Invocations Press seeks to rediscover and republish lost works that have disappeared into the void; works that, while of unparalled significance to a select few and with wide-ranging influence in their heyday, have not survived in either the public imagination or the fickle publishing arena.
They invite suggestions for future imprints!!We welcome anyone wishing to make a contribution to this neglected field of publishing; whether suggesting or editing a suitable book for our list, designing a title or contributing commentaries or essays, please get in touch through INTERTEXTS.
I am a bad person so I have sent them a request for Volume 5 of The Art of Computer Programming.The subject of rare books came up because I was talking to old fever-wracked Mauricio Santos-Lobos the other day (we haven't seen much of since he switched to drinking down the road at the Sensitive Frog). The Riddled library owns one of the few extant copies of Lobos-Santos' book The Spider Glyph in Time (signed by the author on the fly-leaf with the words "Helping Jennifer").*
"Mauricio," I said, "Mauricio, I'll tell you what's a rare book: 'Travels in Rural Sweden (Including Descriptions of Divers Crypts)', by Wraxall and James.** That's one I would like to see reprinted."
"No-one today could possibly be interested in some pompous Victorian's travel memoirs from over a century ago," Santos-Lobos said dismissively.
"Well that's where you're wrong!" I said.
-----------------------------------------** Compiled by the second author from fragmentary notes left when the first author died under macabre and inexplicable circumstances that required a closed-casket funeral. It is high time that Lonely Planet travel guides revived this tradition of dying horribly after exploring old castles and crypts despite dire warnings from local inn-keepers.
Left: Count Magnus and travelling companion
Right: Some other Scandiwegian
4 comments:
second, the writers' engagement and involvement in the landscape they travel through, as the use of specific terminology can be very clearly linked to the writers' opinions about what is described
Now that's just crazy talk!
Well if nothing else*, I've learned that I was living just a block from Fritz Leiber (at 851 Post Street, 94109) in 1971. Might have been able to wave at him from the back windows.
*And it ain't much.
There is a free venison scone from Mrs Miggins for the first person who can provide a scan of the article in Fantasy & Science Fiction from years ago, devoted to fictitious books. It might have been the November 1974 issue but I will not swear to that.
Hmmpf.
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