although I missed out on MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY and FOREVER AND THE EARTH.

Great thread Carcosa!

Well, I just shot from the hip and bought a copy of the Graham edition of "451" which I will see next week. Mine is apparently bound in marbled boards with possibly a leather spine. Not sure. I also see some copies bound in red cloth. Does anyone know all the details of the variants of this edition?