Books

New York : Ballantine Books, 1955 First printing of the first edition, first state, with the "BB" monogram on spine of book inverted, red cloth with black lettering on spine, 8vo, 306pp. Preceded by a limited edition of 50 copies bound for the author. Signed by Ray Bradbury directly on the title page. Minor rubbing to board edge (primarily to spine ends), else book in fine condition; dust jacket with tanning to spine, minor paper loss to spine ends, lightly rubbed/soiled panels, a few short close tears to top and bottom front cover, and light paper loss (primarily at spine ends), else fine.

'The October Country' is a 1955 collection of nineteen macabre short stories by American writer Ray Bradbury. It reprints fifteen of the twenty-seven stories of his 1947 collection Dark Carnival, and adds four more of his stories. Each story is accompanied by a macabre illustration by Joseph Mugnaini. The stories in this collection touch on the themes of the autumn season, dealing with the fantastical, the weird, and the melancholic, conjuring the essence of October and its mix of anticipation and apprehension.

The true first edition of 'The October Country' published by Ballantine Books can be identified by looking for the absence of additional print run information on the copyright page and the correct date (1955).