Wolfe, Gene

Storeys From the Old Hotel; [with] For Rosemary

(Worcester Park, Surrey, UK): Kerosina Books, 1988. First and Limited Edition. Hardcover. First printing, no. 205 of 250 copies, octavo size, 299 and 46 pp. respectively, in slipcase. Fine / fine. Item #22041516

Fantasy and science fiction writer Gene Wolfe (b. 1931) has written a plethora of novels and short stories; his works have garnered many awards, including the Nebula Award and the World Fantasy Award.

This work, "Storeys From the Old Hotel", is collection of thirty-four stories which Wolfe stated are "mostly stories I feel are good, but that have received little or no praise" (n.b., quote from the web site of the Kirkus Review). It would be the winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Collection for that year.

Accompanying it is a slim volume of verse, "For Rosemary", who "became my wife on November 3, 1956" (preface). Wolfe went on to say that, while editing the volume, he "was struck by how autobiographical they [the poems] are. They were written...in moments of intense emtion...". An interesting view through the medium of poetry into the mind of this great writer.

___DESCRIPTION: Both volumes bound in full turquoise cloth over boards, the front boards stamped with a gilt decoration, gilt lettering stamped onto the spines, "Old Hotel" with a frontispiece which serves as the limitation page, this no. 205 of 250 copies and signed by Gene Wolfe; both octavo size (8 11/16" by 5 1/2"); pagination: "Old Hotel" [1-5] 6-299, and "For Rosemary" [1-4] 5-46. "Old Hotel" with a pictorial dust jacket with the original price of GBP 40.00 net (for the Collector's Edition), summary of this work on the front flap and author bio on the back flap. Both books enclosed in a slipcase covered in the same turquoise cloth.

___CONDITION: Both volumes fine, with clean boards utterly without wear, straight corners without rubbing, strong, square text blocks with solid hinges, the interiors are clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; clean, crisp, as new. The dust jacket on "Old Hotel" also fine, not price-clipped, clean, free of wear and the spine colour still deep (not sunned). Slipcase fine overall, strong and sturdy, not sunned or worn, with a few very light, stray marks. A remarkable example of this World Fantasy Award winner.

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Price: $250.00