The Incredible - Weird Tales - Three Volume - Signed Slipcase Set - From PS Publishing!

[00:00:00]Hello and welcome to today's video. So this time we'll be taking a look through this fantastic box set from PS Publishing. It's Weird Tales edited by Stephen Jones and boy oh boy, this is something quite quite special. So sit back, relax, and let's get to it.

[00:00:16]>> [music] [music] >> Okay, so the postman's just been and here is my parcel and um there is a little dent on the box there.

[00:00:30]But I know PS Publishing quite well.

[00:00:31]I've had a few deliveries from them and they always surround their books with little white um plastic snowflakes as it were. So uh the plastic pellets. So I'm confident that even though there's that little mark there, that the book itself or the package itself will be protected. So we'll have a little look. We'll cut down the uh the tape here and uh we'll see how we can get into it.

[00:01:02]I mean they couldn't have been more straightforward by saying it's uh fragile. It really is fragile.

[00:01:10]But it wasn't delivered by um my regular post person and I think [snorts] uh they weren't due to do a delivery today so they uh but because [snorts] it was a tracked delivery, I think they farmed it out to a third party.

[00:01:25]But that's fine.

[00:01:27]>> [snorts] >> Here we go then.

[00:01:38]All right, I think we've got it all.

[00:01:45]Not quite.

[00:01:53]Yeah, we've taped down here as well.

[00:01:56]All right, I think that's it now.

[00:02:04]Very well put together this box. Ah, here we are.

[00:02:17]Blimey.

[00:02:19]Okay, let's see. Loads of protection, so that little knock on the front of the box there has not affected the contents that I can see.

[00:02:38]Okay.

[00:02:44]There we are. Look at how that's WRAPPED UP.

[00:02:52]THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD HOPE TO FIND WITH A book of such immense sort of value and >> [snorts] >> it's a real treasure, this.

[00:03:03]I have definitely been looking forward to it.

[00:03:23]So, this has been some time coming. Um, probably well, probably the best part of 3 months from ordering it, maybe a little bit longer even.

[00:03:32]Um I was I knew that this book was coming out, but I wasn't sure about the limited edition, and I wasn't even sure how many copies were actually going to be produced of this limited version of it.

[00:03:53]BUT, I KNEW AS SOON AS I HEARD ABOUT IT THAT I WANTED IT.

[00:03:57]If I could get lucky enough to get it. And uh And there we are. Thankfully I was able to uh jump on the pre-order like literally the day that it went available. And it had sold out by the end of the day.

[00:04:20]So I luckily was just lucky I wasn't like doing something where I couldn't access the internet at that time.

[00:04:35]All right. So I should slide my invoice out.

[00:04:41]Put that to one side.

[00:04:46]There we are. So you could say that that was a well-protected book. So we slide it out and I'm going to have a proper look through.

[00:04:59]Oh my goodness. The weight of it is immense. It weighs a ton.

[00:05:04]So well there we are. Let's have a proper look inside now. Yes, I just checked the invoice that came with it and 10th of April I ordered this. So that's when it went available. So it has been just a little over 3 months which I suppose isn't too bad. Um I think what was delaying it was the bespoke um slipcase here which we'll have a look at first.

[00:05:24]Weird Tales. There we are. A magazine of the bizarre and unusual.

[00:05:29]It's got a little mark there on it.

[00:05:34]>> [snorts] >> That's the spine art.

[00:05:39]So yes, split into three sort of sections. The the early years, the unique magazine, and masterpieces of weird fiction.

[00:05:46]So I suppose let's see how easy they are to get out. Oh, they slide out quite easily. So, there we go. Well, we'll start with volume one.

[00:05:54]And then we'll look at the other ones in order.

[00:06:01]There is the the box set. It's going to look very nice on my shelf.

[00:06:08]The woman of the wood, A. Merritt. Oh, yes.

[00:06:12]Huh, I like the way um it's got his [snorts] name in the same style as the original uh cover font.

[00:06:21]Yeah, these are the really early ones, aren't they? Yeah, 1920s these.

[00:06:26]So, front cover artwork C. Barker Petrie Jr. Cover design by Smith and Jones.

[00:06:32]There we are. So, it was a deluxe signed slipcase set which has now sold out. That's what we're looking at here. There's the special signed limited hardcover which I do believe is available. Then there's a trade hardcover.

[00:06:46]So, I think this is the only version which has sold out. The other ones are available on the uh website, the PS website.

[00:06:54]And what's this then? So, this is a bookmark to tie in with it. And what does this say?

[00:07:04]Huh.

[00:07:06]Weird is a member of the Weird Tales Club.

[00:07:10]Very nice.

[00:07:17]There's a little bit about Weird Tales, of course.

[00:07:21]And here we are. So, look at this. We got This deluxe signed edition is is limited to 125 numbered copies.

[00:07:29]There we are. Stephen Jones.

[00:07:31]Edwin Baird is the facsimile and Farnsworth Wright is a facsimile.

[00:07:36]This is copy number 42.

[00:07:39]>> [snorts] >> And here we are.

[00:07:47]Introduction by Stephen Jones.

[00:07:50]So, here's the the contents here and you've got like a special introduction looking at this particular bit of Weird Tales history and I know Stephen himself has a fantastic collection of the early Weird Tales. I think he's pretty much got them all.

[00:08:03]Quite the achievement.

[00:08:05]And how many pages is actually in this first volume? About 450 just in volume one. And these are the the stories here and there's so many recognizable names and some surprises. Look at this one by Harry Houdini there.

[00:08:18]Who'd have thought it? I did not know that. H.P. Lovecraft of course lots of recognizable names, classic names really of the genre.

[00:08:26]August Derleth, yeah. And many many of these. I mean so many in fact I've never ever read before.

[00:08:34]I've got a couple of Weird Tales anthologies I think somewhere in my collection but having this is like the cream of the crop I think is going to be included in here. It's a real sort of celebration of the magazine.

[00:08:47]And I know this one's been a long time coming. It really has.

[00:08:52]There's some of the acknowledgements there.

[00:08:56]>> [snorts] >> And then this intro I love the inclusion of like the period adverts as well. I think that's really nice. Now obviously we're not going to go through every page but I will sort of flick through a little bit from the back here.

[00:09:08]Oh, there's a Stephen Jones there with Robert Bloch.

[00:09:11]How cool is that?

[00:09:13]Virginia 1993.

[00:09:19]That's his Masters of Horror series there at the back.

[00:09:23]So, these count as volume 17, 18 and 19 of that particular series.

[00:09:28]Oh, yeah. I really like the format with the adverts. It's great actually. It gives you that sort of feeling of of an original Weird Tales, doesn't it?

[00:09:38]Even the paper, though it's high quality, it does feel a little bit pulpy. It's It's unusual.

[00:09:47]Yeah, very nice. And there will be illustrations dyed throughout. I like it.

[00:09:51]Really do.

[00:09:52]This is going to be just so much fun to read. Although I want to be so careful with it as well. It's just going to be one of those ones to read carefully, I would say, because this is uh a real treasure. Absolutely.

[00:10:04]I have That spell free, I've read that one.

[00:10:10]Bobby Howard [snorts] there.

[00:10:19]Very nice. And here's the Houdini one. I wonder what that's like.

[00:10:23]How interesting.

[00:10:26]Yes, there's a lot here to enjoy.

[00:10:30]>> [snorts] >> Very nice indeed, that.

[00:10:35]Okay, so that's the 1920s, or the early years, they say, the 1920s. So, pop that to one side.

[00:10:42]Then volume two it says is the uh It doesn't give an year on the outside here.

[00:10:50]Goose flesh vampire story.

[00:10:58]Very nice.

[00:10:59]A few more uh recognizable names creeping in. People like Ray Bradbury there.

[00:11:04]Let's [snorts] have a look at volume two.

[00:11:10]>> [snorts] >> So, this is uh Still the same copy here. Limited to 125. Copy number 42. Life, the universe, and everything. Good number to have.

[00:11:21]I've got Stephen Jones and a couple of facsimiles on the first page here.

[00:11:25]Now, uh this is the signature of John Arstrom. And uh he did the cover to Weird Tales. This is Weird Tales January 1952. What a beautiful piece of art that is.

[00:11:38]So, [snorts] that's his original signature.

[00:11:43]There's a Ray Bradbury. I mean, look how beautiful is that.

[00:11:47]Wowee.

[00:11:50]That's for the jar, which is the Ray Bradbury story from Weird Tales November 1944.

[00:11:56]Well, that's fun I mean, that is just gorgeous, isn't it? Wow, wow, wow.

[00:12:03]Malcolm M. Ferguson. He wrote Polar Vortex from September 1946.

[00:12:10]I'm assuming [snorts] all these stories are actually in this issue.

[00:12:13]Um And look at this, Richard Matheson.

[00:12:18]Weird Tales Wet Straw from Weird Tales January 1953.

[00:12:23]Blimey, O'Reilly. That's some big names there.

[00:12:28]And more. So, Garn Wilson.

[00:12:31]He did the interior artwork to Weird Tales September 1954.

[00:12:37]And there we are. Blimey.

[00:12:39]Incredible.

[00:12:41]So, now what does this particular book focus on?

[00:12:46]Uh this is the '30s through to the '50s in this volume in addition to the magazine from from that era, that 20-year period.

[00:12:55]Wow.

[00:12:58]Yeah, the stories are slightly longer, I think, in this this period than the last one, by the looks of it.

[00:13:05]Once again, some of the real greats here. Loads of H.P. Lovecraft. Robert Bloch there. There's Ray Bradbury. And it is the jar. That's the one that he's assigned. I mean, that's just terrific.

[00:13:15]I'm I'm made up by those signatures. And I know Stephen told me that he I mean, he got some of these 20 years ago. I mean, that's how long this book has been in preparation.

[00:13:27]Boy, has that paid off.

[00:13:29]And there's the Matheson story there, wet straw.

[00:13:32]Absolutely incredible.

[00:13:34]Incredible.

[00:13:36]And acknowledgements and uh all the copyright holders, the different copyright holders.

[00:13:44]Yeah, and a little disclaimer there.

[00:13:45]Yeah, please be aware that these stories were originally published more than 73 years ago and may reflect the language and attitudes of that time.

[00:13:52]They've not been edited or abridged in any way for their appearance here except for consistency in spelling and no offense is intended or implied. Well, I'm glad that they've put that. Um you see this more and more nowadays, even the the DC graphic novels, the new DC ones that are being published of the classic Golden Age and Silver Age titles have got a similar sort of disclaimer.

[00:14:13]But at least they're being unaltered and that's the way I think they should be.

[00:14:17]And here we are. So, this is uh Steve's introduction to the this particular period. And what a great period it was, the formation of many, many careers, really.

[00:14:28]Excellent. I honestly can't wait to get stuck into some of these.

[00:14:32]And then in the same sort of format as the last volume. So, a mixture of adverts and the stories with uh usually each story, this is how they would be presented in um in Weird Tales with like a a small illustration there.

[00:14:45]And there is the Matheson story.

[00:14:49]So, only a great author from that period, one of my faves.

[00:14:54]But having just read Bradbury, that's I think I've only got one other thing signed by Bradbury. I know he did sign quite a lot, but to have something turn up like this, you know, signed by him is really quite special.

[00:15:09]Wow, wow, wow.

[00:15:11]Oh, there's the journal. There it is.

[00:15:16]There it is.

[00:15:19]How amazing.

[00:15:22]Really, this is just something else. And the rubber block one there.

[00:15:26]>> [snorts] >> This is not going to be anything like a charcuterie. This is just going to be something to absolutely savor.

[00:15:34]Uh very carefully, I should say.

[00:15:36]>> [laughter] >> But this is just gorgeous. I love it. I absolutely love it.

[00:15:42]Wow.

[00:15:47]>> [sighs] >> Incredible.

[00:15:50]Absolutely beautiful. So, that's volume two. And we've got one more to go through. It was a three-parter.

[00:15:56]And uh here we are, volume three. It shows The Stolen Body by H.G. Wells.

[00:16:04]Here's the back artwork here.

[00:16:10]Yeah, that's a British one, isn't it?

[00:16:11]Look, one and six.

[00:16:13]Um that looks like it might be Spanish or Mexican.

[00:16:18]It's a couple of foreign language ones there.

[00:16:27]All right, so I guess this will be a bit more up-to-date. So, we'll have a look.

[00:16:33]So, once again, similar sort of um setup to the first volume with uh the stolen body that little cover issue there.

[00:16:45]But I think we've had our all our signatures >> [laughter] >> in the last one, which was uh outstanding.

[00:16:54]And here we are. So, that's a piece of work. So, I'm just wondering what sort of era this is, but I'm guessing it's still reasonably early.

[00:17:04]I wonder how late they actually go. It doesn't sort of say.

[00:17:07]>> [snorts] >> But just more classics, really. Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, H.G. Wells, Lovecraft.

[00:17:17]Sir Walter Scott Some more sort of vintage ones. It is not doing the more up-to-date or the most recent stuff, which is is great with me cuz these are the a lots of this I've never ever read.

[00:17:28]Um there's even a Dickens in there as well.

[00:17:31]Wow, Arthur Conan Doyle And it shows you where they were all first ever printed and all reprinted.

[00:17:48]There's good information there.

[00:17:52]Here we are.

[00:17:56]Yeah, lots of British writers. Yeah, that's what we're looking at here.

[00:18:03]Yeah, this is going to be fan- fantastic, fascinating reading. I'll tell you that.

[00:18:12]This one, I think it's even bigger. This is uh probably the best part of 500 pages.

[00:18:19]Let's have a flick through. There we are, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Ring of Ring of Thoth.

[00:18:35]Well, what a package, eh? What a package.

[00:18:40]Something quite special.

[00:18:42]That's for certain.

[00:18:44]The werewolf.

[00:18:48]That's really exceptional, isn't it?

[00:18:53]Well, as I said, you may not be able to get this exact edition, but you still can get them in the case hardbacks and there is the soft cover version. And I believe PS will keep those in print. So, if this has whetted your appetite, you can see there's an awful lot here. What a What a set. I mean, I would I would definitely have this even if it wasn't the the limited version. O. Henry, I really like is the master short story teller.

[00:19:14]This has got some good stuff in it as well. So, each each volume has got something that I just can't wait to have a look at and read.

[00:19:22]I love it. I love it and what is set to have a fantastic investment. So, if you've been lucky enough to grab one of these, you've done very well. As I said, they sold out in about 5 hours.

[00:19:32]So, you you had to be quick, but just just terrific. I mean, I >> [clears throat] >> I can't believe how good these are. So, uh very very pleased indeed to have these and uh well, have to make a pride of place spot uh somewhere on my uh somewhere on my bookcase for these cuz they're just terrific. I absolutely love it.

[00:19:55]So, there you go. I hope you enjoyed that look through the Weird Tales this three-book incredible hardback set. Now, I will link to the PS Publishing landing page for this particular set in the description down below. So, if you'd like to grab one of these yourself, I'm not on any sort commission basis at all.

[00:20:11]I'm just a real fan of their books and uh do head on over there and support this publishers cuz it's absolutely fantastic.

[00:20:17]>> [snorts] >> What a great great set. If you have enjoyed today's video, do please give it that thumbs up. Do please hit the subscribe button if you've not already for regular vintage and new book content and I'll look forward to seeing you again very soon.

[00:20:30]Bye.