Search Results: Authors starting with B from Captain Ahab's Rare Books

London: New English Library, 1983. First U.K. Editions. An attractive set of the first four books written under King's Richard Bachman pseudonym, originally issued as paperback originals by Signet between 1977-1982. With exception to Rage, nice copies of the UK editions appear with less frequency than their American counterparts. Brooks A5.2, A9.2, A11.2, A15.2. First Impressions. Four octavo volumes (18cm); original pictorial card wrappers; [x],211,[3]; [8],9-253,[3]; [viii],273,[7]; [iv],219,[1]pp. Rage and Roadwork are Fine, sharp-cornered, and with creamy, supple pages; The Long Walk shows light wear to extremities, with a hint of tanning to text edges, else Near Fine; The Running Man shows some mild surface wear, rubbing to joints and extremities, a few vertical stress creases to spine, with the verso of the front wrapper showing a slightly abraded rubber-stamp and ink price of a Birmingham book shop; Very Good.

New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1965. First Edition. First novel featuring Ball's African American homicide detective Virgil Tibbs, who finds himself immersed in racial conflict after a murder takes place in a small Southern town. Winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1966, and basis for Norman Jewison's Oscar-winning film adaptation, starring Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier. Hubin, p.21; Pronzini & Muller, p.38. First Printing. Octavo (21cm); light gray paper and black cloth-covered boards, with titles stamped in silver on spine; dustjacket; [viii],184pp. Hint of sunning and some trivial wear to upper board edges, else Near Fine, and clean throughout. Dustjacket is unclipped (priced $3.50), with some pinpoint wear to base of spine, four closed tears, and a tiny spot of laminate lift at upper left corner of front panel; Near Fine.

London: Jonathan Cape, Ltd, 1973. First Edition. Ballard's sixth and best-known novel, a postmodern dystopia centered around sexual fetishism involving car crashes. "After the narrator, named "Ballard," survives a serious automobile accident, he becomes fascinated and excited by car crashes, especially after he meets Vaughan, a fanatical "hoodlum scientist," whose ultimate ambition is to die with Elizabeth Taylor in a fiery car accident. Perhaps Ballard's darkest, most unsettling book. The identification between sex, automobiles and violent death are graphic, Ballard's tone is detached, almost clinical" (Barron, Horror Literature 4-16). Rare in the proof state, especially signed. First Impression. Octavo (19.5cm); original printed card wrappers; [6],7-224pp; signed by the author on the title page, with the publisher's slip bearing a synopsis, £2.75 price, and date of publication mounted to half-title page.

London: Macmillan London Limited / Orbit, 2012. First Editions. Complete set of the Scottish author's sprawling ten-volume Culture series. "The books focus on the titular Culture, a utopian, post-scarcity space society that is humanoid in nature but did not originate on Earth. The stories revolve around how the Culture wields their enormous political and technological power to shape the evolution of societies across the universe. The Culture society is made up of humanoids, aliens, and very advanced artificial intelligence living in 'man-made' habitats spread across the galaxy. The main theme of the novels is the dilemmas that an idealistic hyperpower faces in dealing with civilizations that do not share its ideals, and whose behavior the Culture feels it is in the greater interest of the universe to change" ("The Culture: An Introduction." Blog post: The Quill to Live, May 17, 2021). A challenging set to complete, seldom offered in commerce. Barron, Anatomy of Wonder II-72, 73, 75. First… Read More

London: Macmillan, 1984. First Edition. The Scottish author's first published novel, narrated by a psychopathic teenager living on a remote Scottish island. "Sixteen-year-old Francis Cauldhame contemplates ritual animal and insect sacrifice, casual murder and family secrets as he waits for the cataclysmic return of his older brother, an escaped lunatic" (Barron, Horror Literature: A Reader's Guide 4-19). First Impression. Octavo (22.25cm); brown cloth, with titles stamped in gilt on spine; dustjacket; [6],7-184pp. Light wear to spine ends, upper corners gently tapped (though still sharp), with some rough erasure to upper front endpaper; Near Fine. Dustjacket is unclipped (priced £7.95 net), with mild external wear, and eleven faint patches of tape residue (not actual tape) on verso; Very Good+ or better.

New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. First American Edition. First Printing. Octavo (21.5cm); black paper-covered boards, with titles stamped in gilt on spine; dustjacket; [x],[2],3-309,[1]pp. Fine in a very Near Fine dustjacket, unclipped (priced $16.95), with a few pinpoint rubbed spots to extremities, and a single, tiny tear to base of spine. Sharp copy of the second volume in Banks's sprawling ten-volume Culture series, nominated for the British Science Fiction Association Award.

New York: St. Martin's Press, 1987. First American Edition. First Printing. Octavo (21.5cm); dark blue paper-covered boards, with titles stamped in gilt on spine; dustjacket; [viii],[2],3-471,[1]pp. Crown gently nudged, else Fine in a Fine, unclipped dustjacket (priced $18.95). Sharp copy of the first volume in Banks's ten-volume Culture series. "Horza, an alien shape changer and one of the most feared spies and assassins in the galaxy, is hired by another alien race, the Idirans, to further their religious crusade against the Culture, a technologically advanced , liberal-minded human civilization" (Barron, Anatomy of Wonder II-72).

Salem, OR: David Barker, 1982. First Edition. A humorous account of the author's encounter with Bukowski, sometime during the early 1970's. One of 100 copies. Slim octavo (21.5cm); illustrated wrappers, stapled; 20,[2]pp; illus. Gentle sunning along spine-fold, small scuff to rear wrapper, else Near Fine.

New York: Harper Collins, 2003. First Edition. The author's fourth book, offering "a consideration of the many pressing issues that surround the role of books in contemporary society." First Printing. Octavo (23.5cm); black and brown paper-covered boards with titles stamped in gilt on spine; dustjaket; 444pp. Fine in a very Near Fine dustjacket, unclipped, with only some trivial shelfwear to note.

Chicago: The Reilly & Lee Co, 1946. An attractive copy of the eleventh Oz book. Reprint. Octavo (23.5cm); beige cloth, with titling and decorations stamped in black on spine, and color title leaf mounted to front cover; dustjacket; 312,[2]pp; with black and white illustrations throughout. Previous owner's name to "This book belongs to" page, some trivial wear to spine ends, with corners gently tapped (though still sharp), with some minor offset to pastedowns from binders glue; a bright, Near Fine copy. Dustjacket is unclipped (priced $2.00), with both flaps listing 36 titles (ending in Magical Mimics in Oz); edge-worn, slightly dusty overall, with several edge tears, and a few small chips to corners and spine ends (none affecting lettering or design); Very Good or better example.

London: John Calder, 1964. First UK Edition. Beckett's sixth published novel, first published in French as Comment c'est in 1961 by Les Editions de Minuit, and translated from the French by the author himself. The Limited Issue was simultaneously released in vellum and in tan morocco (100 copies each), the former being the more difficult of the two to find in truly pristine condition. Federman & Fletcher 384.102. Limited Issue, one of 100 numbered copies bound in vellum and signed by the author, this being copy no.51. Octavo (22.25cm); publisher's full vellum (Series A), with titling and rule stamped in gilt on spine; top edge gilt; publisher's ivory paper-covered slipcase; [6],7-160pp. Fine in a Near Fine slipcase, with some light wear to extremities and around the opening.

Paris: Les Éditions de Minuit, 1951. First Edition. Limited Issue, one of 500 numbered copies specially bound for friends of the publisher and printed on Alfa Navarre, this being copy no.282. Octavo (18.5cm); original beige wrappers, with titling and publisher's logo printed in black on spine and front cover; original glassine overlay; [6],7-272,[4]pp. Forward lean, hint of sunning to spine, with a few tiny stains to front endpaper, and two tiny patches of offsetting from old tape to margins of the colophon; contents otherwise clean; Very Good+ in like glassine. The first of three novels in Beckett's Trilogy, written in Paris between 1947-1950, which include Malone Meurt and The L'Innommable. Federman & Fletcher 257.

Paris: Les Éditions de Minuit, 1957. First Edition. Attractive copy of Beckett's second dramatic masterpiece concerning the ennui surrounding Hamm and Clov, two mutually-dependent characters living in a wasteland of rubbish. Lieberson (1911-1977) was the president of Columbia Records from 1956-1971, and again from 1973-1975. Prior to that, he had been the producer and driving force behind their adoption of the long-play record (LP), which allowed for the complete recording on one disc of whole symphonies, entire operas, and Broadway musicals. He produced several of Columbia's first LP original cast recordings, such as South Pacific and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, though he seldom recorded whole plays. The one exception was the original 1956 Broadway production for Waiting for Godot, starring Bert Lahr as Estragon and E.G. Marshall as Vladimir. Best known as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz, Lahr's presence on the bill was not enough to make Godot a hit - audiences left in droves and the show… Read More

New York: The Mystery League, Inc, 1931. First American Edition. Attractive copy of this Haycraft-Queen Cornerstone title and early serial killer novel that author Vincent Starrett magnanimously cited as "one of the ten greatest detective novels ever written." Hubin, p.28; Pronzini & Muller, p.52. First Printing. Octavo (19.25cm); black cloth, with titling and publisher's logo stamped in green on spine and front cover; patterned endpapers; dustjacket; [8],9-284,[4]pp. Slight forward lean, spine ends gently nudged, with minute wear to lower right corner of front board; content clean; Near Fine. In the uncommon trial dustjacket, lacking text on the flaps and rear panel, and retaining the finished cover art, though with the spine lettering and skull printed in orange instead of teal; lightly edgeworn, spine lettering a little sunned, with dust-soil to rear panel, and a few tiny nicks and tears; Very Good+. Publisher's promotional bookmark laid in.

New York: The Mystery League, Inc, 1931. First American Edition. Attractive copy of this Haycraft-Queen Cornerstone title and early serial killer novel that author Vincent Starrett magnanimously cited as "one of the ten greatest detective novels ever written." Hubin, p.28; Pronzini & Muller, p.52. First Printing. Octavo (19.25cm); black cloth, with titling and publisher's logo stamped in green on spine and front cover; patterned endpapers; dustjacket; [8],9-284,[4]pp. Light dust-soil to text edges, else Near Fine in a Near Fine dustjacket, with light wear to spine ends, and a few spots of rubbing to rear panel.

New York: The Vanguard Press, Inc, 1947. First Edition. First Printing. Octavo (21cm); full black cloth, with titles stamped in blue on spine; powder blue topstain; dustjacket; [viii],294,[2]pp. Trivial wear to spine ends, faint foxing to text edges, with some offsetting to endpapers; Near Fine. Dustjacket is unclipped (priced $2.75), lightly edgeworn, with a few tiny tears, and some gentle sunning to white lettering on spine panel; Very Good+ or better. An attractive copy of Bellow's second book, a Burgess 99 novel.

New York: The Viking Press, 1956. First Edition. The Nobel Prize-winning author's fourth book, containing the title novella, three short stories, and a one-act play. "The title piece, a truncated novelette which is heavily introspective, concerns a New York Jew who has failed miserably in marriage, as he longs for love and respect from his proud physician father, and earns a livelihood as a salesman and investor. During the moment of recognition he realizes that his life, dependent as it is on the past, is a futile anachronism" (Kirkus Review, Nov.1, 1956). Basis for Fielder Cook's 1986 film adaptation, starring Robin Williams and Jerry Stiller. A superior copy of an exceedingly difficult title, prone to heavy wear, with the spine almost always faded. Frist Printing. Octavo (21cm); black paper and yellow cloth-covered boards, with titles stamped in black on spine and in blind on front cover; yellow topstain; dustjacket; [viii],211,[5]pp. Tiny ownership label of Black Sparrow Press publisher John K.… Read More

New York: A New/Kinda Theatre Company, 1965. First Edition. First (and only) issue of this mimeographed journal devoted to avant-garde theatre and poetry. The brainchild of Jerry Benjamin's budding (and short-lived) New/Kinda Theatre Company in New York, a group planning productions of Ginsberg's "Kaddish," "The Rubberheart Soup Opera" by Andy Warhol, and Frank O'Hara's "The General Returns from One Place to Another." Printed alternately at Ed Sanders's Peace Eye Bookshop and the Greenwich Village Folklore Center, the publication contains "Liner Notes from Howl and Other Poems," "On the Everyday Theatre" by Bertolt Brecht, and contributions by Alan Soloman, Gerard Malanga, Diane Di Prima, James Waring, and Burgess Meredith, et al. Scarce; OCLC notes 10 holdings. Morgan C233. Quarto (35.5cm); white and yellow mimeographed sheets, printed on rectos only and side-stapled into illustrated covers by Georg Büchner; 45 leaves; illus. Light wear and handling to wrapper extremities, showing a few faint… Read More

Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, 1969. First Edition. Limited (Cloth) Issue, one of five copies specially bound and designated for members within the inner circle of the press, this one marked "Binder's Copy" and signed by author on colophon. Octavo (25cm); decorative paper-covered boards and navy blue cloth backstrip, with title label mounted to spine; publisher's original acetate dustjacket; [8],9-88,[6]pp. Gentle sunning to upper board edges, else Fine in a lightly rubbed, Near Fine dustjacket. The New York poet's only book published by the press, a collection of poems written between 1967-1969. Morrow & Cooney 67b.

Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1989. First Edition. First Printing. Octavo (21.5cm); russet and dark green paper-covered boards, with titles stamped in silver on spine; dustjacket; [viii],[2],3-285,[3]pp. Lengthily inscribed by the author on the front endpaper: "Unlike the principal character in this novel, I can identify who is on record as having been firs tto say that not even God can change the past: the Athenian poet Agathon, for he is quoted to that effect in Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics. Agathon's work has not survived, but there are at least two pieces of evidence that he was renowned in his own day: it is at his house that the banquet in Plato's Symposium takes place; and, like his friend Euripides, his is ridiculed by Aristophanes / Thomas Berger / 31 October, 1994." Additionally inscribed by the author on the title page: "To Glenn Horowitz, gentleman, scholar, and judge of fine (single malt) whiskey / Thomas Berger." Crown gently nudged, a few faint indentations to upper and lower… Read More