The Stars My Destination

Hiya bookies, the tale of Kona the monster shepherd is coming, but first I thought you'd enjoy a look at another unusual SFF book. Or books, as the case may be. This time, Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination. Bester is probably known most famously for The Demolished Man, but if that is true then this is his second best-known work.

In 1979, Byron Preiss and Howard Chaykin teamed up to present a special edition of Bester's classic work, that was supposed to be the first of two. Sadly, the second was never finished. The hardback in this three-part set was signed by both Preiss and Chaykin, as well as Bester, and was limited to 3000 copies. The one shown here is #1290. There was a softback version as well, but the small portfolio of three extra drawings is not usually seen anymore. They were easily lost, or perhaps framed (or thumb-tacked) on walls for decorations. At any rate the publisher was Baronet and the whole grouping came in a rather cheap cardboard slipcase.