Search Results: Titles starting with F from Biblioctopus

New York: The Saturday Evening Post, 1962. First Edition. wrappers. Very good. 3 vols. The 1st appearance anywhere, serialized in 3 issues of The Post for October 13 - October 27. Original wrappers, very good. A cold war thriller in which millions die. The American novel cannot be separated from the American insight, and that insight tolerates a raucous inefficiency in order to accommodate among its protections a recognition that one persuasion, more than any other, is responsible for the slaughter of individuals on the altar of historical ideals. The belief that somewhere, in the past or in the future, in divine revelation or in the mind of an individual, in the pronouncements of history or science or politics, or in the evil heart of a mad person or in the simple heart of an uncorrupted good person, there is a lasting formula, an ultimate answer, a perfect solution.

Philadelphia: William E. Burton, 1839. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. A annual volume (12 months, starting in July 1839 and ending June 1840). Contemporary 3/4 calf and marbled boards, binding worn, sporadic foxing throughout, but, otherwise, clean internally. Seven stories and poems by Poe, first appeared in these issues of Burton's Gentleman's Magazine and 2 more are reprinted for the first time. They are: "The Conversation of Eiros and Chairman" "The Fall of the House of Usher" (September 1839) "The Journal of Julius Rodman" (one chapter per issue; January-June 1840) "The Man That Was Used Up" (August 1839) "Peter Pendulum" aka "The Business Man" (February 1840) "The Philosophy of Furniture" (May 1840) "To——" (a variation of "Lines Written in an Album", 1835) (August 1839) "To Ianthe in Heaven" (July 1839) "William Wilson" (1st appeared in "The Gift [...] for 1840, September 1839 reprinted here October 1839) The Fall of the House of Usher has all the essential features of the… Read More

Tokyo: Kenkyusha, 1956. First edition. Fine in fine dustwrapper. A series of interviews and lectures given by Faulkner on a trip to Japan. A beautiful copy.

New York: Harper's, 1854. First Edition. Wrappers. Very good. September issue, 1st appearance and the only publication of it during Melville's life, on pages 536-538 of the September issue (no. LII). Original wrappers, small chip to the top of the spine, larger one to the bottom else very good and scarce in wrappers.

New York: World Editions, 1951. First Edition. Wrappers. Near fine. 1st appearance of the novella that Bradbury would later expand into his most famous novel, "Fahrenheit 451" (1953). The novella here is 57 pages and quite rough compared to the novel, but it's an interesting read to see how an author like Bradbury transformed the story. Some fine creases and rubbing to the printed wrappers, pages uniformly toned but not brittle, else clean, complete and near fine.

London: Collins, 1986. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/fine. 11 vols. All 1st editions. All signed in ink. All fine in dustjackets with tiny rubs else fine. All are captivating reads, underappreciated, and undervalued. Lovejoy is a roguish antique dealer and sometimes detective. The novels were adapted into a 73 episode television series, staring Ian McShane and airing from 1986-1994.

California: California State Lottery Commission, 1990. Fine. A complete and continuous, unbroken run from the first 5 years of the California lottery, a total of 40 tickets, games 1 to 40 (#26 is a proof). Each ticket is unscratched. Fine condition (as new), alluringly printed in glowing colors, the silver coatings are unblemished. Rare. Though individual, used (scratched) tickets are sometimes available, we ran advertisements widely ("WE WILL BUY"), and we got lots of responses, but we were never offered a single unused ticket from this vintage, at any price, let alone a complete set. Would be impressive framed. The lottery is adventure and romance finally reduced to their level of minimum effort and repute.

New York: Harcourt, 1966. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/fine. 1st edition. A contemporary signed and inscribed presentation copy dated "1966" and few copies are seen that were dated in the year of publication. Fine in fine price clipped dustjacket (clipped by Keyes when he gifted the book) without a single nick, or tear, no fading, aging or soiling. Fine condition is scarcer than inscribed with this book. Originally written as a short story in 1959, Keyes expanded and polished "Flowers for Algernon" to complete the novel. Keyes use an ‘uplift' device , increasing the intelligence of a mouse and takes it a step further to mirror the transformation of his human protagonist. It's an influential book that has been awarded, successfully adapted multiple times, challenged and banned.

New York: R. Martin, 1847. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. 3 vols. in 1. 1st American edition (in English). Exceptionally detailed, bespoke, contemporary full morocco, signed on the cover by Jill Smith, intricately inlaid, white silk moiré, framed endpapers, bearing a gilt inscription from a husband to his wife on their wedding day (Jan. 1, 1859, probably dating the binding as 1858), all edges gilt, light wear to covers, neatly rebacked, small chips to the corners of the vignette title page, a trace of foxing but printed on paper vastly superior to what was general on American books in 1847, and still near fine. 50 unprecedented engraved plates of anthropomorphic plants (simultaneously poetical and satirical) dressed in flower and leaf enhanced French couture of the day, when seamstresses were independent, hired individually and came to the customer. The 50 plates are professionally and, in this copy, artistically, hand colored (the publisher's choice of the painters he employed varies from… Read More

Reading: University of Reading, 1953. First edition. Tall octavo. 32pp. Very modest age-toning, else near fine in stapled self-wrappers as issued. One of 150 numbered copies. An uncommon poetry pamphlet.

London: Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle, 1750. First Edition. Half Calf. Good. 1st edition (vol. XX). Contains the first 2 appearances in print anywhere, announcing Franklin's discoveries and experiments with electricity. The January 1750 issue (p. 34) prints a letter from Franklin identifying electricity as "the electrical fire" and saying, "...it is a real Element, intimately united with all other matter, from whence it is collected by tube, or sphere." The May 1750 issue (p. 208) prints a second letter from Franklin announcing his invention of the lightening rod. Contemporary 3/4 calf and marbled boards, worn and strengthened but not rebacked, a few pages bound out of order (including those with the first entry), but collates complete, else a good, solid, heavyweight book.