What is the latest word on the reprinting of DARK OF THE MOON? It has a nice selection of CAS's verse as well aS "macbre" verse by others. Hmm, wasn't "MacAbre" a Dickens character?

JBP

Stalled because of the situation at Arkham House, was the latest I heard. :(

What is the situation at Arkham House? I know April Derleth, who basically did everything, including packing books in boxes for shipping, died (shortly after fulfilling an order of mine, in fact, but I am sure that had nothing to do with it), but surely somebody else, or possibly even two people, should be able to handle it?

There's a bloke who posted on the Facebook Derleth/Arkham House page that he is helping April's two children get AH going again--but most people have completely written the House off as dead. I don't know if they are even taking current book orders. This is so sad, as I had been convinced that the House was reviving, and the chap who was working as main editor had some great ideas about reprinting some of the older titles, as he did with THE ARKHAM SAMPLER, which he brought out in two beautiful facsimile volumes.

"I'm a little girl."
--H. P. Lovecraft, Esq.

Just a quick question: is Joshi's new edition going to be an "update" of "Dark of the Moon", or just a similar survey of "weird poetry"? In other words, is there any point in buying Derleth's book in light of this new Hippocampus volume?

My guess is that it's probably a waste of money to get the expensive "Dark of the Moon", and that one should just wait for Joshi's new book. However, if someone told me that they are going to be substantially different, I might consider getting both.

Joshi's book will be an entirely new selection all his own. George Vanderburgh was going to bring forth a new edition of DARK OF THE MOON from Arkham House, in three volumes, reprinting Derleth's original selection and then adding significantly to it. George contacted me and asked to see those poems I considered my finest. He had GOBS of energy for a new Arkham House line-up, wanting to reprint one old title (slightly altered, with additions &c) each year and then one new volume. I was also invited to submit a story to a new Arkham House anthology, but the editor finally returned the story because of AH's uncertain future.

"I'm a little girl."
--H. P. Lovecraft, Esq.

Thanks Wilum, that is good to know. By the way, I saw your Youtube segment with ST Joshi, and it kind of made me laugh, because at the time your video still had "0 views"; so apparently I was the first homo sapien out of 7 billion to see that clip! So I think that either means I deserve some kind of discount on the book;--Or perhaps it is just strong evidence that I need to get a life!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 30 Sep 12 | 06:31AM by Dexterward.

It's rad having S. T. over to chat on me webcam. Did you see the video where he and Scott Connors discuss forthcoming CAS books? Very cool.

"I'm a little girl."
--H. P. Lovecraft, Esq.

Yes, I'm pretty sure I saw that one too. In any case, I enjoy learning about the new books that are hot off the various "small presses"--and you always seem to be on top of the latest and best. (Unfortunately, most of my disposable income goes to thirty dollar "weird tale" paperbacks and the like.) And I'm sure you can relate to the fact that getting that "Amazon box" in the mail is one of the few real pleasures in an otherwise cold and indifferent cosmos!

Then again, I really do hate having to work. So it's a close call.

J. B. Post Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What is the latest word on the reprinting of DARK
> OF THE MOON? It has a nice selection of CAS's
> verse as well aS "macbre" verse by others. Hmm,
> wasn't "MacAbre" a Dickens character?
>
> JBP

The Dickens character's name was intended to evoke that - however, Sarcophagus Macaber, was a cartoon vulture in Walt Kelly's genius work, Pogo Possum in the 50's - in a legendary sequence this character, plus Deacon Mushrat, and wild cat name Simple J. Malarkey ( Senator Joe McCarthy) conducted a trial (mocking the Senate Hearings).

J. B. Post Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What is the latest word on the reprinting of DARK
> OF THE MOON? It has a nice selection of CAS's
> verse as well aS "macbre" verse by others. Hmm,
> wasn't "MacAbre" a Dickens character?
>
> JBP
Sorry for the extra - Dickens character was Mr. Macawber - Don't remember, but may have capitalized the "C"

The University of Nebraska has reprinted some SFantasy "classics" and might, if AH goes along, be convinced to reprint DARK OF THE MOON.

JBP

I'm not sure where the idea has come from that Dark of the Moon is outrageously "expensive" has come from, I've just ordered an Arkham Press copy for ~£20 on Abe (which seems pretty reasonable to my mind) and there are many other copies by a different publisher on there (and Amazon) for around the same price. The only snag for a European perspective is it's always a little touch and go when shipping across the Pond from an online seller... I wait with bated breath to see if it actually arrives...

The English Assassin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm not sure where the idea has come from that
> Dark of the Moon is outrageously "expensive" has
> come from, I've just ordered an Arkham Press copy
> for ~£20 on Abe (which seems pretty reasonable to
> my mind) and there are many other copies by a
> different publisher on there (and Amazon) for
> around the same price. The only snag for a
> European perspective is it's always a little touch
> and go when shipping across the Pond from an
> online seller... I wait with bated breath to see
> if it actually arrives...

I would think that it has this reputation because it fluctuates in price so much. I have seldom seen it for such a low price; generally even poor copies of the reprint tend to go for $40+, while the Arkham House edition is much more expensive. However, after reading your post, I see quite a few copies for very reasonable prices indeed... one under $20 (listed as good condition). So it looks as if now would be a good time to invest in a copy... it is a book well worth getting....

True, it's not THAT expensive. But on Amazon it looks like about $35 for just a "good" ex-library edition. (And I hate those library stickers all over my books!)However, if the Joshi volume really is significantly different, I think it would be worth it...

If there is still one for $20 on Amazon, I'm not seeing it. Perhaps someone read this blog and snatched it up!

Dexterward Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> True, it's not THAT expensive. But on Amazon it
> looks like about $35 for just a "good" ex-library
> edition. (And I hate those library stickers all
> over my books!)However, if the Joshi volume really
> is significantly different, I think it would be
> worth it...
>
> If there is still one for $20 on Amazon, I'm not
> seeing it. Perhaps someone read this blog and
> snatched it up!

Try Abe, there were a few on there. I think there is a stock market effect with online books as one sellers bot tries to undercut each other and then, once those copies are sold, up the price goes again... Or so it seems to me.

The companion volume, Fire and Sleet and Candlelight, is usually VERY expensive. And an AH reprint would save me some money.

Martinus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The companion volume, Fire and Sleet and
> Candlelight, is usually VERY expensive. And an AH
> reprint would save me some money.


Fire and Sleet and Candlelight, though having some very good things in it, fell quite short (in my opinion) of its predecessor. Still, it would be nice to have the two at some point....

The English Assassin Wrote:
--------------------------
>
> Try Abe, there were a few on there. I think there
> is a stock market effect with online books as one
> sellers bot tries to undercut each other and then,
> once those copies are sold, up the price goes
> again... Or so it seems to me.

Thanks,I'm not familiar with Abe, but I will definitely check it out.

Also bookfinder.com is a handy search tool. I'm sure there are others too

Abebooks.com has always been a very good source for me. So has Biblio.com; and both these are a bit less expensive, in many cases, than Alibris, though the latter sometimes has things I don't see other places. All have provided good service, in my experience....

Wow! My copy arrived in good time... It's ex-library, but quite a clean edition... I've been dipping in and out of it all day... Another excellent recommendation by the CAS scholars of this site - thanks!

Glad you're enjoying it. It is a marvelous collection of fantastic and weird verse....

Speaking of which... when I came across the above query and looked up the thing, I saw a quite inexpensive one (just over $16.00) and, despite some reservations, ordered it. I was expecting the usual ex-library copy, in this case of the reprint volume. Instead, when it came today, I got the Arkham House, in quite good (though not VERY good) condition, sans dj... and something they didn't note in their information is that this copy is signed by Derleth and has an errata sheet, and none of the usual markings! Not a bad bargain at all....