George R. R. Martin Typescript Up for Auction at Swann Galleries
Left: George R. R. Martin, Fevre Dream, revised typescript, advance proof copy, inscribed first edition. Estimate $800-1,200. Right: Stephen King books in the sale, including Pet Sematary, Firestarter, Cujo, Christine, and IT: 25th Anniversary signed limited edition.
Sponsored by Swann Galleries
Fantasy, horror, and science fiction will take center stage at Swann Galleries’ October 22 sale. The typescript of an early George R. R. Martin novel, Stephen King highlights, and an inscribed Orson Scott Card novel will all be on offer.
Long before A Game of Thrones took the world by storm, George R. R. Martin wrote a “vampires on a steamboat” novel set in the antebellum South entitled Fevre Dream. Martin’s revised typescript of Fevre Dream, along with an uncorrected proof, and an inscribed first edition of the 1982 novel, will all be offered as one lot expected to fetch between $800 and $1,200.
“Compared with A Song of Ice and Fire, Fevre Dream feels like holding a fledgling bird,” said Grace Meschery-McCormack, Cataloguer, Fine Books at Swan Galleries. “You get to witness this sort of early form of Martin and the evolution of his literary style when stacked up against his later and most successful works.”
Stephen King collectors take note: a selection of signed, limited editions of the undisputed master of horror will also be on offer at the auction. A 25th anniversary edition of King’s magnum opus IT will be up for bids, along with special first editions of Christine, Firestarter, and Cujo.
“The first editions of his books are relatively common on the market but signed firsts and signed limited editions are really what collectors are after,” said Meschery-McCormack. “Not only are they scarcer, but the limited editions also feature different dust jacket art and illustrations from the regular editions.”
Orson Scott Card’s classic science-fiction novel Ender’s Game spawned an entire series. Swann is also offering at auction an inscribed copy of the highly-regarded second book in the saga, Speaker for the Dead from 1986. The copy bears a meaningful inscription from Card, “I hope you find the trees in this forest!”
“We are excited to offer this copy of the second book in Card’s Ender Saga because it bears a great inscription and because I think it is a good litmus for sci-fi collecting. It … has exponentially increased in value on the auction market in the last decade.”
Speaker for the Dead is not appreciating alone. Highpoints from fantasy, horror, and science fiction continue to outperform their estimates at auction. Swann has noticed a major surge in interest for Stephen King in particular, with an uptick in hammer prices and consignment inquiries in recent years, especially for copies kept in excellent condition.
For her part, Meschery-McCormack particularly enjoys cataloging genre books and has enjoyed watching the market respond to them. “It’s all the more rewarding for me because I love these genres, and when I catalogue books of this kind, then watch them be extremely successful on the market, my heart fills with pride at being able to enhance the bibliographical value of these works.”
The above lots, and many more, will be on offer at Swann’s October 22 Fine Books sale at their New York City location. Bids are accepted in-person, online, and over the phone.
