"I'M ALLOWED TO DO THIS!! R.B.": FIRST EDITION OF THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, TWICE INSCRIBED BY RAY BRADBURY
BRADBURY, Ray. The Martian Chronicles. Garden City: Doubleday, 1950. Octavo, original light green cloth, original dust jacket.
First edition of Bradbury's acclaimed science fiction classic—"by any measure… a major landmark"—twice inscribed on the front free endpaper by the author, first in red ink: "This 1st edition of 'D. Wine' for Frank Pipes. Best wishes from Ray Bradbury, May 20—1978." Bradbury then crossed out "D. Wine" (mistakenly referring to Dandelion Wine), replaced the title in black ink with "Martian Chronicles," drew an arrow to the new title and then inscribed in the same black ink, "I'm allowed to do this!! R.B."
Bradbury's second book and first novel—a collection of loosely interwoven stories originally published in magazines, now linked with new material—"made [his] reputation… He put far more emphasis on style and mood than he did on technical detail or scientific plausibility… His reward was a stunning popular and critical success" (Science Fiction 100 Best 3). Bradbury's vision of humanity's migration to the Red Planet is by turns lyrical and caustic, elegiac and inspirational. "All the Bradbury themes that were later to be repeated find their earliest shapes here" (Clute & Nicholls, 151). "By any measure, this work is a major landmark, both as science fiction and as literature" (Anatomy of Wonder II-154). "First Edition" stated on copyright page. Dust jacket Currey's first issue (A), priced at $2.50. Currey, 45.
Book near-fine, with gently sunned spine; bright dust jacket with a touch of soiling to rear panel only, minor toning to spine, near-fine. Humorously inscribed by Bradbury.