The Stories of Ray Bradbury [One of 60 Presentation Copies]

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine/Near fine. The presentation issue of this massive collection of one hundred stories, published between 1943 and 1980, with a new introduction by the author.

For many of his books, Bradbury had a small number of copies specially bound by the publisher, which he doled out to friends and fans. This book includes a tipped-in limitation sheet designating it as a presentation copy; it also has a different binding than the trade edition. The trade issue has the title stamped in yellow-gold on the cover and spine. This special copy is much more subtle, with a design of stars on the cover and the author and title on the spine stamped in clear gloss so they glint in the light.

884 pages. First edition (first printing). A very near fine copy in a like dust jacket. This copy is inscribed by Bradbury on the front free endpaper, "For Jean Gonzalez-this 60-copy limited edition of my 'stories'-with the best wishes of Ray Bradbury [signed] May 19, 1989." Apparently, Bradbury initially misspelled the recipient's name and to fix it he glued a small piece of paper over the error and re-wrote "Jean" correctly.

This copy is housed in a custom black-cloth clamshell box.