John O'Hara lending library

I just bought this copy of Sweet and Sour, so I thought it was a good time to put together a post of a few of my first editions by O'Hara, as well as a few nice ones I don't possess. I love the design of this book jacket!

Sweet and Sour, by John O'Hara First UK edition 1955

Appointment in Samarra 1934

A Rage to Live 1949 via Live Auctioneers

Butterfield 8 1935 signed first edition via eBay. Cover by Arthur Hawkins, Jr.

Rabbit, Run x 2

Here is the well-known John Updike classic in its familiar first American edition, as well as the UK edition. 

John Updike. Rabbit, Run. New York: Knopf, 1960. First edition. This particular copy is signed by the author and will be auctioned on Heritage Auctions on April 2nd.

John Updike. Rabbit, Run. Andre Deutsch, [1961]. First UK edition. Signed by the author on the title page. From the collection of Alexander J. Jemal, Jr. via

Science fiction novels from the 1950s

The fifties were arguably the golden age of science fiction, and here are a few highly collectible novels from that era by such giants as Isaac Asimov & Ray Bradbury. The first six are from the bookseller L.W. Currey. They have an especially wide range of first edition science fiction and fantasy books. The last two are from my own library. 

 Isaac Asimov THE STARS, LIKE DUST. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1951

Clarke, Arthur C. THE CITY AND THE STARS. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, [1956]. Cover design by George Salter.

Clarke, Arthur C. THE CITY AND THE STARS. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, [1956]. Cover design by George Salter.

Asimov, Isaac. THE CURRENTS OF SPACE. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1952. Jacket design by George Giusti.

Asimov, Isaac. THE CURRENTS OF SPACE. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1952. Jacket design by George Giusti.

Asimov, Isaac. THE MARTIAN WAY AND OTHER STORIES. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1955. 

Asimov, Isaac. THE MARTIAN WAY AND OTHER STORIES. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1955. 

Robert A. Heinlein. BETWEEN PLANETS. New York:Charles Scribner's Sons, 1951.

Robert A. Heinlein. BETWEEN PLANETS. New York:Charles Scribner's Sons, 1951.

Bradbury, Ray. THE ILLUSTRATED MAN. First British edition. London: Rupert Hart-Davis, 1952.

Bradbury, Ray. THE ILLUSTRATED MAN. First British edition. London: Rupert Hart-Davis, 1952.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. 1950. This is my copy. It's a facsimile edition from The First Edition Library. An actual first edition of this novel is really pricey, usually in the thousands of dollars..

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. 1950. This is my copy. It's a facsimile edition from The First Edition Library. An actual first edition of this novel is really pricey, usually in the thousands of dollars..

Shambleau and Others by C.L.Moore 1953. My "First Edition Library" reprint of the First Edition from 1981.

Shambleau and Others by C.L.Moore 1953. My "First Edition Library" reprint of the First Edition from 1981.

A couple of great crime yarns

From my library. Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain knew how to capture the seamy underside of the human condition. Here are two of their best that were also the basis of memorable 40s films featuring the steamy pairings of Bogart + Bacall and Garfield + Turner.

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler 1939." So she giggled. Very cute. The giggles got louder and ran around the corners of the room like rats behind the wainscoting." 

The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain 1934.  “We’re just two punks, Frank. God kissed us on the brow that night. He gave us all that two people can ever have and we just weren’t the kind that could have it. [I]t’s a big airplane engine, that takes you through the sky, right up to the top of the mountain. But when you put it in a Ford, it just shakes it to pieces. That’s what we are, Frank, a couple of Fords.”