Suntup Editions

[Father Cody]

Am I the only one who is struck kind of funny by the discussion about the absence of the authors signature? This isn't a book by a living author who has chosen not to sign a publication, it is a book by a woman who has been dead for 50+ years! Hahaha, I'm sure Paul or any other publisher would love to roll the moldering old bones of a dead author out of their grave for an impromptu signing, but it's not currently an option

Personally, if the author is alive, I like a new publication to be signed by that author, but if the author is dead, it's a moot point for me.

It’s just a hypothetical discussion. It started when we were guessing what the book would be and there were a few people saying it wouldn’t be a book by a dead author because there’d be no signature.

[Brian James Freeman]

Am I the only one who is struck kind of funny by the discussion about the absence of the authors signature? This isn't a book by a living author who has chosen not to sign a publication, it is a book by a woman who has been dead for 50+ years!

Well, if Paul REALLY wanted to make one hell of a collectible, there are ways around that:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_writing

[firemonkey66]

It’s just a hypothetical discussion. It started when we were guessing what the book would be and there were a few people saying it wouldn’t be a book by a dead author because there’d be no signature.

I was referencing the discussion starting here:

Just for discussion sake, does anybody else prefer their signed limited books to be signed by the author? I know she is dead and its a great book and all, just curious about other opinions.

I didn't say it was a bad discussion, just that it struck me as funny. Part of the reason it struck me funny is because it also made me think of possible substitutions for an authors signature in that specific situation. What if instead of a signature, some personal possession of the deceased was included with each edition, like if each lettered edition contained an epoxy resin bound coin from the pocketful of change the author died with? Would it add value to the book or would it be too morbid? What if it was a hair of the author, like something that contained their DNA?

How cool would it be if the next Suntup publication was Jurassic Park and each lettered edition had an amber bound mosquito filled with Michael Crichton's blood embedded in the front cover of the book? Hmmmm, that might make production costs too high....and maybe be too morbid........maybe.

[firemonkey66]

Am I the only one who is struck kind of funny by the discussion about the absence of the authors signature? This isn't a book by a living author who has chosen not to sign a publication, it is a book by a woman who has been dead for 50+ years!

Well, if Paul REALLY wanted to make one hell of a collectible, there are ways around that:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_writing

Hahaha, also a possibility!

[St. Troy]

firemonkey66 's comment made me think some would like such things, but such things might not be quite legal to sell, so now I'm imagining a black market of small-run editions that could never be listed through conventional sites or dealers, and then I thought such a thing might already exist; after all, how would I know? (I wouldn't).

Didn't someone produce a book with actual human bones in the cover?

[Father Cody]

That amber bound mosquito sounds pretty awesome haha. I know you didn’t say it’s a bad discussion, I just wasn’t sure if you saw how it started. Even on Facebook yesterday there were some groups talking about it because one person guessed it would be Fall of the House of Usher but others debated that, saying a limited edition should have an author signature. Anyway, don’t mean to beat a dead horse. I get what you’re saying.

[Father Cody]

firemonkey66 's comment made me think some would like such things, but such things might not be quite legal to sell, so now I'm imagining a black market of small-run editions that could never be listed through conventional sites or dealers, and then I thought such a thing might already exist; after all, how would I know? (I wouldn't).

Didn't someone produce a book with actual human bones in the cover?

I think that was NecroPress who did that.

[WeDealInLead]

firemonkey66 's comment made me think some would like such things, but such things might not be quite legal to sell, so now I'm imagining a black market of small-run editions that could never be listed through conventional sites or dealers, and then I thought such a thing might already exist; after all, how would I know? (I wouldn't).

Didn't someone produce a book with actual human bones in the cover?

It could've been The Girl Next Door by the late Jack Ketchum.

[firemonkey66]

firemonkey66 's comment made me think some would like such things, but such things might not be quite legal to sell, so now I'm imagining a black market of small-run editions that could never be listed through conventional sites or dealers, and then I thought such a thing might already exist; after all, how would I know? (I wouldn't).

Didn't someone produce a book with actual human bones in the cover?

I think that was NecroPress who did that.

I think it was a lettered edition of a book called The Woman or something? Flagg owns a copy, I'm pretty sure. I think it has like a human rib bone bound to the cover.

[St. Troy]

If illegal books do exist, I'd imagine a fair number of them are grimoires (seems like the appropriate type of people/product).

[St. Troy]

I think it was a lettered edition of a book called The Woman or something?

That rings a bell.

[firemonkey66]

I found the book with the human bones in Flagg's collection thread. It's friggen awesome, and I've never seen another one. With a real human bone being part of the production, maybe the Jurassic Park idea isn't too far off.....

Just received this today. The publisher describes it as " It is bound in pig skin to look like human flesh, has real human bones embedded into the front boards is housed in a red velvet traycase wrapped in a metal cage with lock and key, hand painted endpapers and a hand bound ARC for reading, hand painted foredges, silk ribbon marker etc.". Here are a few pictures:

This lettered edition will prove to be one of the most unique, macabre and exotic lettered editions ever produced in the genre.

The book and traycase will be bound in Moroccan (goat skin) leather. The book will have REAL BONE inlaid into the boards of the over-sized book!!!

Infernal House is proud to announce THE WOMAN by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee. This blood pumping new novel by the best selling author of THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, OFF SEASON and RIGHT TO LIFE has created another masterpiece that shines a light on the darkness that is within us all and lets us examine the macabre nature of human desire.

Infernal House has quickly become known as the creator of some of the most beautiful and exotic books published in the horror genre and THE WOMAN by Jack Ketchum & Lucky McKee will only reaffirm Infernal House's prestige and significance within the genre.

This edition will be strictly limited to:

THIS WILL BE INFERNAL HOUSE'S MOST EXOTIC PRODUCTION TO DATE!

Only 26 signed and numbered copies.
Each copy will be signed the the author and the illustrator
Each edition will be hand sewn and bound in only the highest quality materials.
The paper used will be specially milled acid neutral paper specifically for this edition.
Illustrated by the celebrated artist Caniglia
Book will be housed in a custom made traycase
Sewn in silk ribbon marker

Do to the time it takes to create these hand crafted works of art and the exotic materials used we can only accept layaway and full payment.

Description

The Woman is the powerful story of the last survivor of a feral tribe of cannibals who have terrorized the east coast from Maine into Canada for years now. Badly wounded in a battle with police, she takes refuge in a cave overlooking the sea. Christopher Cleek is a slick, amoral -- and unstable -- country lawyer who, out hunting one day, sees her bathing in a stream. Fascinated, he follows her to her cave. Cleek has many dark secrets and to these he'll add another. He will capture her, lock in his fruit cellar, and tame her, civilize her. To this end he'll enlist his long-suffering wife Belle, his teenage son and daughter Brian and Peg, and even his little girl Darlin', to aid him. So the question becomes, who is more savage? The hunter or the game?

[Father Cody]

What the hell? Has to be an animal bone, no?

[becca69]

I believe Bob Jackson has a copy too.

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

That's THE WOMAN by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee. You should read it. My kind of gal.

[WeDealInLead]

Only half right. Curses!

[Hunchback Jack]

Another option for signed editions from authors no longer with us would be to take existing signatures from other sources - letters, credit card slips, etc - and paste them into the book as a book plate. I seem to recall that being done by somebody.

Personally, I will collect unsigned limited editions if the book itself is particularly impressive. The current Suntup edition being a case in point.

[Patrick]

Am I the only one who is struck kind of funny by the discussion about the absence of the authors signature? This isn't a book by a living author who has chosen not to sign a publication, it is a book by a woman who has been dead for 50+ years!

Well, if Paul REALLY wanted to make one hell of a collectible, there are ways around that:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_writing

[Randall Flagg]

I enjoy my lettered and my signed limited Regulators by the deceased author (cause of death: cancer of the pseudonym) Richard Bachman.

[peripheral]

Am I the only one who is struck kind of funny by the discussion about the absence of the authors signature? This isn't a book by a living author who has chosen not to sign a publication, it is a book by a woman who has been dead for 50+ years! Hahaha, I'm sure Paul or any other publisher would love to roll the moldering old bones of a dead author out of their grave for an impromptu signing, but it's not currently an option

Personally, if the author is alive, I like a new publication to be signed by that author, but if the author is dead, it's a moot point for me.

The "signature" discussion (at least, in the way that I mean my point) is referring to a subjective collecting "rule" which guides my collection: "What kind of books do I want in my collection". It's a parameter (i.e., OCD) driving my subjective collecting goals. I don't collect artist / special editions (of living OR dead authors) unless it meets those exceptions I mentioned earlier - production quality AND a very important book to me. It's a way to also help with space requirements and (importantly) not gut my bank account. If I did, it would open a rabbit hole for me and I'd be at the mercy of every quality publisher who released a lovely version of HP Lovecraft. I love too many authors, still have to purchase too many 1st editions, and have too many King signatures to get, that buying artists / special editions are unfortunately not part of the deal (even for dead authors).

So, I've been on the lookout for a nice Hill House first edition for a long time that's within my budget. This is my priority with this title. But, having said all that, I love the significance of Hill House, always enjoyed the book, and the Suntup production reminds me of the incredible quality of Infernal Press, so yeah, it fits my OCD

[Randall Flagg]

What the hell? Has to be an animal bone, no?

Yes. Humans are animals too.

It's an actual human being rib bone. There was a lengthy discussion as to the legality, but to get right to the point-Have you ever seen a skeleton in a science class or lab?
If so, you are seeing parts of a human body that was legally donated (for science or retail).

[peripheral]

What the hell? Has to be an animal bone, no?

Yes. Humans are animals too.

It's an actual human being rib bone. There was a lengthy discussion as to the legality, but to get right to the point-Have you ever seen a skeleton in a science class or lab?
If so, you are seeing parts of a human body that was legally donated (for science or retail).

OK, this is the first I'm seeing this Lettered - it is officially in my top 10... Mind blown.

[Tommy]

Can't sell human parts on ebay so don't go looking for one there. A few years back, I remember hearing somehow that CD had one for sale but couldn't put it on ebay because of the bone. I don't know if they ever sold it or not.

[Hunchback Jack]

I enjoy my lettered and my signed limited Regulators by the deceased author (cause of death: cancer of the pseudonym) Richard Bachman.

Limited editions signed by fictional authors is a whole nuther can o' worms.

[racerx45]

The current replies got me think about this post (Stephen King Super Sneak). I think Paul is up to the challenge, not that Jerome wasn’t.