Collecting Highlight (38) - The Coelura Universe

[Becky]

As some of you know, or have read, I have been known as Coelura ever since I first got online thru AOL back in 1997. My car license plate even says COELURA. And I get asked about it a lot. So I thought that a Collecting Highlight about The Coelura and also Nimisha's Ship would be appropriate for me.

I wanted a screen name on AOL without any numbers behind it and all of Anne's favorite characters had way too many numbers for my liking, so I looked at the books for inspiration and saw Coelura and tried it. Happily no one else had thought of that so I was the only one! Then on Anne's old KT site I couldn't use just Coelura, so had to use Coelura1, but I was happy with that. So I'm either Coelura or Coelura1.

Anyway, with that came the Coelura Collection. One thing lead to another. First I wanted a signed copy of the book. I found a copy of the TOR edition (the little blue covered one) and Anne sent me a signed book plate for it. Later I found a signed copy of the same book. The original price of the TOR was $11.95.

Then I went for the different paperback versions, with different covers.

I then had to have the true first editions by Underwood-Miller. There are two issues, one is signed by both Anne and the illustrator, Kevin Johnson, in a tipped in page (original price as signed $30.00), and the other is unsigned (original price $13.95). The Science Fiction Book Club came out with a neat copy also, I love the cover art! The UK also came out with a combination of The Coelura and Nerilka's Story. A rather odd pairing, other than they were short books so I guess someone figured they'd make one decent sized book.

I then started looking for Proofs of The Coelura. I first found a TOR proof, it's the little blue one with the book covers just above.

I like to think that I got Anne thinking about another book in the Coelura universe. She was at a chat I lead on AOL and she mentioned that she'd an idea for another book and that it was collecting dust and that she should dust it off and work on it. Then a few years later we got Nimisha's Ship! So I had to have those too, the UK and US first editions and the US paperback and I also got a proof copy.

Then I got very lucky and found two Underwood-Miller proofs from the same seller! There is a f & g (folded and gathered) copy of the Underwood-Miller with the art of Kevin Johnson, it's signed by Anne, Underwood and Miller. It's one of maybe 10 copies, per the inscription and the letter of authentication.

The other proof is also from Underwood-Miller, but it's in a different format and has different artwork, well a couple pictures. The copy I bought is also inscribed and signed by Anne.

Whew, there was more to that than I originally thought! Tho there's always room for more! So if anyone knows of more Coelura paperbacks with different artwork, PLEASE let me know. Or ANY other form of the book not pictured here, please let me know.

[Lady Maelin]

Becky, Like usual this is so wonderful to get to see... You never cease to amaze me with your fantastic collection. Thank you so much for sharing this....and so much more

[Menderofillusions]

Gee Beck you don't like the Body Heir Series or anything do ya ? LOL

[Becky]

Bonnie, um, not it's not my favorite series. It's just that when I was getting on AOL I wanted something unique. All of Anne's characters had been taken and had umteen numbers after the name, like Lunzie13625. I didn't want any numbers, so after trying the character names I just stood back looking at the meager collection I had at the time and saw The Coelura. Hmmm, says I to myself, I wonder if Coelura has been used. So I popped it into their system and lo and behold, no one else had tried it! I was the unique Coelura. So I've kept it ever since. The Coelura items came about because of that, not because it's my favorite. The Coelura collection grew because of finding some good deals too.
My favorite is White Dragon, as it was my first Anne book read. Fav character is Lunzie followed a close second by Sassinak.

[Hans]

Still the Coelura is a very beautiful name for a beautiful 'creature'

Nice collecting highlight, Becky
The unique specials in itself are worth a collecting highlight, let alone this whole 'library' of nice books

[Becky]

Please keep your eye out for any different covers of paperbacks or any foreign language editions for me. I'm going to try to collect all I can on The Coelura. Just because it's so much a part of me. And when Anne calls you Coelura too, it makes it just that much more special.

[Hans]

I will. At your "foreign language mccaffrey editions" service, my friend

Hey, mind if I send that numberplatepic to Anne? or did you already do that yourself?

[Becky]

Hans, go ahead and send it. While you're at it tell her to check her Junk email folder for my email with the picture of Ceara and her at the induction. I actually got my new email address thru to her and sent the picture but I'm afraid that now my email addy's been added to her junk email list since I sent the picture. Maybe she can 'unjunk' me while she's at it.

[Menderofillusions]

Thats how I got my name... Even my full name was used. So my girls typed in menderofillusions for a joke...well..it wasn't used
I still have not found any rare stuff yet, but I now have all the Seannachies stories including Maelstrom. (which I enjoyed) I love Lunzie too.
There be no dragons in my favorite series

[jube]

*bump*

Ha Huh, found it at last.