Novelty [The Nightingale Sings at Night, Great Work of Time, In Blue, (and) Novelty]

New York: Doubleday, A Foundation Book, 1989. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/fine. First printing, octavo size, 239 pp., signed by John Crowley. John Crowley (b. 1942) had "The Deep" as his first novel, but is best known for his seminal SF novel "Little, Big" - this work had such an impact on late 20th century fantasy literature that Clute & Grant used the phrase in their "Encyclopedia of Fantasy" as short-hand "to describe a relationship between an outer world and an inner world in which the latter is larger than the former" (ibid, pg. 238).

This volume gathers together four of Crowley's short novels, one of which, "Great Work of Time", won the 1990 World Fantasy Award for best novella.

___DESCRIPTION: Quarter blue cloth over paper-covered boards, the front board with a depiction of a bird sitting on a wire stamped in metallic blue, silver lettering on the spine, grey endpapers, double-spread title page, signed by John Crowley in black felt-tip on the title page, first printing (per Zempel) with "First Edition" on the copyright page; octavo size (8 3/8" by 5 1/2"), pagination: [i-x] [1-3] 4-227 [1, blank] [1, author bio]. In the publisher's jacket showing the price of $18.95, wrap-around dust jacket artwork, review blurbs on front flap, review blurbs for "Aegypt" on back flap .

___CONDITION: Volume fine overall, with clean boards, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; a very small spot on the cloth on the front board, else fine, the book still with some of that "tight", unread feel. Dust jacket also fine, clean, the colours deep and unfaded, free of edgewear. Overall a remarkable example, signed by the author.

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