Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Gold Medal 417 - The First Edition

I thought I'd use the blog to introduce the full collection in greater detail than I've been able to do on the website previously. I hope to provide valuable reference information about each edition. You can use the labels to quickly find and identify a particular edition.

To kick things off, we look at the original Gold Medal paperback original, number 417, published in July of 1954, weighing in at 160 pages with a cover price of 25 cents. (Click on images to load larger versions.)

The first science-fiction novel from a publisher known primarily for their crime fiction, I Am Legend was successful enough to warrant a second printing - under a new number (Gold Medal 643) that saw unique US and Canadian printings. Those editions will be photographed and indexed separately. The haunting cover painting is by artist Stanley Meltzoff (1917-2006).



Here's the descriptive text on the inside front cover:



I still recall the first time I met Richard Matheson, at an HWA convention in Redondo Beach, CA, where I had him sign my first edition. I have had the honor to meet a great number of the people who have inspired me through the years, and meeting Matheson was the first time I was at a loss for words. I'm sure I stammered something about how much this book and his others meant to me, and how it changed my life (at the ripe old age of 20). I've since had the opportunity to speak with him at subsequent appearances, where I think I've more successfully retained my composure.



As was customary for Gold Medal, the end of the book includes a brief note clarifying theirs is the first publication of this book. I can only imagine what an unsuspecting reader felt upon reaching this in the summer of 1954.


Sunday, April 6, 2008

Welcome!

This extension to the I Am Legend Archive website is going to (finally) allow me to update the site with much greater frequency. The fixed content will remain available on the primary site, and here you will see the latest covers, news bits, and pointers back to the site as new features are added. Look forward to a full indexing of the editions in the archive, including numerous photos and other details.

Now you can also sign up for notification when new posts are made, and also add comments directly. I've always wanted to provide a forum for fans of the book and the films, and I hope by way of this blog, we can succeed at that.

If you've just stumbled across this blog, please do check out the main site through the link on the right.

If there are things you'd like to see, please let me know!

John Scoleri

Latest US edition of I AM LEGEND available for pre-order

This October, I Am Legend   & Other Stories joins Hell House as the latest release in Tor Books' Nightfire imprint. Arriving just ...