The Last Circus and The Electrocution

Northridge, California: Lord John Press. First Edition. Hardbound cloth. Joe Mugnaini. First Edition, so stated, signed by Ray Bradbury on front free end paper. Touches of wear to the pictorial paper dust jacket. Book shows signs of wear to red cloth at the top of the spine, else Fine. A beautiful edition for a Bradbury collector. Would make a fine gift as well. Introduction by William F. Nolan and dedicated to Bruce Francis and Donn Albright.

This edition was obtained directly from the library of Herb Yellin, making its provenance of unique importance.

In Sam Weller's "Listen to the Echos: The Ray Bradbury Interviews," Ray Bradbury recalls an episode from his childhood in the 1930s, while attending a carnival and witnessing a performer:

"He was a performer sitting in an electric chair and a stagehand pulled a switch and he was charged with fifty thousand volts of pure electricity. Lightening flashed in his eyes and his hair stood out. I sat below, in the front row, and he reached down with a flaming sword full of electricity and tapped me on both of the shoulders and then the tip of my nose and he cried, "Live, forever!"

And I thought, 'God, that's wonderful. How to do you do that?'"

Regarded as one of Ray Bradbury's most enduring narratives, this story has been scrutinized by journalists, writers, fans across forums, even Bradbury scholars, resulting in uncertainty. The story remained one that Bradbury took immense delight in sharing, seemingly drawing great wonder each time he recounted it.


A note about Lord John Press:

Lord John Press was a small private press founded by Herb Yellin in 1977. The press was based in Northridge, California, and it specialized in publishing limited edition, fine press books. Herb Yellin, the founder, was known for his passion for literature and his dedication to producing high-quality, collectible editions of works by notable authors.

Lord John Press published works by various well-known authors, including Norman Mailer, Ray Bradbury, Joyce Carol Oates, and others. Herb Yellin, widely recognized as one of the most influential publishers in contemporary times, dedicated himself to crafting collector's edition publications and specialized in compiling smaller works from renowned authors-poems, short stories, essays-meticulously presenting them in the highest caliber collector's editions. From page quality to typesetting and cover board designs, Yellin's commitment to excellence was unwavering.

After Lord John Press ceased operations, the limited availability and high quality of their publications made their books sought after by collectors.