Dydeetown World. I bought the paperback edition of F. Paul Wilson’s SF mystery book back in 1989 or 1990. Although I’ve read my paperback copy at least two or three times, aside from some yellowing on the inside cover, my copy remains in pristine condition, because I care about my books.

I learned some years ago that there was an Easton Press hardcover edition of this book. Only in September, 2026 did I acquire a copy, for the reason price of $20, in a buy-at-this-price instance on eBay. This book is shorter in stature than I expected, but without any significant flaws. It’s signed by Wilson. How many copies were published, I initially had no idea (According to an online search, 2,000 copies were printed – although that qualifies as a limited edition, that’s a lot of signatures for Dr. Wilson!). Does the signature matter to me? Not really. Still, it’s nice to have a more solid and permanent copy of this book.

Published in 1989 (same year as the paperback — the BAEN edition states it was published in July, 1989), the book is illustrated by Toni L. Taylor, and includes and introduction from James Gunn. My copy is in near pristine condition, although the first and last pages show some slight bending. I found only three illustrations in this book. Gunn’s introduction did nothing to illuminate or distinguish this book from the paperback edition.

Still, for any die-hard FPW fan, owning a hardcover edition of this book is a must-have. One could always wish for something more, but for a book not really reprinted in decades, this is a treasure indeed.