Rhodes, W. H. The Case of Summerfield. With an Introduction by Geraldine Bonner. San Francisco and New York: Paul Elder & Company, [1907]. First separate edition. Small octavo, pp. [1-8] i-vi [vii-viii] 1-54 [55: blank] [56: colophon] [57-62: blank]. Original bevel-edged brown boards with white paper vellum spine panel, front and spine panels stamped in gold, top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed. Illustrated at the frontis with a photogravure reproduction of an oil painting by Galen J. Perrett. Private bookplate affixed to front paste-down, a fine copy. #3712. $25. 1000 copies printed by John Henry Nash. A good example of American fine press work, with tasteful typography on beautiful heavy rag paper. This short story about the invention of a powerful explosive, published in a Bay Area newspaper in 1871, caught the public's attention and was later included in the 1876 posthumous literary miscellany, Caxton's Book, a title generally respected by early collectors of fantasy and science fiction. Anthony Boucher called Rhodes "one of the great pioneers of modern science fiction." Bleiler (1978), p. 166. Reginald 12193. Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 1862a. Clareson, Science Fiction in America, 1870s-1930s 648. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, p. 182. Moskowitz, Science Fiction in Old San Francisco Volume I: History of the Movement from 1854 to 1890, pp. 43-61.

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Bibliographic Details

Title: The Case of Summerfield
Publisher: Paul Elder [1907], San Francisco and New York
Publication Date: 1907
Binding: Hardback
Illustrator: Galen J. Perrett
Edition: First Edition.
Condition: Fine

Store Description

When I began my bookselling business in 1996 I called it "Eldritch Books" because that adjective at least partly covered the type of material I offered (and because its similarity to my own surname seemed so -- eldritch). "Ghost stories" would be another handy, if somewhat reductive, term. Most of it is fiction from the 19th and early 20th century with a strong emphasis on the fantastic. Since the most familiar and relevant genre terms in use today -- "science fiction," "fantasy," "supernatural," "horror" -- were not so much in use when these books were first published, pegging them that way can be anachronistic. But that should give you the general idea. I don't have much in the way of American pulp (either in magazine or specialty press book form) but otherwise my interests range widely from high-brow to middle-brow to low-brow to amateur/eccentric. You're more likely to find rare and obscure works here than high spots. (Or at least they're obscure now, whatever their status was when first published.) In 2001 I went to work for L. W. Currey as cataloguer and general assistant. Since 2014 I've been back working on my own. I have exhibited at convention fairs (such as WFC and Readercon) in the past. I began collecting and studying antiquarian fantasy around 1980. Some of my essays have appeared in genre publications such as NYRSF, Wormwood and F&SF. I tend to carefully research my inventory and write extensive notes. (If another dealer wishes to make use of any of these notes, I'd appreciate the courtesy of putting such excerpts in quotes and giving proper attribution to me. That's what I do when I quote from any of my reference works.) I will be gradually listing my inventory on ABE over the coming years. I hope you find something of interest.

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Robert Eldridge, Bookseller
NY, U.S.A.

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I ship only by U.S. Postal Service. All shipments are packed carefully and mailed with insurance and (for domestic shipments) tracking information. Except where specified for extra large items, rates are: Domestic Media Mail: $5. Domestic Priority: $10. International First Class (must be under 4 lbs.): $25. International Global Priority (required by USPS regulations for anything over 4 lbs.) -- ask for quo...

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