Books

Arthur Charles Clarke (1951) The Sands of Mars , UK first edition, first printing, published by Sidgwick and Jackson. Signed and inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper: To Dr William B. Jones, | with all good wishes | from | Arthur C Clarke | Fred s Room, Stuttgart, | 30 Aug 52! . A beautiful early inscription close to the publication date suggesting intimacy. Condition: a near fine book in like dust jacket. No previous owners names, no bookplates, no stamps. There is an old newspaper article tipped in to to the rear free endpaper. This can be removed but would leave a tiny strip of tape evidence. We prefer to leave it as is as it is part of the provenance and unobtrusive to the eye since it is at the very back. The boards are nice with only light shelf wear. Usual toning to the page block edges commensurate with age. The dust jacket is not price clipped and remarkably well preserved with light edge wear only. The Sands of Mars is Arthur C. Clarke s debut novel if one discards Against the Fall of Night which was originally published in 1948 as a novella. An important work in his canon as it introduces a number of features that Clarke later used in the landmark Odyssey 2001 and its sequels. First and Fine.

An engineer from Earth is sent to Mars to help with the formation of a colony. He discovers that Mars has more secrets than anyone had ever suspected, including a new form of life. He becomes a pivotal figure in ensuring the colony's survival and the future relationship between Earth and Mars.