PUSSY, KING OF THE PIRATES.
New York: Grove Press, [1996]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#91527)
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Introduction by Boyd White
Although Sir Thomas More coined the word utopia in the 16th century from Greek that translates literally as “no-place,” in common usage the term refers to an imagined ideal community constructed upon egalitarian principles of economics, government, and justice. While its homophone eutopia, derived from Greek that means “good place,” is the correct term for a positive utopia, utopia and eutopia have been used interchangeably for decades.
More’s Utopia (1516), a fictional account of the religious, social, and political customs of an island society located in the South Atlantic, is not the earliest example of a proposal for an ideal community. That distinction rests with Plato’s Republic (380 BC), a rigid class-structured society ruled by philosopher-kings whose wisdom has eliminated poverty and want through the equal distribution of all resources. For every utopian ideal a political philosopher or satirist has imagined, however, a counter proposal has never been far behind. The deification of logic and reason in Plato’s Republic reaches its horrific extreme in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels (1726) when the narrator finds himself among the Houyhnhnms, a race of hyper-intelligent talking horses without emotion, who have degraded and enslaved human beings because humanity, from the Houyhnhnm point of view, lacks reason and cannot overcome its base nature.
Lloyd Currey’s Utopian and Anti-Utopian Literature explores the innumerable ways that authors throughout the centuries have imagined rebuilding and perfecting civilization, as well as their inevitable anxieties about how such attempts to save humanity may ultimately only end up destroying it. As Lloyd’s catalog illustrates, from the rustic matriarchal households of W. H. Hudson’s A Crystal Age (1887) to the interstellar mixture of socialism and anarchy in Ian M. Banks’ Matter (2008), utopias and dystopias have taken many forms.
While the classics of the literature are certainly well represented—Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward 2000-1887 (1888), Thea von Harbou’s Metropolis (1926), Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (1932), and Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange (1962)—the most fascinating books Lloyd has gathered include some of the earliest and least known examples of the genre, unclassifiable works that combine elements of lost race fiction, interplanetary romance, occult fiction, and high fantasy. Simon Berington’s The Memoirs of Sigr. Gaudentio di Lucca: Taken from His Confession and Examination before the Fathers of the Inquisition at Bologna in Italy (1737), recounts di Lucca’s life as a successful artist in the kingdom of Mezzoraim in Northern Africa among isolated descendents of the ancient Egyptians whose culture is defined by a natural religion that channels all ambition for material gain into a desire to benefit the nation as a whole. James Reynolds’ Equality; A History of Lithconia (1837), one of the earliest American utopian novels, describes an island society that “denounces private property and requires no assistance from the divine, placing its faith in bureaucracy to impose order, technology to reduce drudgery, and omnipresent gardens to instill virtue.” Neither of these titles, however, compares with the screwball eccentricity of Austyn W. Granville’s The Fallen Race (1892) in which the lone survivors of the doomed Frisbee Expedition into the Great Australian Desert find themselves in the land of the Anonos, the descendants of female aborigines and a particularly randy troop of kangaroos, or John O. Greene’s The Ke Whonkus People (1893) in which an arctic utopia executes its religious heretics by sacrificing them to vampire dragons who drain their blood in underground caverns.
Perhaps the most remarkable work in Utopian and Anti-Utopian Literature is Shirby T. Hodge’s The White Man’s Burden: A Satirical Forecast (1915). Written by Roger Sherman Tracy, a noted graduate of Yale University and an associate of the New York Board of Health, this remarkable book is narrated by an unnamed white man from 20th-century New Hampshire who is mysteriously transported to West Africa in 5027 AD. The narrator encounters a remarkable utopia inhabited by African-Americans who relocated after achieving economic superiority in North America and eventually defeating the white race in a devastating war. Characterized by technological marvels such as air cars, interplanetary travel, and disintegration rays, the society the narrator explores is essentially anarchist with no laws, private property, money, or prisons, each person working at whatever he or she chooses to do. A ground-breaking work decades ahead of its time socially and politically, The White Man’s Burden: A Satirical Forecast is a work ripe for rediscovery by scholars and enthusiasts.
Of course, not every author has embraced the progressive economic and social reforms that have characterized such ideal societies. For many early writers, the concept of an idealized socialist utopia is inextricably linked to the enslavement of the individual and the erasure of all creativity or desire. Frank Cowan’s Revi-Lona: A Romance of Love in a Marvelous Land (1879) satirizes numerous tropes of 19th-century utopian fiction in its depiction of a super-scientific matriarchy destroyed, as the author says, by a “big and brawny man, with many of the vices of his sex and years.” Likewise, Walter Besant’s The Inner House (1888) imagines the eradication of aging through medicine and the institution of a socialist state not as unleashing humanity’s unlimited potential but instead as breeding out all individuality, desire, and creativity. While The Inner House is often read as a literary precursor to George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (1948), Besant’s novella, unlike Orwell’s masterpiece, is steeped in anxieties about the progressive social movements of its time and is best understood as the kind of anti-utopian work that gets taken to its logical extreme in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged (1957) and its rejection of governmental controls for unrestrained capitalism and individual achievement.
Lloyd rounds out Utopian and Anti-Utopian Literature with an excellent selection of key contributions by modern and contemporary speculative fiction writers, including Zenna Henderson’s Pilgrimage: The Book of the People (1961), Keith Roberts’ Pavane (1968), Suzy McKee Charnas’ Motherlines (1978), Alasdair Gray’s Lanark: A Life in Four Books (1985), Elizabeth Hand’s Glimmering (1997), and Charles Stross’ Glasshouse (2007).
Economic. Ecological. Feminist. Religious. Single-gender. Single-sex. Scientific. Technological.
Looking for the perfect world? Here’s a good place to begin.
New York: Grove Press, [1996]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#91527)
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Boston: Lothrop Publishing Company. [1901]. Octavo, pp. [1-9] 10-504 [505-506: blank] [507-512: ads], frontispiece map, original pictorial red cloth, front and spine panel stamped in black and gold. First edition. (#149851)
More Details about THE KIDNAPPED MILLIONAIRES: A TALE OF WALL STREET AND THE TROPICS
Boston: Lee and Shepard Publishers. New York: Charles T. Dillingham, 1882. Octavo, pp. [1-4] 5 [6-8] 9-333 [334-336: blank] [note: last leaf is a blank], six inserted plates with illustrations by Arthur B. Frost and others, original decorated pebbled mustard cloth, front and spine panels stamped in brown and gold. First U.S. edition. (#115841)
More Details about THE FORTUNATE ISLAND AND OTHER STORIES
Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1971. Octavo, cloth. First U.S. edition. (#103788)
More Details about WORLD WELL LOST
Abeno, Osaka, Japan: Akitaya, 1947. Small octavo, pp. [1-3] 4-154 [155: colophon] [156: blank], inserted frontispiece and half title leaf, original flexible card wrappers printed in black with printed dust jacket, pictorial endpapers. First edition in English. (#157079)
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[London]: Little, Brown and Company, [1999]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#72537)
More Details about WHITE MARS OR, THE MIND SET FREE: A 21ST-CENTURY UTOPIA
New York: St. Martin's Press, [2000]. Octavo, printed red wrappers. Advance copy (uncorrected proof) of the first U.S. edition. (#110627)
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New York: St. Martin's Press, [2000]. Octavo, boards. First U.S. edition. (#110650)
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London: Faber and Faber, [1971]. Octavo, boards. Second edition, revised. (#141623)
More Details about BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORIES OF BRIAN W. ALDISS (Revised Edition
London: Faber and Faber, [1965]. Octavo, printed green wrappers. Advance copy (uncorrected proof) of the first edition. (#112121)
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London: Faber and Faber, [1965]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#118279)
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New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1960]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. (#87447)
More Details about BOW DOWN TO NUL
London: Sidgwick & Jackson, [1969]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#112122)
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London: Faber and Faber, [1959]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#142594)
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London: Jonathan Cape, [1978]. Octavo, decorated salmon wrappers. Advance copy (uncorrected proof) of the first edition. (#112092)
More Details about ENEMIES OF THE SYSTEM: A TALE OF HOMO UNIFORMIS
New York: Ballantine Books, [2007]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#140359)
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London: Jonathan Cape, [1979]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#75801)
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London: Jonathan Cape, [1979]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#91912)
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London: Jonathan Cape, [1979]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#142596)
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New York: Ballantine Books, [1961]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. (#87666)
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London: Faber and Faber, [1957]. Octavo, printed mottled green wrappers. Advance copy (uncorrected proof) of the first edition. (#112144)
More Details about SPACE, TIME AND NATHANIEL
London: Faber and Faber, [1957]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#136430)
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London: Faber and Faber, [1957]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#140977)
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London: Faber and Faber, [1957]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#142597)
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[New York]: A Signet Book Published by The New American Library, [1960]. Small octavo, cover art by Paul Lehr, pictorial wrappers. First U.S. paperback edition. (#146616)
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[London]: Orbit, [2002]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#88813)
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[London]: Orbit, [2002]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#110685)
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New York / Toronto: Franklin Watts, 1987. Octavo, cloth-backed boards. First edition. (#110)
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London: Jonathan Cape, [1976]. Octavo, decorated wrappers. Advance copy (uncorrected proof) of the first edition. (#103469)
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London: Jonathan Cape, [1976]. Octavo, decorated wrappers. Advance copy (uncorrected proof) of the first edition. (#134560)
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Amherst, NY: Pyr an Imprint of Prometheus Books, [2007]. Octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. (#147400)
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[New York]: A Roc Book, [2003]. Octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. (#139253)
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New York: Ballantine Books, [2009]. Octavo, boards. First hardcover edition. (#144832)
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New York: Published by Berkley Publishing Corporation Distributed by G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1978]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#143)
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New York: Published by Berkley Publishing Corporation Distributed by G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1978]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#103690)
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New York: Published by Berkley Publishing Corporation Distributed by G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1978]. Octavo, printed blue wrappers. Advance copy (uncorrected proof) of the first edition. (#111105)
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New York: Berkley Books, [1981]. Octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. (#146596)
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New York: Tor, [1997]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#102955)
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New York: Tor, [1997]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#146083)
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New York: Tor, [1993]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#13024)
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New York: Tor, [1993]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#91499)
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New York: Tor, [1995]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#91580)
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New York: Tor, [1995]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#103141)
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New York: Tor, [1995]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#146090)
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London: Dennis Dobson, [1969]. Octavo, boards. First British (and first hardcover) edition. (#146092)
More Details about LET THE SPACEMEN BEWARE!
New York: Published by Berkley Publishing Corporation Distributed by G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1977]. Octavo, printed red wrappers. Advance copy (uncorrected proof) of the first edition. (#11419)
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New York: Published by Berkley Publishing Corporation Distributed by G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1977]. Octavo, printed red wrappers. Advance copy (uncorrected proof) of the first edition. (#11420)
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New York: Published by Berkley Publishing Corporation Distributed by G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1977]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#92559)
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Boston: Gregg Press, 1978. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#131116)
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Boston: Gregg Press, 1978. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#135373)
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Boston: Gregg Press, 1978. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#135374)
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New York: Pyramid Books, [1961]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. (#75052)
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New York: Pyramid Books, [1961]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. (#142401)
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Boston: Gregg Press, 1978. Octavo, cloth. First U.S. hardcover edition. (#185)
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New York: Timescape Books, [1983]. Octavo, printed wrappers. Advance copy (uncorrected proof) of the first trade edition. (#11421)
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New York: Timescape Books, [1983]. Octavo, printed wrappers. Advance copy (uncorrected proof) of the first trade edition. (#11422)
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Huntington Woods, Michigan: Phantasia Press, 1983. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#107374)
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New York: A Signet Book from New American Library, [1973]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. (#88582)
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Boston: Gregg Press, 1977. Octavo, cloth. First hardcover edition, first printing. (#142628)
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Boston: Gregg Press, 1977. Octavo, cloth. First hardcover edition, first printing. (#143127)
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London: Dennis Dobson, [1966]. Octavo, boards. First British (and first hardcover) edition. (#146094)
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[New York]: The Macmillan Company, Collier-Macmillan Ltd., London, [1969]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#10664)
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[New York]: The Macmillan Company, Collier-Macmillan Ltd., London, [1969]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#142630)
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[New York]: A Berkley Medallion Book Published by Berkley Publishing Corporation, [1963]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. (#142352)
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New York: Tor, [1994]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#91502)
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New York: Tor, [1994]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#91503)
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New York: Tor, [1994]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#143140)
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New York: Tor, [1994]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#146098)
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Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1964. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#71947)
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Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1964. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#118295)
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New York: Avalon Books, [1959]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#103527)
More Details about VIRGIN PLANET
Wien: Verlag des "Industriellen Club" und des "Niederösterreichischen Gewerbe-Vereines," 1893. Octavo, pp. [1-3] 4-55 [56: blank], original blue-gray wrappers printed in black. First (separate?) edition. (#152991)
More Details about DER SOCIALDEMOKRATISCHE ZUKUNFTSSTAAT VOR DEM DEUTSHEN REICHSTAGE (FEBRUAR 1893
New York: Arno Press, 1975. Octavo, cloth. First U.S. edition. (#149826)
More Details about IN THE FUTURE: A SKETCH IN TEN CHAPTERS
Boston: Gregg Press, 1976. Octavo, cloth. First hardcover edition, first printing. (#97199)
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Boston: Gregg Press, 1976. Octavo, cloth. First hardcover edition, first printing. (#143126)
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Boston: Gregg Press, 1976. Octavo, cloth. First hardcover edition, first printing. (#144419)
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London: Printed for S. Crowder and H. Woodgate, in Pater-noster Row, 1755. 12mo, pp. [i-ii] iii-xii [1] 2-275 [276: ads], eighteenth century full paneled calf, all panels tooled in blind, black leather title piece, gauffered edges. First edition. (#156353)
More Details about A VOYAGE TO THE WORLD IN THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH. GIVING AN ACCOUNT OF THE MANNERS, CUSTOMS,...
London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1956. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#104891)
More Details about SOMETIME, NEVER: THREE TALES OF IMAGINATION by William Golding, John Wyndham [and] Mervyn Peake
[London]: Macdonald Science Fiction, [1969]. Octavo, boards. First British (and first hardcover) edition. (#139943)
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[London]: Macdonald Science Fiction, [1970]. Octavo, boards. First British (and first hardcover) edition. (#225)
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[London]: Macdonald Science Fiction, [1970]. Octavo, boards. First British (and first hardcover) edition. (#103843)
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New York: Ballantine Books, [1967]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. (#139776)
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[London]: Macdonald Science Fiction, [1970]. Octavo, boards. First British (and first hardcover) edition. (#146106)
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New York: Ballantine Books, [1967]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. (#158110)
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Boston: Gregg Press, [1985]. Octavo, cloth. First hardcover edition. (#146107)
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London: Faber and Faber, [1969]. Octavo, cloth. First British (and first hardcover) edition. (#235)
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New York: Ballantine Books, [1968]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. (#87697)
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London: Faber and Faber, [1969]. Octavo, cloth. First British (and first hardcover) edition. (#147396)
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New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc. Publishers, [1973]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#103528)
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Bangor, [Maine]: Published by David Bugbee, 1848. 12mo, pp. [1-3] 4 [5] 6-286 [287-288: blank], errata slip present at rear, flyleaves at front and rear, original decorated brown cloth, front and rear panels stamped in blind, spine panel stamped in gold, yellow endpapers. First edition. (#157224)
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London: Printed for the Author, and Sold by James Ridgway, York-Street, St. James-Square, and H. D. Symonds, Paternoster-Row, 1793. Octavo, pp. [1-4] [1] 2-39 [40: blank], disbound. First edition. (#155176)
More Details about A VOYAGE TO THE MOON, STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TO ALL LOVERS OF REAL FREEDOM
Garden City: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc., 1933. Octavo, pp. [i-vi] vii-xix [xx-xxii] [1] 2-307 [308: blank], original black cloth, front panel stamped in blind, spine panel stamped in gold and blind, top edge stained red, fore-edge untrimmed, bottom edge rough-trimmed, cream coated endpapers. First U.S. edition. (#64338)
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London, Boston, Sydney: Geroge Allen & Unwin, [1984]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#10859)
More Details about THE FROZEN CITY
[London]: Tor, [2011]. Octavo, boards. First edition. (#146115)
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Buffalo, New York: Prometheus Books, [1984]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#139116)
More Details about ELECTION DAY 2084: A SCIENCE FICTION ANTHOLOGY ON THE POLITICS OF THE FUTURE
London: Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1976. Octavo, boards. First British edition. (#73080)
More Details about BUY JUPITER AND OTHER STORIES
Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1957. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#142672)
More Details about EARTH IS ROOM ENOUGH: SCIENCE FICTION TALES OF OUR OWN PLANET
[Binghamton]: Whispers Press, 1982. Octavo, leather-backed linen. Limited edition. (#142677)
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Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1972. Octavo, cloth. First edition. (#138679)
More Details about THE GODS THEMSELVES
New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Auckland: Doubleday, [1989]. Octavo, cloth-backed boards. First edition. (#10676)
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