Books

Octavo, illustrations by Joe Mugnaini, original red cloth, lettered in black. Currey binding B2, probable second state with publisher's logo printed correctly at base of spine. This title reprints the contents of DARK CARNIVAL (1947), most with revisions and it also includes four stories collected here for the first time; "The Dwarf," "The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse," "Touched With Fire," and "The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone." [Reference: See Barron: Horror Literature 3-34. Bleiler: The Guide to Supernatural Fiction #259]. A just about fine copy, touch of rubbing to cloth at spine ends in a very good dust jacket, white background of dust jacket shows some moderate dust soiling, otherwise front panel nice and bright, spine panel title lettering color faded as usual but still quite readable, light shelf wear to spine ends. (10304).

'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.