Latest Pern acquisitions

[Hans]

Today the German language trilogy arrived I bought through eBay. It's a hardcover trilogy holding Drachengesang, Drachensinger and Der weisse Drache (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger and The White Dragon). It is published by Bechtermünz Verlag (Augsburg, 1998) and holds the original illustrations by Johann Peterka which appeared in the seperately published books; and even three identical maps (because they were in each seperately published volume ) by Erhard Ringer and Johanna Peterka. All translations are by Birgit Ress-Bohusch.

I knew, of cours, it was a trilogy but I was still surprised at how thick the book is (silly me). It need to be with well over 800 pages! Also, the size is quite a bit smaller than the sized mostly used for hardcover books, the book being only 19 x 13,5 centimeters high and wide, slightly larger than a maasa market paperback. But 5,5 centimeters thick = almost 2,2 inches

Here's some pictures. I also took a few of the illustrations and the one of the map (I'm not going to really bend the book open to scan the map as the book is in mint state). I paid € 4 = about $ 5 for this book (postage and packaging excluded).


Menolly on the cover with what looks like a green dragon and a (Sea) Hold with the Dragonstones in front on the lef of her (the cover artist is not mentioned but made by "Atelier Bachman & Seidel").


Menolly again with a dragon or fire lizard...


One of the nicer/better illustrations of the book in my opinion: Elgion and Alemi (in search for Menolly)


The Map of Pern that appears thrice in this volume

[Greenrider Tresa]

That's a lovely book, Hans! Though, the Hold looks like a sandcastle.

[Dyna]

Excellent. It looks to be of same height and size as the triology I have...minus the pretty pictures of course. Yes....thick book. LOL.

*tries not to turn green with envy*

Dyna

[c_ris]

Wow, that looks great!

[Cheryl]

Looks lovely, Hans!

[Lady Maelin]

Hans, That is magnificent, I love the drawings. They have a much lovelier Pern Map than the one in the U.S. version. So much detail, I love it. Thank you oh great computer wizzard , for showing us these wonderful pictures.

[Becky]

I'm in full agreement with Maelin about the Pern map! It's lovely! I wish they'd put that map in our books. They used great fonts too. So pretty!

[Hans]

As a good Master Archivist I also collect Pern maps and I do have a pic of that German map that's better than the one I took:

[c_ris]

Definately a better map than most!

[Cheryl]

I'd swear I've seen that map before. While it's awfully pretty, it doesn't seem as usable to me with such huge text labels -- and it may be hard to tell which dot the labels go with as they're large enough to span two or three.

ETA: Ah, well that explains why I've seen it before -- it's in the one German Pern book I own, a paperback of Dragonsong (Drachengesang).

[Lady Maelin]

IT BEAUTIFUL HANS, THANK YOU ! ! !




Thank you Hans, I was really wanting a good look at that map. It is just so beautiful, with all the details that are on it. You know how much I love all the little details in a drawing.

[Becky]

As usual Maelin beat me to it! I too want to thank you Hans for the closeup of the map. It really is a wonderful thing to behold. I just love it! I am talking about from an artistic viewpoint. I agree with Cheryl that the font is large and it's not really useable, but it sure is purty!

[c_ris]

If you want usability, then all you need is an Atlas!

[edith]

It's beautiful- the illustrations are too!
It looks like a lovely book!

[Lady Maelin]

That's it Cris, the maps in the Atlas are what you would use for real Pern placement, but the German map is something that would look beatiful in a frame for decoration.

[Hans]

Right, late this week yet another book arrived that poses some sort of publication mystery...

La Ballata del Drago is the Italian title for Dragonsinger and a volume in Il libro d'oro della fantascienza (The golden library of Science Fiction) -- yes, knowledgeable people, those Italians

The paperback book (trade paperback size) with a dustjacket (the actual cover is completely white, front and back) was published by Editore Fanucci, Rome 1981. It is a First Edition, a "Prima Edizione, Novembre 1981" as the copyright page states (see picture).

However, when I took Hargreaves to hand, it listed it's original price was 8,000 lira (and my edition says 15,000 lira on the inside back flap). He lists the publisher as Fanucci but the little cover picture (see picture) also says Orrizonti! (mine does not). State and translation details are the same as is the info on the copyright page and the fact that the book has white board wrappers and a dustjacket, but then Hargreaves says that the cover illustration is by Boris Vallejo, the wonderful artist especially known for his fantasy/SF art with nudes, male as well as female -- mine has cover art by Michael Whelan!
If you like the art of Boris got here: www.imaginistix.com. Hargreaves mistyped Boris' name which is Vallejo and not Vellejo. He then goes on saying "At least the foreground is by Boris, but the background was probably added by a house artist. The foreground was originally published on the cover of the magazine "Boris" in 1978."

I do have a small and bad reproduction of the cover in question:

but while searching for a better one on the net (or the original cover art, which I was sure to find because Boris sells virtually all his work as prints or they have been seperately published in books) I couldn't find the object in several Boris Vallejo galleries on the net. I even downloaded the 35,8 megabyte catalog from Boris' and Julie's site but the lady (I refuse to even think of Menolly when looking at it ) isn't in there either
In case you are interested Boris did lots of covers for especially books by Edgar Rice Burroughs (e.g. Tarzan) and Philip Jose Farmer, but also for Anne McCaffrey's friend Andre Norton.

If Hargreaves is right, however (and I think he is on the added evidence of the mentioned price on my dustjacket being alomost twice as high as the one he lists) my edition is either a:

• True first edition book with a different dustjacket
• An exact reprint of the original first edition

At this moment I can't discern what it really is, besides a beautiful book

If any of you can locate the original cover art, or the magazine Michael Hargreaves talks about I would love a link or a scan!

Oh, collectors details: I bought the book through Italian eBay and paid 5,99 euro = 7.25 US dollars (the postage was as much again ) and the state is very good/near fine.

[Lady Maelin]

This is a very nice adddition to your fantastic and growing collection. I have two of Boris's books, and I know that I have seen that painting somewhere before. If I have a few minutes, I will see if I can find it.

[Hans]

If you could find it, that would be marvelous, Maelin!

Remember, just look for the lady and don't think of the background. Just the lady with both arms pointing down.

[Lady Maelin]

I knew that I had a picture of that drawing, and yes indeed I do, I am sending you a copy if it out of my book. Good luck with finding the original cover.

[Hans]

Got it, Maelin. You're wonderful!

I'll post it here so everybody can admire this woman's erm.. assets? Spikey ball?
Spitting image of Menolly eh? Or maybe it is Mavi?

[c_ris]

Looks more like a representation of Boudicca than any Pernese character!

[Lady Maelin]

It was probably a stock painting that someone saw in Boris"s painting files and decided to use, to draw attention to the book.

It is a beautiful painting, as are all of his that I have seen. I have three of his books, now I just bought the lastest one that he did with Julie Bell. Somewhat adult in nature,(I am sorry to you, who are offended) but the painting styles are fantasticly beautiful in my opinion.

More Research for Hans:
Yes it was a stock painting, it is titled "Amazon's Pet", 1977 in oil 18"x24".

[Dyna]

oh wow....you hit upon another collection of mine....providing I can place half of them. The calanders. My dad started collecting them when I was in high school...about um...*gasp* 20 years ago?

I inherited them, mom moved....I have no idea where they are packed now...

*goes and hides under a rock* Im old...so getting so old....

[Hans]

Dyna, you'll find that most of the collectors active here are not teenagers either...

With calenders you mean copies done by Boris or by Achilleos, Whelan, the Hildebrandt bros. Pern one?

[Dyna]

Boris Viejo...dating back the last 20 years. I know I dont have all of them, I think the college years after my dad passed are skipped. I vaguely remember seeing Hildebrandt signatures on some of them....

[Lady Maelin]

Dyna, look at the Hildebrandt ones and see if you have a copy of the "Pern" one, it could save you a few dollars if you do.

[Dyna]

yeah...um....where to look.

storage, attic or closet....

[Lady Maelin]

Dyna: Trust me it would be well worth the search, if you have that many of the calenders.

[edith]

[QUOTE=Hans] Dyna, you'll find that most of the collectors active here are not teenagers either...
QUOTE]

can't afford it!
I have 1 1st edition Pern book. and that was renegades

[Hans]

I remember when you bought that!

and... collecting is more than acquiring first editions!

[jube]

That last picture reminds me of when I read Edgar Rice Burroughs' Martian series. Didn't the person who used to draw the covers for this series, did that picture too? It looks very familiar in that respect.

Now Hans, I'm drooling all over the keyboard regarding the Harperhall trilogy et.al. and now's it wet and yucky. I've had some luck too with the Brainships series by S.M. Stirling (the 2nd part to his adventure written with Ms McCaffrey, which is all about JOAT). But I'm still drooling over the Harperhall book. LOVE it.

[Becky]

Originally Posted by Hans

... collecting is more than acquiring first editions!

No truer words were ever spoken!!! One thing tends to lead to another!

[Hans]

Yes, Jube, Boris Vallejo did dor lots of covers for Edgar Rice Burroughs books and Farmer and such. So you feelings is right. Go and look at his site, the one I linked to, and enjoy old memories (?)