L. W. Currey, Inc.

Brown, Fredric. WHAT MAD UNIVERSE. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1949. Octavo, boards. First edition. "Out of an infinity of universes there must be one that mirrors the adolescent SF fan's fantasies, complete with the trappings of SF pulpdom. And that is exactly where SF editor Keith Winton finds himself in this zany first [SF] novel by one of SF's best comedic writers. Although similar to L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt's THE INCOMPLETE ENCHANTER (1941), in that the hero is miraculously tossed into a mythic world, Brown's version differs in that it is a very real post-World War II America with the addition of occasional SF conventions, such as bug-eyed monsters and invading aliens. In a sense, Brown anticipated Ursula K. Le Guin's THE LATHE OF HEAVEN (1971); ironically, his work was dismissed as clever light comedy while hers is probed for deep philosophic meanings." - Joe De Bolt and John Pfeiffer, "Outstanding SF Books, 1927-1979." A "comic romp which nicely satirizes many of the SF clichés of its day." - Pringle, The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, second edition (1995), p. 416. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-170. Survey of Science Fiction Literature V, pp. 2451-54. In 333. A fine copy in bright, very good dust jacket with shelf wear at head and tail of spine panel and upper corner tips, 20mm tear along upper rear spine fold, some soiling along rear flap fold and upper and lower edges of same, and internal tape mends at head and tail of spine panel. (#86860).

Price: $250.00