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Rare bound galley of Tales Before Tolkien, edited by Douglas A. Anderson. Del Rey 2003. Includes 22 stories that inspired Tolkien. Uncorrected proof edition issued for early review and marketing.
#clp0189bn - Tales Before Tolkien - Bound Galley - Del Rey 2003 - Tolkien Proof Copy - For Sale - 450 EUR

Rare bound galley of Tales Before Tolkien, edited by Douglas A. Anderson. Del Rey 2003. Includes 22 stories that inspired Tolkien. Uncorrected proof edition issued for early review and marketing.

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Tales Before Tolkien – Bound Galley


The Roots of Modern Fantasy. Edited and with commentary by Douglas A. Anderson. Del Rey / Ballantine Books, 2003.


A bound galley in cream and purple paper wrappers, explicitly marked Bound Galley • Not for Sale on the front. The rear warns that these are unrevised proofs and asks reviewers to check quotations against the finished book.

The copyright page states First Edition: September 2003, with a complete number line ending in 1 and ISBN 0-345-45854-0. Some permission credits still contain to-come placeholders. The rear cover announces simultaneous hardcover and trade-paperback publication, their projected prices and a national marketing campaign.

Anderson brings together twenty-two fantasy stories with commentary on their relation to Tolkien’s reading and the wider fantasy tradition. The photographed contents include George MacDonald’s The Golden Key, Andrew Lang’s The Story of Sigurd, E. A. Wyke-Smith’s Golithos the Ogre and David Lindsay’s A Christmas Play.

The wrappers show light rubbing and handling marks, minor corner wear and creasing at the head of the spine. There is mild paper toning; the photographed interior pages appear clean. The rear advertises a 432-page published book, which is not a verified collation of this galley.

An appealing pre-publication form of Anderson’s exploration of the fantasy literature that preceded Tolkien.

Pictures (click to enlarge):
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Tales Before Tolkien - Bound Galley - Del Rey 2003 - Tolkien Proof Copy - For Sale 12
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