THE INVADING ASTEROID.
New York: Stellar Publishing Corp. / Gernsback Publications, Inc., [1932]. First edition. Octavo. Printed self paper wraps. [1],2-24 pp. Typically lacking in illustrations. Issued as No. 15 in Hugo Gernsback’s Science Fiction Series, a short-lived run of side-stapled pamphlets sold via mail order; a relic of early fandom and pulp experimentation. Some inevitable edge toning on outer wraps, binding intact and pages clean; very good.
First book, first edition. This chapbook marks Wellman's debut in book form, preceding his later acclaim in speculative fiction and folklore-based fantasy. Set in the year 2675 amid an interplanetary war between Earth and Mars, it features space-launches, disintegrator rays, and a trio of young protagonists (students turned soldiers) evoking the era’s techno-utopian anxieties. Very good. Item #769
Bleiler: Science-Fiction: The Early Years [1978].
Price: $85.00