Books

New York: Ballantine, 1955. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Inscribed by Author(s). 1st Printing lb. A very good copy of Ray Bradbury's 1955 collection of short stories in a very good, unclipped dust jacket and a fine custom clamshell case. A first edition featuring the artwork of Joseph Mugnaini and four previously unpublished titles including, "The Dwarf," "The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse," "Touched with Fire," and "The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone." Currey "B" binding (no priority) red cloth, black print and with the corrected Ballantine logo to the spine. Signed and inscribed on the first free end page in blue felt tip, "For Matt Stiller - This perambulation thru 'October Country' with the good 'All Hallow's' withes of Ray Bradbury." Feb. 25, '91.' Autographic condition: fine. Condition: 8vo. 306 pages 5.5" x 8" publishers cloth binding with a light ring to the front boards, softening to the spine ends and a small…

'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).