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Sci-Fi Chess Novel: The Squares of the City by John Brunner, 1978 Edition
$21.00
This is a “very good” or better vintage 1978 Ballantine paperback novel by John Brunner, Hugo-nominated when it first appeared in print in 1965.
Crisp, solid copy, with an uncreased spine. No marks or writing, no loose, torn or folded pages. Text and covers are square and close tightly. Text block edges are uniform, not rubbed or soiled, bright all around. Covers show some minimal surface wear. Very pleasing overall.
Somewhat scarce title.
Really nice vintage copy!
See accompanying images for full condition details.
Enter John Brunner’s Hugo-nominated masterpiece, The Squares of the City, where every citizen is a chess piece in a deadly game of power and control….
In the gleaming planned metropolis of Ciudad de Vados, capital of the fictional South American nation Aguazul, traffic analyst Boyd Hakluyt arrives to solve what seems like a routine urban planning problem.
Instead, he finds himself trapped in a meticulously orchestrated conflict where the 1892 World Chess Championship match between Wilhelm Steinitz and Mikhail Chigorin is being played out with human lives.
The city’s elite, led by the enigmatic President Vados, use subliminal messaging and media manipulation to control the population, while the impoverished native residents fight to reclaim their land and dignity.
As Hakluyt navigates between the sophisticated chess-obsessed ruling class and the desperate slum dwellers, he discovers that every death, every political maneuver, every act of resistance corresponds to an actual move in the historic chess game.
Brunner’s brilliant structural experiment transforms a political thriller into a profound meditation on colonialism, urban planning, and the ethics of social engineering.
This 1978 edition captures Brunner at his most innovative, blending Graham Greene-style intrigue with cutting-edge social commentary that remains startlingly relevant to our modern debates about gentrification, surveillance, and the price of progress.
Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.
1 in stock
Additional information
| Weight | 16 oz |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 7 × 5 × 1 in |
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Millennium by John Varley: 1985 First Edition Sci-Fi Paperback
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This is a very clean and bright vintage paperback (very good - very good plus) edition of John Varley's much-loved time-travel novel "Millenium".
First printing in English in paperback. Now a relatively hard-to-find edition. Shows slight minimal aging, a little edge wear on covers, a light spine crease, but no significant flaws (no writing, tags, marks, loose, torn or folded pages). Covers are tight, close flat, sharp corners. Insides of covers are tanned (typical of this vintage of book). Certainly a great addition to a vintage science fiction collection and a worthy gift! See the accompanying images for full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged, with tracking. About the book: In the skies over Oakland, California, a DC-10 and a 747 are about to collide. In the distant future, a time travel team is preparing to snatch the passengers, leaving prefabricated, smoking bodies behind for the rescue teams to find. The story follows two main characters: Bill Smith, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator in 1983, and Louise Baltimore, a time traveler from a dystopian future where humanity is on the brink of extinction due to pollution and genetic decay. As Bill investigates a mysterious plane crash, he uncovers anomalies that lead him to Louise and the truth about the time travel missions. The novel delves into predestination, paradoxes, and the ethical implications of altering the past to save the future. About the Author: John Varley is a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author known for his innovative, character-driven science fiction. Emerging in the 1970s as part of the "New Wave" of SF writers, Varley often explored themes of identity, technology, and societal collapse. Millennium fits neatly into his body of work, showcasing a knack for blending hard science fiction with humanistic storytelling. His ability to craft believable future societies and morally complex scenarios makes Millennium a standout in his bibliography. Why You Should Read It If you enjoy smart, thought-provoking science fiction with a noir-ish mystery twist, Millennium is a must-read. The novel excels at balancing tension with philosophical depth, making it more than just a time-travel thriller. Varley’s world-building—particularly his depiction of a bleak, sterile future—is both haunting and fascinating. For collectors, this book is a great addition due to its cult following and its status as a classic of late-20th-century SF. Whether you're drawn to intricate timelines, ethical quandaries, or simply a well-told story with unexpected twists, Millennium delivers. Interesting Fact: Varley originally wrote Millennium after being approached by Hollywood to adapt "Air Raid" into a film. Frustrated with script limitations, he expanded the story into a novel first—giving him the freedom to develop richer characters and a more detailed future society than the movie could portray. Awards and Nominations: While Millennium itself wasn’t a major award-winner, Varley’s original short story "Air Raid" was nominated for a Hugo Award in 1978. If You Enjoyed These, You’ll Like Millennium: "The Time Traveler’s Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger – Like Millennium, this novel plays with nonlinear timelines and the emotional weight of time travel. "Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis – Another SF classic involving time travelers interacting with catastrophic events, blending historical and futuristic drama. "The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick – Fans of alternate histories and dystopian futures will appreciate Varley’s similarly bleak yet thought-provoking vision.
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Millennium by John Varley: 1985 First Edition Sci-Fi Paperback
$32.00
This is a very clean and bright vintage paperback (very good - very good plus) edition of John Varley's much-loved time-travel novel "Millenium".
First printing in English in paperback. Now a relatively hard-to-find edition. Shows slight minimal aging, a little edge wear on covers, a light spine crease, but no significant flaws (no writing, tags, marks, loose, torn or folded pages). Covers are tight, close flat, sharp corners. Insides of covers are tanned (typical of this vintage of book). Certainly a great addition to a vintage science fiction collection and a worthy gift! See the accompanying images for full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged, with tracking. About the book: In the skies over Oakland, California, a DC-10 and a 747 are about to collide. In the distant future, a time travel team is preparing to snatch the passengers, leaving prefabricated, smoking bodies behind for the rescue teams to find. The story follows two main characters: Bill Smith, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator in 1983, and Louise Baltimore, a time traveler from a dystopian future where humanity is on the brink of extinction due to pollution and genetic decay. As Bill investigates a mysterious plane crash, he uncovers anomalies that lead him to Louise and the truth about the time travel missions. The novel delves into predestination, paradoxes, and the ethical implications of altering the past to save the future. About the Author: John Varley is a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author known for his innovative, character-driven science fiction. Emerging in the 1970s as part of the "New Wave" of SF writers, Varley often explored themes of identity, technology, and societal collapse. Millennium fits neatly into his body of work, showcasing a knack for blending hard science fiction with humanistic storytelling. His ability to craft believable future societies and morally complex scenarios makes Millennium a standout in his bibliography. Why You Should Read It If you enjoy smart, thought-provoking science fiction with a noir-ish mystery twist, Millennium is a must-read. The novel excels at balancing tension with philosophical depth, making it more than just a time-travel thriller. Varley’s world-building—particularly his depiction of a bleak, sterile future—is both haunting and fascinating. For collectors, this book is a great addition due to its cult following and its status as a classic of late-20th-century SF. Whether you're drawn to intricate timelines, ethical quandaries, or simply a well-told story with unexpected twists, Millennium delivers. Interesting Fact: Varley originally wrote Millennium after being approached by Hollywood to adapt "Air Raid" into a film. Frustrated with script limitations, he expanded the story into a novel first—giving him the freedom to develop richer characters and a more detailed future society than the movie could portray. Awards and Nominations: While Millennium itself wasn’t a major award-winner, Varley’s original short story "Air Raid" was nominated for a Hugo Award in 1978. If You Enjoyed These, You’ll Like Millennium: "The Time Traveler’s Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger – Like Millennium, this novel plays with nonlinear timelines and the emotional weight of time travel. "Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis – Another SF classic involving time travelers interacting with catastrophic events, blending historical and futuristic drama. "The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick – Fans of alternate histories and dystopian futures will appreciate Varley’s similarly bleak yet thought-provoking vision.
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Clifford Simak “Shakespeare’s Planet” 1982 Vintage paperback Pastoral science fiction
$13.00
This is a solid "very good plus" vintage paperback, published in 1982 by Ballantine, 202 pages. First edition thus.
Very, very clean, barely a sign that it's been read. Tinted textblock edges are uniform and bright all around, not thumbed or soiled. Covers close square and tight. Spine is free of creasing or rolling. A little bit of edge wear at the covers' corners very tips. No loose, torn or folded pages, no writing. Really nice! See the accompanying images for table of contents & full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged, with tracking.
Very, very clean, barely a sign that it's been read. Tinted textblock edges are uniform and bright all around, not thumbed or soiled. Covers close square and tight. Spine is free of creasing or rolling. A little bit of edge wear at the covers' corners very tips. No loose, torn or folded pages, no writing. Really nice! See the accompanying images for table of contents & full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged, with tracking.
Clifford Simak “Shakespeare’s Planet” 1982 Vintage paperback Pastoral science fiction
$13.00
This is a solid "very good plus" vintage paperback, published in 1982 by Ballantine, 202 pages. First edition thus.
Very, very clean, barely a sign that it's been read. Tinted textblock edges are uniform and bright all around, not thumbed or soiled. Covers close square and tight. Spine is free of creasing or rolling. A little bit of edge wear at the covers' corners very tips. No loose, torn or folded pages, no writing. Really nice! See the accompanying images for table of contents & full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged, with tracking.
Very, very clean, barely a sign that it's been read. Tinted textblock edges are uniform and bright all around, not thumbed or soiled. Covers close square and tight. Spine is free of creasing or rolling. A little bit of edge wear at the covers' corners very tips. No loose, torn or folded pages, no writing. Really nice! See the accompanying images for table of contents & full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged, with tracking.
Vintage fantasy science fiction pulp magazine Famous Fantastic Mysteries June 1948
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This is a "good -" vintage "standard" format pulp magazine published in 1948, cover date Junw, cover price 25 cents, 130 newsprint pages.
Contains a short story by Jack London - "The Shadow and the Flash". Cover art by Virgil Finlay. Spine is solid, no loose or folded pages, no writing internally, no torn pages. The front cover has good color but shows significant edge wear all around. The back cover has fairly large losses at the outer and bottom edges - see images for details. Internally the book is bright and nice, pages are perhaps lightly tanned, but they are not brittle or flaking. Overall, an "ok" copy, not an upgrade for sure, but can fill in a blank spot in a collection. Great cover art by one of the masters of the era. See the accompanying images for table of contents & full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.
Contains a short story by Jack London - "The Shadow and the Flash". Cover art by Virgil Finlay. Spine is solid, no loose or folded pages, no writing internally, no torn pages. The front cover has good color but shows significant edge wear all around. The back cover has fairly large losses at the outer and bottom edges - see images for details. Internally the book is bright and nice, pages are perhaps lightly tanned, but they are not brittle or flaking. Overall, an "ok" copy, not an upgrade for sure, but can fill in a blank spot in a collection. Great cover art by one of the masters of the era. See the accompanying images for table of contents & full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.
Vintage fantasy science fiction pulp magazine Famous Fantastic Mysteries June 1948
$21.00
This is a "good -" vintage "standard" format pulp magazine published in 1948, cover date Junw, cover price 25 cents, 130 newsprint pages.
Contains a short story by Jack London - "The Shadow and the Flash". Cover art by Virgil Finlay. Spine is solid, no loose or folded pages, no writing internally, no torn pages. The front cover has good color but shows significant edge wear all around. The back cover has fairly large losses at the outer and bottom edges - see images for details. Internally the book is bright and nice, pages are perhaps lightly tanned, but they are not brittle or flaking. Overall, an "ok" copy, not an upgrade for sure, but can fill in a blank spot in a collection. Great cover art by one of the masters of the era. See the accompanying images for table of contents & full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.
Contains a short story by Jack London - "The Shadow and the Flash". Cover art by Virgil Finlay. Spine is solid, no loose or folded pages, no writing internally, no torn pages. The front cover has good color but shows significant edge wear all around. The back cover has fairly large losses at the outer and bottom edges - see images for details. Internally the book is bright and nice, pages are perhaps lightly tanned, but they are not brittle or flaking. Overall, an "ok" copy, not an upgrade for sure, but can fill in a blank spot in a collection. Great cover art by one of the masters of the era. See the accompanying images for table of contents & full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.
Vintage fantasy science fiction pulp magazine Famous Fantastic Mysteries w- Fantastic Novels August 1941
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This is a "good" vintage "standard" format pulp magazine published in 1941, cover date August, cover price 15 cents, 128 newsprint pages.
Includes the complete 112 page novel by A. Merritt "The Metal Monster". Cover art by Virgil Finlay. Spine is solid, no loose or folded pages, no writing internally, no tears, edges are just ever so mildly tanned. Cover colors are bright and uniform, front and back, with the back cover showing just some light tanning to the white background along the spine edge. Cover edges and overhangs are bumped, with many small closed tears and some chipping. There is one 1 1/2" closed tear at the bottom of the front cover near the outer edge lower corner (see images). Name neatly penciled in the yellow background of the cover masthead along with a date (?) and "Read", otherwise no discerned writing externally or internally. Overall, a still very pleasing copy, with great cover art by one of the masters of the era. See the accompanying images for table of contents & full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged, with tracking.
Includes the complete 112 page novel by A. Merritt "The Metal Monster". Cover art by Virgil Finlay. Spine is solid, no loose or folded pages, no writing internally, no tears, edges are just ever so mildly tanned. Cover colors are bright and uniform, front and back, with the back cover showing just some light tanning to the white background along the spine edge. Cover edges and overhangs are bumped, with many small closed tears and some chipping. There is one 1 1/2" closed tear at the bottom of the front cover near the outer edge lower corner (see images). Name neatly penciled in the yellow background of the cover masthead along with a date (?) and "Read", otherwise no discerned writing externally or internally. Overall, a still very pleasing copy, with great cover art by one of the masters of the era. See the accompanying images for table of contents & full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged, with tracking.
Vintage fantasy science fiction pulp magazine Famous Fantastic Mysteries w- Fantastic Novels August 1941
$24.00
This is a "good" vintage "standard" format pulp magazine published in 1941, cover date August, cover price 15 cents, 128 newsprint pages.
Includes the complete 112 page novel by A. Merritt "The Metal Monster". Cover art by Virgil Finlay. Spine is solid, no loose or folded pages, no writing internally, no tears, edges are just ever so mildly tanned. Cover colors are bright and uniform, front and back, with the back cover showing just some light tanning to the white background along the spine edge. Cover edges and overhangs are bumped, with many small closed tears and some chipping. There is one 1 1/2" closed tear at the bottom of the front cover near the outer edge lower corner (see images). Name neatly penciled in the yellow background of the cover masthead along with a date (?) and "Read", otherwise no discerned writing externally or internally. Overall, a still very pleasing copy, with great cover art by one of the masters of the era. See the accompanying images for table of contents & full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged, with tracking.
Includes the complete 112 page novel by A. Merritt "The Metal Monster". Cover art by Virgil Finlay. Spine is solid, no loose or folded pages, no writing internally, no tears, edges are just ever so mildly tanned. Cover colors are bright and uniform, front and back, with the back cover showing just some light tanning to the white background along the spine edge. Cover edges and overhangs are bumped, with many small closed tears and some chipping. There is one 1 1/2" closed tear at the bottom of the front cover near the outer edge lower corner (see images). Name neatly penciled in the yellow background of the cover masthead along with a date (?) and "Read", otherwise no discerned writing externally or internally. Overall, a still very pleasing copy, with great cover art by one of the masters of the era. See the accompanying images for table of contents & full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged, with tracking.
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