Recently, I was in Phoenix for a few short hours, and while there I made a trip over to Book Gallery in Tempe. The store is vast, and really needs many hours to appreciate. In addition to the general public area, the owner has a blocked off section with interesting books, though you only can get to them by asking for specific ones. This is strange, as the ones I want to look at are twenty feet away, and I only can glimpse a few titles among the massive shelves. Nonetheless, I asked about some Robert McCammon books, on the off-chance that the one I wanted was within my budget. It was not. I also learned that all the books in that section are over $100, which tends to be above my budget almost on principle. The McCammon book in question was marked at $225, which I guess is a fair market price for that title, but far more than I had hoped.
There’s a small science fiction section in the general public area. Having gone through it once before, I know that I’ll always find something I good. The last time I was there I found a Tim Powers Subterranean Press edition of Expiration Date. This time I passed on several titles, all marked at $50. However, I did pick up a pair of books.
The Sand Dwellers, Adam Niswander (Fedogan & Bremer, 1998). I’d vaguely heard of Niswander, possibly as a short-story writer. I’ve started collecting books from the publisher (if and when I come across them), and for $15 there was no doubt I’d get this book. Published in an edition of 1,000 copies, both trade and limited, my copy was signed by Niswander, but as the trade edition. The owner of the store told me an interesting story. Niswander lived in Phoenix and was a book seller. He sold a book to the current owner of Book Gallery, and their friendship eventually led him to open his own store. Adam Niswander died in 2012, long before I’d ever heard of his name.
Passage, by Connie Willis (Bantam, 2001). I’ve only read a couple of books by Willis, but lately I’ve searched specifically for her books in stores. Passage marks only the third such acquisition in almost the same number of years, and it was published a quarter of a century ago. This copy also only cost me $15. At almost 600 pages, it’s a hefty investment of time and effort, but I hope to start reading it soon, after I get through a few other books on the top of my To Be Read stack.
