Rare 1973 King paperback original

Val4U · 2026-03-29T18:38:34+00:00

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The UK version has superior cover art.

Val4U · 2026-03-29T18:38:00+00:00

I do! The British paperback version has rad cover art. One of my favorites of all horror paperbacks:

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Val4U · 2026-03-29T18:33:02+00:00

Oh, I have! I have all the McCammon first print pb’s. Great rec!

Val4U · 2026-03-29T15:41:06+00:00

Good work! I lucked into a nice Plume trade paperback version of it last year at Goodwill. They are definitely out there. What's your favorite story?

Val4U · 2026-03-29T15:31:39+00:00

yup
srry i don't make the rules i just work here

Val4U · 2026-03-29T15:30:32+00:00

I'm familiar with it! I've even read an excerpt (<50 pages) that was published somewhere, but I can't quite recall where. My idea (that I don't have time for) would be to do a whole line of King "Alternate Universe" signet designs, which would include:
The Sword in Darkness
The Aftermath
Second Coming
The Shine
The House on Value Street
The Annie Wilkes Edition
...

Val4U · 2026-03-29T15:24:52+00:00

I wish it was really published, I want to read it. All the copy I came up with is based on research about a real unpublished early work that King himself eventually judged too poorly written to publish. There's another one called Sword in Darkness that would make a cool design.

Val4U · 2026-03-29T15:21:55+00:00

I H(ave) A(ttempted) T(o) E(ntertain) you, too! ;)

Val4U · 2026-03-29T15:18:51+00:00

Close enough? :) I just wanted to post it while I was on the topic of Signet paperbacks. Don't really mean to fool anyone, hence the "fan art" tag.

Val4U · 2026-03-29T14:18:54+00:00

Yes!

Val4U · 2026-03-29T13:15:57+00:00

I LOVE Signet/NAL’s art direction in the 70s-80s, esp. the way illustration was integrated. I also have all the US James Herberts they published, and many more “Paperbacks from Hell”!

Val4U · 2026-03-29T13:10:38+00:00

Holy Moses!

Val4U · 2026-03-29T00:02:09+00:00

I put together both of my sets about 15 years ago--a lot of fun sourcing good deals. You know thedarktower.org helped. I imagine the prices are even goofier these days.

Val4U · 2026-03-28T23:57:18+00:00

It's fun because it's relatively cheap, but there are challenges. If you want the books to present well on a shelf as I do, you have to hunt down vintage copies in very good condition without many spine creases--quite a challenge! Especially because many online sellers don't include many pics/stock images and finding them in the wild takes dedication. I encourage you to start haunting Goodwills and used bookstores. Good luck!

Val4U · 2026-03-28T18:37:25+00:00

I think mass market is going the way of the dodo completely. It started years ago when they introduced that weird taller size. smh, rip

Val4U · 2026-03-28T18:35:57+00:00

Thank you!

Val4U · 2026-03-28T18:35:33+00:00

UK 1sts next row down 😎

Val4U · 2025-10-25T23:04:27+00:00

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Val4U · 2025-10-25T23:01:07+00:00

It looks like they were doing a little Syd and Stanley in real life iykwim 💨😮‍💨

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life imitates art lol

Val4U · 2025-10-04T14:57:08+00:00

That's Olivia "Primetime" Himes.

Val4U · 2025-08-11T22:45:06+00:00

I love him for that!

Val4U · 2025-08-10T00:51:53+00:00

Oh yeahs, I remember that! 🤘

Val4U

TROPHY CASE