The Wall Around the World – Cogswell (1962 Pyramid PB)

📖 The Wall Around the World by Theodore R. Cogswell (1962, Pyramid Books) — A landmark collection of ten science fiction and fantasy stories by one of the genre’s most overlooked mid-century voices. This first Pyramid Books edition features cover art by John Schoenherr and dual introductions by Anthony Boucher and Frederik Pohl. This copy is VG- with vibrant cover colors, slight spine crease, and yellowed page edges.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: Theodore Rose Cogswell (1918–1987)
• Publisher: Pyramid Books, New York (F-703)
• Year: 1962 (First Pyramid Books Edition, February 1962)
• Format: Paperback, 40¢ cover price
• Pages: ~159 | ISBN: None (pre-ISBN era)
• Cover Art: John Schoenherr
• Condition: Very Good- (VG-) — full report below

THE STORY

Theodore R. Cogswell (1918–1987) was an American science fiction author, Spanish Civil War veteran, WWII cargo pilot, and one of the genre’s most distinctive humorists. His debut story “The Spectre General” (1952) was selected by the Science Fiction Writers of America for The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two. Cogswell co-authored Spock, Messiah!, one of the earliest Star Trek tie-in novels, and edited the legendary “fanzine for pros” PITCS (Proceedings of the Institute for Twenty-First Century Studies), for which he received a Hugo nomination.

This collection spans Cogswell’s career from 1952 to 1962, gathering stories first published in Astounding, Galaxy, If, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and other digest magazines of the golden age. The title story — a fantasy about a young boy using magic to breach an impenetrable wall surrounding his world — originally appeared in Beyond (1953) and is considered Cogswell’s most enduring work.

THIS EDITION

Pyramid Books catalog number F-703, first published February 1962 at 40¢. This is the first standalone book collection of Cogswell’s short fiction. The volume features an unusual structural conceit: dual introductions by two rival editors — Anthony Boucher (former editor of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction) and Frederik Pohl (editor of Galaxy) — who each champion Cogswell’s work from their own editorial perspective.

COVER ART

The front cover features a dramatic John Schoenherr illustration: a desolate alien landscape dominated by a massive reddish-orange celestial body, with a dark winged creature bearing glowing red eyes emerging from behind it. The foreground shows scattered metallic structures — remnants of technology or defensive emplacements — across a harsh, possibly post-apocalyptic terrain. The color palette of reds, oranges, and blacks is classic mid-century pulp aesthetic. Schoenherr (1935–2010) is best known for his later illustrations for Frank Herbert’s Dune and Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Introduction by Anthony Boucher — p. 7
• Introduction by Frederik Pohl — p. 9
• The Masters (1954) — p. 11
• The Specter General (1952) — p. 18
• Wolfie (1954) — p. 72
• Emergency Rations (1953) — p. 80
• The Burning (1960) — p. 85
• Thimgs (1958) — p. 89
• Test Area (1955) — p. 101
• Prisoner of Love (1962) — p. 108
• Invasion Report (1954) — p. 121
• The Wall Around the World (1953) — p. 135

WHY IT MATTERS

• “The Specter General” was selected by the SFWA for The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two — one of the genre’s highest honors for short fiction
• This is the only standalone collection of Cogswell’s short fiction ever published in book form, making it a key text for anyone studying 1950s–60s science fiction
• The dual-introduction format by Boucher and Pohl captures a unique moment in SF editorial history, with two of the genre’s most influential editors debating the same writer’s merits

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? First Pyramid Books edition, February 1962 (catalog F-703). A later second printing appeared in 1974.

What condition is it in? Very Good- (VG-). Full condition report below.

Is this a first edition? Yes — first Pyramid Books edition and the first time these stories were collected in a single volume.

FOR COLLECTORS

This is the only book-format collection of Cogswell’s short fiction, and copies in VG- or better condition are increasingly scarce. The Schoenherr cover art — predating his famous Dune illustrations — makes this a desirable piece for science fiction art collectors as well as Cogswell completists. The dedication reads “To My Girls.”

Book Details
Theodore R. Cogswell
Pyramid Books (F-703), February 1962
Paperback. Cover price 40¢.
Illustrated by John Schoenherr.
Double introduction by Anthony Boucher and Frederik Pohl.

Condition Report
Overall Grade: Very Good- (VG-)
Cover & Spine: Cover colors remain vibrant. Spine is slightly creased, square, showing some rubbing. Covers have edge wear and surface soiling.
Dust Jacket: Not applicable.
Text Block & Pages: Text block edges feature yellow publisher dye-stain. Internal pages show tanning around the edges.
Binding: Tight, square, no loose, torn or folded pages.

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

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