The Best From Fantasy and Science Fiction - 1st Series (Association Copy With Signed Letter)

Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1952. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Fine/Fine. 8vo, 213pp. Beautiful Stated First Edition of this scarce first volume in this landmark series of sci-fi anthologies bringing together stories from the monthly long-running digest. Author's include such diverse voices as Richardmatheson to Charles Dickens; L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt to Daniel Defoe. A very eclectic, and entertaining, line-up for sure. Bound in publisher's light blue cloth with titles in navy on spine. Square, tight and clean throughout with very mild wear to the spine ends and a touch of toning to the top edges. Equally attractive unclipped dust-jacket, ($2.75), has a tiny crimp at the crown but is fresh and bright with no chipping, toning or tears. From the library of science fiction author Dean McLaughlin, with his illustrated bookplate on the front end-paper. McLaughlin, (b.1931), noted primarily for short-stories, was nominated for both a Hugo and a Nebula award for the 1968 novella, "Hawk Among the Sparrows". Laid in is a signed, typed letter from Anthony Boucher, on the letterhead of the Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine. (with original mailing envelope with the magazine heading on the verso), reaching out to a bookseller to order some titles that were advertised, with the possible inclusion of some of the stories to be reprinted in the magazine. A gorgeous collectable copy of a tough to find title, particularly in such high-grade condition. The letter and the association with McClaughlin make it exceptional. (Tymn, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Weird Fiction Magazines, p. 377-391ISFDB, Wikipedia).