Centipede Press Forthcoming

Does anyone know when centipede usually publishes their forthcoming titles. I've been checking their website for a few weeks but there hasn't been any change or update. Thanks

I understand that Jerad was on a vacation for a while this summer. I believe that he is back now, and updates should be forthcoming. That said, I do not know his update schedule.
In my observation, actually a couple of new forthcoming titles did appear on the website through the summer.

He sends out an email update almost every Sunday. The upcoming news usually hits there before it makes it to the website. You might get on the mailing list.

Thanks for your response. Lets say I looked on the centipede press site and couldn't find a way to sign up for the mailing list. Does anyone know where I can sign up?

If you buy a book, you will get put on the mailing list. I think that's the only way. Jerad may put you on if you email him.

OK perfect thanks

Is at the mountain of madness a forthcoming, is it not? Believe i read that somewhere, but take my words with a pinch of salt ..

If it is, it's not showing up on the webpage and that's all I know about.

>7 Pellias: I contacted Jerad not too long ago and he confirmed that The Mountain of Madness is still in progress.

>9 kdweber: Thank you Ken, i remembered that i read it somewhere. The shippment to europe from centiped is eeeexpensive. Therefore i do not buy so much from Jared as i would have liked. But, that one, i believe i`m having .. depends on how it`s presented

In his newsletter today Jerad mentioned several of his dream titles that he is trying to acquire rights to. It's an interesting list but one of them really made me think.

That one is the Earthsea Trilogy. Now I love Le Guin's work; I have twenty-plus books by her, including a couple of different trade editions of the Earthsea hexology. That's what makes it a little baffling. Why publish just the first three books? While I know there are some that don't care for the last three, I don't think I would be interested in a fine press edition of half the series. For me, the last three books are standouts and add a lot of nuance and detail to the amazing world she created, as well as an incredible denouement.

So I would hope that if he does eventually acquire the rights, that he does the complete series.

On a similar note, I just finished reading The Fifth Head of Cerberus, and have joined the fans whose opinion is that it is a prequel of sorts to the Book of the New Sun. Makes me wish Jerad would publish it to go along with his wonderful edition of that work. Of course one could make a case for the Books of the Long and Short Sun too but I'll reserve judgement on that until I've read them someday. But the Cerebus book is very interesting indeed to this fan of Wolfe's New Sun series.

>11 jveezer: I've seen the same sentiment about the Earthsea books expressed elsewhere, and I think it may be the gap in time between the release of the first 3 books and the last 3. For someone who grew up reading the original trilogy in the 70's the latter half may just not hold the same sense of wonder and nostalgia returning nearly 20 years later. Just a guess. Folio is also going to release more Earthsea books, but I don't remember if they indicated they'd be doing to the whole series.

I liked Jerad's list a lot. Cat's Cradle and One Hundred Years of Solitude are both unexpected. Conan has been done to death, and in some very nice editions, but if Centipede were to apply the Elric treatment to those stories it would absolutely tower above the rest. I also like all the obscure pulp fantasy and sci-fi. I hope he's able to get the rights to all of these.

>12 SolerSystem:

Personally I'd prefer it if Jerad focused on obscure weird fiction. On the other hand I wouldn't say no to 'One Hundred Years of Solitude.' The LEC has always been pretty meh to me so there's room for a better fine press edition.

>11 jveezer:

I feel like 'shared multiverse' would be a better description (but then don't all books exist in a 'shared' multiverse?). For actual prequels you have Book of the Long Sun and Book of the Short Sun.

>13 MobyRichard:

"... I wouldn't say no to 'One Hundred Years of Solitude.' The LEC has always been pretty meh to me so there's room for a better fine press edition."

I'm curious, do you see this being a fine press title, or more in line with Centipede's typical genre limited editions? I know At The Mountains of Madness is set to be a truly landmark fine-press edition, but I guess that hasn't been my experience with Centipede's other titles.

EDIT: Not debating the technical definition of fine press or trying to be "elitist" in the definition; just wondering what we think will be closer to more typical fine presses in quality versus the genre press limited editions.

>14 NathanOv:

I consider Centipede Press to be fine press. I think there have been several debates about this, but I personally don't think a book has to be letterpress to qualify. I have a bunch of old, cheap letterpress books that no one would consider to be fine press. As far as I remember from the brochure Jerad sent out years ago, the only difference between Mountains of Madness and other CP titles is that it will be done letterpress, but I'm working from memory here.

>15 MobyRichard: Letterpress isn't really the defining difference between Centipede and, say, Thornwillow or Arion, though the printing in general is a big one.

Based on what I've seen, their limited editions are quite nice, and they really emphasize having special content, but their materials, binding and printing don't really rise above the level of other genre small presses. I'd mentally had them grouped with Subterranean Press and Cemetary Dance.

What elevates AToM above this is primarily letterpress printing, but also the confirmation of a deluxe edition sure to be in a separate, higher-quality binding with finer materials.

See details:

?This edition of At the Mountains of Madness features the original novel; a special selection of letters by H. P. Lovecraft to friends and associates, wherein he discusses the novel; nearly two dozen original artworks, created solely for this edition; a special printing, never before published, of both H.P. Lovecraft's original handwritten manuscript and first typescript of the novel; two essays about the novel and its history, and an interview with Guillermo del Toro, wherein he talks about At the Mountains of Madness and H.P. Lovecraft. The deluxe editions of this monumental work will be printed letterpress in an oversize format, and a smaller trade edition, printed offset, will also be available. All copies will be signed by most contributors."

>15 MobyRichard: "I have a bunch of old, cheap letterpress books that no one would consider to be fine press."
This seems to indicate you miss the point a bit. All books were at one time letterpress and most were crappy or mediocre. It isn't the method itself that makes fine press, but the quality of the method.

I do agree with you, however, in that fine press books need not be produced via letterpress, but there are those who feel otherwise.

>17 Glacierman: My opinion is that this is a matter of different roads leading to the same place.

If the criteria for fine press is artistry, attention to detail, and craft, then the printing methods today which attend "artistry, attention to detail, and craft" are relief printing and intaglio.

>17 Glacierman:
>18 grifgon:

Just want to clarify that I did not mean to start another debate on the defintion of "fine press" here - just poor choice of phrasing when wondering whether we see production traits more similar to Thornwillow / Arion / the other more commercial fine presses, or if it aligns more with small genre publishers like Subterranean / Cemetary Dance etc. which is how I've percieved the few Centipede press titles I've seen in the past.

Any thoughts on the forthcoming Zelazny? Amber series with similar treatment and price to Elric?

>18 grifgon: What? Not letterpress? :-D

>20 SDB2012: I might have to look into that!

>21 Glacierman: guessing this is tongue in cheek, but letterpress is a form of relief printing.

>17 Glacierman:

Mmm...sorry I dashed that message off pretty quick. I think my point is probably exactly the same as yours. The original post seemed to indicate Mountains of Madness crossed into the fine press group. My response was that the only difference between MOM and other CP books I remember advertised was that MOM would be letterpress. Personally I think CP qualifies as exceptional quality with or without letterpress and that Jerad is inspired by the same ethos as William Morris, to craft books as standalone works of art and not just carriers of a text. The fact that Jerad prefers modern materials doesn't make CP books any less fine press in my opinion. Bookmaking changes like any other craft. No art worth the name stays the same forever.

When I said I own old, cheap letterpress books I did not mean to imply they were badly printed. I meant literally they can be bought cheaply despite being letterpress and nobody connects them with William Morris or the Arts & Crafts movement. The point of the fine press movement was to hearken back to the golden age of bookmaking when craftsmanship was (supposedly) a given. The truth of course was that William Morris made books to a much higher standard than most of the books ever made, whether you're talking about the middle ages, renaissance, etc. If the Middle Ages had invented a time machine, they would have traveled to 2250 A.D. and hearkened back to William Morris to learn how to make better books.

>22 abysswalker: Wouldn't that depend on whether the printer belonged to the "kiss" or to the "bite" school of letterpress printing? :-D

From the Centipede Press email newsletter, this is forthcoming.

Nova by Samuel R. Delany. This item will be up for sale next Sunday, March 6, at 9:30am. The link will be in the newsletter and will not be live on the Centipede Press site. It is a slightly oversize book in a handsome slipcase. Watch for it next week!

Super excited for Nova, even more than I was for Dune. It’s one of my all time favorite novels, and a masterpiece of new wave era science fiction. Highly recommended for fans of thoughtful space opera.

Some of Piotr Jabłoński’s artwork is available here: https://www.behance.net/gallery/78368449/Nova

Better read an Elric since Volume 6 is coming! I'm behind on my (re)reads. Dark as Elric is, he is still a comfort read in a world threatened by Chaos.

>26 SolerSystem: I'm really jazzed for this one as well, and hope it doesn't punch too big a hole in my finances. I'd love for them to do Dhalgren as well. That's probably my favorite Delany novel and a nice slice of experimental New Wave sci-fi.

>28 Shadekeep: I think the last time Jerad mentioned prices for Nova it was around $200-$225. And yes, absolute agree re. Dhalgren, and I suggested it to Jerad a couple weeks back when he sent out that survey. More new wave in general would be most welcome.

>29 SolerSystem: I concur. I'd love to see some fine press Ballard, and more Aldiss would be great too.

>30 Shadekeep: Have you seen the details of Folio's planned Helliconia trilogy LE from a few years back? https://www.librarything.com/topic/330991

>31 SolerSystem: No, I did not know that. Thanks for the link! Would be great if this happened. I see FS did put out an anthology curated by Aldiss. It contains a Tiptree story, another author who I would love to see get the fine press treatment. Either the story included here (And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill’s Side) or The Screwfly Solution would be my first choice, but there are many others.

FYI -looks like Nova will be $325

>33 HowardEriksonWolfe: Where did you find that info?

>34 What_What: probably a subscriber

Correct, SDB2012.

Hurm, any chance of multiple editions? I was hoping for something more in the Black Easter price range. If this turns out to be the price of the only edition, I may have to forbear, as I'm hoping to secure Powers of Darkness when it comes out.

Ah okay, thank you. Quite a bit higher than the original estimate. Will likely get a copy in any case.

>37 Shadekeep: Doubtful- at most signed and numbered vs. unsigned and unnumbered, but there really isn't much of a price difference between the two. CP occasionally does deluxe editions of certain titles, but they're far more expensive than the standard editions.

>39 SolerSystem: Thanks for the insight. If it hasn't sold out by the time Powers of Darkness lands I can weight the cost of both together then.

>40 Shadekeep: I would be surprised if any Centipede Press edition of a major work by Delany does not sell out on the first day, possibly within a matter of hours.

>41 abysswalker: Unsigned copies could be around for a while. Delany isn’t that famous nowadays, he is among the most difficult SF writers to read, and the book is more expensive than most CP publications.

>42 punkzip: It will be sold out in less than 24 hours with numerous people holding on to it to resell it at a higher price later. That, unfortunately, is what CP has largely become. I can not think of a single CP publication in, honestly at this point years, that has not sold out in less than 24 hours - unsigned copies aside.

I think Bedeviled took a while to sell out. Not that your point has not been made.

>43 astropi: my post specifically referred to unsigned copies

I think you’re both saying the same thing.

Thanks for all the info, folks, it's a big help to a relative newcomer like me. I do try to get what I really want when it debuts, because there are clearly editions which sell out quickly. I think this price point is a little high for me in this case, but there are other books I would buy at that price. I guess we'll know for sure in a couple of days!

Did anyone received the newsletter yet with the Nova offering? Perhaps the time stated isn't EST but another time zone.

It's usually at 11:30 EST

>48 Shadekeep: Newsletter is out now fyi

Gonna pass on this one. If CP does release Dhalgren... I see that one being easily over $500.

Sold out

That was fast. Looks like unsigned are still available.

>50 SolerSystem: Thanks, just got back from some appointments and the email was waiting. That did sell out quickly. Price was as folks guessed, so reluctantly going to pass on this one.

>52 Undergroundman: >53 SDB2012: yup, that is exactly what happens with every single CP book in the past few years. Sells out in minutes (if not quicker) and then there are just unsigned copies. Now people will post Nova on eBay for as much as they can milk it...

According to members of the Facebook fan group, the signed edition was sold out within 15 minutes. And this was with many members chiming in to say that they had passed due to high shipping costs for destinations outside the USA (obviously not the fault of the press, but worth noting to gauge region-agnostic demand).

It was a maybe for me on virtue of the work, but $325 USD is ~$415 CAD, and with shipping that tops the $500 CAD mark. More than half a grand. These are nice books, but thinking about what you actually get, and the opportunity costs involved, it ended up being an easy pass for me.

>55 astropi: Well I snagged one kind’ve spontaneously as a Delany fan even though I’ve mostly stopped collecting offset limited editions.

I’m excited to see it, but there’s a good chance I end up passing it along for right around cover price.

The unsigned copies of Nova are actually rarer - only 80 of those against 300 signed. Unsigned are also cheaper - really a no brainer as to which to get.

>58 wcarter: as a Centipede press novice (all I’ve owned is a VanderMeer first edition they published) aren’t signed and unsigned actually different states, with the signed being an upgrade?

>59 NathanOv: no they are the same physically except for the signatures. The Dune unsigned had a different - actually superior IMO - binding, but the Nova signed and unsigned should be identical. Price is also the same so you definitely want a signed

>59 NathanOv:

It depends on the book. I think usually the signed edition just has an extra signature page, usually quite nice with an extra illustration/background. There are a few books like Dune, where the signed edition used a different binding material. I hear some people had problems with the microfiber cloth used in the signed edition but I haven't noticed any issues so far...I think it was a nice idea, similar to the CP Forever War which I believe was bound in suede but I assume more durable than suede.

>60 punkzip: Ah makes sense - yeah I was basing that assumption on all the Dune pictures I’ve seen

>58 wcarter: empirically speaking, the signed seem to universally sell for more on the secondary market, and the price differential is generally pretty small. I think the premium for signed was around $10 for Nifft the lean.

The fact that the unsigned are, strictly speaking, rarer is an interesting (but somewhat predictable) exception to the general dictates of how supply and demand result in prices.

>58 wcarter: Delany rarely signs. No way in hell the unsigned copies will be worth more than the signed copies.

>58 wcarter: This doesn’t make sense. There are 80 exactly identical unsigned copies, and only 1 copy of each numbered edition. They also cost the same $325, which was the cost of the signed as well.

For those reasons, it’s always better to get numbered copies, most especially if it’s a series. Numbered series of the Gray Mouser books will cost twice as much as the unsigned versions to acquire, for example, even though the books were sold for almost the same price, and are otherwise identical.

>65 What_What: your analysis is flawed. The numbered copies are fungible. There are N numbered copies and M unnumbered copies, where N > M.

Dr. Carter was correct, but numbered will still be more valuable for those who care about market value. If you care primarily about physical artifact, the unsigned is the better deal.

>66 abysswalker: Two questions:

1. Let’s say I have copy number 50 of Nova - how many other number 50 copies are out there?

2. Let’s say I have an unnumbered copy of Nova - how many other unnumbered copies are out there?

Also, here’s the definition of fungible for reference:
“able to replace or be replaced by another identical item; mutually interchangeable.”

A number 50 copy can not be exactly replaced by any other copy. But an unsigned copy has many other replacements.

>67 What_What: it is true that occasionally a particular number might entail extra value (if someone is trying to collect all number 50 in particular, for example). Notably, in this case number 49 or 51 won't do, so the extra value is not from the absurd idea that each number is a limitation of 1. That's an idiosyncrasy of a particular collector looking for a particular number. (Additionally, in the case of "the value of number 50" unless the collector in question is someone like Howard Hughes and everyone knows someone is looking for a specific number, the additional value is not market value because nobody else cares. Just the person looking for number 50 to complete, or add to, their set.)

It is also true that there are a few symbolic numbers that people might pay slight premiums to own. 1, 13, 69, 666, and so forth. I bet a Hitchhiker's Guide number 42 (if there were a numbered edition) would fetch a small premium. These are exceptions, however, and relatively unimportant exceptions at that. There may also be a very slight premium to early rather than later numbers based on the historical practice of foundry type wearing out, but any modern maker of books will tell you that is likely an irrational preference, as books are rarely numbered in the order they come off the press anymore, even if that still made a difference in terms of the quality of output (which it probably does not).

It is not true that most people distinguish between numbers when purchasing or valuing books. Numbered copies are fungible, which means mutually interchangeable. Nobody cares about whether the number of the book on an eBay auction is 41 or 67. They are functionally the same. All that matters is that it belongs to the numbered state. This is relatively easy to substantiate based on quantitative sales data.

>68 abysswalker: There is a lot of information here that isn’t germane to the discussion (including the original commenter’s profession, I might add, in your earlier comment).

Suffice it to say, any collectors reading this thread should purchase numbered copies when given the chance, as they now all seem to cost the same, and are in higher demand on the secondary market if the need to sell them ever arose.

I won’t debate this any further, as the facts are pretty clear - no two numbered copies are exactly alike. This has also been discussed and generally agreed on in serious collector groups many times.

Looking forward to everyone receiving the book and sharing their feedback.

>69 What_What: I don't think we are really debating, as I agree with you in terms of practical action: I will generally buy a Centipede numbered if it is available and I am interested in the title. Also, notably, signed sometimes come with first refusal (as with Dune), which can be a big benefit (but of course depends on whether the title is part of a series, and loses that perk once the series is fully published).

I wasn't using Dr. Carter's title as an appeal to authority (if you read above, you will see that I am actually critiquing his point in my first response). It's just more fluent English to write than the lowercase wcarter.

I'm not sure about this particular case in terms of the small price premium from the publisher for signed. In the past, signed have generally had a slightly higher cost than unsigned when purchased directly from Jerad. Were they actually the same cost this time? I know Nifft signed was slightly more expensive (because I bought that one).

>70 abysswalker: Nifft signed was $95 and unsigned was $85, at least as per my records. Today they were both the same cost, and my recollection is they’re usually pretty close enough to not make a difference.

For what it’s worth, I have no idea how Jerad gets away with producing so many unsigned copies. If it’s in the contract, why not number and sign all of them. It’s odd.

The second Nifft should hopefully come along soon - there was an update a few months ago, but I must have deleted the newsletter. Happy to finally start a series from the beginning with CP.

>70 abysswalker: There is no price difference between the unsigned and signed for Nova. Despite there only being 80 unsigned copies of Nova, compared to 300 signed copies, the signed copies sold out in 15 minutes while the unsigned are still available and I suspect will still be available for some time. Rights to future Delany publications don't play a role as I understand this only applies to series. So it looks like the vast majority of buyers do want Delany's signature, even though there may not be much ultimate difference in market value. To me, the price would be expensive for an offset book without the author's signature but reasonable with the author's signature. Look at the premium that Folio charges for signatures. I did buy a signed but would not have bought an unsigned at the price.

I agree that "numbers" are typically fungible. I for one have never even paid attention to the number of any limited book I buy. One area where it does make a difference (at least for secondary market value) is matching numbers for a series.

Saw a Nova on Ebay. Glad I passed. The slipcase isn't very impressive for the price.

>73 Undergroundman: Any thoughts on the rest of the book? Illustrations, stamping, finishing, size, paper, layout, endpapers, quality of the story?

I received my copy. I actually think the book is gorgeous. The slipcase, boards, interior illustrations…beautiful work. My sole complaint might be that both the binding and the fit if the slipcase are a bit tight for my preference. I’ve not read Nova previously but I’m looking forward to doing so with this edition.

>75 HowardEriksonWolfe:

Would you be willing to share some photos? I am kind of interested, but at the high price (plus international shipping and tax) I'm really not sure.

I’m ashamed to admit I’m not sure how to do so. Is there a simple method to adding photos here that you could share? I apologize but I’m not very tech savvy.

>77 HowardEriksonWolfe: The photo posting ability of librarything is straight out of 1999 unfortunately. The photo needs to be uploaded somewhere and then the HTML code needs to be copy and pasted into a message. There is a tutorial somewhere, but I am not sure where to find it.

Happy to see a more complete review of the book, looking forward to getting mine.

Thank you, What_What. Unfortunately, that process seems beyond my patience to undertake. SF-72, if you care to provide your email address, I’d be happy to send you some photos, however I warn that my photography skills are no better than my tech abilities.

Here's a quick-and-dirty set of steps to upload and share an image. Perhaps this should go into a group wiki somewhere. I am using ImgBB, but you could use whatever image hosting service you like.

1. Take a digital photo and save it to your computer. (Alternately you may be able to upload it straight from your phone using the photo website in the phone web browser.)


2. Upload your photo to the website.


3. Once it's uploaded, you will be presented with options for getting the link to your image.


4. I have chosen HTML Thumbnail Linked here, copied the HTML code they show, and pasted it below.

You can set the photo to expire after a period of time, or remain in perpetuity. If you create an account then you can go back and manage your uploaded photos later.

Hope this helps!

>73 Undergroundman: Well that's ridiculously fast. I was hoping for an enclosed slipcase like other recent Centipede editions, but I realize it wasn't advertised as one. Still looking forward to seeing mine in a couple days though

>79 HowardEriksonWolfe:

Thank you for your offer, I understand the problem. I did post photos on here following the guidelines, but it could definitely be easier. I'll have to see if I can send a private message somehow (I'm not that tech-savy myself) since I naturally don't want to put my email on the public forum.

Detailed instructions on how to post a photo into a LT thread can be found at - https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Groups:Fine_Press_Forum#Technical_tips

If anyone has a copy of Nova for trade, let me know. I have a bunch of fine press books as well as some Centipede Press, Folio, Easton, etc. for trade :)

Is there a specific reason why Centipede Press seems to be targeted by book-scalpers who buy them out and then immediately try to resell them? Is there something in particular about CP editions that drives this demand, or is it more that they've caught the zeitgeist and, circular-fashion, are a hot property because they are a hot property?

>85 Shadekeep: Well, I think it's because that practice is more common in small genre presses than the fine press world, so we only tend to see it with presses like Centipede or Suntup where there's some overlap.

Part of it's definitely the choice of popular titles like Dune or living authors who rarely sign like Delany, and I think part of it is just the sales practices of these presses that make it a lot easier to "scalp" than if one had to, for example, subscribe to Arion to get any premium on a resale, or speak directly to Larry & Peggy at Foolscap to even make an order which I think deter people from ordering just to immediately list and resell.

>85 Shadekeep: A few copies of all limited edition books end up on the secondary market by people trying to make a quick buck. There were 300 signed copies, and so far one has appeared on eBay? I’d hardly describe it as being “bought out by book-scalpers,” though there is an outsized preoccupation with such a small percentage of books going up for resale. Even if another 20 copies were to be resold, when they get delivered, it’s still a small number.

This happens for anything that’s collectible. If a small number of people want to go to all that trouble of ordering, paying, stocking, advertising, selling, packing, paying fees and taxes, then good for them I guess.

>87 What_What: I think that the new IRS reporting rules starting this year will make book scalping less common.

>86 NathanOv: That makes sense. These are essentially "prestige" editions of popular titles a lot of the time, so they are more accessible to the buying public then a small run of a more obscure work would be. Thus it makes for a more reflexively desirable object, and ergo one to make a profit on.

>87 What_What: I don't have hard numbers on the turn-around of scalped copies, so it wasn't my intent to make it sound like this is some kind of shadowy underworld book-hocking ring at work. I was more going by rumblings I've picked up here that certain publishers seem to sell out quickly and often their titles can be found soon after for resale. If it's an insignificant percentage of the total sales then all the better.

>85 Shadekeep: There's been a high demand for some Centipede Press titles for a very long time. Some of the early highly desirable editions were very limited. I think Book of the New Sun was 100 signed copies. American Psycho - 200 copies. In many cases, I don't understand the secondary pricing. Someone is currently offering the 2014 The Grifters for $1942 right now. I love Jim Thompson as much as the next reader but, really?
>88 punkzip: I hope you're right.

>89 Shadekeep: It is insignificant. The chatter, unfortunately, is not.

When the Folio Society Haunting of Hill House LE sold out in an hour, on Facebook there were no fewer than 8 posts bemoaning the copies that went up on eBay. Even now, maybe 12 copies have sold on eBay, yet it was all people wanted to talk about for days.

But I think Centipede Press has gained a lot of popularity over the last couple years, and almost all their books now sell out within the hour or less.

>91 What_What: I wouldn't say 5% of copies flipped in the first week when I don't believe any have even made it to North America yet is "insignificant."

There are certainly specific books and presses were the amount bought solely for the sake of short term profits is significant and rightly frustrating to collectors

>90 SDB2012: They do have one heck of an author roster, as does Suntup. I can see why they would be in steady demand. As for resale pricing, I assume it's either what the market will bear, wild optimism, or a number somewhere along the continuum between those two.

The only CP book I have so far is Black Easter, and it is a nice volume, but not one of the titles in same price and demand range as Nova was.

I appreciate everyone's replies. I was mostly curious if there was some secret extra aspect to CP books that made them so desirable, but it sounds like it's pretty much the basics (quality of book, renown of author, signatures) that are sufficient drivers of demand. Thanks, y'all!

Centipede Press was a small niche publisher and when Jerad first started you could even purchase some of his books on amazon for less than his asking price! Now of course, it's a scalpers paradise. Unfortunately I don't think Jerad has any intention of changing his MO - he publishes and if you purchase it, good, if not, too bad. Unfortunate but that's where we are. The best advice I can give is DO NOT SUPPORT SCALPERS!

By the way, the best Jim Thompson book ever published is the Arion Press South of Heaven which is still in stock for original cost - well worth it :)
https://www.arionpress.com/store/90-south-of-heaven

>93 Shadekeep: I've been a subscriber to CP for a year or two and have purchased many other titles over the past ten years from the press and a few on the secondary market. No matter the price range, I've always felt that the work was a solid value for the price.
>94 astropi: I have a copy of that and agree- well worth the price.

>94 astropi: I left you a note about Nova BTW.

A lot of the recent interest in small press books was driven by the pandemic as people were not able to spend money on services and experiences. I suspect the interest will abate across the board eventually. It's also worth noting that Centipede has a fairly aggressive publication schedule and having a lot of publications likely means the only a minority will be in substantial demand in the long run. In a relatively short period of time, the interest in Suntup publications - which publishes a lot as well -has decreased substantially. Of their last 3 350 limitation numbered states, two have not sold out and one took over a month to sell out, and perhaps 90% of the numbered publications are less than retail. So the demand can change quite quickly.

Another factor is simply success and a stellar track record. Jerad can get the rights to more popular titles and more popular titles command higher prices. Also the more popular titles you're able to work on, the less time you have to devote to weird niche titles and the forgotten 2nd and 3rd raters CP used to focus on. There's only so many hours in a day. In some cases, the secondary prices do seem like sheer nonsense to me. For a while William Lindsay Gresham's short story collection 'Grindhouse' was selling for a far higher price than 'Nightmare Alley' despite the latter's superior artistry AND popularity. I think 'Nightmare Alley's finally caught up, but it's hard to judge what exactly the price fluctuations mean sometimes...

>95 SDB2012: What does a CP subscription get you? Automatic receipt of a scheduled release, a discount on titles, or a chance to reserve a book in advance of the listing date, perhaps? I've only had experience with a couple of fine press subscriptions (Thornwillow and No Reply) and I understand that it can mean different things at different houses. And of course I've "subscribed" for individual releases with various presses, which seems to be basically just declaring your intent to purchase and being put on a the reservation list for the title. I'd be curious to hear the terms of the CP subscription.

>99 Shadekeep: You’re allocated and obligated to buy a copy of every single publication. Won’t ever miss out on a book, but at the same time have to buy them all.

>87 What_What: That makes ZERO sense. Nova was "available" starting on Sunday, but somehow CP managed to ship it on Monday, and that same day a reseller started selling it on the secondary. Pretty obvious certain resellers are getting books earlier than us plebes. Maybe lifers?

Wait 2 more weeks, and you will see Ebay get flooded with even more signed, and unsigned copies. In CP's defense, they mentioned exactly when the newsletter would be sent out, and you had like 14 minutes to get a signed copy.

>101 Undergroundman: That was almost certainly a subscriber's copy. Subscribers got early access (see e.g. post 33 above) and were likely shipped before the weekend.

Look, I think a large part of the 'scalper' problem here has been essentially answered by the discussion on subscribers above. Many of these scalpers are not scalpers in the traditional sense, they're just subscribers. They're obliged to purchase every book but, because they don't actually want every book while at the same don't want to lose their subscribers status, the unwanted books go straight up on ebay. As CP books sell out rapidly these days, this is easy to do and may well result in a profit.

At the same time, it was clear from the post-Dune discussion that a proportion of CP books are sold directly and intentionally to resellers, e.g. Subterranean. I doubt that Jerad really needs to do this anymore, it's likely a hangover from the days when the press was less popular and it helped him increase reach and sales.

After subscribers and resellers it would be interesting to know how many copies are actually available for public sale. A number substantially less than 300 I suppose, which is likely why they appear to sell out so fast.

>102 Levin40: Thanks for the clarification.

>101 Undergroundman: What part of what I said made zero sense?

And yes, eBay will be flooded with another 15 copies. Out of 300. The sky is falling for sure.

>104 What_What: What makes you think Ebay is the only secondary market? More get sold on Facebook, or other forums where you have less fees. So add like another 30 right off the bat.

>100 What_What: Ah, I see. So it's one way to ensure you don't miss out on the titles you want. And it does make sense that a number of copies appearing for resale might originate with subscribers who don't want every book. Given the varying prices by book, I guess there isn't a fixed rate for this subscription and you are simply billed for the price of the book as each comes out.

>106 Shadekeep: Yes, that is right. If you are a fan, it would be a great way to secure each book, as some books are made in such a small limitation, they never make it to public sale. There is one such book being released this year, where there will be 100 copies, if I remember correctly. And you can usually just sell the ones you don’t want, either at retail or the prevailing market price (higher or lower).

Though as you can see, 40 copies being resold out of 300 is quite the cause for consternation for some.

>107 What_What: Thanks for the info. I don't see a link on their site to subscribe, so is it possible they limit the number of those and all slots are full? I would think they would have to cap it at some point if they are going to do runs as small as 100.

Also, let me say if anyone here is a subscriber and doesn't plan to keep their copy of Powers of Darkness when it goes up, I would like to state my interest in it in advance should I not be able to secure one myself. ^_^

>100 What_What:
>99 Shadekeep:
Yes. You also get a 15% discount and net 30 terms. The books like the super deluxe HOHH are not included in the subscription.

I don't know if Jerad is still offering subscriptions. The best way to find out is to email him.

>109 SDB2012: Oh, that is nice! And I figured there might be editions exclusive of the subscription. Thank you!

I probably wouldn't do a subscription myself, as I'm only interested in specific titles from them. I was asking about current availability more just out of curiosity. Trying to learn how things work in the fine/quality press world.

>109 SDB2012: "Yes. You also get a 15% discount and net 30 terms." What is net 30 terms?

>111 punkzip: thirty days to pay after you receive the invoice.

>108 Shadekeep: Never asked directly but I don't think it's easy to become a subscriber. I've heard there's a long waiting list. Re Powers of Darkness, the website states there will be 500 copies so shouldn't be a problem if you're quick off the mark.

>113 Levin40: Thank you, that does sound like a decent number, so hopefully I'll get in under the wire. I assume the opening of the sale will be announced in the newsletter as Nova was?

>114 Shadekeep: In all likelihood it will be. Jerad's new model with releases is to let us know a week in advance. So far, they've all gone on sale at 9:30am Mountain Time.

>115 skubrick2899: Super, thank you!

There are no more subscriber spots, and likely a lengthy wait list, if he’s even bothering to maintain one. All his books sell out anyway, no need for subscribers. And there are also no more discounts for the new recent subscribers, for the same reason.

Received Nova today. Compared to my $250 Ender's Way, this is smaller and does not have a capped slipcase like EW, but this was $75 more. I'm wondering if this is the new normal, given inflation.

>118 punkzip: if I remember enders way, it was all b&w illustrations. Does nova have color or are they b&w too?

I’m my opinion, aside from the capped slipcase, Nova is the stronger production. I was not super impressed with the production for Ender’s Way or Speaker for the Dead. The slipcases were great, but the books themselves seemed a bit lackluster. Plus, I find Jablonski’s art on Nova to be much more appealing than the Palumbo art on the Card titles.

>119 trentsteel: It a combination of b&w and color. Nova is a more impressive book than EW in the interior, but EW has the capped slipcase and is a larger format. I would say the price should be about the same, but there is inflation to account for..

Can someone explain the preoccupation with enclosures? We’ve been warned about judging books by their covers, but seems we need to update the adage.

It’s hard to give any credence to reviews that start and stop at the quality of the slipcase, and there’s now two of them in the thread. Granted, at least the latter wasn’t based on just a photo on eBay.

>118 punkzip: The signature might have bumped up the price. Don't think this will be the new norm for most CP books. No way I am buying a Ray Garton stand alone slipcased book for $300 (no offense). Would definitely buy a Masters of the
Weird Tale of Ray's work though.

>122 What_What: I wasn't reviewing the book. I was just commenting on the physical book, compared to another CP book, as a way of comparing value for the price. The slipcase is part of that. The point of my post was to wonder whether the cost of the CP Nova was due to inflation, as the price was higher than I would have expected compared to prior CP publications. Recognizing that books will likely be more expensive going forward (more than they already have increased), I'm happy with the purchase, although I definitely would not have bought an unsigned copy for the price.

I wouldn't be surprised by inflation playing a part in this. But it's also the same price of Childhood's End from a little over two years ago, which is a comparable title. Though, I don't own that edition to discuss the production values. However, I was hoping this would also have the velvety boards. Alas, it doesn't. But the paper is really thick stock. Moreso than most of their titles. And it also has a few extras not mentioned on the product page.

Maybe it doesn't feel like a $325 book but I'm happy to own a copy. As mentioned above, if it wasn't signed, I'd be on the fence. I don't usually care for signatures, but this includes the author's sig, so it makes it feel a bit more special.

>125 skubrick2899: The Childhood's End slipcase is way more striking. The Nova one falls in line with most CP slipcases.

>126 Undergroundman: Agreed there and the binding is different as well. Maybe the cloth on Nova will be more durable. Time will tell.

But I'm thinking more in the sense of the title itself. Both works are strong contenders in the sci-fi canon. And Centipede has produced an incredible production in each case. Perhaps the production value in Childhood's End is a bit stronger given the price point. But like I said, if I'm to care about signatures, which I usually don't, then Nova's signed edition certainly puts it on the same level because of Delany's signature. YMMV

Wow! Stormbringer might be my favorite of the CP Elric books yet. Those illustrations from Rodney Matthews are amazing!!!! I'm very happy to own this series of Moorcook's books...

Centipede Press has put their Stefan Grabiński volume up for order. Already out of signed copies.

redacted

I have no previous experience with the author, but based on what I read it sounds right up my street, so I ordered an unsigned.

I think that Centipede Press intended to share this link only with people on its email list.

Might have to buy from a scalper on Ebay now. Oh, well.

>130 booksforreading:

Yes, Jerad has requested that the mailing list links not be shared.

>130 booksforreading: >132 MobyRichard: My apology, I wasn't aware of that. I've redacted the link now.

>131 Undergroundman: There are still unsigned copies available, but yes, if you want a signed one, you'll have to check the after market. They weren't even available when I first checked.

Out of curiosity, how long do Centipede Press titles like this tend to remain accessible only to email subscribers before they go on general sale? Or are there some which are never released on general sale? I do suppose a fair number sell out from email subscribers alone, too.

>134 Shadekeep: It's a good question. Stormbringer still isn't on the website, for example.

The general rule seems to be that if an exclusive email link goes out, the book will sell out within days. In some cases, within minutes. Jerad is pretty good at judging demand.

>136 MobyRichard: So it sounds like for the most part that they don't stick around long enough to be made public offerings. Curious if any have made that transition, but I've only been a subscriber for a short while so I don't know what all that list might comprise.

>137 Shadekeep: It's been a while since signed/numbered copies have made the transition from the email link to one that's available to the public. But Jerad also did things a bit differently up until about a year ago. The Philip K. Dick set prompted him to stop accumulating names for pre-order lists. Instead, he tells us in advance when a title be will on sale and the link is provided in the newsletter email for that day. There are just way too many people who follow the press now so the demand for these titles is even greater.

As long as you get his newsletters, you'll know what titles will be on sale before they go on sale. The only exception is for series titles such as Dune. Numbered holders of that volume will be able to keep their number for the next one.

>137 Shadekeep: I think the only role "public offerings" play for the press is just having inventory available on the site.

It's not like there's a group of people eagerly anticipating CP's publications that just didn't bother subscribing to the newsletter.

>139 NathanOv: Actually, yes, that group would be 'new customers'. There are often people cropping up asking how to buy CP books. If you stumble across the website without being a member of the LT or FB groups then it's not at all obvious. It's not even clear from the website that the newsletter exists.

>140 Levin40: I know that I had trouble sussing out how to get access to some CP titles until folks here pointed me towards the email newsletter. It sounds like they largely pursue a subscriber model of sorts, in which offerings basically target those already in the know.

>141 Shadekeep: It’s hardly a subscriber model since one doesn’t have to buy any books and it’s first come first served on the release.

>142 kdweber: Email subscriber model then.

Also, about once per week someone will ask on FB how to subscribe to the newsletter.

>142 kdweber: That's why I said "subscriber model of sorts", in that the books are offered to those who are subscribed to the press announcements. Perhaps not in the traditional definition of the term, but still the books are offered to an "inner circle" first, so to speak. But yes, not a literal subscription as is often used here.

>143 What_What: Exactly, you got it. And the newsletter is far from obvious to find, or at least that was my experience.

Centipede Press has subscribers in the literal sense. They are committed to purchasing every book from the publisher in return to guaranteed copies of each publication.

>145 booksforreading: That is closed now to new subscribers, correct? Thought I heard something to that effect.

>146 Shadekeep:
I don't know the answer. I imagine that CP does not really need subscribers at this point, because all books tend to sell very fast; however, if one is interested, they should ask the press directly. You never know...

>147 booksforreading: A good idea, but I'm only interested in a minority of their output, so I personally won't be going for a subscription. I was more interested in a purely academic sense. At the moment I'm most keen on Powers of Darkness, whose debut seems to have been set back a bit.

The previously mentioned Stefan Grabiński volume is publicly up for sale now, so that's at least one title which has transitioned from "email subscribers only" to "generally available". This is the first Masters of the Weird Tale volume I've purchased, quite a hefty book. I'm sorry I missed the William Hope Hodgson volume, he's my favorite weird fiction author.

>146 Shadekeep: As far as I know, yes. I believe Jerad opens it up every five or so years to replace members that, for whatever reason, have canceled their subscription, but it's usually only a handful of spots and they get snapped up pretty quick.

That said, the popularity of the press has increased significantly since the last time spots opened up, and the benefits for newer subscribers are not nearly as good as the ones those that have been around for a while receive, so I have to wonder if spots will ever be offered again.

>150 donaldmcobb: what are the benefits for old subscribers?

>151 Objectr:

All I remember is that standing orders get an additional discount. I thought about it back in the day, but CP just publishes more books in a year than I can possibly afford.

>151 Objectr: It's mostly the discount, which I believe is 10 or 15%; doesn't seem like much, but when you are required to buy numerous books with price tags in the hundreds each year, it can really add up.

>149 Shadekeep: It's not unusual for the unsigned copies to be available for public sale. The Grabinski volume's numbered copies were gone within minutes. It shows that most are just interested in the s/l version. Hence, why they disappear before public sale (especially with only 250 up for grabs), while under 100 copies or so of the unsigned are still hanging around almost three weeks later.

Even Hallahan's Keeper of the Children still has signed copies available. And that's been available for over a month at a budget-friendly price.

>154 skubrick2899: Thanks. I had raised the question here earlier about whether these "email exclusives" typically made it to public sale, it seems to depend a lot on the author involved (which is logical). When it comes to Centipede Press I'm not particularly concerned about numbered editions or signatures, I'm more looking for a good edition of an author whose works aren't generally available in a nice format elsewhere. Grabiński was an unfamiliar name to me, so it was a good chance to pick up a new-to-me weird fiction author.

>153 donaldmcobb:
>151 Objectr:
The main benefit for subscribers of Centipede Press is the security of feeling that they are guaranteed to receive all publications from the press, even the ones that sell in seconds.

>156 booksforreading: And this is even more so for copies where there may only be as many as 100. There are a couple upcoming books where that is the case.

>155 Shadekeep: You're welcome!

I also feel the same way. If it's possible to pick up a numbered copy, then I'm all for it, especially if the author signs it or I want to continue the series (as with Dune). But lacking that page isn't a deal-breaker for me as it seems to be with many others.

By the way, I hope you enjoy Grabinski. I read some of his stories before the book went up on sale and on that basis I decided to purchase it. Weird fiction isn't really my thing, but I thought his stories had enough pop to draw me back for subsequent readings. That's always a major sticking point.

>156 booksforreading: Were those guys obligated to buy the recent 3K Shirley Jackson book? Yikes.

>159 Undergroundman:

Not sure....I would assume so. The CP deluxe editions are almost impossible to find on the second-hand market so...if you have the money it's probably worth it. I wish I had bought the deluxe Shadow of the Torturer when I saw it years ago on abebooks. I didn't really consider it at the time, since it was only 1 of 4 volumes, but I've never seen any deluxe copy since....For Centipede Press titles in general, not counting the recent Shirley Jackson, I've probably only seen two or three other deluxe copies available, I think one was the Lynd Ward Frankenstein, or maybe The Golem.

>160 MobyRichard: Yeah, I don't think I ever seen those on Ebay. Maybe Camelot? They do get rarer stuff.

>160 MobyRichard: I was not aware that there were de luxe versions of Frankenstein or The Golem. The website does not mention them. For Frankenstein, is there a de luxe sub-limitation within the overall limitation of 300 copies? Or a de luxe sub-limitation within the overall limitation of 200 copies for The Golem?

There is an unsigned deluxe version of hill house on the cp website available

>159 Undergroundman: No, there’s no requirement to purchase the deluxe copies, whenever they are rarely available.

>159 Undergroundman:
Just as What_That said. Deluxe copies are optional.

>162 ultrarightist:

Things were a lot more loosy goosey back in the day. I was actually surprised to see a specific limitation announced for the deluxe shirley jackson. I don't recall details on any deluxe edition appearing on the website before that, other than maybe a brief mention that there would or would not be one. If you look at http://centipedepress.com/sf/shadow.html, you can see there's no mention of a deluxe edition but I've seen a copy on abebooks and Jerad has confirmed that one did exist but was pretty much immediately sold out or subscribed out, probably through the newsletter. I was not a member at that point, so I don't know how that one worked. The only details I remember from the abebooks listing was that it was full leather. It might have been printed on better paper too...not sure, though for offset printing it never makes much of a difference to me once you get past Mohawk Superfine.

>166 MobyRichard: Interesting. Thanks for the information.

"It might have been printed on better paper too...not sure, though for offset printing it never makes much of a difference to me once you get past Mohawk Superfine"

I agree. Offset printing past that grade of paper seems like a waste.

Feesters in the Lake was just added for public sale. Only unsigned copies available.

https://www.centipedepress.com/horror/feestersinthelake.html

It sounds like next week may see the debut of Burn Witch Burn, though from what I read there are still issues and delays with titles.

>168 Shadekeep: Wow, 500 signed copies sold out pretty quickly.

>169 What_What: Maybe most or all of the signed copies were taken by existing subscribers? Just a guess, it's all opaque to me without more data. Will be interesting to see how long the unsigned copies last, as I don't know how much of CP's audience considers signatures a must-have.

>170 Shadekeep: I don't think so. There are purportedly only about 100 existing subscribers, something that's been verified more than once by known subscribers on the Facebook group.

>169 What_What: Even more impressive since the day of release was not preannounced, and there may still be quite a decent number of regular collectors who are not even aware of it yet.

>171 whytewolf1: Yep, I missed out on a signed copy because last week's newsletter said the book going up today would be the Frank Belknap Long LoWF, which I'm not interested in. Had I known it was actually going to be Feesters, I'd have been waiting for the newsletter.

It's doubly frustrating since Jerad has long said this would be the last book for which he'd maintain a preorder list - which I was on - and instead he just dropped the preorder without even so much as a heads up.

I haven't quite figured out yet why certain Centipede press titles are popular. I for one have never heard of Grabinski or Feesters (to name 2 recent releases) and passed on signed copies of both.

I can't speak for Grabinski as I'm also not familiar with his works, but the appeal of Feesters goes well beyond just fans of Centipede. Leman is a popular author for fans of weird fiction, and the Mansion House edition has been an expensive book for a long time, so the chance at a more affordable copy (with extra content to boot) was always going to be a quick seller.

>173 punkzip:

Grabinski is right in Centipede Press's wheelhouse, far more so than titles like Dune. CP is mostly about obscure but talented 2nd or 3rd tier authors, with the occasional 1st-rater thrown into the mix. And Masters of the Weird Tale is one of CP's flagship series so the quality is always going to be outstanding.

I would add my personal opinion that taking literature as a whole none of the "Masters" of the Weird Tale are 1st rate, except for maybe Robert Aickman, Poe and Lovecraft. I guess some would put Leiber up there, but I've never found any of his stuff all that impressive. I love Ambrose Bierce, but his first rate work consists of his Civil War stories, not his weird fiction.

There were still copies available at 10AM PDT so anyone really interested could have snagged a copy.

>173 punkzip: I also hadn't heard of Feesters or Grabinski before they were announced by CP years ago, but having seen the announcement I researched them and was enough convinced to pick up both. This is something I really appreciate about CP - introducing me to new authors! In both cases, I very much doubt that more than a handful of purchasers will actually have read these works before receiving their CP copies. I would also note that it's not possible to pick up these editions, with this exact content, anywhere else, either in physical or electronic format. This can't be said of the output of most other small press publishers and I think helps to explain the appeal. Also, look at the prices! $100 for Feesters is less than even a Suntup AE, for a signed edition with unique content, many illustrations and limited to only 500 copies.

Finally I would add that some books are mainly for collecting (which usually means sitting on the shelf gathering dust :-), but these two I'm buying principally to read. Feesters in particular is described as a lost classic and I can't wait to dig into the stories. The fact that it's illustrated by one of my favourite SF/fantasy/horror artists is the icing on the cake.

>171 whytewolf1: Huh, I didn't know there were so few subscribers. That does make the signed edition selling out so quickly even more impressive. I wonder how people are finding out about it so quickly. I opened the link in the email pretty much as soon as it arrived, and the signed copies were already gone.

>177 Levin40: Same here, I appreciate CP's devotion to lesser known authors and the thoroughness of the weird compilations. As you say, these are titles purchased to be read, not just collected. I look forward to them unearthing more authors like Grabiński.

>178 Shadekeep:

I found out accidentally that I tend to receive these emails much later than a friend of mine, so certainly others, too. I was told that they're sent out to everyone simultaneously, but there's still a delay of at times several hours to me, sometimes only about an hour or so. That's enough to miss out on the signed editions. I wish I knew why this is the case, if it's my email provider or something to do with the emails as such.

>179 SF-72: Good info, thanks. I often have trouble receiving my emails from some senders in a timely fashion, so it's quite possible mine was much delayed as well.

>177 Levin40: As one of the handful that has read Feesters (I blindly bought a very affordable copy some years ago - turns out it was also signed by Leman!), I can confirm that it's a great collection and well worth picking up.

The thing that has always kept me away from Centipede is that I never get a good impression of what the books actually look like from their website. I suppose they have amassed a reputation and have a fairly uniform production style that many people are comfortable with purchasing without clear photos, but I am put off by the digitised mock-ups usually presented with releases.

Not being critical of what the books end up looking like by the way, which is often handsome.

>182 Aleks3000: "I never get a good impression of what the books actually look like from their website".

Agreed! It's like a secret society where all the communication is via secret e-mail and everyone personally knows Jerad.

>178 Shadekeep: >179 SF-72: If you're not already doing so currently, I would recommend having the CP newsletter sent to a Gmail account. Signed copies of Feesters were actually available for some time before selling out (around an hour or so, I think).

>172 donaldmcobb: That's really too bad. I think many of us forgive Jerdad for things that we'd be livid about with other publishers, knowing that he's an extremely nice guy and that as, basically, a one-man show, he's doing the very best he can.

>184 whytewolf1:

Thanks. The email provider might well play a role in this.

>184 whytewolf1: Thanks for the suggestion, I may have to do that. I'm most concerned that I'll miss the window for Powers of Darkness, as I've been following that one since it was announced, waiting for the debut.

>183 Lukas1990: What’s on the website is what everyone who’s ordering sees, no secrets or additional information for anyone.

I do think they could do a better job showing a few shots of the book. At the same time, a lot of information on the design is shared in the bullets on the right, and in a sense, the designs are pretty consistent across all his standard books.

At the other extreme of this continuum is the Subterranean Press lettered, where they never even mention the production details of their lettered, and sometimes don’t even deliver for a whole year. And the price point is now $750-$1,000, with the production quality often on par with a Suntup numbered that can cost a couple to a few hundred less.

>184 whytewolf1: Yeah I'm not pleased with the situation, but I'm not so upset that I'll swear off the press. I suppose if I were a hardcore CP fan it wouldn't have been a problem, but I buy only a handful of books from him each year and rely heavily on preorder lists (previously) and his announcements of preorder windows (currently).

I did order an unsigned copy. I suppose I'll see where the price for signed copies lands on the secondary market and perhaps sell my unsigned to defray some of the markup on a signed.

>188 donaldmcobb: Pretty sure signed copies will be found on the bay for close to retail. I personally passed since I am seriously running out of space, and have so many pre-orders. Gotta be extremely picky nowadays.

I didn't see any update about Powers of Darkness in the recent newsletter, though conceivably I overlooked it. Has anyone heard anything about a new timetable?

>190 Shadekeep: I don't think you overlooked it--I didn't see an update on Powers of Darkness either. Also waiting for the final volume in the James Blish series, and the Jack Dann Masters of Science Fiction volume. I'm not sure if those are coming before or after Powers of Darkness.

>190 Shadekeep: I didn't see it in CP emails and glad not to see it. I need some time off from purchasing books. But, I really want "power of darkness" and second book in dune series.

>191 JacobHolt: Just got my invitation to buy the last Blish book today, so that's definitely in process. I'd expect to see the remaining signed copies, as well as the unsigned ones, come up in the next week or two.

Received my book today. Very creepy illustrations. https://postimg.cc/gallery/9C1CzVp

Newsletter subscribers will have seen a new offering this morning. More later when buying opens to the public.

>195 Shadekeep: No details, but had this morning’s title even been teased? Came pretty out of the blue for something that’s ready to preorder (and that you’d likely have to decide fast on)

>196 NathanOv: I am passing, but CP definitely mentioned the release last week.

>197 Undergroundman: huh, did not read closely enough I guess! My mistake then.

>196 NathanOv: I recall seeing the cover before (and thinking it was another artist, or at least inspired by them), but didn't know much about the book. Gave it a pass, but hopefully folks enjoy it!

In addition to last weeks’s newsletter, the title has shown as forthcoming on the homepage for a few months.

The page for Burn, Witch, Burn! states "A reprint is in the works.", so there will be another chance for folks who missed this rapid sell-out (including myself).

>201 Shadekeep: The shipment of the unsigned copies got lost or damage, so they have to be reprinted. I wonder, if they weren’t distributed, are the replacements still the first printing?

>202 What_What: That's unfortunate. I wonder if the reprints only cover those already sold, or if there will be additional copies for purchase.

I think there's wiggle room to think of them as the first printing in some ways, but in practical reality they will be the second printing. They won't be from the same run as the signed first printing, assuming they were in the first place.

>201 Shadekeep: there’s one signed Bwb edition on ebay at $300 if you really want it.

>204 horrorbooks: Thanks, but I'll see if it comes around on offer again first. It's not that high on my list, but would be nice to have.

Looks like the recent title is public now, with unsigned copies left. It's The Cipher.

https://www.centipedepress.com/horror/cipher.html

Woo, it's finally out! Subscribers will know what I mean.

Snatched it up and just completed my victory dance. Been sweating it all week. Woo-hoo!!!

>208 rsmac: Likewise! Months of waiting and finally secured one!

You know, I was fussing on that Folio thread about the SPQR reprint and relative value. Well, shipped PoD ended up a mere $4 more than that overpriced reprint of SPQR. I really don't mind spending the money if I am getting something special, and PoD is special and absolutely worth it.

Edit - And it looks like the signed is already sold out. Glad I got through for the signed version as that didn't take long.

Got my signed copy, but would of had no problem paying more if with came with a case. Seems like one of those books that's deserving of a slipcase.

Snatched my signed copy of Power of Darkness. All copies signed and unsigned are officially sold out now from Centipede. I think this book will be selling for a lot of money on a secondary market. I guess

Whoa, I was so intent on buying that I didn't even check whether I was getting a signed copy. I am! Even better now. I knew this book would go fast, being what it is.

I read reviews of Power of Darkness and people like hard core Dracula and horror fans were not really thrilled. It seems like the second part of the book appears to be rushed. I’d like to form my own opinion about books. So, will read it closer to Halloween. 824 pages will probably take me a month to finish. Also, with several illustrators involved, I expected this book to have much more illustrations than just 11 full page and 4 double fold illustrations for a book that has 824 pages, not nearly enough. Did not like that it did not come with a slipcase.

>214 horrorbooks: There are two Dracula-derived Powers of Darkness, which can confuse things as well when it comes to reviews. I've read the Icelandic one, it's okay but no patch on the original. I have more hopes for this Swedish take, though fully expect it to go off on strange tangents as well.

>215 Shadekeep: Yes, let’s why I have to read it to form my own opinion, before I pass a judgement

Has anyone in the public read it, at least unabridged?

"Now, more than a century after its initial publication, it appears unabridged in English."

>217 ultrarightist: I know I haven't. Possibly no one has in this form, yet.

>217 ultrarightist: >218 Shadekeep: My understanding is that this particular translation has only been available since March of 2022. What's not clear to me from the description is if CP's version is identical to the trade edition or not, as that one makes no mention of being abbriged, though is nearly 250 pages shorter.

There were a shorter and longer version available from the very beginning, as it was serialized in two different Swedish publications, but from my understanding previous editions have all been translations of the longer (Dagen) version, so I'm a little lost on the source of any additional content.

>219 NathanOv: Thanks! I wasn't aware that it had been republished in any form at all, so that's useful. No doubt some of the difference in page count is due to illustrations and formatting, and possibly counting the new material as well.

Whoever reads it first should definitely post a review in here. How many people gonna read it as soon as they get it? I have a mountain of TBR list, so it will not happen for a while

I'm going to try to get to it sooner rather than later, so if I do and am able to gin up a proper review, I'll be glad to share it.

>222 Shadekeep: lol thank you!

>221 horrorbooks: I've been slowly accumlating Dracula-related works to read altogether at some point, but I've got a couple more I'm waiting on so it will be some time before I dig into this edition.

>224 NathanOv: shadekeep gonna do it for us. No pressure shadekeep lol

Ha! I hope you enjoy reading block letters written in crayon, then. ;)

>226 Shadekeep: hey, as long as I don’t have to make an effort to read it. I just want to look at illustrations, have bragging rights, and put it on the shelf. So, block letters written in crayon is fine by me. :)

There's another subscriber-only book for sale at the moment. Also, this comment in the most recent email:

The demand for Powers of Darkness far outstripped our supply, so I want to ask if anyone out there wants to see a straight up reprint of the book? Let me know so I can know if this is something worth pursuing. Thank you!

So let them know if you missed it and would like another chance.

Ah, I'm curious what the subscriber-only title is!

>229 eanson: I recommend joining the email subscriber list, sometimes it's the only crack you'll get at certain titles which sell out before they reach public offer. I will say I'm not familiar with the new title myself, nor the author, but Centipede is good at digging up new talent I'm unfamiliar with.

>229 eanson: Yes, I wondered the same, and whether he's talking about newsletter subscribers or actual subscribers. Perhaps I'm missing something, but if it's the latter case what's the point of putting it up early for subscribers? I thought they were expected to purchase regardless, which is surely the point of being a subscriber.

It's newsletter subscribers. It'll always be newsletter subscribers in this context - lifetime subs don't actually have to do anything except pay the occasional invoice Jerad sends them.

>231 Levin40: Sorry, yes, I should be clear that I mean newsletter subscribers.

>232 donaldmcobb:
>233 Shadekeep:
Clear. Thanks for clarifying!

>234 Levin40: Yes, thank you all!

>230 Shadekeep: About the author of the latest Centipede release:

Rhys Hughes is a very talented and prolific fantasy/speculative fiction author. He's also been involved with Centipede in the past, contributing an introduction to The Tyrant by Michael Cisco. He's also written the introduction to the next Elric title.

It may just be my opinion, but his work is well worth seeking out.

Still did not get my powers of darkness book, but it takes time to get books from US to Switzerland. Found this video on YouTube of Power of darkness and burn witch burn. https://youtu.be/XJSpn8T-YlA

Can’t wait to get my book

According to the most recent newsletter, CP's looking at a Library of Weird Fiction reprint and is asking for most wanted titles. In addition to the Frank Belknap Long (currently in print), which would you most like to see reprinted?

Previous titles:
Robert Aikman
Ambrose Bierce
Algernon Blackwood
William Hope Hodgson
H.P. Lovecraft
Arthur Machen
Edgar Allan Poe
Bram Stoker

Personally, I'd like Blackwood or Machen. You?

>238 rsmac: Hodgson or Blackwood, both would be immediate buys from me.

>238 rsmac: Blackwood

I’ll just say that anyone interested in these should ask for as many of them to be done as possible. I have the entire run of this series and they are all make for great additions to any collection.

Looks like a scam to me, asking customers to go to an external link to 'Buy it Now'. I'm posting so anyone who sees this can be aware. Even if it turns out to be legit, I wouldn't risk it for that much money.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/354328097410?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26...

>242 MobyRichard: The link format in that listing description is setting off alarm bells for me… I wouldn’t click it. Also, if it links to an external site for direct purchasing, that’s against eBay’s listing practices.

>242 MobyRichard:

Whatever it was has been removed. Out of curiosity, what title was it?

>244 SF-72: In fact, all of that user’s listings were removed.

It was a full 6 book set of Centipede Press’ “Book of the New Sun” + “Uruth of the New Sun” + “Castle of the Otter” that was posted for auction (bidding at $50 when I looked originally)

>245 const-char-star:

Thank you. That would certainly have been valuable books, but the listing did sound fishy.

Those specific books were actually put up for sale by their owner, on eBay, a few months ago. As a figure of some note, apparently, when it comes to the world of Gene Wolfe, he put his name and even his photo in the listing. All of the info was copied from that original listing. Definitely a scam, and it didn't take long for eBay to take it down.

>247 What_What:

Nice catch...yes the scammer didn't even bother to exclude that photo, as if the rest of the listing wasn't fishy enough. They had a bunch of other expensive $X,XXX listings up too, so I assume the point was to cash in on 1 or 2 sales before all get taken down.

>248 MobyRichard: Never understood scam listings on eBay. The buyer is completely protected so what's the point?

>249 punkzip: Seller can still cash-out before the buyer gets their refund, in which case eBay ends up eating the cost.

I only took a quick glance, but this looked like a legitimate eBay store with some history that had been hacked / sold, so they likely receive payments without much of a hold.

>249 punkzip: I would guess it's like those fraudsters who fake a fall at a shop and then sue. The shop's insurance usually pays out, so the shop isn't the one out the money (though their rates may rise). Same deal here, the buyer doesn't lose money, but eBay or whomever guarantees the payment does. As long the scammer gets the money they don't care whether it comes from the buyer or a guarantor.

Now if the money can actually be recovered from the scammer, that would be a disincentive to scamming.

EDIT: Cross-posted with NathanOv.

>249 punkzip:

I believe that was the point of the external link in the listing. They're hoping someone will fall for the fake domain and pay outside of the ebay system.

>250 NathanOv: When I looked at the listing before it was taken down, it did indeed look legitimate. It said they were a pawn shop that was going out of business. By the next day, the description was in French. Whatever was going on, someone hijacked the account for sure.

The Centipede Press "Dying Inside" by Robert Silverberg is still available for anyone that may be interested. It won both the Hugo and Locus awards and is widely considered not only a Sci-Fi classic, but also Silverberg's masterpiece. Also, it's signed by Silverberg and at $125 it's very reasonably priced. I'm surprised it has not yet sold out!

This guy (or more likely "bot") is still trying to scam people with fake Book of the New Sun listings.:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115867722276?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26...

I've seen this pop up 5 or 6 times under different accounts since I first posted.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle is up now. Limitation of 350, 250 of them signed. Seems one can only add the unsigned to the cart at the moment, so the signed may be reserved for previous patrons or already sold out. Unsigned is listed at $495.

https://www.centipedepress.com/horror/wehavealwayslivedinthecastlereal.html

>257 AlexBookshelfFrog:

That's a general weakness with Centipede Press, but in the end, I've always been happy with what I got. Still, it would be really nice to have a better idea of what to expect before buying.

>259 AlexBookshelfFrog:

The book will be comparable to the oversize edition of The Haunting of Hill House from a few years ago. The specs for both appear to be the same, and the price is as well. So, if you like the look of HoHH then I'm sure you'll like the latest Jackson title.

I don't recall if the unsigned edition sold for $100 under the signed edition, but the specs are all the same sans the signature page. I own the smaller edition of HoHH, but this edition is similar to Centipede's Dune series. So, it's worth it if you enjoy the novel.

>259 AlexBookshelfFrog:

I don't know in this case since I don't have the book. But the Dune volumes were definitely worth what I paid for them, as were less expensive books I got (Magic and a few others). With my first few books / cheaper ones I was very positively surprised about what I got, and Dune is simply fantastic. You see how much creativity and love for publishing these titles go into them. Centipede Press always give me the impression that they're really dedicated to making the best possible edition, which is something I can't say of every genre publisher. But like a few others (SST come to mind) they don't do the best job of representing their books when they're coming up for sale. But so far I've never been negatively surprised, quite the opposite.

>261 SF-72:
>259 AlexBookshelfFrog:

100% agree with the sentiment. Centipede Press has a wide price range for its titles. I've always felt like the value was there for every title I've ever bought. I've been a subscriber for a few years and a long-term customer before that, so I've purchased many titles. The low-cost books are a great way to get exposure to hardcover genre fiction you can't get anywhere else. My favorite CP Productions are in the $100 -$150 range which is the sweet spot in terms of design and value in my opinion.

Powers of Darkness is the only pricier Centipede Press book I have so far, and very much worth it. Of their more accessibly priced titles, the ones I have - Black Easter and Burn, Witch, Burn - are easily worth the asking price as well. So I would hazard that this one too is likely to justify the asking price.

>264 AlexBookshelfFrog: if you’re uncertain the best move is not purchase. Others have pretty clearly stated that Centipede books are most often a great value, or good value. It’s unlikely anyone can or should assist you beyond that.

>264 AlexBookshelfFrog: If you don't love Shirley Jackson or this book, there are lots of ways to spend the $500 on high-quality books you do love.

This is a lot of waffling. If you like the story and can afford to drop $500 on a book, do it while you have the chance. It’s likely you’ll be able to get back what you paid for it if it disappoints, which is unlikely.

>267 AlexBookshelfFrog: "I fight my inner swine"

I would have thought inner amphibian...

Just saw in the latest newsletter, Centipede has secured the rights to Watership Down. Super jazzed to see what they do with it.

From the latest newsletter, The Club Dumas will go on sale next Sunday. Also listed are the upcoming titles:

1. Dark Carnival by David J. Skal.
Our fine expanded edition of Skal’s book on Tod Browning is scheduled to print soon. This is an oversize book filled with photographs and color. It is signed by David J. Skal and limited to 500 signed copies. Hopefully done by October, it will have a list price of about $175.

2. Children of Dune by Frank Herbert.
Third in the Dune series, this book should be done by around October. The capped slipcases on these take a long time to build. Anticipated price: $595 to $625 (Dune was $625 when released at the end of 2021).

3. The Mines of Behemoth by Michael Shea.
We are hoping for a release of early to mid September. Anticipated price will be about $100.

4. Ghost Story by Peter Straub.
We are hoping for around November. Printing starts in about two weeks. Then we have slipcases to make. All the signed copies are signed by Peter Straub, who signed the pages many years ago. Probably $495 to $525 per copy for this one.

5. Weird Tales: The 1920s edited by Darrell Schweitzer.
Late 2023 to early 2024. This is a large book with a large print run of about 750 signed copies. There is a lot of interest in this collection, which is 688 pages with 32 stories, 32 new full page illustrations, 25 poems, and a selection of essays and letters, with author portraits by Allen Koszowski. Dune-sized, with a slipcase. Probably $295 per copy.

I'm definitely in for Weird Tales: The 1920s.

ill get ghost story, its awesome, not big on that kind of horror but i thought it was pretty excellent.

Any thoughts on what the price will be for Club Dumas? Or thoughts on whether it’s going to be one of those books that sells out in minutes?

>274 RRCBS: Someone posted that they'd had a conversation with Jerad recently and shared a price of ~$375 for The Club Dumas. The feeling of many on the Facebook fans page is that it will be a quick sellout, but that seems hard to gauge these days.

>274 RRCBS: It's $325. People are divided on what will happen. Kind of like how people are divided on whether the book is better than The Ninth Gate film.

>274 RRCBS: It’s hard to be sure; the best bet if you really want it is to be there on Sunday when it gets released. Hopefully it’s something you can work around if you really want it.

I'd like to get The Club Dumas and Ghost Story, have a feeling both may go quickly. The Ninth Gate is pretty different from the book, so I enjoyed them both for what they are.

>274 RRCBS: It usually depends on how many copies are available. Print runs of 500 numbered copies tend to hang around or last long enough for anyone who wants a copy to get one. However, if it's 300 numbered copies, then it will likely move fast since about a third are already sold to subscribers, leaving about 200 or so copies for everyone else.

Since there is no confirmation when signing up for the Centipede newsletter, I am a bit worried for Sunday. I'd really like to get "The Club Dumas" but as I understand it, you can only buy it via a link in the newsletter? Does anyone know what time on Sunday it usually arrives?

>280 Thenorthneverforgets: It’s promised for release tomorrow (Sunday), and the newsletters all go out at 1130am.

I don’t think it will last very long. I can try my best to remember to PM you the link if you’d like.

Centipede Books aren't Letterpress ?

>282 Ragnaroek: No, not letterpress. There was supposed to be a letterpress At the Mountains of Madness (see some of the first few posts in this thread) but it has been years since that was first teased.

>281 What_What: Thank you, that's really kind! I am hoping that I'll get the newsletter, if not I'll just check the website at 11.30

>283 LeBacon:
Is it right to say that Centipede is kind of like FolioSociety, just that every book has an strictly limitation?

>284 Thenorthneverforgets: I don’t think the books are posted on the site at the same time, but maybe. I only buy through the newsletter. But we’ll see.

>285 Ragnaroek: You could put it that way, yes. Perhaps most of their editions are on par with regular Folio Society books, but limited, yes. From time to time there are more luxurious editions costing $400-600.

So far there’s been only one letterpress book - Children of the Kingdom by TED Klein. At the Mountains of Madness is forthcoming and some states will be letterpress and likely quite expensive.

>285 Ragnaroek: Only like Folio in the sense that most of their editions revolve around illustrations.

Otherwise, they have very different production styles.

Have all theire books an Slipcase ?

>288 Ragnaroek: No. I would say most do not.

>288 Ragnaroek:

I think most of the books under $150 aren't going to have a slipcase. Honestly for most books with dust jackets I prefer no slipcase. I will say that Centiepde Press slipcases are some of the sturdiest I've seen.

>283 LeBacon: Was it a movie tie-in with Del Toro's attempt? Maybe that's why it disappeared... ;)

>288 Ragnaroek: None of the Centipede books I have possess slipcases. But the only one large enough that would really benefit from it is Powers of Darkness. And as MobyRichard points out, they already have quite nice dust jackets. The books themselves tend to be solidly made, so I'm not worried about them being slipcase-less.

>291 Shadekeep: BTW, I emailed CP about the proposed slipcase for Powers of Darkness and he said he still intends to do one but there was some hangup with the manufacturer that still was being worked out.

I agree it probably doesn't need one but I would definitely buy one if it were offered.

>292 LeBacon: I as well. Hopefully they will get made, it's a fine book that would be even more handsome with a slipcase.

Anyone else having trouble with the Dumas link?

Site was expectedly slammed.

I tried three times before total refresh did the trick. With all the buildup, I thought I may have missed it. Book ordered.

Their servers seemed pretty slammed when I checked at noon. After a few minutes I got in and placed the order. Price was about what was expected, and it sounds like a nice edition. Signed by the author, too.

>297 Shadekeep: same happened to me had to wait for over 10 min to get in but ordered

>291 Shadekeep: interesting, literally all my Centipede books have slipcases. I didn't even know they have books that come without slipcases.

>299 filox: Then you must never buy any of their books under around $200, which actually make up the majority of their output. I can't think of a title under that amount - at least in recent years - which comes with one.

>300 Levin40: You're right, I don't. Those anyway end up being titles I'm not interested in, and the ones that tickle my fancy are always $500+

>301 filox: It's the inverse for me, I don't know that I've ever clicked through on a title that ended up being in that price range. Not sure how many of those higher-end ones there are, as I've browsed quite a number of books on there, but I think the most expensive I've had an interest in was around $395.

https://www.centipedepress.com/horror/clubdumas.html

Back in stock ? Unsigned?

>303 Ragnaroek: It states that they are, in fact, unsigned.

In case anyone wants a better look at the book details (I coincidentally just watched this video in the morning): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtaoEieVhWI&t=268s

Received The Club Dumas (#283) but haven't unwrapped it yet. Nice slipcase though! Looks like one of CP's finer releases.

>303 Ragnaroek: Thanks. Just ordered one of the rarer, unsigned copies :)

>306 Shadekeep: It's really nice. Not fine press, of course, but cool design. Check out the paper. I'm not sure what it is. I like it a lot. I'm not sure if CP has used it before.

Didn't received any shipping information so far. Iam worried now. This is my first Centipede Press order 😅
I ordered the signed copy last month

I probably shouldn't have watched the movie (The 367th Gate or whatever). Turned me off to the whole thing even though I hear the movie is very different. But the book did look cool.

>309 Ragnaroek:

It's basically a one-family shipping department so it can sometimes take a bit. I'd email Jerad about it. I also get the impression that the binders he works with overpromise on delivery dates quite often.

>311 MobyRichard:
I wrote Jerad. Let's see. Iam always very anxious until the book is in my shelf ( and arrived safe and sound. 😅

Does anyone know how many unsigned copies of Club Dumas are being published by Centipede?

>313 wcarter:
In last Sunday's newsletter Jared only said "We have some unsigned copies of The Club Dumas up for sale."

>313 wcarter:
According to one online listing of a signed copy I have seen, there are 80 unsigned copies, but I do not know if this information is accurate.
I think that this edition is amazing. From luxurious paper to design to illustrations, etc., it is an outstanding achievement.

>312 Ragnaroek: >313 wcarter:
Thanks, I have ordered.

>313 wcarter: the listing on the website says “about 80”

From Jerad's update of this week:

"Here’s a list of forthcoming books and anticipated prices so you can start to budget for what is coming, and when.

Children of Dune. $595 to $625. Coming December.

The Mines of Behemoth. $125. Coming in a few weeks.

Rough Justice by Steve Rasnic Tem. $65 to $75. November.

Best of Weird Tales: 1920s. $295 to $350. Coming March or April.

The Knight and Knave of Swords by Fritz Leiber. November. $85.

The Hell Candidate by Graham Masterton. December. $125.

Dark Carnival by David J. Skal. November. $140 to $150.

I Reign in Hell by Quentin S. Crisp. $85 to $125. December.

Robert W. Chambers Masters of the Weird Tale. January. $325.

Ghost Story by Peter Straub. $495 or more. December or January.

Frankenstein Mary Shelley Bernie Wrightson. $300 to $400. Coming March.

Alice in Wonderland with Salvador Dali and others. Introduced and signed by Jan Svankmajer. Late 2023. $325.

The Shockwave Rider by John Brunner. February 2024. $125.

Shadowland by Peter Straub. April 2024. $300 to $400.

We’re trying to keep pricing under control as much as we can but it is difficult.

We still have Bad Brains, A Voyage to Arcturus, The Worm Ouroboros, the Charles Beaumont biography, The Shadow of the Torturer, Night Train, The Skrayling Tree (Elric volume 8), some Fredric Brown, Thomas Ligotti, and Cornell Woolrich books, Ringworld by Larry Niven, our massive two volume Terry Lamsley collection, and many others scheduled for next year. If we’re lucky, we should have God Emperor of Dune done by June and Heretics of Dune done by January 2025, and Chapterhouse: Dune done by November 2025.
We also just saw that Folio Society is publishing The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. We are also working on our edition, which will include magnificent, glorious artwork and which will also be signed by Haruki Murakami and the two artists. Probably published by end of 2024.
Finally, Algernon Blackwood volume 2 in our Library of Weird Fiction series (and a reprint of volume 1) will hit the presses by end of November. Carl Jacobi and Stefan Grabinski are scheduled for the series, too."

How many of you purchased “Blood of the Impaler” Great reviews on Amazon and goodreads. I got it, seems like well written, scary book that I will start reading on Halloween

I'm very happy to hear that they're planning to release the rest of Dune so quickly. Something to look forward to. The first two books are really the best you could wish for, very creative and lovingly done.

I tried to look up Quentin S. Crisp's I Reign in Hell and can't find anything on that title other than "I Reign in Hell" was the rejected title for the other gay icon Quentin Crisp's autobiography. So is it the contemporary QC writing about the late QC or something? Has anyone read Quentin S. Crisp's work and if so how is it?

>321 LeBacon: Zagava has published several works by Quentin S. Crisp! I haven't read any myself though.

https://www.zagava.de/authors/detail/articles/authors-detail/quentin-s-crisp

>319 curiousbooks: Bought it; looks great!

>318 tkellici: Thanks for the list. Glad to see some love for Fredric Brown. Will be equally content if it focuses on his horror fiction, his sci-fi, or his mysteries. All pretty much are in scope for Centipede.

Also looking forward to The Worm Ouroboros, the Chambers volume, and Ghost Story. If I recall, this is the edition of Ghost Story that uses some previously signed pages in order to produce a signed edition.

I'll be interested in seeing CP's version of Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

I really dislike the artist Folio is using on their Wind-Up Bird whose illustrations in my opinion fail to evoke either the themes of the book or the setting in any meaningful way.

In the few cases where CP has done the same title as Folio, I've preferred CP's take on the illustrations.

>325 LeBacon: CP will be more the double the price of the Folio Edition I bet

>326 Ragnaroek: I'm fine with that. I'd rather pay twice as much for a really cool version of a book I love than have a cheaper version of the same title that I actively dislike.

I know you have posted a couple times on how overly thick books are undesirable. Splitting those books into two volumes might double the price but that might be preferable to a cheaper alternative.

>327 LeBacon:
I dont hate thick books ... Iam not sure, maybe someone can give me an final answer.
I have the Folio Book "Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolve as standard copy".
Book I+II isn't that thick, like Suntups Poe for example, but it started to sagging the first 4 month sitting on my shelf.
So my question here is: " Would an Book that is bound narrower or different from Folios or Suntups Artist or Classic Editions dont get saggy over time standing on the shelf ? Some Fine Press Books use really thick, heavy paper and if it has an huge page count aswell. I cant imagine that it keeps its shape.

I would really like to know . Maybe some experts are here.
Last time some people just said that the books are fine press and dont sag or loose spine shape... ( It was about Suntups thicker books...)

>325 LeBacon: I had a discussion long ago with Jerad about this book. I'm sure he'll produce a great edition equal or better to his Kafka on the Shore. However, it's still going to be the abridged version. According to Jerad, publishing the unabridged version would be too much trouble.
That said, I am hardly waiting for the Centipede version. The signed Kafka on the Shore costed $595 when it was first published and was worth it. I'm expecting this one to cost more. I would still buy it in a heartbeat.

>329 tkellici:
That's alot for an non leather bound and Letterpress printed book, but the Kafka book looks freaking amazing and is signed. Would love to own a copy of ♥️

It sounds like At The Mountains of Madness might (finally) be (relatively) imminent.

Michael Whelan posted that he turned in the dust jacket, which sounds to be the last of the artwork that was holding things up.

>331 NathanOv: Fab, looking forward to that one!

>331 NathanOv: That would be exciting.

I was looking through an older LT thread and this project was mentioned back in like 2016 so I will be cautiously optimistic until I see a real announcement.

Imagine the stress of trying to get that order in on release day after all of this build up...

>333 LeBacon: He may have been exaggerating, but Whelan said he was first commissioned for this a decade ago.

Jerad did mention to me early last year that the text was at the proofing stage, which I assume means they have the text design.

Hopefully that means the next step is going to print!

>334 NathanOv: is that the book which could be letterpress printed?

Someone here mentioned something if iam not mistaken

>335 Ragnaroek: Yes, this is the letterpress edition that, when originally announced, was also to have mouldmade and handmade paper with goatskin bindings, really elevating it above Centipede's other publications.

10 of these were to contain holograph signatures from Lovecraft himself, lifted from various letters & postcards the press had acquired, as well as original artwork, while the remaining 100 letterpress copies will be just the book and front / backmatter, and I believe an offset trade edition is also planned.

>336 NathanOv: This may be the hardest CP release to obtain yet, given the likely demand. Powers of Darkness had a run of 500 copies and went quickly, so with only 100 of these it will likely be gone in minutes. Unless the price is a barrier to folks, though I suspect it won't be for enough people to make it hang around.

>336 NathanOv:
>337 Shadekeep:

Wow. Thats awesome. 100 only.. this will be an gorgeous costly book I assume.
Would love to own such copy, but i hope to see such editions from The Conversation Tree Press ( Weird Fiction) in the future aswell😊

>337 Shadekeep: My guess is that the cost will be the biggest issue for most people acquiring this one.

I’d be shocked if the numbered edition is under $1500, and the 10 “signed” copies will probably blow right past recent lettered editions from other presses.

I’m sure the trade copies will be a near instant sellout, though.

If it’s 100 copies it’s most likely going to be offered to subscribers first, same for the 10 edition state.

>339 NathanOv:

I kind of wonder if even $1500 is an underestimate. Jerad has made it a policy to keep costs down but I doubt this is something he can risk only breaking even on. Guess it depends on how big (dimension wise) a book this is going to be. Also, he's going to have to farm out the work (+$$$). CP is not a letterpress shop, it's just the publisher.

>341 MobyRichard: Well, assuming plans haven’t changed already, they could probably save a couple hundred bucks per copy on paper alone and go for a simpler binding, but it seems like the point of this one is to be sumptuous.

>342 NathanOv: Think Jerad is going for the fences on this one. Probably will be CP's Magnum Opus.

My signed The Club Dumas came today. It's an wonderful production 😊

I think I fall in love with Japanese cloth ☺️

I received mine too, only got the chance to do a quick perusal, will look at it in more detail later! I was wondering, what’s the reverse dj for? I’ve never received a book with one.

>345 RRCBS:
Suntup often does a reverse dj with a new illustration and an illustration of the first cover , when the book first published. I dont know about The Club Dumas dj though

>346 Ragnaroek: what are you going to do with yours?

>347 RRCBS: tbh I didn't knew it has an reverse dj until you sayed it 😵‍💫
I will keep the original illustration I think.

The paper is very nice . We know which paper this is ?

>348 Ragnaroek: sorry, I didn’t mean that it could be reverse, I meant the second DJ that came with it. I received the book in slipcase with a dj, then another dj separately

>348 Ragnaroek:
Oh really? 😕 I had only one dustjacket

>349 RRCBS: sometimes Jerad sends a random dust jacket from a different book just as a freebie. Often this is a dust jacked that has been folded in the wrong place or is lightly mis-cut.

>348 Ragnaroek: I asked Jared about the paper. He said it's a laid paper, but he didn't remember which one.

>351 abysswalker: mystery explained, thanks!

How does the quality of a Centipede Press book like The Club Dumas compare with the better-than-average offerings from the Folio Society (e.g. Kafka on the Shore). Is there a big leap in quality, workmanship, and materials to account for the cost being 3 or 4 times more, or is a lot of the value tied up in the Centipede Press book being a signed limited edition?

>354 GardenOfForkingPaths:

I don't have Club Dumas yet (international shipping...), but based on Dune and Dune Messiah, which are also in their higher price range: Centipede Press invest a lot in the visual aspect, as in a lot of illustrations, in that case not 'just' their own, but also classic illustrations. They whole package is really creative, including the box these books come in. Some FS Limited Editions are on a par (Gormenghast comes to mind), but regular editions don't. There's also interesting bonus material with regard to essays etc. That being said: Not all Centipede Press editions are as lavish, but then you see that in the differing prices. I'm sure that others are more knowledgeable about the paper and binding in comparison.

>354 GardenOfForkingPaths:

I am by no means any type of expert in regard to book construction or paper quality but I know what I like. I own probably close to 200 various Centipede books and maybe 60 or so Folio Society. I have never been disappointed with a Centipede production in comparison to its’ price point and I’ve never, ever, had the thought : “I wish Folio would have done this book instead”.

Club Dumas is an very nice quality book. (Sadly not Letterpress printed). The Japanese Cloth is fabulous .

I cant compare to Folio, because I only have this CP book.

The big plus is, that it is signed by the Author for 25$ extra cost and not100£ like Folio did recently . ( swines...)

>355 SF-72: One clarification - the "box," as in their capped slipcases, tend to be reserved for more special editions. Most Centipede books don't have the slipcase.

So, a typical Centipede press has just a dustjacket versus Folio's slipcases, but tend to have higher quality bindings than Folio, though usually without printed boards and / or fancy cover designs like Folio.

>358 NathanOv:

True, the cheaper editions by Centipede Press don't have slipcases or boxes of any kind. (I didn't call what they used for Dune and Dune Messiah a slipcase since it's closed on all sides and you remove the top / side to get at the book. It's good to know that capped slipcase seems to be the term for that.) Though with FS the slipcases or boxes also vary a lot based on the price point.

>359 SF-72:
Capped Slipcase people often call it.

>360 Ragnaroek:

Thanks. It's always good to know the right term.

>355 SF-72:
>356 HowardEriksonWolfe:
>357 Ragnaroek:
>358 NathanOv:

Thank you for your thoughts! It makes sense: they have a hugely loyal following, their books almost always seem to sell out in good time, and the reviews are always favourable. They must be getting a lot right. I'd like to see one of their more elaborate productions in person, perhaps when the right title for me comes along.

Limitations and signatures aren't very important to me, but it sounds like the quality of workmanship and materials is a step up too.

>362 GardenOfForkingPaths:

"Limitations and signatures aren't very important to me, but it sounds like the quality of workmanship and materials is a step up too."

Same here, and that's why I gladly buy from them when they publish titles I'm interested in. You really see the love and creativity invested in their publications.

>354 GardenOfForkingPaths: As I have both Kafka on the Shore (signed and unsigned) and The Club Dumas, I'll try to answer the question.
1. Signed vs Unsigned. The price for the unsigned Kafka on the Shore was $250 while for the signed one was $595. So the signature cost in this case is $345. I mention this because there was a comparison to what Folio Society is doing with their signed vs unsigned editions. The signature price highly depends on the author.
2. Binding. I like more the binding of Kafka on the Shore than that of Club Dumas. That said, there is no big difference.
3. Slipcase. Much better in the case of Kafka on the Shore.
4. Paper quality. In both cases, the actual kind of paper used is not given. In the case of Kafka on the Shore it says "Printed in Italy". I think that in this case too Kafka on the Shore is a better production.

>354 GardenOfForkingPaths: in my opinion, the Centipede production of The Club Dumas is my favorite of their releases by a substantial margin (and I am reading it right now so it is fresh in my mind). Though I will note that I haven't seen in person any of the Centipede "super deluxe" releases (such as the letterpress Children of the Kingdom or the multi thousand dollar Hill House).

I have, however, owned the unsigned Dune (which I later sold). The Club Dumas is better.

The biggest difference is the paper. The laid paper is really quite nice (though it is not specifically identified). Most CP titles use rather generic acid free paper.

Beyond that though, the book design is also quite tasteful. Probably partly due to the nature of the book being a book about books. So there are a lot of traditional flourishes that I appreciate, such as the rubricated initials and the wood engraving style chapter headings. The illustrations are also uniformly good, and always relate to the text from what I have seen so far.

The full Japanese cloth binding feels and looks nice, but is also a dust magnet. (Common problem for their titles, but relatively minor.)

In terms of absolute quality, something like the Folio Society Kafka on the Shore comes close; the bindings are of similar quality both in terms of striking design and materials. The internal design elements are also close, with multiple color printing and extra vignette illustrations. Dumas wins on paper and that ephemeral "thoughtfulness" feeling I get when reading it.

There remains a slightly lurid quality to some of the design elements, like the cover page and signature/colophon page, but that is part of the Centipede style. A bit of grindhouse movie broadside style. Which maybe notches down the taste level slightly by some metrics. But in keeping with the genre.

Really solid overall.

>364 tkellici: Thanks for the great comparison! The Centipede Press Kafka looks really nice. I'm sorry I missed that one, though I'm pretty pleased with the FS edition.

>365 abysswalker: That's a very balanced analysis of the design and production qualities. Thank you. Yeah, my feeling is that when you reach a certain level of competence for clothbound offset-printed books, material improvements are often incremental (slightly nicer paper, a sturdier slipcase, a dust-jacket etc) rather than huge, and that the added value (and cost) often comes in the form of the limitation, signature, extra editorial content, and the overall creativity the designer has put into it. All those things have different value to different people, I guess. I'm always in favour of a paper upgrade first and foremost!

You mentioned the ephemeral 'thoughtfulness' and >363 SF-72: spoke about 'love and creativity invested in their publications'. I read this a lot about a Centipede Press books and I imagine it's the kind of thing that really comes across when the books are in hand.

Quentin S. Crisp's I Reign in Hell is next week and I ran across his blog on Goodreads where he describes it as "A collection. A sort of retrospective but with some previously unpublished stuff."

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/24007065-i-reign-in-hell---a-collect...

What really piqued my interest was today's CP newsletter where Jerad writes "Each story features an illustration header by British artist Harry Brockway, who also provided the book’s half title, title page, cover stamping creature, and dustjacket art. It’s terrific work."

I haven't read any Crisp but this will be my chance to check him out because I'm a big Brockway fan, especially when he goes creepy as with Folio's 2004 Frankenstein and CP's Powers of Darkness.

That went from a "maybe" to a definite "yes."