POLLEN (First edition - first impression - one of 1200 copies printed)

First impression of the true first edition. Jeff Noon's second novel, published in a small print run of 1200 copies by a Manchester 'small press' publisher in hardback. Part of the 'Vurt sequence' comprising VURT (1993 paperback original), POLLEN(1995),AUTOMATED ALICE (1996) and NYMPHOMATION (1997), all set in various versions of a Near-Future Manchester. ***Near fine in pale-orange cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine. The boards are clean and unmarked. Head and tail of spine very slightly creased. Corner tips mainly sharp, just slightly creased to the back board. No reading lean to the binding. Flat spine tight. Page block edges very lightly foxed and lightly tanned. Internally also near fine, with no previous ownership inscriptions. Endpapers clean with no browning, just very light foxing at the edges. No internal foxing. No creases and tears. ***In a near fine colour-illustrated dustwrapper, priced at £14.99 by the published on the back panel. The dustwrapper is complete with no loss - just lightly rubbed at the edges. No creases or tears. None of the usual fading even to the spine colours. Dustwrapper bright. ***327 pages. 242mm x 158mm. ***'Jeff Noon (born 1957 in Droylsden, Lancashire, England) is a British novelist, short story writer and playwright whose works make use of word play and fantasy. Noon's speculative fiction books have ties to the works of writers such as Lewis Carroll and Jorge Luis Borges. Prior to his relocation in 2000 to Brighton, Noon set most of his stories in some version of his native city of Manchester. ***"Pollen" is the sequel to "Vurt" and concerns the ongoing struggle between the real world and the vurtual world. When concerning the "vurtual" world, some references to Greek mythology are noticeable, including Persephone and Demeter, the river Styx and Charon, and Hades (portrayed by the character John Barleycorn).' (Wiki) ***'In a strange re-mixed future Manchester a cloud of pollen descends - a new strain, each tiny grain a murderer. Within days the streets of the city are overgrown with vicious blooms as the fiercest hay fever epidemic of all time takes hold. People are sneezing themselves to death and the pollen count is racing towards 2000. A small percentage of the population are immune to the fever. Two of them - shadow-cop Sibyl Jones and her wayward daughter Boda - are on separate paths into the dark place from where the pollen originates. What they find there will change their lives forever. ***The fate of Manchester depends upon them. (Quote taken from the front flap of the dustwrapper) ***First impression of the true first edition, in its original dustwrapper, in near fine collectable condition - just the above-mentioned very minor faults. With such a small print run, the book is quite hard to come by now, especially in such nice condition. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.…