08/05/03 TUES:
---Shipments from HarperCollins, PGW, Penguin Putnam and VHPS have come in:
Anderson, Poul GOING FOR INFINITY, Tor, 5/05 (sic), (stories; 416 pages), new 14.95

Asaro, Catherine THE MOON'S SHADOW, Tor, 2nd, (Skolian Empire novel), new in dj 25.95

Bear, Greg THE COLLECTED STORIES OF…, Orb, 3/03, (adds intros to stories & reminiscences; 653 pages), {1st edn hc in dj still avail. @ 29.95}, new 17.95

Blaylock, James P. THIRTEEN PHANTASMS and Other Stories, Ace, 4/03, new 14.00

Chiang, Ted STORIES OF YOUR LIFE and Others, Orb, 7/03, (essential SF; multiple-award winning stories), {hc in dj still available @ 24.95}, new 14.95

Dann, Jack JUBILEE, Tor, 1/03, 1st US edn, (stories; 442 pages), new in dj 27.95

Datlow, Ellen & Terri Windling (eds) THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR: 16th Annual Collection, St. Martin’s Griffin, 8/03, 1st edn, (over 250,000 words of the finest; broadly literate), {hc in dj available @ $35}, new 19.95

De Lint, Charles FORESTS OF THE HEART, Tor, 3rd, (spellbinding novel of magic in two worlds), {1st edn hc in dj still available @ 25.95}, new 14.95

Dozois, Gardner (ed) THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION: Twentieth Annual Collection, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2nd, {1st edn hc in dj avail. @ $35}, new 19.95

Jones, Jeffrey THE ART OF…, Underwood '02, (Cathy & Arnie Fenner [eds]), new in dj 35.00
---one copy came with a razor cut in the front dj. I am pricing it at $18.

Gaiman, Neil CORALINE, HarperCollins, 13th, (frightening novel for all ages), new in dj 15.99

Gorman, Ed EVERYBODY'S SOMEBODY'S FOOL, Carroll & Graf '02, 1st, (A Sam McCain Mystery; set in Iowa), new in dj 24.00

Jones, Diana Wynne THE MERLIN CONSPIRACY, Greenwillow, 3rd, (fantasy), new in dj 16.99

Lethem, Jonathan (ed) DA CAPO BEST MUSIC WRITING 2002: The Year's Finest Writing on Rock, Pop, Jazz, Country, & More, Da Capo, 2nd('03), new 15.00

Pratchett, Terry THE LAST HERO: A Discworld Fable, Eos, 1st (US) thus, new 19.95

Simmons, Dan ILIUM, Eos '03, 1st edn, (first part of epic; 576 pages), new in dj 25.95

Van Gelder, Gordon (ed) ONE LAMP: Alternate History Stories from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Four Walls Eight Windows, 9/03, 1st, new 15.95

Wilhelm, Kate SKELETONS, Minotaur, 8/02, 1st edn, (a novel of suspense), new in dj 24.95

Wright, John C. THE PHOENIX EXULTANT, Tor, 5/03, 1st edn, (Golden Age #2), new in dj 24.95

---For information about their books and authors, Tor’s website suggests:
“If you want information on the authors, titles, series, dates, etc., of works that have already been published, try:
The SF Site
The Library of Congress”
and a couple other links that didn’t look too useful or did not work. They also suggest: “The larger online booksellers' sites are also a good source of information.” That leaves me out, but it is advice I follow myself.
---I also like Locus Online, but it is impossible not to get sent off on a tangent by their links to things going on.

---Also, to get more Carroll & Graf title information, go their title search. Links to individual books all have the same URL.

---Back in stock:
Ashley, Mike ALGERNON BLACKWOOD: An Extraordinary Life, Carroll & Graf '01, 1st US edn, (full biography; notes, bibliography, index), new in dj 28.00

Datlow, Ellen & Terri Windling (eds) THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR: 15th Annual Collection, St. Martin’s Griffin, 8/02, 1st edn, new 19.95

Dozois, Gardner (ed) WORLDMAKERS: SF Adventures in Terraforming, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2nd, (Baxter, Benford, Clarke, Haldeman, Sterling, Zelazny, etc.), new 17.95

Fenner, Cathy & Arnie Fenner (eds) SPECTRUM 8, Underwood '01, 1st, {hc in dj available @ $35}, new 27.00
--- & ---(eds) SPECTRUM 9, Underwood '02, 1st, {hc in dj available @ $35}, new 27.00

Harrison, Harry 50 IN 50, Tor, 6/01, 1st edn, (fifty stories), {trade pb avail. @18.95}, new in dj 29.95

Leary, Timothy THE DELICIOUS GRACE OF MOVING ONE'S HAND: The Collected Sex Writings, Thunder's Mouth('99),1st edn, (will delight & enlighten everyone), new 13.95

Lewis, Matthew G. THE MONK, Grove, 29th('03), (classic horror novel), new 13.50

Lumley, Brian BENEATH THE MOORS, Tor, 2/02, 1st edn, (collection), new / dj 24.95
--- & Stanley Wiater (eds) THE BRIAN Lumley COMPANION, Tor, 11/02, 1st edn, (inclues 8 pages of art and photographs; bibliography; etc.), new in dj 26.95

MacLeod, Ken COSMONAUT KEEP, Tor, 5/01, 1st edn, (#1 in saga), new in dj 25.95

Rucker, Rudy GNARL!, Four Walls Eight Windows, 4/00, 1st, (stories), new 20.00
---SAUCER WISDOM, Forge, 7/99, 1st edn, {trade pb avail. @ 14.95}, new in dj 23.95
---WHITE LIGHT, Axoplasm/Four Walls Eight Windows, 4/01, (Shirley intro), new 13.95

Saberhagen, Fred A COLDNESS IN THE BLOOD, Tor, 10/02, 1st edn, (Dracula #8), new in dj 25.95

Stephenson, Neal IN THE BEGINNING…WAS THE COMMAND LINE, Perennial, 5th('03), (nf), new $10

Van Vogt, A.E. THE WORLD OF NULL-A, Orb, 10/02, (coming race of supermen), new 14.95

Wolfe, Gene CASTLE OF DAYS, Orb, 4/95, (collects GW's Book of Days & The Castle of the Otter; 447 pp), {hc in dj still avail. @ 22.95}, new 14.95
Wolfe, Gene THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS, Orb, 4/94, (3 novellas), new 12.95
---FREE LIVE FREE, Orb, 2/99, (character-driven SF at its best), new 15.95
---THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR DEATH And Other Stories, Orb, 8/97, new 14.95
---STRANGE TRAVELERS: New Selected Stories, Orb, 1/01, new 14.95

---Music played:
- AWESOME 80s (eMusic compilation)
- Alan Jackson DRIVE (Xgau: HM***)
- Dizzy Gillespie KEN BURNS JAZZ

08/04/03 MON:
---A new one from Ash-Tree:
Le Fanu, Sheridan THE HAUNTED BARONET and Others: Ghost Stories 1861-70, Ash-Tree '03, 1st thus, (Jim Rockhill [ed & intro]), new in dj 45.00

---And another:
Gaiman, Neil (words) & Dave McKean (pictures) THE WOLVES IN THE WALLS, HarperCollins '03, 1st, (delightfully scary, strange & hilarious children’s book), new / dj 16.99

---A couple used ones picked up at the library sale on the way to the post office a few days ago, I thought I might go ahead and catalog:
King, Stephen (as Richard Bachman) THE REGULATORS, Dutton, 10/96, 1st trade, vg in dj 10.00
---Actually a bit better than vg, but I already had a copy so graded (at $15), so I just lowered the price and kept the description the same.

Koontz, Dean R. THREE COMPLETE NOVELS: Shattered/Whispers/Watchers, Wings, 2nd, (author's second volume of three complete novels; 691 pages), vg in dj 6.50

---Disc Log:
- The Flaming Lips YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS (Xgau: HM***)
- Sonny Rollins NUCLEUS (as in fusion - another download from eMusic that Neil got for me from his highspeed connection in his dorm at The Fighting Illini.)
- Sue Foley WHERE THE ACTION IS (Xgau: HM**)
- TOTALLY HITS 2002: MORE PLATINUM HITS
- Daniel Lentz VOICES

08/03/03 SUN:
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08/01/03 FRI:
---Here today from the Univ of Nebr Press’ Bison imprint:
Arnold, Edwin L. GULLIVAR OF MARS, '03, (Hoppenstand intro), new 15.95

Burroughs, Edgar Rice UNDER THE MOONS OF MARS, Bison '03, (3-in-1; James P. Hogan intro), new 16.95

Smith, E.E. "Doc" SKYLARK THREE, Bison '03, (Jack Williamson introduction), new 12.00

Twain, Mark TALES OF WONDER, Bison '03, (Ketterer intro & notes), new 16.95

---Back in stock:

Burroughs, Edgar Rice AT THE EARTH'S CORE, '00, (Benford intro), new 12.95
---THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT, 2nd, (3-in-1 edn; Resnick intro), new 14.95
---THE MOON MAID: Complete and Restored, '02, (Bisson intro), new 18.95

Flammarion, Camille OMEGA: The Last Days of the World, '99, (epic history of our future by well-known French astronomer; Silverberg intro), new 14.95

Lane, Mary E. MIZORA: A World of Women, '99, (Joan Saberhagen intro), new 9.95

Smith, E.E. "Doc" THE SKYLARK OF SPACE, '01, (Vernor Vinge intro), new 10.00

Verne, Jules THE CHASE OF THE GOLDEN METEOR, '98, (unabridged edition offset from the original 1909 Grant Richards edn; Benford intro), new 13.00

Wells, H.G. THE LAST WAR, '01, (atomic war novel; Greg Bear intro), new 13.95

---And this from Dalkey Archives (distributed by Univ of Nebr Press, but short discount):
Loewinsohn, Ron MAGNETIC FIELD(S), Dalkey Archives '02, new 13.50

---From PS Publishing in the UK:
Brooke, Keith & Nick Gevers (eds) INFINITY PLUS TWO, PS, 5/03, 1st edn, (Clute intro), new in dj 65.00

Campbell, Ramsey TOLD BY THE DEAD, PS, 6/03, 1st edn, one of 700 SIGNED copies, (stories; Brite intro), new in dj 50.00

Di Filippo, Paul FUZZY DICE, PS, 6/03, 1st edn, (Rucker intro), new in dj 50.00

---Music played today:
- compilation from Sweden (fun mixture of Swedish and US music)
- John Zorn THE STRING QUARTETS

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07/09/03 WED:
---Here now:
Braunbeck, Gary A. GRAVEYARD PEOPLE: The Collected Cedar Hill Stories, Vol. 1, Earthling, 6/03, 1st edn, one of 776 SIGNED copies, (the first of several projected volumes), new in dj 40.00

---From Meisha Merlin, this email word:
“Dear GRRM customers,

Here’s the latest in the world of GRRM titles from Meisha Merlin:

Tuf Voyaging
Tuf Voyaging is now at the printer! After going over the page proofs, I
must tell you that Janet Aulisio’s artwork looks spectacular! As you’ll
recall, the book includes the 8 original illustrations she did for the
stories in the early ’80’s, as well as over 20 new ones that she’s done for
this edition, most of them half- or full-page (there are a couple that are
2-page-ers). They really make this excellent book special. Both the
hardback and the softcover trade editions will debut at World Con this year
in Toronto, and the limited editions will be available shortly after that.

Thank you to all who weighed in on the “size vs. cost” question regarding
the Tuf limited editions. It was running neck-and-neck for a while, but
when everything was counted those preferring lower cost outnumbered those
preferring same size as the Song of Ice and Fire limiteds. What that means
is that McNaughton and Gunn is printing the limiteds at the same time
they’re printing the hard and soft covers, which reduces our cost on the
limiteds greatly. It will still take about 4 months for the limiteds to be
done (they have to be sent elsewhere to be bound, have the slipcase made,
have the frontispiece and the autograph page laid in, etc.).

In keeping with our revised policy in the wake of what happened with the
delays on A Clash of Kings, now that the Tuf limited editions are at the
printer, we will begin taking orders for them. They will be on our website
for order very soon, but you will have first option at purchase. Priority
goes to those who want to have the same number or letter as their copies of
SoIaF. After that, those of you who might want to upgrade (maybe from a
numbered edition to a lettered) get second pick. After you’ve all had a
chance to order Tuf, it will then be made available to the public.

The price of the edition should be:

Lettered: $150
Numbered: $125

This could change slightly, as we’re awaiting the final price quote on the
slipcases, but this should be very close to ‘right.’

A Clash of Kings
At long last, A Clash of Kings will be going to the printer middle of next
week. George has finished with all his corrections, and Stephe has gotten
them all entered into the body of the book. As you know, it will take about
4 months from this point, unless we have a hang-up like we had with the
gilding on the first book.

A couple of you have asked about the possible inclusion of the large colour
painting of Red Keep as a fold out insert. When the book goes to the
printer, they will then give us a price quote on this, and we’ll see if we
can pull it off.

The slipcase will be a russet red, the colour George chose as representative
of autumn.

Concerning the sale of the John Howe artwork: this has been made a little
more difficult this time around by the way that John delivered the artwork,
with many small illustrations on a single board, arranged in a way that
would make it impossible to cut. Which means that some of the work bid on
will be full boards of small illustrations. We will provide more details as
we get closer to the date this will happen.

Thank you all! Hope you’re doing well. Look for more updates very soon!

Alan Siler
Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc.
www.meishamerlin.com

Available in July:
Sime~Gen: The Unity Trilogy (Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Jean Lorrah)
The Kedrigern Chronicles vol. II (John Morressy)
Alan@MeishaMerlin.com”

---And then this email, which I will see what I can do with in terms of answering:
“...if you have the time, and the inclination, I was hoping you could answer a few
questions...

1. What does one have to do to publish a chapbook of Lafferty's book? The reason I ask is
because a friend and I are interested in getting some of Lafferty's hard-to-find stuff back in
print in chapbook form. Both he and I have published chapbooks and zines so we know how to
physically put them together. We are also both enormous fans of Lafferty's work and would love
to help make his lesser-known works available. What I would like to know is what are the legal
steps to take? Did Lafferty leave an estate that handles these arrangements? For what it is
worth, neither my friend nor I wish to make one penny of profit. The chapbooks would be priced
only to cover materials. It would purely a labor of love. If you could share any knowledge or
information with me, I would appreciate it greatly. I can send you a few chapbooks I've done as
an example of their quality.

I would also like to create a Lafferty website, which I hope would serve as a repository of
essays, reviews, and general insights into Lafferty's work. If we were to put out a Lafferty
chapbook it would make sense to make it available through the site. My own website is
http://www.postcardfrominsomnia.com. My friend, who would probably do the art on the Lafferty project, is the one who designed the image of the city at the top.

2. I know at one point in the past you put out a book of Lafferty's called "Four Stories". By
any chance is a copy of that still available? If not, do you know where I could acquire one?

3. Please put me on your email update list.

I hope my questions are not too much of an inconvenience.

Thank you again, Chris, and take care”

---My reply:
“As to your questions:
I don't know if I can give much good advice about how to go about publishing Lafferty now. When I did it I had nary a clue myself, but Ray was alive then and willing to send me a bunch of stories he deemed still publishable even if established editors had not yet concurred. Although I did not have dealings with his literary agent, I believe Virginia Kidd (since deceased as well, but here Agency lives on, I believe) might have something in their files. Ironically I had an interesting conversation on the telephone yesterday with the husband of Lafferty's literary executor, who wants to find a buyer for the rights to his published works. It seems Lafferty left 151 beneficiaries to his estate, who get to divide some $5000 a year in royalties. Or at least the executor gets to do the dividing. They are interested in having the money go into a foundation instead, perhaps endowing a short story award or something that would be a boon to Ray's ongoing literary reputation. They are in the process of trying to figure out what to do. Anyone interested or with ideas could contact:
Ned Kennington
1415 Pennsylvania Ave
Durham, NC 27705
919-286-9519
nkennington@juno.com
Ned was also kind enough to forward to me a listing of the Lafferty holdings at the University of Tulsa. I have not yet tried to unzip the document, but I was glad to hear his papers and MSS have found a safe harbor.
I am glad you have Lafferty enthusiasms. I encourage you to pursue it and see if you can find something worth doing.
FOUR STORIES I sold out of many years ago, thanks to the A.J. Budrys review in F&SF that also gave my mailing list a major boost. I still have the reduced electric-typewriter original layouts in my files I could run off more copies. I will try to go ahead and do that, if my copier holds out. Lately it has been showing signs of going down for the count. Tell you what: if you add $2 to your remittance I will make it a point to get you a copy. See how it turns out. I could always send you a refund if it doesn't work out.

Yours,
Chris”

---Music played:
- Bill Evans THE COMPLETE RIVERSIDE RECORDINGS: Discs 3 & 4
- CD COMP #3 (six months further on this pops up in my second-listen pile -- anyone wanting one of the few extras I burned, they are free for the asking with any book shipment; CD Comps 4, 5 & 6 are also available now too)

07/08/03 TUES:
---Books from Greenwood Press here:
McCarthy, Patrick A., Charles Elkins & Martin Harry Greenberg (eds) THE LEGACY OF OLAF STAPLEDON: Critical Essays and An Unpublished Manuscript, Greenwood '89, 1st, new no dj as issued 54.95

Roberson, William H. & Robert L. Battenfeld WALTER M. MILLER, Jr.: A Bio-Bibliography, Greenwood '92, 1st, (glossaries), new no dj as issued 54.95

Smith, Clark Ashton STRANGE SHADOWS: The Uncollected Fiction and Essays of…, Greenwood, 3rd, (stories, fragments, synopses, etc.; Bloch intro), new no dj as issued 74.95

---All are back-in-stock items. The couple new titles I tried to get seem to be NYP, so I guess maybe next time for those.

---The drawer I keep my reference copies of LOCUS in will not accomodate any additions, so I am listing for sale:
LOCUS #478, 11/00, (Bova, Natata) • ---#479, 12/00, (Martin, Pullman), vg-f each, 2.00
---2001 issues, all twelve • ---2002 issues, all twelve, vg-f, as a set each, 20.00

---Speaking of LOCUS, I read in the latest about the Cheap Street publishing-couple the O’Nales committing suicide. Not much older than me, and one of my first experiences when I became interested in specialty publishers more than twenty years ago was with Cheap Street. They, along with Carcosa from Karl Edward Wagner, had ads in Grant Thiessen’s book catalog. The Carcosas really bit me with the bug, but I had to try to convince myself that the Cheap Street chapbooks were a good deal--ultimately failing when I couldn’t figure out their allocation system. But I did build up quite a correspondence folder, with their fancy paper extending to what they used for letters. My own booklet publications were a conscious antithesis to the Cheap Street productions. I even bound my booklets (and first catalog for a while) with thread before I bought a saddle stapler, emulating their ribbon or yarn chapbook binding. I never used the word chapbbook for my booklets. I had not even heard the term used for something produced contemporarily before I saw it used by Cheap Street. I thought it was an archaic term for something peddled by drummers back in the olden days the O’Nales probably would have preferred. Certainly if Cheap Street’s extravagent productions were affected to be chapbooks, then mine had to be called something more prosaic, like booklets or pamphlets.
---I do wonder about the circumstances that caused these people to end it all. Very strange.

---Music played:
- Drive-By Truckers DECORATION DAY (Xgau: A Minus)
- Johan Lindell VED (gift of Swedish music)

07/07/03 MON:
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07/06/03 SUN:
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07/05/03 SAT:
---Received this in mail from Author Services Inc. and am listing it in catalog:
Hubbard, L. Ron "Unlucky Pistols" in ASI Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 1 (2003), (previously unpublished story in promotional L. Ron Hubbard-devoted catalogzine; produced by Galaxy Press, publisher of the fiction works of L. Ron Hubbard), oversize, as new 3.50

---Another warm and fuzzy one. T-storm overnight woke me up and had me wondering where the water might be forcing its way into the house. I think we survived it, as we always have so far--not without out plenty of watches and warnings, however.

---Music played:
- Gen Ken Montgomery PONDFLOORSAMPLE (2CD)
- Xenakis PERSEPOLIS

07/04/03 FRI:
---Neil is working at the Howard Dean headquarters in Des Moines. He got started in their Internet campaign at Champaign-Urbana during his second semester. No doubt a better way to spend his time than working for me on my book business. Things I do are so idiosyncratic, I don’t know if I could ever get anyone else to be productive on my behalf. But I do know that I am not up to the task of dealing with everything that needs to be dealt with.

---Music played:
- The New Pornographers ELECTRIC VERSION (Xgau: B Plus)
- THE COMPLETE STAX/VOLT SOUL SINGLES Volume 3: 1972-1975 (Disc 6)

07/03/03 THU:
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07/02/03 WED:
---Here today:
CEMETERY DANCE #44, '03, (Bonansinga, Ketchum, Kiernan, Lebbon, Reaves), new 5.00

---Music played:
- SIENESE SPLENDOR: Music of the Italian Renaissance
- COMPLETE ORGAN WORKS OF NICOLAUS BRUHNS AND JOHANN NICOLAUS HANFF

07/01/03 TUES:
---I got my order in to Greenwood Press just under the wire yesterday. The sales rep says she will be running these promotions periodically, so if you missed the deadline, feel free to help me start my stockpile for another order some time, who knows when.

---Email rec’d from England:
“Hi Chris,
I'm really sorry to hear that you have had problems with Subterranean
Press.
While Subterranean do direct sales through their web site they do not
have any kind of constant discount to customers on their e-mailing list,
just intermittent special offers and competitions.
And then there is the added cost for international pre-orders of paying
postage in advance separately on each book. So you provide a much better
value service.
Please could you phone [(810) 232-1489 -- 10am-10pm E.S.T. (Mon.-Sat.)]
or email [subpress@earthlink.net or Publisher@Subterraneanpress.com]
William K. Schafer and see if you can sort out the problems.
By the way does this mean that you will not be able to supply:
Waldrop THE SEARCH FOR TOM PERDUE (Subterranean) -- now called HEART OF
WHITENESSE
Simmons ILIUM (Subterranean)
de Lint A HANDFUL OF COPPERS (Subterranean)
Lansdale MAD DOG SUMMER (Subterranean, deluxe )
Lansdale DUCK-FOOTED (Subterranean)

I'll e-mail William K. Schafer myself but I'm not sure if it will
help any.”

---My reply:
“I appreciate your response regarding Subterranean. I hope I do hear from them again some time. Maybe it is a case of their being pre-occupied. I could understand that quite easily. Until then, however, I would say that it does not look like I will be getting their books any more. Indeed, their latest emailing gives a 30% discount to direct customers--something I can't compete with; not when I don't get a better discount than that myself. (Cemetery Dance just came through with a 50% discount offer for direct customers--far better than what I was getting when I carried their books.) Of course, I still carry their extant books--the ones I still have in stock.”

---Music played:
- IT’S A WEIRD WORLD AFTER ALL (EMusic compilation)
- Mamani Keita & Marc Minelli ELECTRO BARNAKO (Xgau: A Minus) - speaking of cultural synthesis

06/30/03 MON:
---This arrived today:
Gilchrist, R. Murray THE BASILISK and Other Tales of Dread, Ash-Tree '03, 1st, (weird tales from turn-of-the-century writer; Pelan & Roden [eds]), new in dj 45.00

---Music played:
- Wire SEND (Xgau: A Minus)
- Led Zeppelin HOW THE WEST WAS WON (3-disc)
- Northern State HIP HOP YOU HAVEN’T HEARD (Xgau: A)
- J.S. Bach MAGNIFICAT, CANTATA BMV 10

6/29/03 SUN:
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06/28/03 SAT:
---Received the originals for me to run off on my copier:
Stephensen-Payne, Phil & Gordon Benson Jr. (compilers) A. BERTRAM CHANDLER: Master Navigator of Space, Galactic Central Bibliography for the Avid Reader Vol. 3, 3rd revised edn(5/03), (a working bibliography), new 4.50

---A couple from Sarob Press:
Davies, Alison L.R. SMALL DEATHS, Sarob, 5/03, 1st, one of 200 copies, (short horror stories; Graham Joyce intro; 81 pages), new in dj 35.00

Robins, G.M. (Mrs. Baillie Reynolds) THE RELATIONS AND WHAT THEY RELATED & Other Weird Tales, Sarob, 5/03, (reprint of 1902 edn), new in dj 42.50

---This email from Sarob came in a while ago (perhaps of interest with regard to the above):
“Hi Chris

I need to advise you of some important changes to our previously announced schedule. We are to be making our contemporary titles available in quality paperback editions as well as limited and/or deluxe hardcover. We are also moving to full colour covers before the end of this year. We've been able to negotiate improved cheque conversion fees and have actually been able to reduce some $US prices. Here is our revised, and now fully complete, 2003 schedule :

May 2003 SMALL DEATHS a collection by Alison L R Davies LIMITED 200 sewn H/B copies @ £21 / $35. Cover & Frontispiece Art by Lara Bandilla. Author Photograph by Vince Brotheridge. Introduction by Graham Joyce.

May 2003 THE RELATIONS AND WHAT THEY RELATED & Other Weird Tales by G.M. Robins (Mrs Baillie Reynolds) (Richard Dalby's 'Mistresses of the Macabre' series Vol 6) Introduced by Richard Dalby. LIMITED to 200 sewn H/B copies @ £25 / $42.50

The two May books will hopefully ship together.

June 2003 THE HOUSE OF THE WOLF a novel by Basil Copper LIMITED 150 sewn H/B copies @ £25 / $42.50. 52 SIGNED*/LETTERED DELUXE H/B copies @ £48 / $80 (bound in buckram with marbled endpapers, blocking to front boards & silk bookmark. No slipcase) *signed by author and both artists. 250 P/B copies @ £10.95 / $18.95. Wrap-Cover Art by Randy Broecker & Interior illustrations (x 5) by Stephen Jones. Introduced by the author, with an afterword by Stephen Jones. Previously published in the USA by Arkham House. First UK and P/B publication.

July 2003 THE SEMINAR an original novella by LH Maynard & MPN Sims LIMITED 150 sewn H/B copies @ £22 / $37.50. 35 SIGNED/NUMBERED DELUXE H/B copies @ £45 / $75 (bound in buckram with marbled endpapers, blocking to front boards & silk bookmark. No slipcase). 250 P/B copies @ £9.95 / $16.95. Cover & Interior Art by Richard Lamb.

Sept 2002 THE SUBSTANCE OF A SHADE a BUMPER ALL NEW collection of seventeen supernatural horror stories by John Glasby Introduced by Richard Dalby. Colour Cover Art by Paul Lowe. Limited 150 sewn H/B copies. 26 SIGNED /LETTERED DELUXE H/B copies. 300 P/B copies. FULL DETAILS SHORTLY.

October (Halloween) 2003 MIRROR OF THE NIGHT a collection of ten of the very best of E C Tubb's horror & supernatural stories Introduced by Philip Harbottle. Colour Cover Art by Richard Gray. Limited 150 sewn H/B copies. 26 SIGNED/LETTERED DELUXE H/B copies. 250 P/B copies. FULL DETAILS SHORTLY.

Thank you.

Robert.”

---Received a slick Donald M. Grant brochure. The lead book in the flyer is BRADBURY: An Illustrated Life, A Journey to Far Metaphor by Jerry West (signed lettered $1,000; signed numbered $310; trade edn $34.95).
---Another book I notice that I haven’t carried: A GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS by Henry Hardy Heins for $106.
---Then there is the business about another Stephen King lottery to see who gets to fork over for THE DARK TOWER V: WOLVES OF THE CALLA. Don’t know if I can help anyone out in getting that one; but other Donald M. Grant books, I am overdue in sending them an order. Discount to members of discount plan would be 20%.

---Music played:
- The Capricorns IN THE ZONE (Xgau: A Minus)
- Delta Dart FIGHT OF FLIGHT (Xgau: HM**)

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/27/03 FRI):
---I see that I listed Tartarus’s MASQUES AND CITADELS by Mark Valentine as MASQUES AND CANDLES in cataloguing. Pretty careless of me.

---Email sent:
“I looked for the 3-vol. Buchan set from Thistle you mentioned. Is that Thistle & Shamrock? I see a number of volumes they carry or publish, but couldn't figure out which were the 3 volume set.”

---Received a big bunch of catalogs from The Perseus Books Group, distributed by HarperCollins: Basic Books, Basic Civitas Books, Counterpoint, Da Capo, PublicAffairs, Running Press, Westview Press. Not much science fiction or genre material, but plenty of books absolutely worth reading.

---Music played:
- Erykah Badu MAMA’S GUN (Xgau: A)
- Bob Marley & The Wailers KAYO (Xgau: A Minus)
- Babyface A COLLECTION OF HIS GREATEST HITS (Xgau: A Minus)
- Jackie Wilson REET PETITE AND OTHER CLASSICS
- LYRICIST LOUNGE 2 (Xgau: A Minus)

Here is my 6/26/03 email update with links substituded for pastes of book descriptions from publishers’ websites. I am running way behind in putting out my listings, so lots of these books heve been here for months. Indeed, I am overdue to send another order to Trafalgar Square (see below), but that is the case with a whole host of publishers now.

---A batch of books from UK-book distributor Trafalgar Square, which represents an impressive array of imprints, including HarperCollins UK, Random House UK, Time Warner UK, Transworld (Bantam Doubleday Corgi etc.) UK, Orion, Macmillan UK (Pan etc.), etc. etc. I assume these only include titles where there is no USA edition available, but this looks like it is going to be a nice place to look for books I have hitherto been unable to obtain. Discount on these is 30% for members of the discount plan. For starters:
Grubb, Davis THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, Prion/Film Ink, 3rd('01), (movie tie), new 13.00

Holt, Tom THE FIRST TOM HOLT OMNIBUS: Flying Dutch and Faust Among Equals, Orbit, 2nd('02), (two hilarious comic fantasies in one volume; 570 pp), new 13.95
---THE SECOND TOM HOLT OMNIBUS: My Hero and Who's Afraid of Beowulf?, Orbit '02, (two hilarious comic fantasies in one volume, again; 566 pp), new 13.95

Noon, Jeff AUTOMATED ALICE, Black Swan, 2nd, (wild psychedelic vision), new $13
---NYMPHOMATION, Black Swan '00, (exquisitely grimy fable), new 13.00
---PIXEL JUICE, Black Swan,2nd, (50 stories; wholly new kind of storytelling), new $13
---I can’t find Black Swan on the internet to add links to that publisher.

---The rest are mass-market pbs and will be listed in next new-arrival batch. There were a great many Terry Pratchett titles available, as well as multiple titles by Robert Rankin, Stephen Lawhead, Chris Bunch (Sten series), and Julia Gray, if those authors are of interest to anyone out there. I stopped short of getting the books from these authors. Pratchett sells well for me, but I was not up to figuring out which titles would be best to get.

---A couple stragglers from PGW (North Atlantic, , Underwood, Carroll & Graf, etc.):
Fenner, Cathy & Arnie Fenner (eds) SPECTRUM 9: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, Underwood '02, (art), {hc in dj available @ $35}, new 27.00
---Always an extremely impressive and well-wrought compilation.

Shepard, Lucius VALENTINE, 4 Walls 8 Windows '02, (a piece of miniaturist eroticism; 181 pages), new 11.95

---Back in stock:
Maupassant, Guy de THE DARK SIDE: Tales of Terror and the Supernatural, Carroll & Graf, 2nd('97), (new translations; Ramsey Campbell foreword), new 10.95
---Couldn’t find a link to this title on publisher’s website

Sturgeon, Theodore BRIGHT SEGMENT Volume VIII: The Complete Stories of…, North Atlantic '02, 1st, (written in the years 1953-55; Foreword by William Tenn), new in dj 35.00

Willeford, Charles THE WOMAN CHASER, Four Walls Eight Windows/No Exit, 10/01, new 12.95

---I am still getting the Cemetery Dance magazine but still not their new-release books any more (due to unfriendly bookseller terms, etc., etc.). The latest issues:
CEMETERY DANCE #41, (Phil Rickman, Steve Vance, Brian A. Hopkins, Christopher Nolan) • ---#42, (Nancy A. Collins, Charles L. Grant, Piccirilli, Tessier) • ---#43, '03, (Campbell, Cave, Gorman, Joyce, Raisor, new each, 5.00

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/26/03 THU):
---Rec’d postcard from Ken Whitman & Associates. “Representing the best in fantasy art”. I hope their best customer wasn’t Saddam (re his collection of Rowena originals).
---Also a postcard from Viz graphic art publisher (distributed by PGW, a regular supplier) promoting their CASTLE IN THE SKY series from the creator of the Academy-Award winning SPIRITED AWAY, which I liked as a DVD except for the strident voice of the heroine the Disney crew dubbed in.
---Moving on from the postcards received...

---Read an interesting op-ed piece in Wednesday’s NY TIMES by William Gibson about George Orwell on the day he would have been 100 years old, saying that Big Brother may be watching but we are watching Big Brother, due to the “transparency” of information in today’s infostructure. The omnipresent cameras in London and the Total Information Awareness initiative are not the fulfillment of Orwellian prophecy, posits Gibson. Big Brother was a 1948 invention and we “…live today with stranger problems.” Gibson says, “…Orwellian scrutiny is no longer a strictly hierarchical, top-down activity, but to some extent a democratized one.” We are watching the watchers. Nice thought.

---Here now:
Lovecraft, H.P. LETTERS TO ALFRED GALPIN, Hippocampus ('03), 1st edn, (287 pp), new 15.00

---Music played:
- Neil Young HARVEST (Xgau: B Plus) - 31 years old now; how many times have I heard it, but it will never be too many; should A/B it with the vinyl LP I know I have here somewhere.
- Earth, Wind & Fire OPEN OUR EYES (Xgau: A Minus)

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/25/03 WED):
---Thunderstormy day.

---Music played:
- Burnt Sugar THAT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU KNOW (3 disc; Xgau: A Minus, HM***, HM)
- TAFELMUSIK: A Baroque Feast

06/24/03 TUE:
---A pile of used paperbacks on my desk to catalog brings the total toward next insert sheet page list to one shy of the 70 when I print out. About time I refreshed that thing.

---Sent email update concerning Subterranean:
“Here are the last Subterranean books that have come in since the publisher seems to have had a falling off in their desire to send me shipments. Maybe overwork or other factors, but my inability to get a response about a couple titles I pre-ordered and never got (and were sold out) or received months late, or titles received that I did not order, has caused me to tell them to cancel my account. Even that did not get a response, so I am assuming they prefer to sell direct to individuals rather than through bookstores--or at least through me. I guess they are doing well enough to not need me. All the Subterranean books I still have is 20% discount to members of the discount plan. I will try to work up a list of their OP titles that I still have and will offer at the same discount from original retail price. Forthcoming titles I guess I will not be carrying. Kind of unfortunate, because many of them sound pretty good. If they ever get back to me with something I can work with, then maybe I will get their books again. Until then I recommend their direct-sales program with discounts to customers on their emailing list.

---Some new ones from Subterranean (which should maybe change its name to Steamertrunkian--just kidding):
Blaylock, James P.THE MAN IN THE MOON, Subterranean '02, 1st edn, one of 1026 SIGNED copies, (original version of The Elfin Ship with autobiographical afterwod and the first Langdon St. Ives steampunk story; Tim Powers intro), new in dj 40.00

Bloch, Robert THE LOST BLOCH Vol. Three: CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS, Subterranean '02, 1st edn, one of 776 copies SIGNED by editor Davud J. Schow and it looks like by cover-artist Bernie Wrightson, or I should say someone named Bruce, but I can’t find anyone with that given name among the participants, (the novella here is Dr. Holmes’ Murder Castle with five otherwise unreprinted short stories; appreciations by Douglas E. Winter and widow Eleanor Bloch), new in dj $40
---The printrun on this is 500 fewer than the previous volume, though, so it could be that Vol. 2 is still well to be had. Can’t say that about Vol. 1, however.

Brite, Poppy Z. THE VALUE OF X, Subterranean '03, 1st edn, SIGNED, (mature work), new / dj $35

Ketchum, Jack PEACEABLE KINGDOM, Subterranean '02, 1st edn, one of 626 SIGNED copies, (stories; author talks about his readers in his intro; 382 pages), new in dj 40.00

Kiernan, Caitlin R. TRILOBITE: The Writing of Threshold, Subterranean '03, one of 552 SIGNED copies, 94-page chapbook, new with added CD inspired by works of Kiernan 14.00

Partridge, Norman THE HOUSE INSIDE, Subterranean '03, 1st edn, SIGNED, booklet, new 12.00

---Back in stock:
Lansdale, Joe ZEPPELIN'S WEST, Subterranean, 6/01, 1st edn, one of 1500 SIGNED copies, (a Lansdalean holiday into weirdness and camp), new in dj 40.00
“

---Received this email of interest:
“Hi Chris,

you might still remember me, though it's been a couple of years since I've actually had the money to buy anything from you! But as it goes, the money's been going to a good place -- I now have a small press operation with my wife Kathleen here in the midwest, and am coming out with my first title.

It's a solid (fantastic!) title that's an easy sell -- it'll sell itself. A collection of short fiction by Charles Willeford, THE SECOND HALF OF THE DOUBLE FEATURE, with essentially all out-of-print material (no overlapping with MACHINE IN WARD 11, which is easily available), including seven previously unpublished stories.

The book will be available "officially" on 8/15/03, but in order to make some buzz beforehand I'm offering copies to selected independent bookstores in a couple of weeks' time. It's a 5.5x8.5 size trade paperback, 240 pages, retailing at $17.95.

http://www.sendwit.com/willeford-full.jpg

I will also bring out a hardcover edition in the near future, which includes all of the trade ed and in addition Willeford's complete published poetry, and some 40-50 unpublished poems. Retailing around $35-$38, most likely (I haven't finished the layout so I don't have the page count, which will determine the cost).

The book will be reviewed by Ed Gorman in Mystery Scene, Woody Haut in Crime Time (who will also have advertising for it), and in addition Publisher's Weekly and some major newspapers have tentatively promised reviews... so I'm expecting good media coverage.

And as this is done with help from Sean Wallace of Prime/Cosmos/etc, it's essentially the same deal as all of his ventures. If you're interested, let me know. I'll be happy to provide any additional information you would like. Thanks in advance!

best, -Juha.

--
JT Lindroos
wit's end publishing
www.sendwit.com
Forthcoming: The Second Half of the Double Feature by Charles Willeford
jt@igc.org

---Music played:
- Jurassic 5 POWER IN NUMBERS (Xgau: HM*)
- Amy Rigby TIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF (Xgau: A Minus)

06/23/03 MON:
---Kind of humid today, but no thunderstorms yet. Actually things have been on the dry side around here. [Later: no longer the case, for thunderstorms and rainfall, which both have been most plentiful.]

---Sent in a re-order for Night Shade books, notably most of the Wellman volumes, which I am out of. [Later: they have arrived as well as the first volume in their Hodgson series]

---Email update sent:
“Tracking down the publisher Stark House for a customer, I stumbled on the distributor for a couple more hard-to-find (for me) imprints: Aphelion from Australia and Swan Press (which I assumed took a dive long since). But now, a nice little pile of books:
---From Stark House:
Blackwood, Algernon INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES, Stark House, 2nd, (classic fantasy from a master storyteller; intro by Tim Lebbon), new 16.95
---PAN'S GARDEN: A Volume of Nature Stories, Stark House, 4/03, (orig: 1912; Mike Ashley intro), new 17.95

Constantine, Storm CALENTURE, Stark House, 2nd, (© 1994; adds 2001 intro; a fever dream of a book), new 17.95
---THE ORACLE LIPS: A Collection, Stark House ('99), 1st, one of 1000 SIGNED copies, (vivid, exotic imagery; Moorcock intro), new in dj 45.00
---SIGN FOR THE SACRED, Stark House, 1/02, 1st US, (new intro, also the original first draft of the beginning of the novel, when it was called Prophet Dancer; and the opening pages of an aborted sequel titled Death by Sweetness; 557 pages), new 19.95
---THE THORN BOY & Other Dreams of Dark Desire, Stark House, 12/02, new 19.95

---I can’t find a website for Stark House, but you could try Storm Constantine’s for more information.

---From Aphelion:
Broderick, Damien THE SEA'S FURTHEST END, Aphelion '93, 1st, (SF novel), new 10.00

McMullen, Sean CALL TO THE EDGE, Aphelion '92, (nine stories of the near-possible by award winning author), new 10.00
---MIRROR SUN RISING, Aphelion '95, (Souls of the Great Machine pt 1; 306 pp), new 10.00
---VOICES IN THE LIGHT, Aphelion '94, (Souls of the Great Machine pt 2; 332 pp), new 10.00
---at least that is what the above two volumes appear to be. The second one says “Coming Soon: The Miocene Arrow, Book Three of Greatwinter”)

Turner, George A PURSUIT OF MIRACLES, Aphelion '90, (stories), new 10.00

Williams, Sean & Shane Dix THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER, Aphelion Ascendency '95, (The Cogal #1; Prophecy: The Promised Lands; military SF), new 10.00

---And this one I already had in stock:
Hails, Ian McAuley BACK DOOR MAN, Aphelion '92, (near-future Australia), new $10

---These are all described at eidolon.net/aphelion/books.htm.

---From Swan (and it is great to have a way to get these books again; I just wish there had been more of them):
Effinger, George Alec MAUREEN BIRNBAUM, BARBARIAN SWORDSPERSON: The Complete Stories, Swan, 6/93, 1st edn, (“Preppy SF”; parody; humor; Resnick intro), new 10.00

Barrett, Neal, Jr. SLIGHTLY OFF CENTER: Eleven Extraordinarily Exhilirating Tales, Swan, 10/92, 1st edn, (five never-before-published; Lansdale intro), new 9.50

---A few from Gryphon (as opposed to Golden Gryphon):
Fearn, John Russell THE GENIAL DINOSAUR, Gryphon, 1/03, 1st US, (Dinosaur #2), new 15.00
---A THING OF THE PAST, Gryphon, 1/03, 1st US, (Dinosaur #1), new 15.00

Kurland, Michael IMAGES CONCEITS & LOLLYGAGS: A Motley of Stories, Gryphon, 3/03, 1st edn, (stories; introduction by Richard A. Lupoff), new 20.00
---Described at www.gryphonbooks.com:

---A $40 hc is also available, but I don't have it in stock.

Lovisi, Gary SOUVENIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES: Collected Articles on the Canon and the Pastiches, Gryphon, 12/02, 1st edn, (articles that run the gamut of Holmes collectables in book form), new 15.00
---(ed) PULP CRIME CLASSICS, Gryphon, 1/03, 1st edn, (presenting a baker’s dozen of classic hard-boiled pulp stories from the rare and collectable crime digest magazines of the 1950s and 1960s by Morris Hershman, Michael Avallone, Arnold Marmor, Jules Archer, Hal Masur, Tedd Thorney, Dan Sontup, Bruce Cassidy), new 20.00

PAPERBACK PARADE #58, 11/02, (Andrew Vachss & Hal Ellson; Artist Robert Bonfils; Chester Himes & Gil Brewer; News; Letters; Ads; More!) • ---#59, 4/03, (Ann Bannon, Jim Thompson, Mexican vintage pbs, Peff; News; Letters; Ads; More!), new each, 8.00

---Back in stock:
Dent, Lester THE SINISTER RAY, Gryphon, 10/87, 1st, (Lynn Lash, Scientific Detective pulp adventure stories by Creator of Doc Savage), new 9.95

Fearn, John Russell THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE, Gryphon, 8/01, (Golden Amazon #13), new 15.00

Lovisi, Gary THE SEXY DIGESTS: A Survey, Checklist and Value Guide to the Sexy Exploitation Pin-Up Digest Paperbacks of the 1950s, Gryphon, 9/01, 1st edn, new 25.00

Lupoff, Richard A. BARSOOM: Edgar Rice Burroughs & the Martian Vision, Gryphon, 9/01, (reprint of 1976 Mirage Press edn; new intro by author), new 16.00

Tubb, E.C. EARTH SET FREE, Gryphon, 4/99, 1st US edn, (=SPACE HUNGER), new 15.00

Vaughan, Ralph E. PROFESSOR CHALLENGER IN SECRETS OF THE DREAM-LANDS, Gryphon, 5/97, 1st edn, (a science fantasy adventure), new 9.95
---SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE TERROR OUT OF TIME, Gryphon, 1/02, 1st edn, (mix of Doyle and H.P. Lovecraft), new 15.00

Williamson, Jack THE BLUE SPOT & ENTROPY REVERSED, Gryphon, 5/00, 1st edn, (first book edition of two lost classics from 1937 Astounding), new 20.00

---Also just sent another order to Wildside. Last two were filled quite expeditiously. Third time would be a charm. Mainly special orders for customers and a couple replacements for sold out items. But the special orders I ordered extras for the catalog, maybe a dozen more titles.

---Email sent:
“Great to hear from you. I am afraid I don't have those Subterranean books. I have had difficulties with them so I decided not to carry their subsequent publications. Here is what I am sending about it:
“I am not carrying future Subterranean releases, due to their failure to ship a couple of my recent orders and letting books slip out of print without my getting any, despite my having ordered them. They have not responded to several of my emails.”
I still haven't had a catalog since December (#144). E-commerce is keeping me more than busy as it is, it seems, especially with my getting old and slow. Fooling around with my weblog doesn't help, but it is fun and certainly cheaper. But I do regret the loss of contact with non-computer-users.
Here is what I have by Crowley. In hc:
Crowley, John ANTIQUITIES: Seven Stories, Incunabula '93, 1st edn, vg-f in dj $100
---DÆMONOMANIA, Bantam, 8/00, 1st, new in dj 24.95
---NOVELTY: Four Stories, Foundation/Doubleday, 5/89, 1st edn, f in dj 45.00
and I notice that I do have THE TRANSLATOR but never got it catalogued (no wonder it sits on the shelf).
Misc. Softcover:
Crowley, John LITTLE, BIG, Perennial, 2nd('02), (very great fantasy novel), new 15.95
---OTHERWISE: Three Novels by…, Perennial '02, 1st thus, (548 pages), new 15.95
(---) Andre-Driussi, Michael & Alice K. Turner (eds) SNAKE'S HANDS: A Chapbook About the Fiction of John Crowley, Sirius Fiction '01, corrected 2nd printing, (Harold Bloom preface; Ansley, Clute, Disch; interview), new 5.00
(have the Wildside reprint of this last on order now).
Did you get all those C.J. Cherryhs read?”

---Here is that listing I apparently neglected when it came in some months ago (no wonder it hasn’t sold):
Crowley, John THE TRANSLATOR, Morrow '02, 1st edn, new in dj 24.95

---Music played:
- Beethoven “EMPEROR” CONCERTO (Claudio Arrau, Bernard Haitink) - old vinyl LP
- Neil Young ROAD ROCK, Vol. 1 (Xgau: B Plus)
- Benny Goodman KEN BURNS JAZZ
- Stephen Malkmus S/T (Xgau: A Minus)
- KRS-One A RETROSPECTIVE (Xgau: A Minus)
- Aceyalone ACCEPTED ECLECTIC (Xgau: JACKDAW)
- Ani Di Franco RECKONING/REVELLING (2 CD) (Xgau: B Minus)

06/22/03 SUN:
---I had been hoping to get a new printed catalog ready to go out to the printer this weekend but things still haven’t coalesced enough for that to happen. I seem to be sliding down a slippery slope where the more I let time pass the more I get used to letting time pass without deciding to get it done.

---Music played:
- Charley Pride RCA COUNTRY LEGENDS (Xgau: A Minus)
- Frank Strozier COOL, CALM AND COLLECTED
- THE BEST OF GAP BAND: 20th Century Masters, The Millennium Collection (Xgau: A Minus)
- THE BEST OF ABC: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection (Xgau: A Minus)

06/21/03 SAT:
---Went to DM farmer’s market this morning, picking up produce for the week--a pretty good deal when considering that Amy is in charge of seeing to it that we eat what we buy. I should be more helpful in that regard but ever since we became vegetarian and thus disposed of many of my standby recipes, my contribution on the cooking end has languished. Since I still do all the dishwashing, which is worse when all are home, I pull my weight. In winter I still have a few things I can cook, when it behooves someone to get something started in the morning or afternoon (soups, chilis, or stews). But in the summer when cold and light-weight fare works best, Amy takes over. She even brought in a large haul of green beans from the garden today.
---On the way to the farmer’s market we had to stop by the Animal Rescue League to drop off the couple more kittens we mangaged to get in our trap. Now we have taken all four kittens and their aunt (actually, older sister). And we have taken three raccoons across the lake to Jester State Park. There are two more stray cats living under our deck that we would like to get rid of. These cats are not particularly friendly but they do beg for food. They bother the birds and they threaten to proliferate even further. The female brings a bevy of tomcats around, getting in fights, causing our housebound neutered male to get all worked up and cause trouble. The trap seems to be working well. Best thing we ever bought! I am finding out that I have trapper blood in my veins.

---Music played:
- The Beatles #1
- Avison CONCERTI FROM OPUS 9
- THE DISC OF MUSIC & NATURE (companion to THE BOOK OF MUSIC AND NATURE)
- Telemann SONATTAS
- Mott the Hoople MOTT (Xgua: A Minus)
- The Waco Brothers ELECTRIC WACO CHAIR (Xgau: A Minus)

6/20/03 FRI:
---Text to follow?

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/19/03 THU):
---From a publisher new to me (in Ft. Lauderdale):
Emerson, Ray THE RIDDLE OF CTHULHU, Llumina ('03), (©1997 as The Charybdis Memorandum; the Old Ones are bent on destroying Mankind), new 18.95

---Still have orders to get out. I was hoping to run off another catalog and do layouts this weekend to take the printer next week, but it is still looking like I could be spending my time filling orders. [Later note: catalog didn’t happen yet.]

---Music played:
- Abbey Lincoln THE WORLD IS FALLING DOWN
- Kaito U.K. BAND RED (Xgau: A Minus)

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/18/03 WED):
---Never got the downstairs computer turned on. Thunderstorm just when I was going to get started.

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/17/03 TUES):
---Am starting to run to the north more on the bike trail these days to get more shade. Temps in the eighties probably with decent humidity. Really not unpleasant but the cumulative effect of the house not cooling down as much overnight may have us in place for a torrid summer. The benchmark forty minutes for the five-mile to the north, that I used to routinely breach, is still three or four minutes away. But I think if I had gotten an earlier start today, when it was cooler and the sun at a lower angle, I may have shaved a minute or two off my time. I really did feel like I was slowing down the second half of the run. The heat getting to me, as it can do quite easily given my sweating propensity. Then again, if I had started earlier I might have ran to the south, where the hills are just a bit less steep. After that I had to spend some time trying to clip the hedge. Although officially a “dwarf lilac” hedge, it has grown mighty tall. I whacked away at what I could reach, but I could hardly detect much difference. Amy, spending all morning on the sides, is a different story. It has to happen all at once for me, because after a few minutes I am done.

---Music played:
- Roger Lasley DINNER ON THE GROUND (not a guitar afficianado, but I continue to be delighted by the felicity of these arrangements; by the way, I have these for sale @ $15)
- The Descendents SOMERY (Xgau: A Minus) - with 28 tracks I am glad I am not getting this from Steve Jobs - as if any SST CDs are in his empirical. (“I wanted her cherry, I got sour grapes.”)
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs FEVER TO TELL (Xgau: B Plus)
- Michael J. Schumacher ROOM PIECE
- Philip Glass THE MUSIC OF CANDYMAN

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/16/03 MON):
---Received solicitation from Gothic Press for ROBERT AICKMAN: An Introduction by Gary William Crawford. Here is a paste of the text of the description from their catalog:
“ROBERT AICKMAN: AN INTRODUCTION, Gary William Crawford. Robert Aickman was one of the most important writers of ghost stories in the last century.  His personal, deeply felt ghost stories were consummately poetic.  Very much feeling a sense of twentieth century Angst, he wrote subtle, disorienting spiritual journeys.  This book is an overview of his life and works. 80 pages. $20.00”

---Books from Tartarus have arrived. New ones:
Onions, Oliver GHOST STORIES, Tartarus, 2nd('03), (Rosalie Parker intro; 459 pages), new in dj 55.00
Valentine, Mark MASQUES AND CANDLES: More Tales of The Connoisseur, Tartarus '03, 1st, SIGNED, (the sleuth of the singular), new in dj 45.00

---And these back in stock:
Barker, Nugent WRITTEN WITH MY LEFT HAND, Tartarus '02, new in dj 45.00

Hughes, Rhys STORIES FROM A LOST ANTHOLOGY, Tartarus '02, 1st, new in dj 45.00

Lorrain, Jean NIGHTMARES OF AN ETHER-DRINKER, Tartarus '02, new in dj 45.00

Sarban THE SACRIFICE and Other Stories, Tartarus '02, one of 350 copies, (four novella-length stories, two of which appear here for the first time), new in dj 45.00

---Music played:
- CYBEROCTAVE sampler (freebie CD) - wouldn’t play on my CD player (maybe it is a DVD, I will have to try upstairs--turns out it was cracked)
- Fred Eaglesmith RALPH’S LAST SHOW (2 CD) (Xgau: A Minus)

06/15/03 SUNDAY:
---Father’s day.
---Had to sleep on and off most of the day, ineffectual when awake, thanks to raccoon trap being full again at 3AM.

06/14/03 SAT:
---We trapped a raccoon last night. Took it across Saylorville Lake on the Mile-Long Brigdge to Jester State Park and released it. Looked like a nice place to live for a wild animal, except this one was accustomed to eating birdfood from Amy’s birdfeeders. When I thought to check the trap which I had set earlier in the day to try to pick off another of the stray cats which have been proliferating here, I forgot about it until after the NBA game which I largely slept through anyway. Sure enough, there was a raccoon, with another one hanging around, perhaps in concern for its comrade, perhaps wanting the food under the cage. The raccoon was surprisingly docile when we picked up the cage and transported it. All in all, maybe three futile snarls and lunges. Nothing protracted. The stray cat we caught took her capturing a lot harder. Since we bought the trap we have taken two kittens and one full-grown stray cat to the Animal Rescue League. And now the one raccoon. We still have something like five cats and at least one more raccoon we would like to be rid of. But the cats have become savvy about the trap, and I would think the raccoon might have gotten the picture too.

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/13/03 FRI):
---Filling orders is about all I can report for today, I guess. (This was blank before.) Friday the 13th and I didn’t evek know it.

---Music played:
- Johnny Cash AMERICAN IV: THE MAN COMES AROUND (Xgau: A Minus)
- THE DISCO YEARS, VOL. 4: LOST IN MUSIC (Xgau: A Minus)
- The Bottle Rockets SONGS OF SAHM (Xgau: A Minus)
- PAROXYSM sampler (MP3s downloaded from www. paroxysmrecords.com and recommended)
- Dismemberment Plan THE DISMEMBERMENT PLAN IS TERRIFIED (Xgau: A Minus)
- Todd Snider TODD SNIDER LIVE: NEAR TRUTHS AND HOTEL ROOMS (Xgau: A Minus)

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/12/03 THURS):
---Here from Earthling Publications:
Thomas, Jeffrey GODHEAD DYING DOWNWARDS, Earthling, 5/03, 1st edn, one of 315 SIGNED copies, (novella of the supernatural; Keene intro), 40-page booklet, new $10

---Received a catalog from Marietta Publishing (Bruce Gehweiler) of Marietta GA. Lists several books I already have (and which have generally been selling nicely): NEW MYTHOS LEGENDS, LIN CARTER’S ANTON ZARNAK, FRONTIERS OF TERROR, THINGS THINGS THAT ARE NOT THERE, WARFEAR plus a number of chapbooks. And a few that I will have to add to my next order: THE OCCULT DETECTIVES OF C.J. HENDERSON, FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS by Cherrie Priest, LAST RESORT by Wendy Webb.

---Music played:
- PIET KEE AT WEINGARTEN (organ)
- Michael J. Schumacher ‘FIDICIN DRONES’
- CULTURES ELECTONIQUES / 7 (2-disc)

06/11/03 WED:
---Text to follow?

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/10/03 TUES):
---Here today:
Waldrop, Howard A BETTER WORLD'S IN BIRTH!, Golden Gryphon Chapbook 2, '03, 1st edn, one of 500 SIGNED copies, (author's lifework minus two; 56 pages), new 15.95

---Music played:
- Evanescence FALLEN
- THE ENGLISH CONNECTION

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/09/03 MON):
---This arrived today and looks pretty good:
Kurland, Michael IMAGES CONCEITS & LOLLYGAGS: A Motley of Stories, Gryphon, 3/03, 1st edn, (stories; introduction by Richard A. Lupoff), new 20.00

---Music played:
- HAIKU D’ETAT (Xgau: A Minus)
- John Lurie AFRICAN SWIN AND MANNY & LO
- Khevrisa EUROPEAN KLEZMER MUSIC (Xgau: A Minus)
- THE ROUGH GUIDE TO BHANGRA (Xgau: A Minus)

06/08/03 SUNDAY:
---Text to follow?

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/07/03 SAT):
---Some things from Necro Publications:
Houarner, Gerard & Gak DEAD CAT BIGGER THAN JESUS, Bedlam Chapbook #1, '03, 1st edn, (Stoker nominated bandaged cat with attitued is back), new 9.95

Lee, Edward & John Pelan TRANSCENDENCE, Necromics #1, '03, (art by Dejan Ognjanovic), (explicit horror comic book; story, gallery), new 6.00

Thomas, Jeffrey LETTERS FROM HADES, Bedlam '03, one of 476 SIGNED copies, (travelogue of Hell set in a beutifully dark and textured world), new 14.95

---Music played:
- Cultures-Electroniques / 9 (2-disc)
- Cultures-Electroniques / 8 (2-disc) - these four discs work well in my 5-disc changer, which is still serving duty while I wait on the repair technician for word about my regular CD player.

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/06/03 FRI):
---Shelving books, I note that the copy of EARL AUBEC I received from White Wolf has a 2-inch closed tear in the front panel of the dustjacket, so I have changed its cataloguing:
Moorcock, Michael EARL AUBEC and Other Stories, White Wolf, 11/99, 1st hc edn, (Eternal Cham-pion #14; 590 pages), as new in dj with 2" closed tear in front panel 15.00
---That is down from its already bargain price of $24.99.

---Music played:
- Krebs CLAVIER-UBUNG
- Cultures-Electroniques / 9
- THE COMPLETE STAX/VOLT SOUL SINGLES Vol. 3: 1972-1975 (Disc 5)
- Philip Glass EARLY KEYBOARD MUSIC

06/05/03 THURS:
---Ran ten-and-a-half miles today. Must have taken it out of me, because I was about worthless (or more worthless than usual) all day. The usual thing: had stray cats to round up, the old minivan to engineer a towing away of (finally), etc. The paint-peeling 1987 Caravan is now back at the dealership where we bought it, awaiting word on whether it is belly-up or can be resuscitated.

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/04/03 WED):
---A couple here from Small Beer Press:
LADY CHURCHILL'S ROSEBUD WRISTLET (An Occasional Ouburst) #12, 6/03, Small Beer, (Jan Lars Jensen, David Erik Nelson, Ursula Pflug, etc.), new $4
---previous issues also available:
LADY CHURCHILL’S ROSEBUD WRISTLET (An Occasional Ouburst) #4, Small Beer, (Westgard, Link, Ian McDowell, Nalo Hopkinson) • ---#5, (Butner, Emswiler, Muirhead, Lucy Snyder) • ---#6, 5/00, (Sallis, Karen Joy Fowler, Link) • ---#7, 10/00, (Jeffrey Ford, Klages, Sallis), new each, 3.00
---#9, 10/01, (Fifth Anniversary Issue) • ---#10, 6/02, (Jeffrey Ford; 48 pages) • ---#11, 11/02, (Gloss, Goss, Klingbiel, Klang; another 52 pages), new each, 4.00

Rich, Mark FOREIGNERS, and Other Familiar Faces, Small Beer (6/03), 1st edn, (jaunty, off-beat stories), 68-page booklet, new 5.00

---This response to someone wanting magazines from DNA (FANTASTIC, WEIRD TALES, ABORIGINAL SF, ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE):
“At this point it may be your best bet to go ahead and seek elsewhere for DNA magazines. I have not been able to get a response much as I tried. Perhaps I will eventually get them. Stranger things have happened, but for now it seems to be a no go. I will let you know if I can get back on track with them.”

---A stray from Greenwood here now:
Umland, Samuel J. (ed) PHILIP K. DICK: Contemporary Critical Interpretations, Greenwood '95, (primary & secondary bibliography), new no dj as issued $73
---Ridiculously priced but I suppose their books are intended for libraries with their inflexible demand and willingness to pay whatever it costs. Like a $73 hammer for the Pentagon. But I did just receive a sale flyer from Greenwood offering an extra 10% discount, so until June 30 I will reciprocate by offering a 30% instead of the usual 20% to members of the discount plan. Back around May 18 I posted here a long list of their “Contributions to the Study of Science Fiction and Fantasy”. If anyone is thinking they might want any of these, now is the time to act!

---Music played:
- Art Pepper THE WAY IT WAS!
- Aaliyah I CARE 4 YOU (Xgau: A-)

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/03/03 TUES):
---Back in stock:
Shirley, John …AND THE ANGEL WITH THE TELEVISION EYES, Night Shade ('01), 1st edn, (on, above, and below the streets of Manhattan), one of 150 SIGNED copies with added chapbook, BOXED, new in dj 55.00
---The $27 trade edition is still here too. I notice at the website this ltd. edn is listed as sold out, so this might be a last chance opportunity.

---A few more from Wildside here now:
Bond, Nelson THAT WORLDS MAY LIVE, Wildside, 4/02, (long-lost novel from the Golden Age of SF), new 15.00

Brackett, Leigh THE TIGER AMONG US, Wildside, 7/01, (a novel of unrelenting suspense), new 15.95

Braddon, Mary Elizabeth AT CHRIGHTON ABBEY and Other Horror Stories, Wildside Fantasy Classics ('02), (excellent introduction to author's work), new 12.99

Connors, Scott (ed) A CENTURY LESS A DREAM: Selected Criticism on H.P. Lovecraft, Wildside '02, 1st edn, (articles reprinted from Necronomicon Press & Cryptic Publications), new no dj as issued 49.95

Emerson, Willis George THE SMOKY GOD Or The Voyage To the Inner World, Wildside, nd, (orig: 1908), new 12.95

Onions, Oliver THE BECKONING FAIR ONE, Wildside, nd, (perhaps the greatest ghost story in the English language), new 13.95

Wharton, Edith TALES OF MEN AND GHOSTS, Wildside ('02), new 15.95

---And back in stock:
Park, Paul IF LIONS COULD SPEAK & Other Stories, Cosmos/Wildside ('02), new 15.00

---Received this email:
“With your lengthy silences, I was beginning to get worried
that you might be having health and/or financial difficulties, and
thusly I felt reluctant to bug you too much. Hope things are okay now
and that you are in a position to resume being bugged with various new
orders and queries.”

---I don’t wish to give the impression I am indisposed healthwise or financially, although it would be foolish to deny these are ever considerations. My ability to keep up with emails, orders, book shipments, invoices, book shelving, excess clutter, urge for leisure time, sleep needs, etc. etc. is declining with age and with a precipitousness that could be alarming--but if I let myself get too worked up about my workload, I might be in even worse shape than I am now. All I can say is: Do bug me! My response might be irritatingly slow, but I try to at least keep track of things enough so that a response will be forthcoming in due course. I am always trying to get myself to sit down and get to work. When I do I am quite happy to do so. It is sometimes a question of too many distractions. Being a sole operator, when I stop working, nothing gets done. I will keep working on it and try to write about it less.

---Music played:
- Telemann BURLESQUE DE QUIXOTTE - ALSTER-OVERTURE
- The Lounge Lizards QUEEN OF ALL EARS
- Joseph Haydn THE EARLY DIVERTIMENTI Vol. 4
- HESPERUS: Spain in the New World

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (06/02/03 MON):
---On this rainy day I am endeavoring to get long-delayed work done, as usual.

---Added to bookmarks: short stories at east of the web and I printed out “The Man With The Cough” by Mrs. Molesworth (included in The Collected Ghost Stories from Side Real Press mentioned below.
---Pasted from the above website’s scifi.Story site:
“Welcome to the science fiction short story section at east of the web. Find this month's featured stories above. You can browse the science fiction library by subgenre or search it for a title, author or keyword. Clicking on an author's name lists all their stories along with further information and links. Stories can be read online, printed or downloaded for reading offline or on handheld devices.”
---Read Rock&Roll& - by Robert Christgau: Loser on a Roll, Jon Langford Makes Friends and Influences People.

---Music played:
- Liona Boyd BAROQUE FAVOURITES
- Bill Evans COMPLETE RIVERSIDE: Discs 1 &2
- Art Pepper LIVING LEGEND
- Madonna AMERICAN LIFE

06/01/03 SUNDAY:
---Noticing the length of time between posting date and composition date I see that I need to do some serious work to get this weblog more current on a daily basis so it doesn’t fall months behind like my email updates. Part of the problem is that I am not alone in the house this summer. Unfettered access to the eMac, with its somewhat better Internet connection, has been hard to come by. I do have some material ready to post for the intervening days, even if it is not as rich in content as I might wish. I will try to spend a little time and get back to the here-and-now, so maybe I can regain that sense of immediacy a weblog ought to have (for better or worse).

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (5/31/03 SAT):
---Working on cataloguing a couple boxes of virtually-new SF (including a fair number of recent UK books, especially from Earthlight, mostly review copies sent to a noted writer. Here is what is being added to the catalog as a result:
hardcovers:
Bova, Ben (ed) THE SCIENCE FICTION HALL OF FAME: Volumes Two A & B, SFBC, ('73), (greatest SF novellas of all time chosen by SFWA), vg+ in djs the pair, $15
Bova, Ben JUPITER, Tor, 1/01, 1st (US) edn, (in Solar System series), vg-f in dj $15
Lyons, Jonathan BURN, Domhan ('00), (surreal 21st century), PR laid in, vg-f 6.00
McDevitt, Jack INFINITY BEACH, HarperPrism, 3rd('00), (audacious far future), vg-f in dj 10.00
Nix, Garth LIRAEL, HarperCollins, 2nd, (fantasy; sequel to Sabriel), vg-f in dj 12.00
Silverberg, Robert (ed) THE SCIENCE FICTION HALL OF FAME: Volume One, Doubleday ('70), (The Greatest SF Stories of All Time; 558 pages), vg+ in dj 25.00
Swanwick, Michael BEING GARDNER DOZOIS: An Interview by…, Old Earth '01, (critical commentary, history, biography--bravura homage), f in dj 15.00
Williams, Walter Jon ANGEL STATION, Tor, 7/89, 1st edn, vg in dj 14.00

book club:
@ $3: • Russell THE GREAT EXPLOSION
@ $5: • Kress BEGGARS AND CHOOSERS

misc. softcovers:
Grimwood, Jon Courtenay PASHAZADE: The First Arabesk, Earthlight '02, f 8.00
Grimwood, Jon Courtenay REDROBE, Earthlight '00, 1st, (apocalyptic story of the new millennium), f 9.00
Grimwood, Jon Courtenay REMIX, Earthlight '99, 1st, (William Gibson meets Quentin Tarrantino), f 10.00
Jensen, Jan Lars SHIVA 3000, Macmillan '00, (rich and diverse epic), vg-f 10.00
Miller, Ron BRONWYN #1: Palaces & Prisons, Timberwolf, 2nd edn('01), (fantasy), vg-f 6.00
Reynolds, Alastair CHASM CITY, Gollancz '01, 1st, (Revelation Space seq), vg-f 10.00
Robson, Justina MAPPA MUNDI, Macmillan '01, 1st, (mediical nanotech SF), vg-f $12
Robson, Justina SILVER SCREEN, Macmillan'99, 1st, (author's first published SF), vg-f 12.00
Silverberg, Robert (ed) NEBULA AWARDS SHOWCASE 2001, Harcourt '01, 1st edn (pb var), vg-f $9
STAR WARS® GAMER #1-9, '01, (fiction, RPG, deck plans, etc.), vg-f the nine, $15

paperbacks:
Pan 48433 Asher, Neal GRIDLINKED, '02, (author's first full-length SF novel), f 6.00
Tor 58968 Barnes, John CANDLE, 12/00, (convincing future), f $4
Orbit pb 859 Besher, Alexander CHI, '99, (vital chi essence being siphoned off), vg-f 5.00
Earthlight 0911 Byrne, Eugene THINGS UNBORN, '01, (bustling alternate world), f 6.00
Earthlight 0895 Calder, Richard IMPAKTO, '01, (aborted child who refused to die), vg-f 6.00
Earthlight 03720 Calder, Richard MALIGNOS, '00, (dark, edgy, dense, intricate SF), f 6.00
Earthlight 03719 Calder, Richard THE TWIST, '99, (orig; John Twist, shootist), f 6.00
Orbit pb 100 Clute, John APPLESEED, '02, (author's first SF novel), f 8.50
Pan 48595 Hammond, Ray EMERGENCE, '02, (near-future SF by journalist), f 5.00
Roc 45843 Harper, Steven DREAMER, 9/01, (Silent Empire; first contact), f 3.00
NEL 71706 Johnston, Paul THE BLOOD TREE, 2nd, (crime; Edinburgh, 2026), f 5.00
NEL 71704 Johnston, Paul WATER OF DEATH, '99, (crime; hunt-the-psycho), f 5.00
Carroll & Graf 844 Leinster, Murray QUARANTINE WORLD, '92, vg $3
NEL 79246 Lumley, Brian NECROSCOPE: DEFILERS, '01, (horror; 659 pages), f 6.00
Roc 45823 Mackay, Scott THE MEEK, 4/01, (they shall inherit the universe...), f 4.00
Earthlight 03754 McDonald, Ian ARES EXPRESS, '02, (terraformed-Mars funny SF), f 6.00
Roc 45827 Morehouse, Lyda ARCHANGEL PROTOCOL, 5/01, (author's 1st), f 3.00
HarperTrophy 47183 Nix, Garth SABRIEL, 12th, (fantasy; an ALA Notable Book), f $3
Scholastic T941 Nourse, Alan E. THE COUNTERFEIT MAN, 10/67, (stories), f 2.50
Signet Vista 13581 Pinkwater SNARKOUT BOYS & BACONBURG HORROR, 5/85, vg-f 3.00
Bal 61 Pohl & Kornbluth SEARCH THE SKY, ('54), (orig), vg-f 8.00
Ace pb 88564 Rucker, Rudy WHITE LIGHT, 11/80, (orig), vg-f 6.00
Avon Eos 79694 Silverberg, Robert (ed) FAR HORIZONS, 5/00, f $4
Roc 45837 Spencer, Wen ALIEN TASTE, 2nd, (wolfpack-raised tracker SF), f 4.00
Ace pbk 00886 Wharton, Ken DIVINE INTERVENTION, 12/01, (earth colony), f $4
Spectra 58374 Williams, Liz THE GHOST SISTER, 7/01, (orig; bioengineering SF), f 3.50
Bantam 58051 Willis, Connie PASSAGE, 1/02, (life-after-death novel), f 5.00

5/30/03 FRI:
---Text to follow?

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (5/29/03 THU):
---A shipment from Wildside has arrived:
Benson, Robert Hugh LORD OF THE WORLD, Wildside, nd, (orig: 1907), new 19.95
---THE NECROMANCERS, Wildside, nd, (orig: 1909), new 18.95

Burroughs, Edgar Rice THE CHESSMEN OF MARS, Wildside, nd, new in dj 32.95
---THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT, Wildside, nd, (Fort Dinosaur), new in dj 26.95
---OUT OF TIME'S ABYSS, Wildside, nd, (intro by Amy Sterling Casil), new in dj 27.95

Clore, Dan THE UNSPEAKABLE and Others, Wildside ('01), (Joshi intro), new 19.95

FANTASY ANNUAL #5, Cosmos ('03), (Bayley, Fearn, Dan Morgan), new 16.99

Goulart, Ron BRINKMAN, Wildside, 7/01, (photo-reprint of 1981 edn), new 14.95

Haggard, H. Rider THE WITCH'S HEAD, Wildside '99, (photo-reprint), new 19.50

Joshi, S.T. H.P. LOVECRAFT & LOVECRAFT CRITICISM: An Annotated Bibliography, Wildside, nd, (reprint of 1981 work; 473 pp), new no dj as issued 49.95

Richards, Anna M. A NEW ALICE IN THE OLD WONDERLAND, Wildside. 9/00, (35 years later, a different girl, also named Alice wants to visit Wonderland), new 14.95

---Back in stock:
Bayley, Barrington J. THE SINNERS OF ERSPIA, Cosmos/Wildside ('02), new 15.95

Betancourt, John Gregory & Robert Weinberg (eds) WEIRD TALES: Seven Decades of Terror, Barnes & Noble '97 (dist. Wildside), 1st, SIGNED by Betancourt, (the best of the worst frights; 438 pages), new in dj 12.95

Biggle, Lloyd, Jr. THE CHRONOCIDE MISSION, Wildside, 4/02, 1st edn, new 15.95

Di Filippo, Paul A MOUTHFUL OF TONGUES, Cosmos/Wildside ('02), new in dj 29.95

FANTASY ANNUAL #4, Cosmos/Wildside '00, (new stories; Bounds, High, Tubb, etc.), new 12.00

Joshi, S.T. H.P. LOVECRAFT: The Decline of the West, Wildside, nd, new 19.95

McCaffrey, Anne (ed) COOKING OUT OF THIS WORLD, Wildside '92, 2nd, (lost classic), new 10.00

Smeds, Dave PIPER IN THE NIGHT, Wildside ('01), 1st edn, (surreal), new in dj 37.95

---Received this email:
“I am just checking with you to find out what if anything is going on. I haven't heard from you since early this year. Are you still issuing catalogues? Did you drop me from your mailing list? I miss hearing from you--am still planning on giving you business if you are selling. Let me know.”

---My reply:
“I seem to be in midlife or something, because my urge to put out paper catalogs is at a wane. I have been fooling around a bit when I get the chance with putting information in my weblog that includes new arrivals as they come in and other book-business-related matters, as well as whatever I might feel like imparting into the great webunknown. I also have a bunch of stuff waiting to go into email updates when I can think to keep going with those, to people who asked to get them. Even without catalogs it seems I am having just as much trouble keeping up with orders coming in, but perhaps that has more to say about my increasing laziness than anything else.”

---I sent out an email update (of sorts) querying recipients about the Side Real Press solicitation for the UK book below. Seems that people who get Tartarus, Sarob, Ash-Tree might want to add Side Real to their list of collectible publishers.

---Am printing out a new Membership Discount Plan information sheet. I know a few discounts have been changed/added, but mostly it is staying the same. Might as well keep it current, though, even if the changes are few.

---Music played:
- Ilan Guetta plays BACH ELECTRIC - conclusive argument that Bach would have wielded an axe were he alive today
- Pietro Castrucci 6 CONCERTI GROSSI

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (5/28/03 WED):
---Received this solicitation for:
“COLLECTED GHOST STORIES
by MRS MOLESWORTH
ISBN: 0-9542953-0-7.
300 numbered copies. Hardback 320 pages. Illus. £30.00 inc. p&p
SIDE REAL PRESS is pleased to present for the first time in a single volume
the complete collected ghost stories of noted Victorian Authoress Mrs.
Molesworth.
Mary Louisa Molesworth (1839-1921)produced over one hundred books in her
lifetime. Known primarily as a writer for children and young adults, she,
like her contemporaries Rhoda Broughton and Mary Braddon, also tried her
hand at the supernatural genre, ultimately producing ten tales. The majority
of these were collected into two, now rare, volumes, Four Ghost Stories
(1888) and Uncanny Tales (1896).
COLLECTED GHOST STORIES gathers these, and other ghost stories scattered
from her more general collections together with ‘A Ghost Of The Pampas’,
the only known ghost story by her son Bevil (1870-1898).
Avoiding the normally ornate style of the typical Victorian ghost story,
she produced tales with “a refreshing sharpness and lucidity......invested
with wit, charm, intelligence and subtle chills” (Penguin Encyclopedia Of
Horror And The Supernatural) .
Edited and introduced by J.N. Smith the volume is presented as a numbered
limited edition hardcover of 300 copies. The cover reproduces the original
four colour design of the original U.K. edition of Uncanny Tales . This
edition also includes the original illustration accompanying ‘Old Gervais’
from Sunday Magazine,(1892).
Contents: Introduction, Lady Farquhars Old lady, Witnessed By Two,
Unexplained, The Rippling Train, The Shadow In The Moonlight’, The Man With
The Cough, At The Dip In The Road, Not Exactly A Ghost Story, Old Gervais, A
Strange Messenger, A Ghost Of The Pampas*. * By Bevil Molesworth
SIDE REAL PRESS has been founded as in Imprint specialising in
supernatural/weird literature past and present. Each volume will be printed
as a limited edition quality hardback. All items can be ordered direct from
the publisher.
COLLECTED GHOST STORIES costs £30.00 retail”
---Anyone interested? I am not sure what the $ cost would be. Maybe in the $50 range. I could possibly give a 15% discount, but I would need to crunch numbers first.

---Email sent to Belgium:
“Not much VHS recording here lately. I joined Netflix DVD rental service and have not used the VCR nearly as much. If you have any particular USA broadcast TV shows you like (ANGEL, BUFFY, etc.), but you probably get them there even better. I don't have cable TV so lots and lots of movies (as well as, fortunately, sports) give me a miss here. The DVDs I rent more than make up for any sense of deprivation. Even whole seasons of TV-show series can be accessed, such as on HBO which I hitherto only would hear or read about. If any made-for-TV thing comes along I record that might be of interest I will set it aside for you. Cost of VHS tapes is less than $1 so it is enough if occasionally I can send you something you might be of interest. I thought a promising show was a Rose Red-prequel (or something) executive produced by Stephen King that debuted recently, but I could not watch it (finding it unwatchable) and the reviews were bad so I ended up rewinding the tape after ten minutes and recording over it--this weeks NOW (with Bill Moyers on PBS) or FRONTLINE or Charlie Rose or Austin City Limits. Maybe I should have stuck it out or sent it along, but I didn't.”

---Music played:
- THE SPECIALTY STORY: Disc 4
- my CD COMP 4 (still available by request with any book shipment)

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (5/27/03 TUES):
---A couple arrived today from Meisha Merlin:
Conn, John F. THE SOCIETY, Meisha Merlin, 1/03, 1st edn, (thriller), new 16.00

Moore, James A. SERENITY FALLS, Meisha Merlin, 3/02, 1st edn, (quite possibly the best horror novel since Salem’s Lot; 746 pages), new 20.00
---Despite the date of publication I don’t see that I have had this in stock previously, although it looks familiar (as does The Society).

---This here from PS Publishing in the UK:
Wexler, Robert Freeman IN SPRINGDALE TOWN, PS '03, (Shepard intro), new 16.00

---And back in stock:
Campbell, Ramsey RAMSEY CAMPBELL, PROBABLY: 30 Years of Essays and Articles, PS '02, 1st, (140,000 words; Winter intro), {trade pb still available @ $45}, BOXED, new in dj 90.00

Di Filippo, Paul A YEAR IN THE LINEAR CITY, PS Publishing, 4/02, 1st edn, one of 800 total SIGNED copies, (Bishop intro), {hc in dj available @ $40}, new 14.00

---A couple days with the computer off, taking Memorial Day easy. I should have learned that even if it takes me until 4 PM to start getting something done, even then it is possible to make significant headway. At least all the NBA playoff games, just about, have been on cable.

---Neil instructs me to stop asking him to help me out with my book-business labor needs. I am not sure what he is up to in his room for hours on end, but it involves feverish keystrokes and a co-opting of the eMac (which he has run a cable down to through the air vent). No doubt it is more important than anything I might give him to do. My toilings are so indiosyncratic anyway (or idiotic anyway) that would be hard to involve other people, even people you might think would have a stake in my success. To that end of undermination, Amy informs that she expects to take an actual vacation this summer, involving a camping trip.

---Music played:
- Yohimbe Brothers FRONT END LIFTER (Xgau: A Minus)
- Steven Mackey RAVENSHEAD: The Complete Opera In Two Acts (2 CD)

5/26/03 MON:
---Text to follow?

5/25/03 SUN:
---Text to follow?

BOOKCELLAR NOTES (5/24/03 SAT):
---Catalogued today:
Benson, E.F. THE FACE, Ash-Tree '03, (Collected Spook Stories #4), new in dj $45

Wyndham, John NO PLACE LIKE EARTH, Darkside '03, 1st, (stories), new in dj 40.00

---Back in stock:
Shepard, Lucius LOUISIANA BREAKDOWN, Golden Gryphon '03, 1st edn, (Poppy Z. Brite intro; J.K. Potter art & afterword; 145 pp), new in dj 21.95

---Filling some orders that have been around here way too long. I hope I can get myself repositioned as all caught up, with everything neat and tidy, some day and some day soon.

---Music played:
- CD Compilation #1 (my own first foray into this metier; has ups and downs, but I enjoy hearing these things again in their new gestalt; and the ease of doing it makes it a slow-brainer)
- DEXTER’S LABORATORY: The Hip-Hop Experiment (Xgau: A Minus)
- CD COMP #4 (yours truly’s fourth foray at trying to cherry pick from amongst the plethora)
- THE SPECIALTY STORY: Disc 3 (eMusic download that Neil burned for me using his fast Univerity connection)

5/23/03 FRI:
---Text to follow?