Manly Wade Wellman — Worse Things Waiting

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Carcosa, 1973. First edition. Cloth. The signed deluxe first edition of a celebration of the ghost stories from the Dean of Fantasy and literary master of pulp magazines, with grisly illustrations by Lee Brown Coye. The deluxe first edition of Worse Things Waiting, a fantastic collection of ghost and horror stories written and signed by 'Dean of Fantasy' Manly Wade Wellman, signed too by the illustrator, prolific pulp artist Lee Brown Coye. A scarce work, with it being one of approximately three thousand copies printed. In the publisher's original cloth, in the original unclipped dust wrapper. An illustrated signed bookplate by Wellman and Coye to the front free end paper. Contains numerous in-text and all twenty-one full-page illustrations by Coye. Collated complete. A celebration of the Pulp horror and science fiction magazines by its literary and artistic giant. Worse Thigns Waiting includes a treasure trove of Wellman's grisly tales from the 1920s to '50s, including Fearful Rock, The Witch's Cat and The Devil is Not Mocked among many others. Coye brings to life Wellman's stories with both comic and ghastly effect, with illustrations that influenced the likes of Tim Burton. Despite many regarding pulp literature as trashy during its time, they had great influence upon many writers such as Stephen King and are celebrated today.  In the publisher's original cloth, in the original unclipped dust wrapper. An illustrated signed bookplate by Wellman and Coye to the front free end paper. Externally, generally smart, with the odd faint mark and fading patch to boards. Minor bumps to the head and tail of the spine, and to the extremities. Dust wrapper is mostly bright and clean, with minor nicking to head and tail of wrapper spine, and to the extremities. A couple of small faint spots to top of front wrapper and to extremities of rear wrapper. Red end papers are bright and clean. Gift inscription upon front free end paper. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean. Very Good Indeed . Ill.: Lee Brown Coye. Very Good Indeed/Very Good Indeed.