Brigands of the Moon Ray Cummings Ace D-324

🚀 Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings (Copyright 1931, Ace Books D-324) — a complete & unabridged Ace Science Fiction Classic paperback edition of the pioneering space opera first serialized in Astounding Stories in 1930. This scarce vintage paperback features cover art by Ed Emshwiller and the original 35¢ cover price.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: Ray Cummings (Raymond King Cummings, 1887–1957)
• Publisher: Ace Books (Ace Science Fiction Classic, D-324)
• Year: Copyright 1931; Ace edition circa 1958
• Format: Paperback, 143 pages
• Cover Art: Ed Emshwiller
• Edition: Complete & Unabridged — Ace reprint by arrangement with Gabrielle Wilson Cummings
• Condition: Very Good- (VG-) — full report below

THE STORY

First serialized across four issues of Astounding Stories (March–June 1930) and published as a book by A. C. McClurg in 1931, Brigands of the Moon tells the story of Gregg Haljan aboard the spaceship Planetara, carrying mail and passengers between Earth, Mars, and Venus. When a cargo of rare moon ore — essential to Earth’s technology — becomes the target of Martian space pirates, Haljan is forced to turn pirate himself to outwit the brigands and recover the stolen treasure. The novel is set in the year 2070 and features two planets clashing over lunar resources in one of the earliest “space opera” adventures.

THIS EDITION

Published as Ace Science Fiction Classic D-324, this paperback reprint appeared circa 1958 — “by arrangement with Gabrielle Wilson Cummings,” the author’s widow, following his death in 1957. The Ace D-series catalog numbers in the low 300s correspond to late-1950s printings. This is the complete and unabridged text, running 143 pages. The back cover carries the marketing title “Buccaneers of Outer Space” — a common Ace practice of packaging classic SF under catchier umbrella titles.

COVER ART & DESIGN

The front cover features a dynamic Ed Emshwiller illustration: two astronauts in yellow spacesuits aboard a sleek silver spacecraft, with explosive cosmic action set against a dark lunar landscape. The scene captures the pulp-era energy of space piracy with fiery reds, oranges, and metallic silver against deep space black. The spine is bright blue with white text — “ACE SCIENCE FICTION CLASSIC,” catalog number D-324, and the title and author name. The back cover carries three promotional paragraphs about Ray Cummings on a pale yellow background with the header “BUCCANEERS OF OUTER SPACE” in red capitals.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Ray Cummings (1887–1957) is rated one of the “founding fathers of the science fiction pulp genre,” with approximately 750 novels and short stories to his name
• Cummings worked as Thomas Edison’s personal assistant and technical writer from 1914 to 1919, lending scientific grounding to his interplanetary fiction
• First serialized in Astounding Stories (1930) and first published as a book by A. C. McClurg (1931) — this Ace edition preserves the complete text in a collectible mid-century paperback format
• Brigands of the Moon is considered a foundational work of the space opera subgenre, predating the term’s popular use by decades

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? Ace Science Fiction Classic D-324, copyright 1931, published circa 1958 by arrangement with the author’s widow Gabrielle Wilson Cummings. Complete & Unabridged, 143 pages.

What condition is it in? Very Good- (VG-). Bright, vibrant front cover illustration with minor edge rubbing and a crease with chipping at the upper-middle spine edge. Age-toned text block; clean, crisp pages. Previous owner’s neat pencil signature on inside front cover. Full condition report below.

Is this the first edition? No — this is a later Ace paperback reprint. The first edition was published by A. C. McClurg & Co. in 1931 (orange cloth, octavo, 386 pp.). However, this Ace edition preserves the complete and unabridged text and is a collectible mid-century paperback in its own right.

FOR COLLECTORS

This Ace D-324 edition is a solid representative of the late-1950s Ace Science Fiction Classic line — one of the most iconic paperback imprints in science fiction history. Cummings’ name recognition and the Emshwiller cover art make this a natural companion piece for collectors of golden-age SF paperbacks. The back cover blurb’s description of Cummings as “a founding father of modern American science-fiction” is no exaggeration — his influence runs directly through the pulp era into the Campbellian revolution that followed.

Condition Report

• Overall Grade: Very Good- (VG-)
• Cover & Spine: Bright, vibrant front cover illustration. Minor rubbing to extremities; a crease with chipping at the upper-middle spine edge. Spine is solid, square, and uncreased.
• Text Block & Pages: Age-toned text block (edges present a uniform, light wood-color). Previous owner’s neat pencil signature (“Sandra M. Miller”) on the inside front cover; otherwise, pages are clean, crisp, and unmarked. Surface rubs along outer edge of block
• Binding: Square, no loose, torn or folded pages.

See accompanying images for full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

HFB-SEO-v1: 2026-07-04

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