SF Bookworm: Collecting Science Fiction Books

This from the official Donald M. Grant Publisher Newsletter:

Donald Metcalf Grant died August 19, 2009 in North Port, Florida. He was 82 years old.

Don founded DONALD M. GRANT, PUBLISHER in 1964. For many years he operated it from his home in West Kingston, Rhode Island. I became his partner in 1981.

In 1945, when Don was 18, he published his first book: RHODE ISLAND ON LOVECRAFT, edited by Donald M. Grant and Thomas G. Hadley and published under the Grant-Hadley Enterprises imprint. Over the years other publishing companies he was part of included The Buffalo Book Company, The Hadley Publishing Company, Grandon and Centaur Press. In 1964 he went out on his own and the rest is history.

Donald Grant was instrumental in the creation of THE WORLD FANTASY CONVENTION in 1975. He received three World Fantasy Awards in the special professional category (1976, 1980, and 1983), one special convention World Fantasy Award (1984), and a World Fantasy Life Achievement Award (2003). He published one Hugo Award winning book: TIME AND CHANCE by L. Sprague de Camp.

In the mid-1990’s Don moved to North Port, Florida. He is survived by his wife Shirley, daughter Nancy Mahoney, granddaughter Ellen Mahoney, son Douglas and sister Meg Moreau.

While I’m still not quite sure what a “meme” actually is or if it applies in this particular case, John Ottinger’s project of compiling a collection of blogs devoted to reviewing Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror books is certainly worth noting. Rather than tracking down each blog himself, Ottinger asked the readers of his own review blog Grasping for the Wind to take his list, add themselves and post it to their site allowing him to update his own list with each new back link. The first “edition” of the collection was created late last year and consists of literally hundreds of reviewing sites.

Mr. Ottinger is currently collecting an updated list. Submissions will be accepted until August 16, 2009. If you run a blog or web site that reviews SF/F/H books and would like to be included you can register your site using the form on the GftW post SF/F/H Book Reviewers Linkup Meme, 2nd Edition Submissions. The original list appears at the bottom of the post.

Dark Discoveries Publications is now taking pre-orders for the 750 copy limited editon of The Bleeding Edge: Dark Barriers, Dark Frontiers anthology. This anthology features all-new/previously unpublished works. Here’s the lineup:

Cover and interior art by Kris Kuksi
Foreword – S.T. Joshi
Introduction – William F. Nolan and Jason V Brock
“Some Of My Best Friends Are Martians” – Ray Bradbury
“De Mortuis” – John Tomerlin
“Love & Magick” – James Robert Smith
“Madri-Gall” – Richard Matheson & R.C. Matheson
“Hope and the Maiden” – Nancy Kilpatrick
“The Death and Life of Caesar LaRue” – Earl Hamner
“A Certain Disquieting Darkness” – Gary A Braunbeck
“The Boy Who Became Invisible” – Joe R. Lansdale
“Getting Along Just Fine” – William F. Nolan
“The Grandfather Clock” – George Clayton Johnson
“Triptych: Three Bon Bons” – Christopher Conlon
“The Hand That Feeds” – Kurt Newton
“The Central Coast” – Jason V Brock
“Omnivore” – Dan O’Bannon
“Just A Suggestion” – John Shirley
“I, My Father, and Weird Tales” – Frank M. Robinson
“Silk City” – Lisa Morton
“Red Light” – Steve Rasnic Tem
“How It Feels To Murder” – Norman Corwin
“At The Riding School” – Cody Goodfellow

The Deluxe Edition is on sale for $175.00 ($20 off for pre-orders) and features a special handmade binding with textured faux leather, foil stamping, a reading ribbon, individual signed colophon author sheets, 7 art pieces (including 4 inserts), and a color dust jacket.

Here’s the link to order: http://jasunni.com/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=1

There will also be a trade hardcover retailing for $65 ($55 with newsletter coupon or pre-reserve). These will be unnumbered and 400 copies will be done. These will be signed by the editors William F. Nolan and Jason V Brock. If interested you can drop them a note via email or snail mail to reserve a copy and get the discount for it.

Richard Davies of AbeBooks.com reports, “If money was no object and you wanted to create the ultimate modern science fiction and fantasy rare book collection in a single swoop, then The Fine Books Company in Rochester, Michigan, is offering first editions of all the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novels for a cool $116,530.

The listing includes 126 books covering 82 titles (many titles won both awards), and 95% of the titles are signed or inscribed, and in fine or better condition. When a paperback is the true first edition, then the first hardcover is also included. In some cases, US and UK hardcovers have been included where the paperback is the true first edition, then the first hardcover is also included. In some cases, US and UK hardcovers have been included where the paperback is the true first.”

You can find the full article at AbeBooks.com here.