Last Sunday I attended the annual Vintage Paperback Collector’s Show and contracted The Plague, knocking me out of commission for three of my last few days in beautiful Southern California (I know it was you, mother-#&$#@%. I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you).
But I’m feeling much better now and got some great books signed. Tim Powers signed my Library of America’s American Fantastic Tales. Obsessions and Silver Screams received more sigs, and Subterranean’s Tales of Dark Fantasy got a couple as did their Best of trade editions of Gregory Benford and Larry Niven. My Hartwell-signed 1st edition of The Dark Descent added Etchison’s sig to his story.
Most important is this one. My copy doesn’t have the limitation page but is worth a heck of a lot more to me now than another copy that does have one. Etchison and R.C. Matheson signed their introductions to stories, and Mr. Matheson’s was quite touching, but it was William F. Nolan who brought it home.
I’m standing in line, realizing that because I usually skip intros when reading stories for the first time I’d never actually read the pages I’m about to have signed. I shuffled along and read, getting to Bill Nolan’s intro where it was almost palpable how much he missed his friend; when I stepped up to the man the connection between the two authors was still lingering, solid in the mind. Mr. Nolan gingerly accepted the unjacketed, hefty book, didn’t immediately recognize it, adjusted it to look at the cover, didn’t immediately recognize it, turned it to look at the spine, and a light leapt both into and out of his eyes. He saddened but also livened up considerably. We spoke of the incredible collection and our admiration for the writer whose imagination opened the eyes of the world. He spoke of his friendship with Mr. Beaumont and told a couple of stories, neither of which I recall properly because something was still thick in the air--perhaps the ghost of the monster himself, hand resting lightly on the seated Nolan’s shoulder, saying hello to his old friend. For a moment I was there with them both.
Still one of the greatest books in my collection, now something more:
SAM_5462.jpg
SAM_9693.jpg
SAM_9696.jpg
SAM_9701.jpg
SAM_5471.jpg
But I’m feeling much better now and got some great books signed. Tim Powers signed my Library of America’s American Fantastic Tales. Obsessions and Silver Screams received more sigs, and Subterranean’s Tales of Dark Fantasy got a couple as did their Best of trade editions of Gregory Benford and Larry Niven. My Hartwell-signed 1st edition of The Dark Descent added Etchison’s sig to his story.
Most important is this one. My copy doesn’t have the limitation page but is worth a heck of a lot more to me now than another copy that does have one. Etchison and R.C. Matheson signed their introductions to stories, and Mr. Matheson’s was quite touching, but it was William F. Nolan who brought it home.
I’m standing in line, realizing that because I usually skip intros when reading stories for the first time I’d never actually read the pages I’m about to have signed. I shuffled along and read, getting to Bill Nolan’s intro where it was almost palpable how much he missed his friend; when I stepped up to the man the connection between the two authors was still lingering, solid in the mind. Mr. Nolan gingerly accepted the unjacketed, hefty book, didn’t immediately recognize it, adjusted it to look at the cover, didn’t immediately recognize it, turned it to look at the spine, and a light leapt both into and out of his eyes. He saddened but also livened up considerably. We spoke of the incredible collection and our admiration for the writer whose imagination opened the eyes of the world. He spoke of his friendship with Mr. Beaumont and told a couple of stories, neither of which I recall properly because something was still thick in the air--perhaps the ghost of the monster himself, hand resting lightly on the seated Nolan’s shoulder, saying hello to his old friend. For a moment I was there with them both.
Still one of the greatest books in my collection, now something more:
SAM_5462.jpg
SAM_9693.jpg
SAM_9696.jpg
SAM_9701.jpg
SAM_5471.jpg
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