***Question about Easton Press Memorial edition of Dune***

[newb2dune]

My GF is a huge dune fan and i wanted to purchase an Easton Press edition of Dune, however as i was searching around, i found that there seems to be 2 versions of this book. One of them has a gold inlay border on the front and back cover of the book while the other one does not have the border. I have attached pictures of the 2 books. Is there a difference between the 2 other than the gold border? Also, is one more rare than the other?

Another question, I have obtained a Frank Herbert signed book. It is a Putnam Press first edition of "The White Plague". I was thinking of cutting out the signature and mounting it into the Easton Press Dune book. Is this just a terrible idea? Would i be devaluing the book, and is the signed version of the White Plague valuable?

Any advice would be highly appreciated.

best regards,
Newb2Dune

 

[Omphalos]

Hi Newb2Dune. I have both Easton Press editions of the book. The main difference between the two is that the graphics are slightly different on the spine and cover, and that one version has the moire endpapers while the other version (the one pictured on the right above) has the typical heavy cardstock endpapers with the Masterpieces of Science Fiction logo on it. If you are curious what this logo looks like just take a look at the cover for the Easton Press edition of Asimov's Foundation. Its three towers extending upwards, with the middle highest.

The difference, I think, is that Easton Press produced this book before the began the masterpieces of SF line. That line has about 135 - 140 books in it, and has been around a bit longer than ten years, I believe. But they produced an edition of Dune that came out before the line started. As it is now Dune is the second book subscribers receive, and they receive it for free, so there are TONS of them out there. I cant tell you if one is any rarer than the other, because Easton Press does not release publication numbers, and within either run of the book, they are not indivudually marked as to edition or printing.

Each book also comes with a information card, and they are slightly different. Other than that there are no differences. But have a satin page mark, have gilted edges, hubbed spines and leather wrapped hardboards. I think that the first one (on the left above) was run in black once, but I have never seen one.

As to tearing out the signature from another book, you wont increase the value of this one by doing that (unless you want to sell it and find a sucker). Herbert did sign a bunch of stickys before he died, and you can find those on line sometimes. that would probably be more appropriate, but still, y ou can never say that Herbert touched or signed your edition of the book, so its still all just fancy window dressings that dont change the value of the book.

If you are new to Dune and want to learn more, I am an admin at a very active Dune website. Here is the link:

JACURUTU :: Index

Feel free (anyone, actually) to drop by. We dont have the same standards for civility that this site does, and it can get rowdy over there, but we do discuss Dune a lot.

sorry if this is a violation of protocol here. If it is let me know, any moderator, and Ill send this guy a PM.

 

[newb2dune]

exactly the info that i needed! thank you Omphalos greatly appreciate it!

 

[Omphalos]

de nada, amigo.

 

[Omphalos]

Found a bookplate-signed edition of this book on-line. Ive seen this seller around and his stuff seems to be out of sight generally. If this book were actually signed this price would be really low, but because its bookplate signed, I think hes asking a bit much. Im not sure when Easton started printing either edition, but Im farily certain Herbert was dead (1986) by the time they did start. Ive seen one with McNelly's signature (McNelly was Hebert's archivist, and was an SF scholar and anthologist) that went for about $150 or so before.

signed by 8, Easton Press Dune, signed by Frank Herbert - eBay (item 190260027066 end time Jan-14-09 18:30:39 PST)