The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi
Hardcover: 361 pages
Publisher: Night Shade Books; 1st edition (September 15, 2009)
I realize it's a bit late in the game to introduce this title as a Book of the Week, but it's an important title for collectors - especially Sci-Fi & Fantasy collectors. This is Bacigalupi's first novel and winner of the Hugo, Nebula, & Locus awards. The first print run for this title was only 5,000 copies, so if you managed to lay your hands on a first edition you lucked into quite an investment.
Where copies can be found online:
- There are four copies currently listed at AbeBooks.com, none for less than $600 (three of which are signed). An interesting note on one of the listings states, "Point of issue: this true first printing lacks the Acknowledgment Page of subsequent printings."
- There is a signed 2d printing available at Amazon.com for $125, and an unsigned first printing for $685. I'm not certain how many books were published in the second printing, but a signed copy of an early edition might well be worth the $125 price tag.
- eBay will occasionally have listings, currently (& unbelievably) there is a set of first edition/first printings of The Windup Girl AND The City & the City being auctioned for the 'buy it now' price of $319.95! I don't normally trust eBay, but this is enticing enough that even I may jump into the ring. Even at the total cost, The Windup Girl alone would double your investment. The City & the City, will eventually be a good investment, although you can still find unsigned first printings for less than $50 (signed editions of that title currently list for $85 - $120). *note, if you're new to eBay, do your research before you bid*
And on a similar note:
Two days ago, I posted that Subterranean Press is offering a signed limited edition of Paolo Bacigalupi's novella The Alchemist, to be published January 2011. If $300+ is a bit too rich for your pocket book, you might be interested in this offering for $45 for the leather-bound, signed limited edition (already sold out, sorry), or $20 for the cloth bound (unsigned) limited edition.Labels: Book of the Week, fantasy, Hugo Awards, Hypermodern collectible, Locus, Nebula, Paolo Bacigalupi, sci-fi, The Windup Girl
