The Centipede Press Thread, Including CP: Book by Book – An Incomplete Bibliography

[Clegane]

Holy hell! We need more pics of your library.

No shit. More please.

(How pitiful is my "library" situation? My "victory" is that I finally replaced my old 30" wide bookcase with a slightly more attractive 36" wide bookcase (yes - I have ONE bookcase), and got my wife to remove a few of her books and several of her knickknacks that had been blocked my books from view. And building it only fucked up my back for a few days! At least I get to display 4 more hardcovers...so, yes - I am here to live through others.)

Take heart, sir. 25 years ago my entire book collection was stored in the trunk of my battered 1971 Mercury Montego. I had to stumble drunkenly out to the street and rummage around with a flashlight every time I needed to switch books in the middle of the night. Life takes many turns and situations change. I dreamt about this library for decades before finally having the opportunity to build it.

That library has the same stopping power as it did when I first saw it. Gorgeous. And you're a fan of Inspector Morse? Splendid.

Your remark implies that there are people out there who are NOT fans of Inspector Morse. My mind rebels at this notion.

This is literally my dream library, both the construction and the contents! Simply beautiful.

And you've probably noticed that I've been just horrible about keeping up with the bibliography. I haven't given up (by any means!), but it's going to be much slower going than I thought. Don't let my lax updates prevent you from sharing books! Especially those deluxe beauties that I see there, a number of which I'm missing anyway...

Thanks for setting this thread up, by the way. If you're cool with me going out of order on you then, I'll upload some pics of deluxes that might be a trifle tricky to find.

[Rooster]

That library has the same stopping power as it did when I first saw it. Gorgeous. And you're a fan of Inspector Morse? Splendid.

Your remark implies that there are people out there who are NOT fans of Inspector Morse. My mind rebels at this notion.

Then perhaps we could say that there are people who are fans of Inspector Morse, and then there are people who have yet to become fans of Inspector Morse!

Also, I join the choir, please, more pictures if you will!

[Joe315]

There is a dedicated “Bookcase” thread here: http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/...6425-Bookcases

Feel free to post your library pics there.

[RC65]

Clegane, your library pics are the most wonderful thing I've seen today...and I've been having a pretty good day. Please do feel free to post more pics of your libary in this thread, as Lotuz suggests -- when discussing Centipede Press, we're talking about fine books of outstanding design and quality...it seems to me pictures of your library of similarly outstanding design would be right at home in that discussion.

[Clegane]

Okay, here are the photos of my library, to start with. Enough people have asked at this point that I feel like it is okay to post it here. It will all be rather cavernous and unadorned because these photos were taken by a professional the day before I moved 1.4 tons of books in by hand. I can add lower quality images later if people prefer to see the actual collection. But for those of you mainly keen on the space itself, these images highlight it beyond anything that I can conceive. Christ, it still blows my mind when I look at them. I designed the flow and decor of the room, then worked with an architect to make it functional, then scored a serious home run by getting together with a very talented carpenter who understood my vision and translated it perfectly into reality. He did almost all of the wood trim here by hand.

[MikeDuke]

I think wow just about sums it up. Because beyond that, I can't find the words to describe what I am seeing. And you did say 1.4 tons of books?
OK. I still don't know how to react to this.

[swintek]

Stunning. No words just now. Thank you for sharing.

[Clegane]

I think wow just about sums it up. Because beyond that, I can't find the words to describe what I am seeing. And you did say 1.4 tons of books?
OK. I still don't know how to react to this.

That was actually a typo. It was 1.1 rather than 1.4. About 2200 pounds of books, mostly hardcovers. It was over 100 boxes, though that is largely a consequence of me being overprotective and not wanting to overstack and risk damage. Way too fastidious to trust them to movers, so I had to do them all myself. Way too old and broken down for that shit. Told the wife that the next time they're getting moved, it's so people can get to my body when I die in there. Got them all over with no damage, though!

[herbertwest]

Really an impressive library !

[lotuz]

Breathtaking. Simply beautiful.

[MikeDuke]

I think wow just about sums it up. Because beyond that, I can't find the words to describe what I am seeing. And you did say 1.4 tons of books?
OK. I still don't know how to react to this.

That was actually a typo. It was 1.1 rather than 1.4. About 2200 pounds of books, mostly hardcovers. It was over 100 boxes, though that is largely a consequence of me being overprotective and not wanting to overstack and risk damage. Way too fastidious to trust them to movers, so I had to do them all myself. Way too old and broken down for that shit. Told the wife that the next time they're getting moved, it's so people can get to my body when I die in there. Got them all over with no damage, though!

Oh only 1.1 and not 1.4 ? Then what kind of collection is this? Joking of course. That is still a massive amount of books. And a wonderful collection.

[zelig]

Now this is a man who takes his books seriously. Incredible! What a dream library you have there. Well done.

[The Library Policeman]

Now that is library! Looks great, well done sir.

[Randall Flagg]

Simply splendid.

[RC65]

Good lord, that's even more stunning than I'd predicted. You, sir, are a very fortunate man to have that kind of soul-stirring beauty in your life each day.

I hope you'll add some add'l pics once you fill the shelves.

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

That's even better than having a real bowling alley in your basement!

Uhm, do you have a bowling alley in your basement?

[Joe315]

Clegane, that is an awesome library! Just....wow! Having something like that is a dream of mine as well. Hopefully I can get to that point.

And yes we want to see pictures of the books.

[amd013]

WOW!

I kept wondering what that was over the fireplace. It took awhile for me to figure out it was a mirror!

So, are you looking for a librarian?

Do you use the fireplace? I would be too paranoid to use it.

[Clegane]

WOW!

I kept wondering what that was over the fireplace. It took awhile for me to figure out it was a mirror!

So, are you looking for a librarian?

Do you use the fireplace? I would be too paranoid to use it.

It's electric. But yes, I do use it. The climate control in order to keep de-humidification at safe levels for the books sometimes requires it to be chilly as hell in the library itself, so I get some good mileage out of the fireplace in the late night hours. But yeah, it was electric by design in order to reduce paranoia about damaging the books with heat or scent, etc.

[Clegane]

Thank you once again for all of your heart-warming comments about my library. I love finding people who appreciate it for all that it is.

Moving back to the main focus of the thread, however, and as per lotuz's request, here are some images of a rarely-seen Centipede Press deluxe.

Gene Wolfe's "Shadow of the Torturer" deluxe, published in 2007 in full Chieftain goatskin leather, with deckled-edge Saunders Waterford paper and an accompanying traycase. Only 13 of this state (numbered in Roman Numerals) were created and I have never seen another one in photos or in person. Pardon the dust smatters visible on the traycase. I was far too excited to even bother wiping it down after unpacking it and shot these photos pretty much immediately.

[Clegane]

Next one is rarer still. My weak camera work does a poor job of conveying all of the lenticular majesty of this beautiful set. This book existed in multiple states, from the Somewhat-rare-in-and-of-itself Trade hardcover to a limited with a case, to a deluxe (limited to 50) 3-volume set with the main book in a clamshell and the prints in accompanying slimmer volumes.

Artists Inspired By HP Lovecraft, published in 2008 by Centipede Press. Published in multiple states, of which this is 1/1, utterly unique and one of a kind.

Quarter leather and custom cloth binding with a lenticular image set into the cover, then housed in a massive, luxurious clamshell traycase.

Accompanying it is a second slimmer traycase, also bearing a lenticular piece on the exterior. Inside it houses three bound lenticular prints as well as 5 signature sheets signed by most of the living artists who contributed to the collection. Many of them provided rather intricate doodles to accompany their sig.

The traycases are matched in size and meant to be displayed together and this entire set is probably the pinnacle of Centipede Press's extant work in my opinion. I have some close seconds on my shelves, but I am not sure I own a single volume of any sort whose overall presentation exceeds this one. This is certainly the rarest single volume in my collection and possibly the most beautiful. I really need to get around to taking some clearer and fresher pictures of the set.

[Tkstone]

Clegane,
Your Artist’s Inspired by HP Lovecraft looks amazing. Congratulation on such a wonderful book.
Congratulation on your outstanding library too! Thanks for sharing.

[lotuz]

Thank you so much for sharing! With your permission, I will link back to these wonderful pictures when I get to these books in the bibliography.

Speaking of, all the excitement in this thread (due mostly to Clegane's great shares) has inspired me to finish the next bibliographic post. I'll have it up sometime tomorrow

[Garrell]

Wow. Unbelievable library. Can’t wait to see pics when it is full.

[Black Miau]

Wonderful dream library. I congratulate you, it is a beautiful design.