Book Collection: Cordial Jim

[Cordial Jim]

Greetings. I've been a fan of this site for a long time. It's been such a pleasure to look at all the amazing book collections here. It brings much joy and relaxation to this bibliophile. Uncle Stevie has been my very favorite author for my entire life. This site is such a great source for King-related info. To all involved in the site (and all the long time members), awesome, awemsome job, and thank you! :)

I figured I'd add my humble book collection to the mix. And when I say humble, I mean humble! I have very few S/L's in my collection, unfortunately (although I do have a couple dozen signed books). Money has been tight for most of my life, and just when the budget was starting to allowing it, divorce hits! Back in the poor house again. Still, that's never stopped me from loving books and collecting them. It's brought much joy to my life for the last 20-some years. 90% of my collection comes from the wild - used book stores, book sales, yard sales, etc. I'm lucky to live in an area where I have 3 good used book stores (one really good -- Second Story Books in Rockville, MD) within 15 minutes from my office. I've hit all 3 of them twice a week at lunch for the last 10 years. Second Story is in an industrial warehouse and is huge, with new stock coming in all the time. It's a great thrill to find VG (and up) books from authors you collect in the wild. And it's just great to be in a good used book store period, so relaxing. :)

My favorite genres are crime, mystery, horror, and fantasy, but I can get into pretty much anything if the writing and story are good. Most of my collection is first editions (including paperback originals, which I love), but I'm not immune to having some second, third, or fourth printings for certain hard-to-find, expensive books (I'm looking at you Last Exit to Brooklyn, Candy, Jaws, The Andromedia Strain, The Stand and some others). I also have a few *ahem* book clubs (Carrie, Night Shift) and I organize my books by size (authors can be spread out over different shelves). I know, it's weird. :) Favorite Authors: Stephen King (by a long mile), John D. MacDonald, Evan Hunter, Donald Westlake, Ross Thomas, Michael Crichton, Jim Thompson, Robert McCammon, William Marshall, Elmore Leonard, Thomas Harris, Alan Furst, Robert B. Parker, Joe Lansdale, Dennis Etchison, Jack Ketchum, Richard Layman, Rex Miller, Joe Hill, J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard (and others).

Anyway, here it is...

The King Case:

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The Main Case:

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Harris, McCammon, Lansdale, Hill
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Tolkien
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Robert E. Howard (love the Lancer Conan's!)
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Vintage paperbacks (McBain, Stark, McDonald, Westlake, Crichton and others)
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The "Literary" Shelf
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Stark (Westlake), McBain, Gores, Marshall, Thomas, Parker
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Clancy (first five books only!), Crichton, Furst, Cronin
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Westlake, Thomas, Leonard, Parker
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McDonald, Crichton, Benchley (early books only!), and others
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Mystery shelf (Kaminsky, Pickard, Atherton, Dunning, and others)
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Simmons, Dunning, Gores, Dorsey and others
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Anthologies
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Upstairs Case:

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Sci-Fi (including the wacky early 80's series Spaceways) and Glen Cook
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Horror Paperbacks (McCammon, Laymon, Rex Miller, Ed Lee and others)
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60's, 70's paperbacks
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Travis McGee paperback originals
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Dan J. Marlowe's Drake series, Phillip Atlee's Joe Gall series and William Marshall's Yellowthread Street series (not complete)
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80's paperbacks (Stephen Greenleaf, Arthur Lyons, John Lutz, Charles Willeford)
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Comic Books, MST3K cards and other stuff
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Books About Books
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Trade Paperbacks
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Pile of Books
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Well, that's my humble collection. It's not much, but I'm proud of it. Thanks for taking the time to look at it. Happy book collecting! :)

[Tommy]

Thank you for sharing! Very nice! :clap:

[needfulthings]

Welcome...Interesting collection... Being as Evan Hunter is among your favorite authors you may want find this 1984 1st edition of The Blackboard Jungle that has a 6 page introduction by Stephen King.
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Happy Book Collecting.

[peripheral]

I see no "humble" collection. This looks fantastic... I haven't had a thorough look yet, but thought I'd get in a welcome and thanks for sharing..!

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

Nice stuff. I even spotted a Robert Bloch! (PSYCHO II)

[zelig]

It looks great! Thanks for sharing it. Love the paperbacks.

[herbertwest]

That's a really nice looking collection! Welcome in the club!

[Stockerlone]

VERY nice collection !!!

[dnemec]

I just love the old paperbacks! I always pick them up when I can find them. I like to smell them... :blush:

[lotuz]

Thanks for sharing!!

I love the Books About Books section - the mark of a true bibliophile :):):)

[Cordial Jim]

Hey, thanks everybody! I appreciate it. :)

needfulthings - I've been on the lookout for that book for a long time. I may have to dial that one up online sometime.

Here are some pics of some of my favorite paperbacks...

Vintage early 50's
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Evan Hunter (Ed McBain -- and the awesome 87th Precinct series)
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First Parker novel (Westlake/Stark), early John D.
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Early Michael Crichton
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Dan J. Marlowe's Drake series (early 70's)
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The two that started it all! :)
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Rex Miller paperback originals (late 80's, early 90's -- As King said, Rex brings the dynamite in both hands!)
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Spaceways series (early 80's, Andrew J.Offutt)
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[Randall Flagg]

Where are the Rex Miller titles Profane Men, and Savant?

[Cordial Jim]

Unfortunately, I don't have those two on my shelf. I used to have Savant years ago, but it was in horrible condition. I also want to get the S/L Saint Louis Blues and some of the other anthologies that contain his short stories (I have about half of them right now). I really love his writing.

Here are a few more pics from my collection...

Early 80's James Ellroy, including his first novel, the PBO Brown's Requiem (2nd printing). Both inscribed and signed
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70's Howard hardcovers (Grant)
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Late 60's Westlake/Stark first edition hardcovers
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Early 70's McBain first edition hardcovers
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Mid-70's William Marshall first editions, Books 2 and 3 in the awesome Yellowthread Street series
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[lotuz]

LOVE those William Marshall covers :cool2:

[Randall Flagg]

Don't forget the signed limited Slob.

[Hunchback Jack]

OMG, what a great collection. Some of the cover illustrations on those old paperbacks are insane!

HBJ

[Cordial Jim]

Don't forget the signed limited Slob.

Wow, I didn't know there was a S/L for Slob! Centipede Press, intro by Ray Garton, essay from Rex. Way cool!


LOVE those William Marshall covers :cool2:

Yeah, they are really great, arn't they. The mid-80's Holt, Rinehart and Winston's are also really good.

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I always thought the series would make for a great TV series, especially now on something like Amazon. There was a UK version for one season in 1990, but they didn't do it justice. Have the first season set in the 70's and the second in the 80's, with the same cast (with some good writers and directors)! Who wouldn't enjoy exploring the seedy underbelly of Hong Kong in these decades? :)

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

I have a question - are the SPACEWAYS books fun to read?

[peripheral]

Rex Miller... I've always wondered about pursuing his stuff. These look like they're in great condition, too...

[Cordial Jim]

I have a question - are the SPACEWAYS books fun to read?

Yeah, totally. They are sort of like an X-rated version of Star Trek. All the stuff you know Kirk was doing behind the scenes, it's all laid out here. :) Andrew J. Offutt is actually a really good writer. He did several good Robert E. Howard pastiche's in the late 70's-early 80's (Conan and Cormac Mac Art) and some other really well received sci-fi/fantasy series. He also wrote over 400 erotica books under many different pseudonym's in the late 60's and 70's, most of them PBO's that are quite collectible. The Spaceways series was published by Playboy Paperbacks from '82 to '84, 19 books. His son Chris is also a writer and wrote an interesting bio of his father called My Father, the Pornographer in 2016. The guy had "issues" to say the least, but his dedication to writing was never in doubt.


Rex Miller... I've always wondered about pursuing his stuff. These look like they're in great condition, too...

Rex Miller is an interesting guy. He was a popular disc jockey in the 60's and didn't start writing until he was in his 40's! His most famous character, Daniel "Chaingang" Bunkowski, a 400-pound, U.S. government-trained, precognate serial killer, is somebody you will never forget. His first book, Slob, is were you want to start.

[Brian861]

Just checking out your collection, Jim. Nice stuff!

[Cordial Jim]

Latest vintage paperbacks (mostly) acquisitions. Found in a bin at Second Story Books in Rockville, MD. All marked at $3, minus the store-wide 40% sale equals $1.80 a piece. As far as vintage paperbacks go, I try to get to get the best authors in the best condition. The vast majority I reject, even if the covers are great.

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Midwood books are hard to find these days.

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So excited to find these two! Charles Williams is one of the all-time greats of 50's/60's crime fiction. The "King of the Gold Medals". Author of Dead Calm, which was made into a great 1989 movie starring Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill and Billy Zane. And Jack Finney's third book, which was made into a great 1957 movie featuring Jack Palance playing two roles.

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Vin Packer is a pseudonym used by Marijane Meaker who was influential in early lesbian pulp fiction and later won several awards for young adult fiction. She's highly collectible.

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Ed McBain Penguin (early 80's) and a mid-80's Jim Thompson Black Lizard.

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[ur2ndbiggestfan]

Those covers are great. I noticed an Alfred Hitchcock. I used to devour his edited anthologies. I have some of the old ones too, I think.

[peripheral]

Great stuff. The covers alone are worth collecting. Love this femme fatale, noir stuff. Detroit artist, Glenn Barr, does does art reminiscent of these themes - I've purchased a few signed / limited pieces from him and brought them back to Australia.

PS - I just purchased an old paperback of Slob :). Bring on the Chaingang!!

[Cordial Jim]

Those covers are great. I noticed an Alfred Hitchcock. I used to devour his edited anthologies. I have some of the old ones too, I think.

Which one these is Hitchcock? I'm not an expert in Hitchcock, but I don't recognize any of these as being Hitchcock. Love the Hitch, though! :)


Great stuff. The covers alone are worth collecting. Love this femme fatale, noir stuff. Detroit artist, Glenn Barr, does does art reminiscent of these themes - I've purchased a few signed / limited pieces from him and brought them back to Australia.

PS - I just purchased an old paperback of Slob :). Bring on the Chaingang!!

Be prepared to be up for several hours. You will be uncomfortable and tense (to put it mildy), and you will not be able to put the book down. At the end, you might throw the book against the wall, but you will never forget what you have just read. You might have nightmares (I did), but then the next day you will be seeking the next book in the series. :)

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

Alfred Hitchcock's ONCE UPON A DREADFUL TIME in the plastic tub, waiting for a bath?

[Cordial Jim]

Ah. I thought you were referring to one of the books I purchased. I remember looking at that one. I think it had some writing on the inside, or creases (or something). Whatever the reason, it didn't pass my standards which sucks because it was an anthology that featured some of my favorite authors (Westlake, Block and Fredric Brown among others).

"Waiting for a bath", hehe! Second Story Books in Rockville is a unique book store because it's a warehouse. Books are constantly coming and going (they have another store in Dupont Circle, DC). There will be times you go in there and you will see boxes (or bins) of books on the floor that were not there a few days ago. And their shelves are constantly being reworked. Someone brought in a huge P.G. Wodehouse collection recently, which was cool to look at, but my thrifty nature prevented me from pulling the trigger. It's a book lovers paradise. It even has a friendly dog roaming around the aisles. :)

[Cordial Jim]

Courtesy of Jerome. Your generosity has warmed my heart. Thank you so much! My Rex Miller collection is almost complete now. And I LOVE the darktower.org merchandise! :)

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[ur2ndbiggestfan]

I will definitely not answer the door if Chaingang is knocking.

[Cordial Jim]

LOL! You won't have to, because you will smell him before he knocks! But because of his precognate ability, he will know that you are smelling him and then enter through an unlocked back window and kill you with his chain before you even know what is happening! :scared:

[peripheral]

Very cool adds, I have some reading copies of Miller’s stuff coming - just to get a taste of Chaingang (so to speak)

[Brian861]

Congrats, Jim and that was very cool of RF!

[Cordial Jim]

Very cool adds, I have some reading copies of Miller’s stuff coming - just to get a taste of Chaingang (so to speak)

Cool, man. Just make sure you start with Slob. Everything builds from there, and it's the best of the series IMHO.

[Cordial Jim]

New items to my collection...

Novelizations of the 1975 animated TV series Return to the Planet of the Apes, which I remember fondly as a kid growing up in the 70's. Oddly, the covers show the 1974 live-action TV series!
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Second paperback edition of Fahrenheit 451 and first edition of Third From the Sun, the truncated edition of Born of Man and Woman.

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New John D.
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First paperback edition of The Stepford Wives.
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[ur2ndbiggestfan]

Wow, that FAHRENHEIT 451 is hot! (I know, no longer even remotely funny)
Love Matheson. That THIRD FROM THE SUN looks like it's in great shape too.

[Hunchback Jack]

Gotta admit, I'm geeking out over the Planet of the Apes novelizations. I don't remember the snimated series at all, but do remember the live action one.

And congrats on the F451 2nd. Very nice!

[Cordial Jim]

Thanks! :)

Yeah, I'm definitely geeking out 70's style with those Ape books! :) The animated series was only on for one season, 13 episodes. I loved it as a kid! It had a real Johnny Quest vibe to it! Great detail in the background animation. The story was more true to Boulle's original novel than the films and live-action TV series; the Apes were more technologically advanced. They drive cars, have newspapers and TV, etc.


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[Father Cody]

Great collection. Makes me want to branch a bit more outside of the horror genre.

[TravelinJack]

Great collection. Makes me want to branch a bit more outside of the horror genre.

If you are into scifi/fantasy there is a whole galaxy of collectibles.

Hey Jim - very cool to see some John D McD!!

[Cordial Jim]

Hey, thanks guys! :)

TravelinJack, great to hear someone else mention John D! He is one of my all-time favorite authors! A master of the crime novel and short stories, he could do it all: mysteries, "business" novels, comedies, sci-fi, environmental stories and much more. A superb writer! Stephen King called him "the great entertainer of our age." My friend Steve Scott runs a GREAT JDM blog called The Trap of Solid Gold. It's well worth checking out: http://thetrapofsolidgold.blogspot.com/ .

And I am indeed into sci-fi/fantasy, although just not as passionate as other genres. I just picked some good sci-fi paperbacks recently at Second Story Books. :)

First two Dragonriders of Pern books, both first book publications, first printings (1968 and 1971)

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First book publication of The Green Brain (1966), originally published in Amazing Stories (1965) as Greenslaves. And first paperback edition, first printing, of Dune Messiah (1970). I'm a HUGE Frank Herbert fan.

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[TravelinJack]

Hey, thanks guys! :)

TravelinJack, great to hear someone else mention John D! He is one of my all-time favorite authors! A master of the crime novel and short stories, he could do it all: mysteries, "business" novels, comedies, sci-fi, environmental stories and much more. A superb writer! Stephen King called him "the great entertainer of our age." My friend Steve Scott runs a GREAT JDM blog called The Trap of Solid Gold. It's well worth checking out: http://thetrapofsolidgold.blogspot.com/ .


A master of the crime and short story indeed. His Travis McGee series sparked inspiration for many modern crime series. He had some classics up his sleeves. Been wanting to re-read Cape Fear. I usually end up re-reading some McGee book every year. Always a fun time.

Speaking of McGee, I can't tell you how this little row of paperbacks has stuck around for years, just could never think to get rid of them. Glad I never did.

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By the way, thanks for the link to the Trap of Solid Gold. Will check it out.

Love the Herbert and McCaffrey books!

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

Nice paperbacks. I'm sorry to say I've never read anything by John D. MacDonald

[Cordial Jim]

Pretty excited to have found these legendary PBO's by Philip Jose Farmer for $3 a piece. Published by soft porn publisher Essex House in '68 and '69 (with a lofty $1.95 price) and advertised as 'Entertainment for Adults Only. Sale to Minors Prohibited'. These were pretty groundbreaking for the time when it came to sci-fi and sexual themes. Peter Max did the cover for Image of the Beast. These are apparently $40-$75 books based on the ABE Books listings.

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[ur2ndbiggestfan]

I paid $50 for THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST many years ago, back when it was harder to find since there was no internet. I don't remember what I paid for BLOWN, but it was certainly more than $3.00. You got a great deal!
And they're not pornography, they're adult science fiction and fantasy entertainment! (I know, just keep telling myself that)
I met Mr. Farmer a long time ago, for a few minutes at a science fiction convention. He is one of my two favorite authors.

[TravelinJack]

Interesting finds. Very good deal. Congrats!

[Hunchback Jack]

I'm a HUGE Frank Herbert fan.

Ah, a man of taste. Nice pickup on the Dune Messiah paperback!

My favourite paperback covers of the Dune saga are the old-ish NEL paperbacks with the Bruce Pennington illustrations. Those were the first editions I read - they were my father's - and I still think they capture the feel of the books perfectly.

HBJ

[Cordial Jim]

I paid $50 for THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST many years ago, back when it was harder to find since there was no internet. I don't remember what I paid for BLOWN, but it was certainly more than $3.00. You got a great deal!
And they're not pornography, they're adult science fiction and fantasy entertainment! (I know, just keep telling myself that)
I met Mr. Farmer a long time ago, for a few minutes at a science fiction convention. He is one of my two favorite authors.

Yeah, I know they are not pornography, but the publisher (Essex House) was a well-known purveyor of soft porn at the time. It's pulp fiction, erotica and horror! What a combination, especially for the late 60's! Philip was a trail blazer! ;)

I also picked up A Feast Unknown (1969) in the same haul. What a weird novel this is. "Lord Grandrith" and "Doc Caliban", essentially Tarzan and Doc Savage, half-brothers whose father is Jack The Ripper! It gets more bizarre from there! I must say though, he's a damn good writer! :)

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I'm a HUGE Frank Herbert fan.

Ah, a man of taste. Nice pickup on the Dune Messiah paperback!

My favourite paperback covers of the Dune saga are the old-ish NEL paperbacks with the Bruce Pennington illustrations. Those were the first editions I read - they were my father's - and I still think they capture the feel of the books perfectly.

HBJ

Awesome, man! Great to feel the love for Frank Herbert! :)

[peripheral]

Great paperbacks (I keep forgetting that Levin wrote The Stepford Wives)

[Cordial Jim]

Thanks peripheral! I love the smell of good paperback in the morning. :)

Picked up a few more this week...

Great late 50's Robert McGinnis cover and an early (1960) Lawrence Block book (writing under the pseudonym Andrew Shaw), when he and Donald Westlake were making ends meet writing soft porn on the side. My first Nightstand book. Hard to find these days. :)
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1969 Bantam paperback edition of Psycho (first Canadian paperback edition). Still one of my favorite books! A Classic!
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[Father Cody]

Cool Psycho paperback. I’m obsessed with these older (vintage?) paperbacks right now. Something about the cover art. Feels reminiscent of my baseball car collecting days.

[TravelinJack]

Thanks peripheral! I love the smell of good paperback in the morning. :)

Picked up a few more this week...

Great late 50's Robert McGinnis cover and an early (1960) Lawrence Block book (writing under the pseudonym Andrew Shaw), when he and Donald Westlake were making ends meet writing soft porn on the side. My first Nightstand book. Hard to find these days. :)
http://magnum-mania.com/images/books-105.jpg

1969 Bantam paperback edition of Psycho (first Canadian paperback edition). Still one of my favorite books! A Classic!
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Excellent pickups! In great shape.

[Stockerlone]

I love this older bookcoverillustrations !!!

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

That copy of PSYCHO just makes me crazy!

[Cordial Jim]

Thanks! I'm glad to see that there are still people out there that have the love for paperbacks! Collectible paperbacks, that is. :)

[Hunchback Jack]

Yeah, those older "pulp" PB covers are fantastic. A real snapshot in time. Congrats.

[Cordial Jim]

Latest pickups from a NOVA book sale.

One of the last great Gold Medal PBO's (1980). Absolutely love John Dunning's books. I'm all about book collectors who write really good books that feature book collecting. :)

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Finally have the full text for "Throttle"! :)

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Guilty pleasure of mine (1971, Whitman).

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[Brian861]

Throttle is a great story.

[Lurker]

One of the last great Gold Medal PBO's (1980). Absolutely love John Dunning's books. I'm all about book collectors who write really good books that feature book collecting. :)

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John Dunning! YES!!

[Cordial Jim]

John Dunning! YES!!

Cool! Good to see another Dunning fan! He's one of my favorite authors. The Cliff Janeway books are my favorites. Booked to Die is a Top 10 All-Time book for me. Super stoked to have found that early PBO. It's apparently worth around $100, which blows my mind!

[Lurker]

He used to come to Murder by the Book in Houston when ever a new one came out,so most of my Janeway's are signed or inscribed except Booked to Die. All I had at the time was the pb so I did get that signed.

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

Did he find Ginger North?
I must admit John Dunning is another author I am not familiar with.

[Cordial Jim]

He used to come to Murder by the Book in Houston when ever a new one came out,so most of my Janeway's are signed or inscribed except Booked to Die. All I had at the time was the pb so I did get that signed.

Wow, really cool, Lurker! I have a couple of signed Dunning books, but none in person.


Did he find Ginger North?
I must admit John Dunning is another author I am not familiar with.

You'll have to read the book! Sorry, the book is really hard to find! :)

John Dunning is a really interesting guy. He worked for the Denver Post in the 70's, wrote a couple of well-received novels in the late 70's and early 80's, then quit writing over frustrations with his publishers. He then opened a used book store called Old Algonquin Bookstore in Denver (still open today as online only). He started writing again the early 90's with the Cliff Janeway novels about a book collector who has to fight for his life. 6 books in the series, all are drenched in all things about books and book collecting. Three Edgar Award nominations. He also wrote reference books on old-time radio.

[peripheral]

Nice stuff. I've never heard of John Dunning, I'll have to check him out. Are his books still in print? Anywhere I should start? That Hawaii Five-O cover is classic...:)

[Cordial Jim]

The Cliff Janeway books are still in print, all the others probably not (although they may be available as e-books). Definitely the place to start is Booked To Die (1992), the first Cliff Janeway book!

http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Booked-to-Die/John-Dunning/The-Cliff-Janeway-Series/9780684193830

Here's his bio from his book store website: http://oldalgonquin.com/john-dunning/

[TravelinJack]

The Cliff Janeway books are still in print, all the others probably not (although they may be available as e-books). Definitely the place to start is Booked To Die (1992), the first Cliff Janeway book!

http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Booked-to-Die/John-Dunning/The-Cliff-Janeway-Series/9780684193830

Here's his bio from his book store website: http://oldalgonquin.com/john-dunning/

Haven’t read Dunning either. Just added Booked to Die to my to read list. :thumbsup:

[Cordial Jim]

Cool! As fans of first editions, you guys will LOVE the book! So many books are featured in the story, including a couple of Sai King's! :)

Biblio did a nice "revisited" review of the book a couple of years ago, which lists some of the books mentioned in the story (and the 1992 value listed in the book vs. what the book is worth now). One of the reasons the story is so interesting is because it was just at the edge of "pre-internet" (1992). Book stores and book collecting changed so much not long after the story was published. It's a fascinating, well-written, well-plotted, time capsule of book collecting.

https://www.biblio.com/blog/2014/04/booked-die-revisited/

* Depressed to see Thomas Berger has gone down so much in value!