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Boston, Little Brown, (1984). One of two leatherbound copies prepared by the publisher, one of which went to Pynchon; this one belonged to Pynchon's editor, Ray Roberts. Small bookplate of Ray Roberts on the pastedown, and a letterhead note card identifying the issue laid in. Fine. This collection of stories featured a new introduction by Pynchon. [#028516] $6,500

NY, Henry Holt, (1997). The uncorrected proof copy in plain blue wrappers (not to be confused with the two more common variants of the beige advance reading copy, of which there were reportedly 500 copies each). This is the second issue blue proof, with a tipped-in title page that adds the ampersand missing from the "Mason & Dixon" in the first issue. These blue proofs had significant textual variations from both the advance reading copy and the printed book, and as such this is the most significant printed variant of any Pynchon work ever to appear -- the only one to contain a significantly earlier version of the text than that which was finally published in book form. While the textual variations in the beige advance reading copies were minor, and could easily have been the work of a copy editor, those evident in this proof would have to have involved Pynchon's assent and his rewriting. We have been told that virtually the entire edition of these proofs was destroyed. Fine in wrappers. [#033041] $1,500

Philadelphia, Lippincott, (1963). The advance reading copy of his first book, winner of the Faulkner Foundation Award for best first novel of the year. With elaborate inventiveness, labyrinthine plots and a sometimes paranoid comic sense, Pynchon became the postmodern standard against whom all writers since have been measured. Each of his first three novels won one or more of the major literary awards given out in this country. Some cover creasing; spine creased from binder's glue and somewhat sunned; a very good copy in wrappers. [#024611] $1,250

London, Cape, (1967). The first British edition of his second novel, winner of the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, and the most overtly political, and paranoid, of Pynchon's novels. Chosen by David Pringle as one of the hundred best novels of Modern Fantasy. For some reason, this seems to be the scarcest of the British editions of Pynchon's books. Foxing to page edges and a couple tiny spots to spine cloth; near fine in a near fine dust jacket with trace foxing on verso and dust soiling on the rear flap at the top and bottom edges and along the fold. [#914675] $850

Philadelphia, Lippincott, (1966). Pynchon's second novel, winner of the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, and the most overtly political, and paranoid, of Pynchon's novels. Chosen by David Pringle as one of the hundred best novels of Modern Fantasy. Edge-sunning to boards; near fine in a very near fine, price-clipped dust jacket. [#915473] $675

London, Jonathan Cape, (2009). The advance reading copy of the first British edition of Pynchon's take on the hardboiled American detective novel. Basis for a Hollywood movie -- not surprisingly, the first of Pynchon's books to be adapted to the screen -- but it received mixed reviews: it's hard to imagine that a Pynchon book could ever be directly translated to film and be as coherent (if that's the right word) as the book. Fine in wrappers. [#033194] $375

Normal, Dalkey Archive Press, (1994). "Critical Takes on Pynchon's Novel," edited by Donald Greiner, Geoffrey Green and Larry McCaffrey. This is the simultaneous issue in wrappers. Fine. [#915495] $175

NY/Richmond, Australia, spinART Records/Shock Records, (1995). A CD, for which Pynchon provided liner notes. Pynchon has published little outside of his novels, and this piece, approximately 500 words, is a notable appearance in print by the reclusive author. Included is a photocopy of a magazine article that explains Pynchon's appearance. Fine. [#912712] $70

(Westminster), (Mouldwarp), (1983). The first printing of this piracy, which reprints an article Pynchon originally wrote for The New York Times Magazine, shortly after the riots in Watts. Fine in red stapled wrappers. [#912701] $60

London, Aloes, (1976). A piracy, the first separate appearance of an early story, originally published in 1959. One of the most complex bibliographically of the Pynchon piracies, Mead lists 4 variants, but more have been documented. This copy has no cross next to the man's hip and a double cross above the "P" in Pynchon, with the two crosses almost congruent. Mead C1a(2). Fine in stapled wrappers. [#915474] $45

NY, Henry Holt, (1997). Small stray pen mark to foredge (not a remainder mark); else fine in a fine paper dust jacket and printed acetate dust jacket. [#915487] $19