Anders Monsen

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Jack Dann: Masters of Science Fiction

March 5, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Centipede Press has published a ton of great books over the years. From individual novels, collections, anthologies, non-fiction such as studies of horror movies, author series by writers like Gene Wolfe, R. A. Lafferty, Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock, Karl Edward Wagner, Michael Shea, and more, plus various themed series. They cover multiple genres, such as fantasy, SF, crime, and horror. Their themed series include the massive Library of Weird Fiction books, collecting fiction by noted writers from yesteryear: H.P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, Ambrose Bierse, Edgar Allan Poe, and more. Then, there’s their Masters of Science Fiction.

Starting with James Patrick Kelley and Fritz Leiber in 2016, followed by Richard Wilson in 2018, then the two-volume set by Kate Wilhelm in 2020, with over 1,500 pages of stories. Next, Robert Sheckley and Jack Dann in 2022, followed by Pamela Sargent in 2025, and then Howard Waldrop in 2026, with even more authors on tap. If you were lucky enough to buy the books upon publication, good for you. In my case, although I’ve bought a few Centipede Press books over the years, I really didn’t pay attention to this series until I bought the one by Pamela Sargent in 2025. Then, as a Waldrop fan, I had to get that book the moment it was announced in early 2026. Then, I checked availability for the other books. When I saw them listed on the second hand market for well over $300, I said, “No way.” All too often with Centipede Press books, if you don’t act fast, you pay a premium. I wasn’t prepared to pay that much.

Still, recently I was able to find a decent copy of the Jack Dann book. It wasn’t available at the publication price, but then it wasn’t listed for $300 or more like the others. With over 700 pages of fiction and close to 30 stories, it’s a massive collection. From before, I already owned one of Dann’s novels, The Man Who Melted (Bluejay Books hardcover from 1984). I’d also read his collection from Golden Gryphon: The Fiction Factory, which gathered a bunch of stories where Dann collaborated with other writers. Plus, I have a signed edition of Slow Dancing Through Time, an anthology of stories edited by the late Gardner Dozois, which included fiction by Dann. Still, there are many early Dann books that I don’t have, as they’re next to impossible to find. All that aside, the Centipede Press edition is without equal.

These books likely take years to assemble, with time added for publication. For these are not shabby productions, and they’re worth the wait, for sure. Up next in the series is Alfred Bester (a two volume set), and then likely even more great writers to follow.

Move quickly, if you want any of these, or be prepared to shell out significant amounts of money, if you’re can even find any of those books listed anywhere now. Why? Each edition appears to be limited to 500 copies, and there likely are that many (or more) eager Centipede Press collectors out there, almost all unwilling to surrender their copies. My Dann edition was edited by John Pelan; maybe he died before he could sign the book, as my copy is signed by Dann, George Zebrowski (who wrote the introduction), and the artists: Jim & Ruth Keegan.

Howard Waldrop’s Masters of Science Fiction

February 10, 2026 /

Centipede Press just released the latest book in their series honoring great SF writers, focusing on Howard Waldrop. The books in this series tend to be massive, and the Howard Waldrop edition is no exception. Listed for $85, the book is already sold out from the publisher, just a week after its release. It’s too bad that Waldrop isn’t around to see the reception of this book, as he died just two years ago, on January 14, 2024.

Clocking in at 1040 pages, the book is limited to just 500 copies; my book is number 407. It’s signed by Waldrop, Paul di Filippo, and artists Jim & Ruth Keegan. Paul di Filippo wrote a nice introduction, but then few people have anything bad to say about Waldrop. I met him only once in 2005, when I asked him to sign my copy of Howard Who? even though the book already was signed. All he did was write “I’ve already signed this one,” then added the date, plus “and earlier.” I think that curmudgeonly note almost means more to me than his signature.

As I own most of Waldrop’s books, I may already have read most of the stories in this collection. I think I spotted some that I had not read, so those now are high on my list of next stuff to read. Kudos to Centipede Press for yet another fantastic publication. My wallet shudders at the sight of their forthcoming books this year, as there are several great titles listed.

Carl Jacobi’s Library of Weird Fiction

December 25, 2025 /

Centipede Press publishes a variety of high quality books. These may be one-off titles, series by certain writers (i.e Fritz Leiber, Frank Herbert, others), or collections in SF, fantasy, and horror genres. One of their series is their “Library of Weird Fiction.” Their latest book in this series is a collection of stories by Carl Jacobi (1908-1997). Jacobi is considered as a minor writer in H.P. Lovecraft’s circle, but is so much more (see this appreciation by D. H. Olson, reprinted in this collection). He published multiple stories in horror/SF magazines such as Weird Tales during the 1920s and 1930s, as well as in mystery magazines. A classmate of Arkham House’s Donald Wandrei, he attended the University of Minnesota in the late 1920s. He published three collections with Arkham House and one with Fedogan & Bremer.

This new collection from Centipede Press is huge. At almost 1,000 pages it’s one of their thickest “Library of Weird Fiction” books, and an instance classic. Upon publication this book is priced at $65, but I’m sure it soon will sell out and you’ll need to pay a premium in a year or more. The book includes an introduction by John Pelan from 2013 (Pelan died in 2021), a brief note from Robert Bloch, and the aforementioned appreciation by D. H. Olson.

Silverberg’s Nightwings

November 29, 2025 /

The first Robert Silverberg book I bought was a paperback copy of Nightwings, which I found in some bookstore in Norway in 1987 or 1988. The book I bought was a British edition published by Futura/Obit in 1987. Do I remember anything about it now, even though I still have that book? Not really. Since then I’ve picked up roughly a dozen of Silverberg’s books, mostly paperback editions published a long time ago. The top pages of my paperback ave yellowed over time

I really ought to have far many Silverberg books in my library. Silverberg is a legend in science fiction. Part of my issue is that there are few books by him in new book stores these days, and when I come across them in in used book stores, most copies are battered and broken, and I tend to put those back. I’ve found a copy or two here or there, but I’m always on the lookout for more.

Then there’s Centipede Press… This is a publisher whose books are nearly works of art. Almost always sold out shortly after publication, Centipede Press books are usually quite pricey. They also fetch a premium on the second hand market (I recently saw a set of Gene Wolfe books listed for $45,000!!!!! Their Frank Herbert books start at $600 or more each, while their series of Masters of Science Fiction and Library of Weird Fiction books ratchet up quickly on the second-hand market). I do own a few of their books, usually because I focus on buying specific authors; my edition of a Michael Shea collection, bought for $65 or so, now I see is listed for $1,400 or so online, which is insane.

A couple of years ago I bought the Centipede Press edition of Dying Inside. This was a book I never could find in paperback. My copy is one of 500 signed books (some actual, some facsimile). I don’t care too much about that, but as I wanted this book, I paid the list price. This edition does not disappoint.

Then, in 2025, Centipede Press published a hardcover edition of Nightwings. Must, must have, I thought, and so I bought the book, also signed. As is almost always the case, the cover is beyond gorgeous, the binding superb. This book is a masterpiece to behold.

It’s a slim book; my paperback copy is 192 pages with no extra material, but the Centipede Press book adds an introduction and interview. The wrap-around cover by Joe Wilson is beautiful. Silverberg’s introduction gives some insight into when and why he wrote the book, which he originally did in three parts. This book embodies exactly what a limited edition should look and feel like.

Book added: Pamela Sargent

July 11, 2025 /

I’m usually more focused on specific authors (aside from a few exceptions, i.e. all books by Golden Gryphon Press, two Pulphouse Publishing series, and an attempt to find all Dark Harvest books, the last effort which is as yet unrealized), rather than anthologies or series. When Centipede Press announced a special price for the latest book in their series, Masters of Science Fiction, by Pamela Sargent, I hesitated—but only for one day.

This series has been around for a few years, and I don’t have any of the previous Masters of Science Fiction titles. Still, I’ve read (and enjoyed) some of Sargent’s stories in her Golden Gryphon collection, Thumbprints, and the price was attractive enough not to pass up. Also, Centipede Press to me, means Quality with a capital Q.

With this copy I now have 17 books from Centipede Press. This is a fraction of their output, I know, but so it goes. Based on their list of forthcoming books, I hope to add a few more, if the opportunity presents itself. Until 2017 I only owned one Centipede Press book (Michael Shea’s The Autopsy and Other Tales, published and bought way back in 2008—a much treasured volume that now fetches many times more online than I paid for it back in 2008). From 2017 through 2021 I only bought books from them by a single author (Fritz Leiber). Onlyl recently did I branch out and buy some of their other books, and then just one in their long-running series of “weird fiction” and science fiction. I kick myself these days regarding the decision to ignore their other publications.

All the prior books in this series of Masters in Science Fiction are long out of print. If you search online for copies, the prices escalate into the hundreds and beyond. The further you go back in terms of the publication date, the higher the price. In order words, I probably won’t be collecting any of the earlier books in the series. They do have a Howard Waldrop book scheduled, and despite having all of Waldrop’s books, that’s one that will sell out quickly.

My copy is #350 of 500 signed and numbered copies. It’s signed by Sargent, artists Bob Eggleton, and Pat Cadigan, who wrote the introduction. Clocking in at 846 pages, and collecting 31 stories spanning her career, this is an impressive book. The wrap-around dust-jacket painting by Eggleton is amazing, as the the production quality of the book. Also, for each story, Sargent has written a short afterword. If I have any quibble about this book in terms of the title, it’s the lack of a proper bibliography. It will take some time to go through all 31 stories, but these are moments to savor.

Book added: Swords Against the Shadowland

May 9, 2025 /

As a long-time fan of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser books, when Centipede Press started re-releasing the books in hardcover, I had to have them. Leiber published seven books in the series, starting with Swords and Deviltry and ending with The Knight and Knave of Swords. As Leiber aged, so did his heroes. They endured loss, hardship, delight, love, pain, and injuries along their adventurous lives.

Robin Wayne Bailey, an accomplished writer in his own right, was asked by Leiber to write a book with these two characters. He finished one of three contracted books, but various publishers involved with the books folded, and so there’s only one completed book. Swords Against the Shadowland was published in April 2025 by Centipede Press in a signed an unsigned version. As all my copies are unsigned, as is this one. The book comes with a gorgeous wrap-around cover. After a brief introduction from the author, we dive right into the story. Interestingly, it’s a sequel of sorts to the first book in the series, Swords and Deviltry. The pair are transported back to Lankhmar, a city they vowed never to re-visit after the tragic events they experienced there in the first book.

Centipede Press publishes a wide variety of books. These books are always professionally done. The exterior, the binding, and the interior are carefully crafted. The contents are comprehensive, and illustrated throughout. The books are virtually works of art, more so than a book you’d read. Most of their books sell out quickly, and subsequently fetch a premium on the secondary market. In my case, I bought the first book direct from the publisher back in 2017. Each year since, I’ve plonked down my coin for the next book. I own the first six in Ace paperback editions, and the seventh as a hardcover, but to have these is a crown jewel sort of feeling.

Books added: McPartland, Long, Chizmar

September 14, 2024 /

After picking up a pair of Centipede Press books that were bundled together (see my comments on those books here), I saw that the publisher had dropped the price on another book that long had looked interesting. This was John McPartland’s Tokyo Doll (2023). Listed for $19 in their “Specials and Nearly Sold Out” section, well off the original cover price ($55, I think), it was hard to resist.

Tokyo Doll first appeared in 1953, early in McPartland’s career. McPartland is firmly entrenched in the American noir detective genre, the titles almost as shocking as the covers (at the time). In fact, all of his books appeared during the 1950s. Sadly, his life and career ended prematurely in 1958 at the early age of 47, shortly after he got into screenwriting in Hollywood. Unlike a handful of other authors from that decade, most of his books remain out of print.

The cover of the hardcover edition of Tokyo Doll is considerably less lurid than the original paperback edition. In fact, the Centipede Press cover is nothing short of amazing, and the image below hardly does it credit.

Perusing the first few pages, the prose is tight, hard as a steel blade, almost breathless in pace and atmosphere–all typical of that genre. This is a book I look forward to reading. It’s not Centipede Press’s first foray in McPartland’s books; they published See You in Hell in a limited edition in 2020. The cover on that book doesn’t look nearly as nice, though prices for it now are well above what I paid for Tokyo Doll, which was, I guess, “priced to move.” I think See You in Hell was published in a limited edition only; the publisher mentions 500 numbered copies for Tokyo Doll, but the one I picked up was the unsigned, unnumbered version, which is fine by me.

At the same time as I bought the McPartland book, I also bought from Centipede Press a book in their long running series, The Library of Weird Fiction. These books usually go out of print quickly, given that they are massive retrospectives of well-known writers of early twentieth century fantasy/horror fiction (see Algernon Blackwood, Ambrose Bierce, Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, etc,). I’ve never been able to snag one until now (with one exception: a gift I bought for my wife, as she’s a huge Bram Stoker fan). This book in the Library of Weird Fiction contained stories by Frank Belknap Long. As his book was listed as one of the books nearly sold out, I picked it up at the (non-discounted) cover price of $60—unlike the Dune books, $60 is a cover price that’s at a manageable budget. Long’s name was familiar to me, but I don’t think I’d read any of his fiction, unless they appeared in some obscure collection. At over 800 pages, there’s a lot to absorb in terms of his short fiction.

The Library of Weird Fiction covers are uniform, with black and white photographs of the author. Owning a complete collection of these books likely is the mark of a true aficionado of that kind of fiction. On the secondary market the prior volumes fetch an absurd amount (well over $100-$200), so if I continue to collect the books in this series, I suspect I’ll need to make that happen when the books appear from the publisher, and not wait until they show up on the “almost out of print” section. There’s a brief introduction from noted scholar S. T. Joshi, and some photos of Long.

I’m more familiar with Richard Chizmar as an editor and the publisher of Cemetery Dance. Recently in a used book store I came across two copies of his 2019 novel, Gwendy’s Magic Feather. This is a sequel to a book he co-wrote with Stephen King. I stopped reading King’s books after the last Gunslinger novel, so I’d never heard of the first Gwendy book. But, as I’m a sucker for small press books, I picked this one up on the spot. King wrote the introduction, handing off the baton fully to Chizmar, rather than continuing to collaborate on the story. When I think of King’s writing, I’m reminded of the SNL skit where King (actor Jon Lovitz) is interviewed while he pounds out stories on typewriter (yes, this was before the computer…). King obviously has not stopped banging out stories, so any King collector needs a lot of shelf space.

Gwendy’s Magic Feather appears aimed at the juvenile market, with insanely short chapters and quite a few illustrations. It makes me wonder how many copies they produced and hoped to sell, especially with King’s name on the cover. If a pair of them ended up in the same used bookstore, did they really succeeded in that effort? Still, it’s available as a paperback, the story lives on. The short chapters, however, make me hesitate slightly to get into the book. That and the fact that it’s a sequel…

Books added: Maupassant and Rasnic Tem

August 29, 2024 /

Recently I ordered a pair of Centipede Press books. They were listed together, and as I’d considered buying one or the other at some point, I thought it was a good opportunity to get both. Synchronicity, I guess. In terms of pricing, one book was priced extremely low, so it might be an issue of the publisher clearing inventory. In some cases Centipede Press books fetch astronomical sums (mostly on the secondary market, but sometimes from the publisher, viz. the Dune books. Yowza!). In other cases (far fewer, I suspect), books don’t sell quickly enough, and so the price drops until inventory clears. In any case, peruse the Centipede Press web site and you’ll find almost all books published six months or more ago are out of print.

Rough Justice is a collection of stories by Steve Rasnic Tem. Tem is a noted horror writer, with ten novels and mote than twenty collections to his credit. I checked my collection and found only one book with his stories, the first Night Visions collection from Dark Harvest, published in 1984. Then again, my horror collection is somewhat slim, at least compared to SF, fantasy, and mystery books. Still, I was somewhat surprised that his book was currently priced as low as it was.

The other book is The Horrible and Others, by the French writer, Guy de Maupassant. As far as Maupassant goes, who lived from 1850 to 1893, I’m familiar only with the name, not the person or the fiction. Both books come in a signed and unsigned version (although the signatures in the Maupassant book are by the editor and illustrator, as Maupassant hasn’t yet risen from the dead to put pen to paper). I ended up getting the unsigned copies of both books; I own only a handful of Centipede Press books, mostly Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and Gray Mouser series, one book by Robert Silverberg, and finally Michael Shea’s monumental collection, The Autopsy and Others. (I did buy a couple of Bram Stoker books for my wife, who is a huge Stoker fan.) Aside from the Shea book, all others are unsigned. I’m content with that choice.

According to an online resource, “[Maupassant] wrote 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books, and one volume of verse.” Supposedly he’s considered a father of the modern short story. I would think that honor falls to Edgar Allan Poe, who died one year before Maupassant was born. Perhaps Maupassant perfected the short story, but he’s by no means the father of the short story. It seems every critic who focuses on a particular writer forgets anyone prior to that writer. If anyone is the father of the short story, it’s Poe.

Both books have quite nice wrap-around dust jackets, as is par for the typical stunning production quality from Centipede Press. The Rasnic Tem book collects over 40 short stories (and some are quite short), spanning the years 1983 to 2020.

The Maupassant book contains an illuminating introduction by editor S.T. Joshi, over 30 stories, and a bibliography. Until I saw this book I wasn’t aware that Maupassant had written any “weird” tales, but there are supposedly some classics in that genre within this collection.

Anyone interested in weird fiction or classic fantasy fiction should check out Centipede Press. Some of the books are pricy, and some cater to different tastes, but these are books that are both a pleasure to read and a pleasure to own.

The Knight and Knave of Swords

April 28, 2024 /

A few months ago Centipede Press released volume 7 in their reprint of all of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and Gray Mouser books, The Knight and Knave of Swords. This was the last book in the series that Leiber wrote, originally published on December 20, 1988 by William Morrow. I know this because that 1988 book was my first Leiber hardcover, a review copy that someone gifted to me, with the press release letter still in the book.

I’ve written before about my gradual accumulation of this series in hardcover format. All my other copies were paperback editions, acquired in used bookstores in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when one still could fine those Ace paperbacks in decent shape. So, when Centipede Press announced this series I made it a point to check their website, subscribe to their newsletter, so I could know the exact dates these books were published.

In this book, Centipede Press has outdone themselves. There are, per the publisher, “seven interior illustrations, a full-color frontispiece, two maps, a full color wraparound dustjacket, and illustrated endpapers.” With an introduction by Marc Laidlaw, artwork by Tim Kirk, and bonus material at the end, there’s a lot to absorb and enjoy. It even smells great!

Centipede Press has released both signed and unsigned copies of the book. Mine are of the unsigned variety. Leiber died a few years ago, so those signatures would be a facsimile, and my miserly self isn’t ready to shell out extra coin for the other contributor’s signatures.

If readers (or buyers) are new to this series, then finding the earlier books might prove an expensive endeavor. New from the publisher the cost had been somewhere around $70-$80. On the secondary market, either from dealers or collectors looking to offload books, the cost triples. Centipede Press books tend to fetch a premium on the secondary market, at least for books older than a few years. Supposedly there are two more books announced in this series, per the publisher: “Swords Against the Shadowland by Robin Wayne Bailey and a ninth volume which will be a book of all sorts of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser archival artwork.” Since, in this case, I got in on the ground floor with volume 1, I’ll go for the last two, as here I might actually a chance for a complete set.

In the meantime, I’m torn between re-reading the stories from my 1988 edition, or gently reading the stories from the new edition. The bonus material is one thing, but spending hours with such a gorgeous book is another thing altogether.

Swords Against Wizardry

November 5, 2020 /

The latest volume in Centipede Press’ reprint of Fritz Lieber’s Fafhrd and Gray Mouser books is entitled Swords Against Wizardry, and is the fourth in the series. It was published in March 2020, and as of this writing only a few copies remain.

I bought the series as tattered paperbacks in the 1990s (well, I looked for the nicest possible ones I could find at the time). I’m now slowly able to replace these paperback books (one a year at CP’s current schedule). Each cover design varies slightly, as is expected with different artists. The covers are all wrap-around, and the books (as with every CP book) are almost works of art.

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