Tag Archives: Science Fiction and Fantasy

Conquest of Mars

Posted on March 17, 2020 by

Here is copy number 55 of the first edition of Edison’s Conquest of Mars by Garrett P. Serviss. There were only 1,500 copies in the first edition, and only 1,450 of those were offered for general distribution. Serviss, an astronomer, wrote Conquest in 1898; … Continue reading →

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Older Than the Moon

Posted on January 11, 2020 by

“Before the moon I am, what a woman is, a woman of power, a woman’s power, deeper than the roots of trees, deeper than the roots of islands, older than the Making, older than the moon.” – Ursula K. Le Guin, from Tehanu: … Continue reading →

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A is for Anarchism

Posted on September 20, 2019 by

I recently had the chance to finally watch the New American Masters PBS documentary on the late science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin. For the most part, it was a good exploration of her life and career. Maybe if … Continue reading →

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Science Fiction Inspires Science IRL

Posted on September 18, 2019 by

News of scientist Giovanni Aldini’s electric reanimation experiments on corpses in 1803 reached author Mary Shelley before the publication of her  iconic science fiction book Frankenstein. It was an instance of science informing fiction. In turn, Shelley’s masterpiece would eventually … Continue reading →

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Under the Martians

Posted on September 5, 2019 by

As a child, I was a big science fiction fan. I particularly enjoyed illustrated editions such as this great version from the short lived Looking Glass Library imprint. In 1960 artist Edward Gorey created the cover and pen and ink … Continue reading →

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Everyone Loves A Trickster

Posted on February 13, 2019 by

I recently spotted a fantastic new edition of Neil Gaiman’s madcap fantasy novel Anansi Boys issued by the folks at the Folio Society press. This exciting version is packed with dynamic illustrations by the American artist Francis Vallejo (see video below) and … Continue reading →

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Space Invaders

Posted on February 6, 2019 by

Science fiction satire isn’t a new phenomena. The War of the Wenuses by Charles L. Graves and Edward V. Lucas is a parody of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds published in 1898. The story chronicles an invasion by gorgeous Venusian women who … Continue reading →

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Still Alarming

Posted on January 29, 2019 by

I first discovered the science fiction novels by Ray Bradbury when I was 10 or 11 years old. In retrospect I’m certain that many of the themes of his books went way over my head. But when I read Fahrenheit 451 I … Continue reading →

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There and back again

Posted on January 6, 2019 by

A buyer recently contacted me to help him find an American first edition of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit.  Since the amount that he was willing to pay was ridiculously below the usual prices that the title brings, I didn’t even bother … Continue reading →

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Best Books of the Year (or some of)

Posted on December 31, 2018 by

For the past month or so we’ve seen the annual steady stream of “Best Books of the Year” lists from websites, bloggers, magazines, critics, and newspapers. So, I thought that I would share my own unsolicited list. If you are … Continue reading →

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