Rare books from John W. Knott, Jr., Bookseller, ABAA/ILAB

New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., [1952]. First edition. A near fine copy in a very good plus dust jacket, short closed tears to upper front panel (with crease), upper spine panel at front fold, upper rear panel, mild rubbing to corners, spine ends, and a few rub spots to spine panel and front panel. The jacket presents quite well as the colors are bright and rubbing to black background is minimal. A nice copy of a poorly made book. (9126). Octavo, illustration by Leo Manso, boards. Filmed in 1984 by Sergio Leone as One Upon A Time in America with Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams and others.

Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1970. First edition. Glue bleed stain along gutter margins (not uncommon in Doubleday books of this period), a fine copy in a fine dust jacket, touch of edge rubbing to spine ends, thin rub along spine/rear panel fold, some age darkening to rear panel. A very collectible copy of this title. (10173). Octavo, illustration by Amelia S. Edwards, cloth. The first volume in the Amber series. Barron (ed), Fantasy and Horror 7-388. Schlobin, The Literature of Fantasy 1143. Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature I, pp. 29-35. Tymn (ed), Fantasy Literature, pp. 180-82.

Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1967. First edition. A touch of rubbing to extremities, a fine copy in a nearly fine dust jacket, touch of rubbing to spine ends and corners, the verso of the jacket had been re-enforced with small piece of cello-tape (now gone) at the corners, stains remain to interior with light bleed through at spine ends. (11454). Octavo, cloth. Author's signature laid in. Hugo award winner 1968, Nebula nominee, 1967. "...his most sustained single tale, richly conceived and plotted, exhilarating throughout its considerable length. Some of the crew of a human colony ship, which has deposited its settlers on a livable world, have made use of advanced Technology (including Identity Transfer) to ensconce themselves in the role of gods, selecting their role models from the Hindu pantheon, including a fatally attractive She figure. But where Hinduism flourishes, the Buddha - in the shape of the protagonist Sam - must follow; and his liberation of the… Read More

Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., 1917. First edition. Three line gift inscription in ink dated 1917 on front free endpaper. Orange enamel stamping on front cover a bit dull but fully present, top edge of pages dusty, a nearly fine copy. Nice copies of this book are uncommon. No dust jacket. (19956). Octavo, pp. [i-vi] vii-xii [xiii-xvi] 1-326 [327] [328: blank], five inserted plates with illustrations by Frank E. Schoonover, original dark brown cloth, front and spine panels stamped in orange. The first book of the Mars series. Burroughs' first published story (written in 1911) and his only story to originally appear under a pseudonym. The story first appeared under the byline "Norman Bean" (he had intended that pen name be "Normal Bean") as a six-part serial "Under the Moons of Mars" in a Munsey magazine, THE ALL-STORY, February-July 1912. This novel preceded the first publication of "Tarzan of the Apes," published in the October 1912 issue of THE… Read More

Sauk City, WI: Arkham House, 1944. First edition. A fine copy in a fine dust jacket. Wandrei library label laid in. (15586). Octavo, illustrated by Virgil Finlay, cloth. 2035 copies printed. Revisions, articles, fragments and essays. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1042. Joshi I-A-19.

[West Kingston, Rhode Island]: Donald M. Grant Publisher, Inc., [1982, 1987, 1991, 1997], 2003, 2004, 2008. First editions. Fine copies in fine dust jackets and cloth slipcases, most all volumes unopened and still in shrinkwrap. (Note: extra shipping costs for the set). (22651). Octavo, eight volumes, cloth. Complete limited edition set of the Dark Tower series inlcuding THE LITTLE SISTERS OF ELURIA with matched number (#180), signed by King and the artists: Michael Whelan, Phil Hale, Ned Dameron, Dave McKean, Berni Wrightson, Darrel Anderson and Michael Whelan. Limitations are 500, 850, 1250, 1250, 1350, 1400, 1500 and 1250. All seven numbered volumes of the Dark Tower series and also THE LITTLE SISTERS OF ELURIA which contains the title novella, which is an early adventure of Roland Deschain, The Gunslinger and an expanded version of the first novel, THE GUNSLINGER. All volumes have matching numbers. "Different in tone from most of King's work - and perhaps more demandingly inventive than usual -… Read More

London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, [1966]. First British (and first hardcover) printing of the second edition. A fine set in nearly fine dust jackets with mild wear to spine ends and corner tips, mild age darkening to spine panels. An attractive set of an important edition. (22905). Octavo, three volumes, cloth. Follows the 1965 Ballantine Books text. Comprises THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, THE TWO TOWERS and THE RETURN OF THE KING. Barron (ed), Fantasy Literature 3-40. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1606, 1607, and 1608. Cawthorn and Moorcock, Fantasy: The 100 Best Books 76. Pringle, Modern Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels 16. Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature II, pp. 897-915. Tymn (ed), Fantasy Literature, pp. 193-96.

Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., 1922. First edition. Lower spine end and lower corner tips worn, upper spine end rubbed, faint tape ghost at lower edge of front cover, top edge of pages just a bit dusty, a very good copy in good four-color pictorial dust jacket (reproducing painting by J. Allen St. John on front panel) with several closed tears, mostly along folds, small internal tape mends to same, some dust soiling, principally to spine panel, rear panel and along flap folds, small chips at left and right upper spine folds, light wear to lower spine end, and tiny chip at center of front spine fold. Overall, the dust jacket presents fairly well. An uncommon book in jacket. (15273). Octavo, pp. [1-8] 1-375 [376: blank], eight inserted plates with illustrations by J. Allen St. John, eight inserted plates with illustrations by J. Allen St. John, original red cloth, front and spine panels stamped in black. 12,500 copies printed. Fifth book of the Mars series. Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years… Read More

Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc., 1942. First edition. Some toning to end papers, some erasures to front free end paper, a clean, nearly fine copy in an attractive very good dust jacket with a small "v" chip to upper front panel, several tiny tears and crease to lower front panel, light wear to spine ends with shallow loss at head of spine panel, mild color fade to spine panel. (25433). Octavo, pp. [i-vi] vii-viii [ix-x] [1] 2-342, original blue-green cloth, spine stamped in gold. A brother and sister move to rural Devon and purchase Cliff House in which they find it is haunted by a ghost. The author's best known novel which became a bestseller U. S. (first published in the U. K. as UNEASY FREEHOLD, 1941). Filmed in 1944 with Ray Milland. Ashley, Who's Who in Horror and Fantasy Fiction, p. 124. Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 1064. Sullivan (ed), The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural, p. 275. In 333. Bleiler (1978), p. 128.… Read More

New York: Gnome Press, Inc., Publishers, [1952]. First edition. Slight toning to text block, some scuffs to front cover, a very good copy in a very good dust jacket with shelf wear to the corner tips and spine ends. Small chips and tears to head of spine panel, tiny tears at the corners of the base of the spine panel, tiny closed tear at upper front panel, and some edge rubbing (28155). Octavo, jacket art by David Kyle, cloth. The second Gnome Conan. Collects "The People of the Black Circle," "The Slithering Shadow," "The Pool of the Black One" and "Red Nails," all first published in WEIRD TALES in 1933, 1934 and 1936.

New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, [1947]. First edition. A fine copy in a nearly fine dust jacket with a touch of wear to the corner tips and spine ends, a small 12 mm closed tear to the upper right rear panel. (28499). Octavo, cloth. Story that was the basis for the classic 1947 Christmas film (as well as the later versions). The novella was published to capitalize on the 1947 film release.

New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1961]. First edition. First printing with code "C22" on page 408. A nearly fine copy in a very good dust jacket with rubbing and light wear to the corner tips, the front panel has rub marks mostly along the upper edges, mild rubbing and wear to the spine ends with a small chip at the base of the spine, spine panel is faded from green to blue, small closed tear to the upper rear panel. (28638). Octavo, cloth. Winner of the 1962 Hugo award for best novel. "Of all Heinlein's works this is the best known. It reached large audiences farther away from his science fiction roots than anything else he wrote..." "Stranger's cultural impact on an entire generation is, nonetheless, undeniable." - Anatomy of Wonder (1995) 3-91. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-518. Survey of Science Fiction Literature V, pp. 2195-2200.

London: The Mandrake Press, 1929. First edition. Page edges lightly tanned (much less than usual), a fine copy in very good or better pictorial dust jacket with light wear at upper spine end, 15 mm closed tear at lower rear spine fold with associated internal tape mend, and just a touch of fade to blue ink on spine panel. A lovely copy with striking three-color art deco dust jacket designed by Beresford Egan. (#168640) (29466). Octavo, pp. [i-iv] v-vii [viii] 9-335 [336: printer's imprint], original green cloth, spine panel stamped in gold. A novel about the magical pursuits and feuds of Crowley's day with many recognizable personalities ... at times very amusing in its bizarre vituperation, despite formal flaws." - Sullivan (ed), The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural, pp. 106-07. "... one of the relatively rare works of fantastic fiction which deserves attention primarily as part of a psychological case study." - Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature III, pp. 1065-67. Barron (ed),… Read More

New York: Gnome Press, Inc., Publishers, [1954]. First edition. Some rubbing to lower board edges, a nearly fine copy in a bright, nearly fine dust jacket with some color fade to the red ink of the authors name on the spine panel, a touch of shelf wear to the lower front corner tip. (30444). Octavo, jacket art by Ed Emshwiller, boards. The fifth Gnome Press Conan. Collects "Black Colossus," "Shadows in the Moonlight," "A Witch Shall Be Born," "Shadows in Zamboula" and "The Devil in Iron," all first published in WEIRD TALES in 1933, 1934 and 1935.

Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co., 1914. First edition, first printing with "W. F. Hall Printing Co. / Chicago" set in Old English type on two lines on verso of title leaf, first binding without acorn device on spine panel. First leaf after free end paper has been excised and a signed leaf has been tipped in, spine a bit dulled, binding slightly askew, spine a bit dull, corners soft, a very good copy with bright gilt to the front cover. A good example of the A.L. Burt reprint dust jacket which reproduces the art of the first edition dust jacket accompanies this copy. (31176). Octavo, pp. [1-10] 1-400 [401] [402-406: blank] [note: first and last two leaves are blanks], original red cloth, front stamped in blind and gold, spine stamped in gold. Signed leaf by Burroughs tipped in. First of the Tarzan novels, one of the iconic characters of 20th century fiction, basis for many films, radio and television shows. Anatomy of Wonder (1976) 2-32; (1981) 1-32; (1987) 1-18; and (1995) 1-18. Barron (ed), Fantasy… Read More