Boston, Little Brown, (1984). An advance issue of this collection of his early stories, with a new introduction by the author. Each of these stories was being offered for sale in unauthorized, bootleg editions at the time this book was published; this volume was Pynchon's attempt to take the bottom out of the market for piracies of his own writings. In keeping with his secretive approach, he reportedly requested that no proofs be printed of this book prior to publication; instead, a very small number of folded and gathered signatures were prepared and laid into proof dust jackets and issued as advance copies; the usual number cited for such copies is "about 10." This is one of those sets of sheets, "f&g's," laid into a trial binding and dust jacket. The mock-up of the boards is black, rather than the beige used, and has the stamp of the press inside the front board. Bookplate of Ray Roberts on the first signature. A fine copy in a very good jacket, worn where it overlays the sheets. Probably a unique item: while we have handled the advance f&g's a few times, we've never seen a set laid into a trial binding. [#028517] SOLD