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Book Collecting & Book Jackets Debs on 15 Aug 2007

Monkey by Wu Cheng-en | Translated by Arthur Waley | Dust Jacket by Duncan Grant

Monkey is the title of Arthur Waley's popular 1942 abridged translation of the traditional Chinese folk tale Journey to the West which was first published during the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century and is now ascribed to the scholar Wu Cheng-en. It actually translates only thirty of the hundred chapters of the original tale.

This 1944 War Economy Standard edition was the fourth impression of the book and features a very beautiful dust jacket design by Bloomsbury Group painter Duncan Grant.

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Monkey: Journey to the West has recently been adapted for the stage in the form of a circus-opera by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, the co-creators of the virtual pop band Gorillaz, and Chen Shi-zheng.

	Duncan Grant and the Bloomsbury Group by Douglas Blair
			US $7.95	3h 55m

	DUNCAN GRANT ART BOOK BLOOMSBURY GROUP 1990
		0 Bid	US $44.91	2d 15h 35m

	Cloud and Weather Atlas Hugh Duncan Grant Good Book
			US $25.49	6d 23h 5m

	NEW Kid Eternity Morrison Grant Fegredo Duncan
			US $9.77	20d 12h 26m

	NEW Grant Feeney F X Duncan Paul EDT
			US $6.51	26d 4h 12m

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Book Collecting Debs on 01 Aug 2007

Why Collect Science Fiction Books?

By Alan Chudnow

It all begins with sense of wonder.

At some point it hits you, an almost magical attraction to books. It may be books by a particular author or books about a distinctly engaging concept or it may be the sheer joy of holding a unique volume with a compelling physical appeal. However it happens, what ever causes it, there is an upwelling of affection and a sudden sense of wonder.

It is important to keep in mind that almost all book collectors begin as readers. Readers become collectors when they find that the books themselves have become important objects in and of themselves. The book has transcended the state of being merely a vehicle for passing on the author’s stories and thoughts and becomes an object with intrinsic beauty and value. Object and content enhance each other, heightening the unique experience the book brings to its owner.

By most accounts, the origin of Science Fiction as a distinct literary genre dates back to 1926, when Hugo Gernsback started publishing what he called "scientifiction" in a new magazine known as Amazing Stories. Gernsback said,

“…sense of wonder comes not from brilliant writing, nor even from brilliant conceptualizing; it comes from a sudden opening of a closed door in the reader's mind.”

Collecting the objects that initiated that amazement is the best way to keep it vivid, alive and immediately accessible.

Consumers vs. Collectors

Almost all Science Fiction and Fantasy book collectors begin as readers. This is an important point for by far the largest numbers of F&SF readers see books as consumables. They are content with reading a library copy or a paperback reprint and think of the book as simply a medium for conveying the author’s subject matter and deserve no more consideration than that.

Most readers use, and often abuse, the book as they please, dog-ear corners, make notes in the margins, bend the covers back and break the spine. For them, books are as disposable as a McDonald’s hamburger wrapper. They are book consumers.

For such readers things like the edition of a book, or its condition don’t matter. They perceive little difference between a hardcover first printing and a paperback reprint. The joy they receive from a book, and one must acknowledge that very real pleasure, comes from the author’s content alone. All other considerations are inconsequential.

	RARE SCI FI 1ST EDITION DISTANT STARS SAMUEL DELANY
			US $4.99	1d 11h 21m

	JOBLOT 10 SCI FI BOOKS SOME RARE 1960S 70S ALL LISTED
		0 Bid	US $1.48	2d 5h 44m

	Rynosseros by Terry Dowling RARE Fantasy Sci fi Book
			US $9.95	2d 11h 16m

	SCIENCE FICTION FAN 1 July 1936 WILLIAMSON 4SJ rare
		1 Bid	US $9.99	2d 18h 7m

	6 Classic Rare Science Fiction Paperbacks Books
		1 Bid	US $.99	2d 18h 14m

The Book as an object of beauty and inspiration

For those of us who are not book consumers but book collectors, the joy of the text is but one of several delights in a book. Look, feel, the very tactile uniqueness of a volume elevate the book from simple container to an object of physical beauty and romance which augments the thoughts and ideas of its author.

We take care of our books like we would other valuable objects. We treat them gently, store them properly and do our best to protect them from injury. The very act of owning our books, being able to take them down off the shelf, turn them over in our hands and take pleasure in their presence, enriches our lives and gives continued delight.

Most collectors of Science Fiction books begin to do so because they have found something in the genre that is inspiring. Science Fiction stretches your imagination, introduces you to a future of endless possibilities and creates a sense of wonder. Included within the realm of Science Fiction are also Fantasy books that take you into the world of magic and myth and Magic Realism books where everyday life is transformed into the supernatural, while yet remaining grounded in reality.

Science Fiction Collections can be valuable

There are other reasons to collect Science Fiction and Fantasy books, the economic value among them. As the popularity of science continues to grow at an astonishing rate the value and desirability of first edition and limited edition Science Fiction books continues to intensify as well. First editions and limited runs ensure that availability decreases over time. There exists a large expanding market for books. A carefully assembled collection of first edition or limited print volumes will become increasingly valuable.

Why collect books? Collect them because they engage your sense of wonder. Collect them because they are beautiful. Collect them because they are valuable. Most important of all, collect them because you love them.

Alan Chudnow has been collecting books for over 30 years. He was one of the original partners in Dangerous Visions, a speculative fiction specialty bookstore in Sherman Oaks, California. Now sadly gone the way of most independent bookshops in this country.

He has been, at various times a motion picture and television film editor, theatrical producer and director, writer, actor, web designer and bookstore owner, all while continuing his pursuit of bibliophilism. He lives in Long Beach, California as close to the beach as he can get.

SF Bookworm is a Blog concerning Science Fiction, Book Collecting and more. Come visit, hang out and join the conversation at sfbookworm.collectingsf.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com