Arete's Upcoming Publications

Just received the newsletter from Arete Editions.
Looks like they will be doing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as well as Lud in the Mist and A Brave New World.

>1 Praveenna_Nagaratnam: whoops, that was an email earlier draft that went out accidentally, we took out Benjamin Button, because although we are talking to Dave McKean, nothing was confirmed, so we took it out and added other stuff about the cases and stuff.

>2 marceloanciano: Glad I saw this since I missed that second email - every new detail about Frozen Hell is more and more exciting! I'm hoping that I can get my hands on whichever state that fantastic looking solander belongs to ...

I just hope there's a fine edition again this time so I can afford it haha

>4 SolerSystem: I was just wondering that too!

Marcelo, are you able to say if there will be a ‘Fine’ edition of Frozen Hell?

>5 GardenOfForkingPaths: Really haven't worked out whether it would be possible to do a 'fine' edition yet, it's because of the paintings, some of them are so large and long that it would mean either cutting the image down so we could print on a two page spread or redesigning the book so they were tipped in, which would make it so expensive with as many painting as we have. And, although we make very little money on the 'fine' editions, they still come out pretty expensive and a lot of buyers don't know the cost of metal letterpress printing so think we are taking them for a ride, which is just not the case. So to add the cost of tipped in ....

Also, I'm sure you other publishers are finding, paper, leather, boards and shipping is becoming REALLY expensive, so trying to keep a book to under a price range is proving...tricky.

>6 marceloanciano: Thanks! I appreciate the insight into the process and all the considerations involved. Looking forward to following the updates in the coming months.

>7 GardenOfForkingPaths: Thanks! Having said that I have always liked the idea that we have books in the store that people can buy when they want, and can afford them, instead of when we put them up for sale.

>3 NathanOv: Nathan, yeah! The solander box will be a split bradel binding and looks stunning! It will be part of the 'lettered' or 'Roman numeral' edition, only thirty or so to make... and the cover of the book inside and the interior of the box, well, can't wait to show what we are playing with, and Rich is really playing with some great ideas.

>1 Praveenna_Nagaratnam: I didn't receive the newsletter, but have signed up for those going forward. Were there any production updates on Death and Honey?

>10 mholt: "Ludlow Bookbinders are hard at work on our three editions of The Case of Death and Honey. We had hoped that they would be finished by the end of this month but it is a large and complex job and is taking longer than expected. We now plan to start shipping at the end of April or the beginning of May."

>11 NathanOv: Perfect. Thanks!

The email announcement for Frozen Hell is out today. Two editions, both of which look fantastic. Pre-order will be coming soon. Not sure how much is intended for the public, so this post is deliberately terse.

>13 Shadekeep: Still out of reach for most, but I expected that Roman Edition to be running $4k+ with all the recent news.

I'm thrilled to hear that the numbered has the lay-flat illustrations, though. That is the most interesting element of this project, IMO.

Oh my. Love that "thing" on the slipcase.

I'm already onboard for a "The Devil in the 19th Century" Demonic Collection copy for that Kickstarter which ends the following week so I'm too tapped to go for this one but it is very, very pretty.

>13 Shadekeep: Thanks for being discrete, and thanks for the compliment! It was two years in the making. The info in the email will all be going out in a day or so on the blog and social media anyway, just wanted the collectors on the email list to have first look is all. Feel free to reveal what you like!

>16 marceloanciano:
Looks absolutely fantastic. ❤️‍🔥❤️🤗
I ordered my Credit Card today and hope it will arrive ASAP, this is an instant buy for me , if it won't sell out in days or hours.. Panic 🥶😶‍🌫️

>16 marceloanciano: Thanks, and I'm going to try to budget for one of the Numbered Editions. As much as I'd love a Roman Edition, I've other book expenses going on (he says cryptically).

Curious to see and feel the Liber Charta paper, I don't believe I have a book made with that yet. It sounds lovely.

>16 marceloanciano: I have followed your updates on this beautiful book, and I think it looks fantastic! I was lucky enough to get the Numbered Edition of The Case of Death and Honey, so I will definitely try to get the Numbered Edition of Frozen Hell as well... 😊

>16 marceloanciano: I really enjoyed the videos showing these two editions being bound. Incredible design, craftsmanship, and attention to detail.

The Roman Edition looks hugely impressive. Completely out of my league but amazing to behold! I don't understand how the leather doesn't get creased and puckered when it's being moulded like that.

>20 GardenOfForkingPaths: Yeah! It's amazing isn't it? I think it's just very skilled leather work.

>19 Dr.Fiddy: Thanks for your support! FH is a definite book binding and interior companion to D&H...maybe not the stories!

This looks fantastic. I will definitely be going for the Numbered edition.

Photos, I hope anyway, I can never really work out how to do this, and they are still coming out small! Damn. (What am I doing wrong?!!) Of our FROZEN HELL editions. This has been a long time coming, a two-year project that was way more complex than we thought, the interior with plates sewn in and tabbed in the sections, the scale of the Roman edition. The availability of materials, closing down of paper makers, all have contributed to the delays. We’re really pleased with the results, even if I say myself, it has turned out to be an extraordinary book!

The numbered edition is limited to 300 copies for sale and is fully bound in baby blue lambskin nappa which is soft and smooth to the touch. The leather is blocked in four passes, in white and black pigment foil creating a snowstorm design across the front and back boards, with the title on the spine.
The cover is a square spine structure with a wide groove between spine and boards, allowing the covers to open more freely.
All of the plates are tabbed or sewn in, allowing the double, treble and quad plates to open out without a stitched gutter.
The book is housed in a sturdy, white suede lined slipcase and is covered in a light blue/grey Windsor cloth with the ‘thing’ silhouette foil blocked to the front.

Binding is by Richard Tong and Sam Cartwright at Lyra’s Books/Ludlow Bookbinders.

Printed letterpress in two colours by Phil Abel and Robert Hetherington on a Heidelberg cylinder press at Hand & Eye Editions.
Set in metal monotype Baskerville 12pt.
Cast by Nick Gill at Effra Press.

The paper is Liber Charta 170gsm

Trimmed page size –200mm x 300mm / 7.9 in x 11.8 in
Page count – 166
Number of illustrations – 16 colour plates, 2 four-page foldouts, 4 double page spreads and 1 three-page foldout plate.
13 black and white relief printed illustrations.
Signed by the artist Greg Manchess
Limitation – 320 copies of which 300 are for sale and 20 Hors de Commerce

Price: £585

ROMAN

The Roman edition is limited to 30 copies for sale and is half-bradel bound in white Harmatan ‘Katsina’ goatskin leather with multiple cut-outs to the front board.
The ice cave structure on the front board of this huge edition is created with multiple layers of thin binder’s board hand cut and laminated together. The leather is then painstakingly moulded and formed by hand until the layers reveal themselves. Once the leather is set, the inside of the ice cave is carefully foil blocked in two colours. Both the front and back boards for this edition are around 10mm thick which creates a considerable and weighty book.

All of the plates are tabbed or sewn in, allowing the double, treble and quad plates to open out without a stitched gutter.

The endpapers for this edition are an original, hand marbled design by Freya Scott of Paperwilds.

The book comes housed in a half-bradel bound solander box, also covered with Harmatan ‘Katsina’ goatskin leather. The front board is split to create a crevasse in which the buried flying saucer lies. The saucer is foil blocked in three colours and the edges of the crevasse are hand cut from board before the leather is applied and then carefully moulded around the jagged edges. On the spine is a silk paper label, foil blocked in two colours. The solander box trays are double thickness and are covered in white Colorado cloth and lined with white suede and white leather. The large tray contains a foil blocked silhouette of the ‘thing’. Inside the small tray, under the book, is a cloth bound portfolio with a three-sided pocket containing an original, mounted sketch by Greg Manchess.

Binding is by Richard Tong and Sam Cartwright at Lyra’s Books/Ludlow Bookbinders.

You can see videos of how this edition is created HERE

Printed letterpress in two colours by Phil Abel and Robert Hetherington on a
Heidelberg cylinder press at Hand & Eye Editions.
Set in metal monotype Baskerville 12pt.
Cast by Nick Gill at Effra Press.

The paper is Magnani Pescia 160 gsm

Trimmed page size –260mm x 390mm / 10.25in x 15.35in.
Page count – 166
Number of illustrations – 16 colour plates, 2 four-page foldouts, 4 double page spreads and 1 three-page foldout plate.
13 black and white relief printed illustrations.
Signed by the artist Greg Manchess.
Limitation – 40 copies of which 30 are for sale and 10 Hors de Commerce

Price: £2950

ESTIMATED PUBLICATION Spring 2024































Edited to add: film of the making of the Numbered edition here: https://arete-editions-blog.com/frozen-hell-numbered-edition/
Film of the making of the Roman edition here: https://arete-editions-blog.com/frozen-hell-roman-edition/
as they didn't come through on the blurb above

I would have loved to have Who Goes There and Frozen Hell in one volume 😊

>24 marceloanciano: The design of the Roman Edition is one of the best limited editions I have ever seen, full stop. If it were within reach I'd be proud to have it.

As for your photo woes, the website where you upload them gives you some choices as to how to link the image. I can see the large originals by right-clicking on a photo and doing "open image in new tab". It looks like you are using the "Thumbnail for forums" option they offer, which are the small images linked to their site for the full-sized versions. Try using the "Direct link" option instead and manually specify the size, like so. You'll need to write out the full image tag by hand and put the link in the "src" attribute. The "width" attribute is the desired image width in pixels.

<img src="https://i.postimg.cc/52h3PmZr/frozen-m.jpg" width="600"/>

Result:

>26 Shadekeep: ahh, think I got that! Thank you for your kind words! The book feels extraordinary in hand, so pleased with the way it came out.

These books are absolutely gorgeous and clearly a labour of love. They're very impressive. I wish I could afford the Roman edition, but that's beyond my means. It's still a pleasure just to look at it - I've never seen anything like what you did with the leather on the front. But the numbered edition is also very beautiful and I'll try for that one.

The books I already have from you are such a pleasure. What you do with them really enhances the reading experience in addition to the books just being such a beauty themselves.

>28 SF-72: Thank you so much, we, Greg and I, really were attempting to make the reading experience immersive in the book, both with the covers by Rich and the interiors. It is a shame that there will only be a few that have the experience of the Roman though, the scale of white paper and the explosion of massive plates is really immersive and impressive, but, wow, the cost and time of making it! The numbered is much more manageable, both in hand and it fits on the shelf and I am soo pleased and chuffed with the way it came out. It has an elegance about it.

>24 marceloanciano: Amazing!

I'm curious how many people who purchased the wonderful fine press edition of "Who Goes There?" by Angel Bomb will also purchase Frozen Hell? The latter was never published by Campbell, which makes you wonder if he actually preferred the shorter "Who Goes There?" or if he never had time to finish the longer Frozen Hell? Anyway, for anyone still looking for a copy of Who Goes There --
https://www.angelbomb.com/shop-2/who-goes-there-standard-edition

>31 astropi: that is my concern about the Arete edition. It’s not my usual genre, but the Arete version itself looks so impressive I might be willing to take the risk - though if the story is better as a novella than a full length novel, that changes the calculus

The community is splited tbh.
50% like the edited version more and 50% the unedited (Frozen Hell)

Found a nice source -
https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3706147/frozen-hell-the-history-of-the-...

The most noticeable difference between Frozen Hell and “Who Goes There?” is that the first three chapters are essentially removed for the shorter version. These chapters are actually quite good, but they are unnecessary. The information needed from them is summarized in McReady’s (this is how the name is spelled in the novella) recounting of the finding and accidental destruction of the spacecraft and the discovery of the Thing frozen in the Antarctic ice in the first chapter of “Who Goes There?” Beginning in its fourth chapter, Frozen Hell begins to resemble its legendary final version more and more. By the end it features almost no differences from the final version. Ultimately, “Who Goes There?” benefits from a quicker pace and the sense of claustrophobia amplified by confining the entirety of the story to Big Magnet base, but Frozen Hell is still a worthy read for those interested in Campbell’s work.

Does anyone know whether Campbell's edits were prompted by his own preferences as the author or by pressure from his editor/publisher to shorten the story based on some pre-defined length for publication? In other words, was the edit the author's intent or the publisher's requirement?

>35 ultrarightist: Good question - again, referring to the link I have above, this is what they note

Sometime in the spring of 1937, while still struggling to make any sort of living as a writer, he pitched an idea to the editor of Argosy magazine, Jack Byrne, to use the thushol from “Brain-Stealers” in a horror story set on earth. Byrne liked the idea and Campbell set out to write the story and had completed the first version, titled Frozen Hell, within a couple of months of this meeting. The story was rejected by Byrne, who according to Campbell said, “it’s a good yarn, good ideas, good writing. But there aren’t any characters in it.” This novel was later revised and streamlined into the final version of “Who Goes There?” It wasn’t until 2011 that there was even wide knowledge that this longer version existed, and at the time it was assumed to be lost. While working on a biography of Campbell in 2017, author Alec Nevala-Lee discovered several manuscripts including two folders bearing the label “Pandora” or “Frozen Hell.” This longer version of the story was published in 2019 and offers a glimpse into the composition and revision process of a gifted writer and editor.

>31 astropi: I do have that edition of Who Goes There? and am going to try my darnedest to get Frozen Hell. Some years ago I backed the KS that brought out the first edition of Frozen Hell. There were some issues with that release however, whereas I feel the Areté version will be getting everything perfect.

>32 jsg1976: >33 Ragnaroek: Gotta say, I preferred the longer version. Call me old fashioned but I like the way you got know the characters as scientists first, you got a sense of them being driven by science. Their ‘ordinary’, normal, lives before they find the anomaly. Then comes their change in behaviour when the creature is brought into their camp. Their paranoia is more grounded I feel. I liked it more. It also feels like an adventure structure than only a horror structure. As to whether the writer liked the cut down, more modern approach, who knows? A success of the cut down story may mean that; why change it? For him anyway.

>38 marceloanciano:
Yeah. It feels more real. 🙂
Is the book ready for shipping ?

>38 marceloanciano: Interesting that you and Byrne (per >36 astropi:) essentially reached opposite conclusions about character development in the longer version. I have not read either version yet, but I struggle to conceive how removing those pre-anomaly chapters could in any way enhance (rather than detract from) character development.

In any case, I'm looking forward to reading it and having another fine Arete edition in my collection.

>39 Ragnaroek: We're doing pre-sales to get enough money in to make the book, delivery will be in the first quarter of 24, might well be sooner but it is a complex production.

>41 marceloanciano:
😊

Frozen Hell is up for order now, but curiously I'm getting a "No shipping options for this location, package weight and total." message when checking out. I'm at a home address in Virginia, not sure why it's not allowing it.

>44 supercell: Try again, I got that too as per my earlier post. The order went through now. Possibly the system was overloaded.

Current tally is 262, so quite a few sold just during my checkout process.

>44 supercell: they’ve fixed the shipping issue

I have the same error...
Doesnt work. No matter what I do. I will wait some time.

Try Google pay if you have that. I had the same error trying with a credit card, but Google pay worked.

My bank flagged the order for fraud so had to go back and do it again.

£67.00 as shipping to Sweden is a lot. I think I will pass on this.

Ordered my copy ❤️‍🔥😊👍

Congrats on everyone who's getting the order to go through. The shipping is a touch high, but a small fraction of the item price and worth it to get the book delivered safely.

Current remaining copies are 10 Roman and 222 Numbered.

Luckily, my order of the Numbered Edition went through right away 😊
I thought it would have sold better in the first few hours though (212 remaining now), but maybe the price is putting people off? The shipping is certainly high; £67 is the most I have paid within Europe so far...

The lack of PayPal, plus restrictions for only Mastercard & Visa are both putting me off. Unfortunate.

>55 Objectr:
I can understand that, but you can safe alot of money if you pay without PayPal, when there is an currency change involved. ( PayPal charges you arround 2-6% which is insane)
You can check out "Revolut", there you can order an credit card without currency change charges and monthly/yearly fees.
I can highly recommend that.

>56 Ragnaroek: They stopped using PayPal because PayPal kept the money for months before passing it on.

>57 kdweber: oh yes I know 😊
I ordered an credit card myself and iam proud I dont have to pay with PayPal anymore. Like I wrote are the currency change fees at PayPal extremely high. With my credit card I don't have any anymore.

>54 Dr.Fiddy: I thought it would go pretty quick as well, even though it's one of the most expensive fine press books I've bought. I even set a phone alarm for the moment it came out. The Roman is down to 8, which is a nice sign at least, and good for Arete. We'll see how many of the Numbered remain after a month.

Shipping is expensive, but fair. I know that shipping anything internationally is never cheap. The total in USD is about $830 -- not going to lie, that's a lot of money. I wish there was a way to pay in installments.

>59 Shadekeep:
I'm not sure this is an extremely popular/ well known book outside the fan base 🤔
It will take a long time to sell out in my opinion. Most people only know this book under the title "Who Goes There?" .
There is an Letterpress gorgeous version from angel bomb which isn't sold out right now.
Btw iam sure If this would have been an Suntup title it had been sold out already do the right system and all the speculants😅

>60 astropi: I only know Suntup and Books Illustrated offer this kind of service

>60 astropi: According to a Facebook update from Arete, it looks like paying in installments is possible.

https://www.facebook.com/AreteEditions/posts/pfbid021aWXmsT2NFdarrSDAfqdorH6RWaM...

Interesting that John Campbell's name as the author of Frozen Hell appears nowhere on the Arete site.

>63 BooksFriendsNotFood:
Interesting, but would paying with PayPal then really be so bad ? I mean okay, 3 month with no money (in the worst case) , the installment would be better, but not everyone has a credit card or want one.
(I like mine since iam no native UK or USA ...)

>61 Ragnaroek: It's certainly not as well known as the novella, especially as its existence has only been known for much shorter span of years. It has developed some cachet, but I was more expecting this to sell out quickly based on Arete's reputation. It is not a cheap book however, and is likely to give many in the usual audience pause.

>66 Shadekeep: I just found out recently about Arete and iam deeply shaken that I have missed out on the The Case of Honey.... 😞

It's not a good thing if you keep alot of stock for very long in this kind of business I assume since you need to pay the production in advance. 320× ~ 500£ + 40× 2950£ is alot of money. ( yeah I know there is the profit already included, but still a hefty sum )

I hope my numbered edition will arrive ASAP, probably early next year. Its so gorgeous and designed with love.

And some amazing works are still on the way.
1.Benjamin Button
2. Brave new world
And from Lyras
3. Wizard if Oz
3.1 ( the remaining stock of standard Caroline's)

>59 Shadekeep: >67 Ragnaroek: I really hope Frozen Hell will be a success. Areté and Lyra's are two of my favourite presses, and I would like to see them realising their ambitions and continuing their amazing fine press work.

>65 Ragnaroek: It was a healthy sale but not great, I was hoping for better. I was hoping we’d sell on the craft; it really is a step up with book making craft, for us and most. We just couldn’t use PP because about 90% of the cover price is cost to make them, the fixed costs mean that we need the cash to pay for the making, paper alone is about 25k, colour printing is 22k, letterpress is a lot, binding and stitching is an enormous part of the price, artist needs to be paid, and all costs have risen considerably, all of which means that we need to have the cash upfront and not wait up to eight months before PP release the money.

>54 Dr.Fiddy:
>61 Ragnaroek:
>66 Shadekeep:

This will probably sell very slowly for several reasons. 'Who Goes There' is a classic novella that has already received a nice private press edition from Angel Bomb Press. Although not as elaborate and luxurious as the Areté Edition, it is considerably less expensive and quite well done. The need for 'Frozen Hell' , which is a recently discovered alternate version that is 45 pages longer, is questionable. The added length is detrimental to the original story, which moves along at a faster pace and is the more interesting read. With the 62 GBP shipping charge to the United States the total cost becomes $821 which makes it a difficult purchase to justify, especially if one already owns the Angel Bomb Press edition.

I had no particular interest in the title when first announced, but I ended up surprising myself and ordering a copy. Very different (in many ways) to the rest of my collection, and the obvious effort that has gone into it (with a decent quantity of illustrations which I really like) drew me in.

>68 supercell: Agreed, The Adventure of the Creeping Man is certainly worth having, and if you can bundle it with the order it becomes an even better bargain.

>71 dlphcoracl: I don't necessarily see it as competing with the original story, but more as a variant thereof which can be enjoyed in its own right. Similar to the two different takes on Dracula that translators did (both somewhat confusingly named Powers of Darkness). One can look at it as a "director's cut", which may not be as classic as the original but which gives some additional insight into the story. I'm enough of a fan that it appeals to me, but acknowledge this is unlikely to be the case more broadly, particularly at a price that precludes the more casually interested.

>70 marceloanciano:
So would do you do if for example the last 150 copy's sell very late ? 🤔

>71 dlphcoracl:
Exactly 👍
Most people know the film from John Carpenter I assume, which is incredibly good.

>73 Shadekeep:
Amaranthine Press is going hard in on Sherlock Holmes. I had preferred the Neil Gaiman story.
It's an amazing beautiful book

>64 wcarter:
The only think I dislike so far is that the Authors name is not on the spine.

>75 Ragnaroek: Well, I only have to pay for the stitching and bindings of the books sold, just have to cover the fixed costs like paper, printing etc

>79 marceloanciano:
Oh okay 🙂
I hope it will sell well. I love it and glad i ordered my copy ❤️‍🔥

I'm curious to see the fold out artwork (at least my understanding is that there are several fold outs). Personally, I think I might find this cumbersome while reading. Overall the execution looks nice but the subject doesn't really interest me enough to justify the price. I think it is great to see a wider selection of books getting the fine press treatment though and wish arete all success.

>70 marceloanciano: >79 marceloanciano: Would it be an option to reduce the limitation in order to reduce the fixed costs if, after a certain time, the sales aren’t at the level you need?

>82 Dr.Fiddy: That would be nice! But, unfortunately the fixed costs are spread across the limitation, if we had a smaller limitation that would mean that the cost for each book would be more. Fixed costs being all the costs apart from what Ludlow's do, so costs that need to be paid early. So the only thing we save is the cost of binding, which only comes into play once books are pre-ordered, does that make sense? It is the limitation that dictates the cost of making the books. More books, less cover price, less books greater cover price. I wanted to do 200 numbered but the books were working out as way, way, too expensive.

>83 marceloanciano: Thank you for your explanation. Yes, that makes sense. Hope it all works out in the end. I'm really looking forward to it 😊

>84 Dr.Fiddy: Thanks!! Having said that, the way to do these books in the current market, and the costs of materials in this current market, is to make books with less pages, and not as crafted as a hundred years ago. Says he, who is doing a 300 page novel; Lud. And Brave New World, which is 250 pages at least! And, in order to do the artist's vision for BNW, we've had to do two different books in completely different type sizes in metal, the Artist edition has his prints bound in, which he's making, are large in size, so to make the book readable and in balance requires two versions... conceived when prices were cheaper...

>85 marceloanciano:
Fine Press in general has not alot of members I would say, it can be an very expensive hobby and not alot of people are willing to pay 750€ for an Book with 150 pages which you could buy and read for 10€ in an paperback version.

The old crafts are dying with each year...
People wanna have cheap stuff. In Germany most people didn't even care about what they eat, important is, that its as cheap as possible...

>85 marceloanciano: Do you mind if I ask where Lud is in the sequence of planned titles? Next, a few books later, much later? It's one I'm really looking forward to, especially as no one else is doing a version from what I've seen.

>87 Shadekeep: Benjamin, then a Conan story, then Brave new world, then Lud. Lud may come before BNW. It may change as we also have a couple of Lyra Press books between them. I'll try and post one of the Lud art plates, it has a load of images, nearly 50.

>88 marceloanciano: Splendid art! I'll look forward to it whenever it comes out. Also interested in Brave New World, and the idea of a Conan tale is intriguing too.

Lud in the Mist?

>90 Ragnaroek: It is!!

>91 marceloanciano: ❤️‍🔥

>88 marceloanciano: What a great looking art plate!! I'm not sure about Conan, but you can definitely count me in on Benjamin, BNW and Lud 😊

I never read any Conan tbh. I thought it were comics 😳
Aren't there 100 Books ? 😳

>94 Ragnaroek: The originals, were printed in the '30's, way before the commercialisation of the character in the '70/80's. The first stories created by Robert E. Howard are very different than the comics and movies. Although Arnold Schwarzenegger's movie propelled the character into the mainstream, it is a very different character.

>94 Ragnaroek: The original stories are by Robert E. Howard, who was part of Lovecraft's extended weird circle. Howard's serpent folk appear in other writers' mythos tales, for example. There are about 20 Conan books by him, including story collections, depending on how one counts them.

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/robert-e-howard/

EDIT: Crossposted with marceloanciano

>94 Ragnaroek: Robert E. Howard wrote about fifteen Conan novels. Many more followed, by various authors. And then, of course, there were the comics.
The Howard books come highly recommended!

Incidentally, my one personal involvement with the Conan books to date was the logo and cover text design for the series as released by Spatterlight Press in the Netherlands. It was a fun assignment.

  

>98 Shadekeep: Oh cool!

>98 Shadekeep: I can imagine that was a fun assignment. The design looks really great!

>99 marceloanciano: >100 Dr.Fiddy: Thanks kindly!

I think iam looking forward to buy this fine press beauty then, when it will get released . The conan universe is extremely awesome 👌

I am extremely excited about Lud-in-the-Mist.

Benjamin Button and Razor’s Edge are the two I’m really keen on, though I expect Brave New World will also tempt me

Razors Edge ?

>105 Ragnaroek: >104 DMulvee: razor's edge is a long way away

Over the years we've definitely discussed REH's works in details. Here is one thread:

Wandering Star -- The Robert E. Howard Collection
https://www.librarything.com/topic/326168

>107 astropi: They were the first limited edition books I ever made! I hold them dear.

>107 astropi: thank you 👍❤️‍🔥🙂

>107 astropi: Oh, I'm sorry I missed that Solomon Kane book! I think the upcoming Conan release has moved onto my "must have" list now.

I would love to have an Solomon Kane trilogy fine press edition ❤️

>111 Ragnaroek: I've actually have a Fine Press edition of all the stories ready to go! I'm hesitant because of some language from the '30's which is hard to deal with really. One of the chapters is called 'The White-Skinned Conqueror' and some of his descriptions of the native people in Africa, which is where most of the stories are set, are ... tricky. So, I thought, I'd get some Conan stories out there first.

>112 marceloanciano:
I'm looking forward to everything Arete and Lyras is publishing 😊❤️‍🔥

>112 marceloanciano: I'll be down for that one as well! And yes, he can be almost as problematic as Lovecraft in places. But I think most people are good with a preface that explains the attitudes of the times and such, and that publication is not endorsement. Proper framing is key.

>112 marceloanciano: As >114 Shadekeep: noted, a good preface with historical insight into the misguided ideals of eugenics etc. will explain (not excuse) why REH and some others used language and ideas which we rightfully find appalling today. Also, I would love a COMPLETE REH fine press collection! I think Wandering Star did them perfectly, focusing on heroes other than just Conan. In fact, one of REH's most masterful short story and a classic of the genre -- Worms of the Earth is a Bran Mak Morn story.

>114 Shadekeep: >115 astropi: It is, and it's finding someone who can contextualise the stories and add weight to what they are saying. Worms of the Earth is a great story! The nice thing is that we have revisited the Solomon Kane and Conan stories with Gary Gianni and redone them in such away that the art shines! Ready for relief printing. And added a wealth of images. The Conan story is lush with art. Kane has a picture virtually every page, I was so pleased with the way that I did the Wandering Star book, but, I was a naïve with design, these are so much better.

>115 astropi: Well said. And Worms of the Earth is a definite classic, certainly worthy of fine reprint.

>116 marceloanciano: I have confidence you'll find the right person to give the works context. And glad you'll be employing Gianni again!

The name of the author should be included too 😅

>118 supercell: I noticed that too. I think some collectors justify their purchases by convincing themselves they can easily flip or sell on an expensive book. This justification obviously falls apart if the book is not scarce or demand fails to exceed supply. Seeing 200 available copies will likely cause such a collector to pump the brakes. From a sales perspective, showing a counter is only helpful if it suggests that demand is high and the book is about to sell out. Probably a good move.

Really stupid that people just buy books for profit...
They steal people theire fav. storys in an fine press treatment, just to sell it to them for the double or triple...

>121 Ragnaroek: I've always hated scalpers, and I think the best way to fight them is simply to ensure enough demand. Of course easier said than done, especially with something as niche as fine books. Still, book collecting and searching for rare manuscripts etc is thousands of years old! I feel that book collectors and resellers are two sides of the same coin.

>122 astropi: I don't think rare manuscript hunters/sellers are in the same execrable league as those who scalp new fine press editions.

>122 astropi: There’s a huge difference between a book dealer marking up something they were sold or put effort into tracking down and a flipper buying something they know you want before you get the chance to so they can sell it to you for more.

>122 astropi: >124 NathanOv: Certainly, I agree. That said, booksellers are in the business of making money, like any business. Doesn't Subterranean purchase (not all the time, but certainly at times) decently large number of Suntup and Centipede books to resell? I know I've seen them do this, so are they also scalpers? -- I'm seriously asking, I'm not being facetious.

>125 astropi: Publishers have always maintained standing orders or retailer agreements with bookstores and other sellers. Some publishers sell exclusively this way, like many of those represented by Vamp and Tramp.

You wouldn’t call Barnes and Noble a scalper of Penguin, for example.

I know Subterranean occasionally marks books up to current market value, like the Centipede edition of Dune, but if I recall correctly that one was for charity.

>124 NathanOv: Established bookselling businesses routinely purchase books for 40% of retail value (or less), and advertise this openly. Does it matter that their suppliers could get literally more than twice the money with a little more effort? They’re buying up books for vastly below retail and putting them on the shelf the next day for 150% profit.

Here’s a test - I’m buying up books I know people want in order to resell it for a profit, thereby acting as a middle person of debatable utility. Who am I? A “bookseller” or a scalper?

>125 astropi: To your point, Subterranean Press is selling the standard version of Death and Honey for $700, with no mention of charity. They also have many other instances of this. Sometimes they do indicate markups are for charity, but it’s definitely not all the time. Bookseller, or scalper?

>127 What_What: Yes, I completely agree. We're talking about luxury items and if people are able to profit from them, either who cares or good for them. I guess it's unfortunate to some who are unable to get the book they desire (this has happened to me quite a few times,) but if someone, either a scalper or bookseller, is able to make a few dollars, so what? It's not like the Taylor Swift Tickermaster fiasco where bots are buying up everything. And ,even for that case, at the end of the day who cares? Think about how fortunate and blessed all of our lives are if this is something we're complaining about - "I was unable to get a pretty book which I could get at the local library for free because someone got it before me and sold it at a higher price."

It's not like we're talking about a grain seller buying up all the grain during a famine and selling at exorbitant prices, we're talking about a luxury commodity...

>127 What_What: I think your comparison of limited edition scalpers with mass market booksellers is disingenuous, for a couple of reasons:
1) We're talking about highly limited products here, which is not generally the case for established bookselling businesses. This completely changes things. Of course people get irate when they miss out on a book they wanted because scalpers - who are only interested in profit and not the book - contribute to a fast sell out. And clearly, fast sellouts are necessary for the scalper to have any 'business model' at all. The scalper only has a business if some people miss out. Witness Frozen Hell. No sell out = no business for scalpers (and yes, I know there's the odd scalper who tried to raise prices before a sellout, in the hope that the buyer won't notice, but that's taking unscrupulous to the next level).
2) Mass market booksellers are providing a service which the publishers are not usually providing themselves, the organized centralization and selling of books from multiple publishers. In this respect, their businesses are necessary, and of course running such a business, whether online or physical, comes with many costs. It's not all profit, as you seem to suggest. It's also why most mass market books come with an RRP set by the publisher, which it's difficult for the bookseller to exceed. In the limited edition world the scalper's business is almost entirely unnecessary, given that the norm is for publishers to sell directly to customers. What exactly is the scalper contributing to the process to justify their 'service'? No doubt someone will respond with something like 'they're helping customers who missed out', but I'd counter that by saying that some people missed out because of scalpers.

Of course, in reality it's difficult to separate genuine scalpers from those who genuinely wanted the book but then had to sell for any number of reasons. But they know who they are.

>128 Joshbooks1: I’m happy to be able to share the same perspective on something with you.

>128 Joshbooks1:
But that is exactly what an scrupulous grain seller would do and what is happening right now in the real world. Money rules the world.
It doesn't matter if its an non eatable product or something else.
Such people are disgusting.
We cant change it, so we don't need to deepen the talk abou it.
Let's stay with the books, especially the Arete Editions in this case.

>130 What_What: Maybe we can become friends and hang out sometime?!?

>131 Ragnaroek: Again, we're talking about books. High end luxury items with pretty bindings, content and material; books which we can read for free at the local library. Who cares if someone makes a few extra dollars if they buy premium books and flip them for profit. Whether it is a scalper or bookseller (is a bookseller just a professional scalper?) none of us on this forum need these books. It is a lavish and niche hobby. The simple fact that people are complaining about this subject really shows how entitled we are. I am also guilty of this at times.

It does matter if it is a luxury product or a human necessity. I don't need a thousand dollar book which is a materialistic possession that has no regard to my survival and in the larger picture has little meaning to my life. It is a very fun hobby and is a passion of mine, like, I imagine, a lot of other people here. I love books and reading in my room looking at my collection of books, but, I do have a hard time when people shout about the horrors of someone buying a luxury product and scream foul when they are inconvenienced. None of us here need these books just like none of us need to see Taylor Swift, or watch a playoff sporting event or buy the newest iphone or buy a luxury car. But I do need food, housing and medical care and if and when people extort these commodities which certainly happens ever more frequently in the US where I live, then, yes, I do have a problem with that and view it as disgusting which you state.

>132 Joshbooks1: I don’t know if I’d go that far, but I can commit to removing the Joshbooks1 sticker off the voodoo doll next to my bed.

I don't buy the relativistic morality that the less essential something is the less objectionable it is to profiteer over it. This kind of sliding scale can apply somewhat to the severity of the action (people are far less likely to die from being unable to buy books than buy food), but honestly it doesn't change the moral calculus one whit. Profiteering is deleterious to both the producer and to the intended audience. It makes the producer's goods less fairly available, and skews the price from what they consider fair to what the profiteers can gouge people for. And the intended audience suffers because they are denied either the item itself or the fair price to obtain it. This can form a loopback cycle, costing the producer a base of loyal customers, harming their long-term viability.

Do the two extremes of profiteering matter the same in terms of impact? Of course not. But it doesn't change the moral weight of the action. Just as stealing $20 from a wealthy person impacts them far less than stealing it from someone in poverty, but in neither case does it excuse stealing itself.

Just as a discussion point because I don't really have a hard and fast view either way: At the end of the day, a reseller or a regular book reader/collector is paying the same amount of money to buy one copy of a limited edition book. (I'm keeping it one copy to remove the variable of scalpers bulk buying.) At that point, the book is that person's, so isn't it theirs to do what they like with it, whether that is own it, resell it for a profit, or even (the horror) destroy it or dump it in the trash? And while the first and third choices pretty much remove that book from circulation for one to many generations, perhaps some people who weren't aware of the release at the time, didn't have the money at the time, or who weren't quick enough to snatch it up would rather pay 2-3x the original price to possess a copy rather than miss out on it entirely? (After all, if these customers didn't exist, reselling wouldn't be profitable. And if the reseller is unable to make the sale, don't they end up as an inadvertent collector?) And even if someone who genuinely loved the limited book decides to sell it either due to unhauling it or due to financial needs (and as an aside, who's to say whether the reseller is also just trying to send their kids to uni), with the exception of the rare individual or someone who is satisfied with their wealth, the reader/collector is going to attempt to make a decent profit from it. Does this make them a latent reseller with the same (potentially moral) dilemmas as someone reselling it immediately?

In an ideal world (although even this is arguable because some books may only be as desirable as they are due to their limitation), books would not be limited and editions would not go out of print, so that everyone who is interested in a book can get a copy whenever they want and thus, book resellers would not exist; however, this obviously isn't the case (for example, even if everyone who buys the limited book is a genuine reader/collector, there will still be people missing out) so I find this topic interesting to think about.

shadekeep has got it absolutely right. What difference does it make if there is a book or something else. morally it is still reprehensible.
You call a book for £500 a luxury good, but you certainly also drive a car, eat fruit and vegetables, meat probably too. All three have become extremely expensive luxury goods in today's world, and not everyone can afford them or wants to. An car is an extreme luxury good that one could do without. There are buses and trains...
Most people who can afford books for £500 already have a good job anyway and speculate on books, only to sell them again for 2-6 times as much. There's no poor low-income earner sitting there gnawing at the subsistence level, happy that he can pay the next 6 months' rent with the book sales, but someone who wann enrich himself even more.

Of course, that's extremely clever and I don't begrudge anyone, but morally it's still the last straw. The book is not suddenly made of pure gold.

It's the same with concert tickets. There are people who "steal" tickets from people because they know that the concert will sell out quickly and then sell the ticket for three times as much.
That is absolutely immoral and disgusting. (Of course, it's also a clever speculation if you make a profit).

Well, anyway... we won't get together there.

>136 Ragnaroek: Just to clarify my hypothetical example: I agree that no poor person is buying a copy of a Limited Edition book for resale, but it could potentially be a lower middle class to middle class person who is trying to make an extra few hundred dollars (or few thousand dollars if we're counting multiple resales of different Limited books) which they can use to supplement their primary income — and this can, for instance, contribute to anything from paying tuition to going on vacation, or even perhaps buying expensive fine press books that they actually want to keep. I doubt that anyone who has a significant amount of money left after paying rent/mortage and bills is spending their free time trying to flip books. (Again, I don't have a stance on reselling - my view is more of a neutral "resellers exist" - but it's interesting to hear both sides of the argument discussed.)

To challenge the point you raised and/or to play devil's advocate:

Can a reseller who buys one (1) copy of a Limited book in order to make a profit be compared morally to a thief? The book they are buying doesn't belong to anyone at the time of purchase and they paid for it fair and square (and as long as they aren't using bots, they put in the same effort as everyone else). One may argue that that is one less book available for a person who really wants it, but which is worse: A) a person who buys the book and then puts it up for sale at a higher price, or B) a person who buys the book and then shoves it in their bookshelf and never looks at it again and thus takes it out of circulation for a potentially more "deserving" reader who'd look at the book every day? Who has the right to judge what kind of person is more "deserving", or to determine that only people with X intentions can be allowed to purchase the book?

The answer is obviously pretty clear if we're looking at something needed to survive; for example, if person A will die without an apple and person B with a full stomach pays for it first and resells it for a higher price, that's pretty morally repugnant. But as people have pointed out, a "pretty book" is an unnecessary, luxury item, and who can say if a person is more deserving of the transaction depending on whether they want to buy the book to put it on a bookshelf and never touch it VS. buy the book and read it constantly VS. buy the book to rip out the illustrations and stick them on a wall VS. buy the book as a gift for someone who doesn't actually want it VS. buy the book and attempt (and possibly fail) to sell it for a higher price in order to make extra cash? The argument may get a bit blurry here since each individual desires the book, but for different reasons (and none of the options result in the death or significant reduction of quality of life for anyone else)...

(It's nearly 5AM here so I can only hope this thought experiment makes sense outside of my brain lol. If this is too hypothetical, feel free to ignore.)

The following is not so relevant, but I'd also just like to note that it seems to me that in many states in the U.S., a car is actually more or less necessary because public transportation here often sucks / doesn't really exist / is not viable. Also, even flipping a book for a $1,000 profit may not even cover one month's rent in many places unfortunately, although as you mentioned, I doubt book flipping is the primary source of someone's rent haha.

(And with this hideously long comment, I bid you all goodnight / good day.)

>137 BooksFriendsNotFood:
Oh gosh , that's a very long text. I highly appreciate you're time investment on this .
Youre points are valide.
It's an really hard discussion I don't wanna continue, because I can't express my thoughts 100% in writing. We shouldn't stick to stuff we cant change like I said before. It doesn't matter if someone says: ... "disgusting", "thief", "scraper" ... we won't change this and so it shouldn't be worth our time.
Let's stick to stuff that we can change and which affects us.
The luxury book I missed is sad, but there are coming so much each month. (It doesn't change what I said above, I cant change it, so its not worth my time).

Let's discuss future Arete Editions here.
We could make an new thread if someone wanna continue this discussion.

>138 Ragnaroek: Fair enough! Thank you for taking the time to read through that long comment XD

My problem with scalpers is when they describe the book as unread and it is still sealed, it appears they only bought the book to try and profit rather than getting enjoyment from the product itself. If they had actually read the book then I am happier, as in that scenario it feels like a reader who has decided to use the money for another purchase.

I think if the book was released more than 6 months ago, then it is all fair. But if a book was released last week, and a seller immediately lists it as unread I find this frustrating

>140 DMulvee: I'm now suspicious of "still sealed." I bought a book that was a few years out of print that was sealed and opened it to find a section was misprinted - the text block was printed too high for about twenty pages and was scraping the top of the page. It made me wonder if the seller knew it and re-shrinkwrapped it so he could claim ignorance of the condition.

>141 LeBacon: that's exactly why you should always be suspicious when it's listed as still sealed.
I had bought an sealed Suntup Book once and the signature page was missing 🤣
Better buy an Book second hand without the shrink wrap from an seller of youre trust. It will be cheaper without the shrink wrap too.

>141 LeBacon: Definitely view sealed books with a jaundiced eye. A lot of bookjackers/bookdumpers know that folks will pay more for a pristine sealed copy, and a shrink-wrapper becomes a cheap investment if it adds value to a used book. It's always funny when someone tries selling something sealed that was never sealed in the first place. Old bookshelf games from Avalon Hill are a prime example.

Good update newsletter from Arete on titles in progress. Frozen Hell seems to be coming along nicely, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button should be for pre-order soon. Also included are a couple more images from the eagerly awaited Lud-in-the-Mist, and they are looking splendid.

  

And the mentioned Robert E. Howard story sounds intriguing to say the least.

sk

What a wonderful day with wonderful news 🥰

I am so excited about Lud-in-the-Mist.

>144 Shadekeep: these look fantastic

The illustrations for Lud in the Mist looks wonderful. And then imagine them in the gorgeous print quality of past books done by them.

>149 SF-72: They do look excellent!

Speaking selfishly, I do hope they will offer some of these future titles in standard (or 'Fine') editions too. In any case, I'm really looking forward to seeing all these books take shape.

>144 Shadekeep: >147 ambyrglow: >148 SDB2012: >149 SF-72: >150 GardenOfForkingPaths: They are amazing aren't they? He's doing about 32 full pagers, designed for relief printing, and a large amount of spot illustrations. We are in the process of soft proofing metal monotype to reflect the old nature of the story, it's going to be a very nice book.

>145 frik51: It really is a return to my roots! The first limited edition book I made, rather naively, was by Robert E Howard under Wandering Star, ohh, twenty five years ago now. It is really pleasurable to go back to him.

All looking excellent, it's great to see the time and effort that goes into the creation of arete's editions. Plenty to look forward to (I'm particularly looking forward to Lud).

>151 marceloanciano: Your edition of Lud-in-the-Mist has remained in the top three books I'm looking forward to ever since it was announced. It is exactly what I come to fine press for.

>151 marceloanciano: Wow, 32 full pagers of the quality highlighted in >144 Shadekeep: is going to be something very special indeed. The only issue I foresee with this title is that there's going to be a loooooong wait for it (only half joking actually - the fact that fine press output is often the complete antithesis of this world of mass produced consumer goods and instant gratification is generally something I very much appreciate).

>154 Shadekeep: what are the other two books in your top three?

>151 marceloanciano:

That sounds absolutely wonderful and very impressive. It's one of the things I enjoyed immensely about Death & Honey, that it was so richly illustrated.

>151 marceloanciano: That is spectacular! I'm really looking forward to it, as well as all the others you are working on. But, first: Enter Benjamin Button 😊

ha ha ha >155 Levin40: Thanks for your encouragement! Appreciate it. Yes, our books do take a long time to pull together, there are just the three of us doing all the book making for both Arete and Lyra, we just don’t have the resources like the large press houses like Suntup and Centipede to do it faster, it’s just us three doing all the designing, printing and bindings. Only a certain amount we can do in a year but am very excited about Lud, Benjamin, Howard and Brave New World, all coming from Arete in the year.

>151 marceloanciano:

Your planned edition of Lud in the Mist is spectacular. Who is the artist making the illustrations?

>159 dlphcoracl: Scott McKowen. It was Neil Gaiman who suggested him, he had done the covers for some of his Marvel 1602 comics, the first comic art he'd done, he usually does theatre and book covers: https://punchandjudy.ca/illustration/

>160 marceloanciano:

That's gorgeous art on his website. Will the illustrations for Lud in the Mist all be black and white, or will there also be colour illustrations?

>161 SF-72: just black and white at the moment, like D&H, his colour work on the site is all digital over the line art, and for colour he'll have to give us each layer as an analog board, like his black and white works. At this time, I think I'd rather have more images.

>162 marceloanciano: I think black and white will work beautifully for Lud. Also looking forward to this one.

>158 marceloanciano: if you would do it like Suntup, I probably need an new and better payed job. Suntup alone is arround 500$ each month (often more).

>162 marceloanciano:

That makes complete sense, and more art is always great. There are artists who manually add colour to their scratchboard art, for example, and I thought this might be an example of it.

>152 marceloanciano: Can't wait to find out what will be coming our way! REH and HPL - anything by these two giants is very welcome indeed.

As someone who actually prefers black and white book illustrations (I know, I’m weird), the style is definitely one of the selling points for me.

>166 frik51: Did I miss mention of an HPL title? I'd love to see another Gary Gianni collaboration in the vein of his & Marcelo's "Call of Cthulhu," or even that one published in an upgraded edition!

Yes! HPL, please. I want a nice letterpress At the Mountains of Madness with a handsome leather cover and beautifully executed black and white wood engraving illustrations.

I know Centipede Press has long been rumored to do something similar but really any fine press willing to do it, I'm here and ready to throw money at you.

>168 NathanOv: and >169 LeBacon:

I think >166 frik51: was just speculating or wish-listing. I do know that Conversation Tree Press is planning to include at least one volume of HPL in its Weird series.

>170 ultrarightist: The fact that CTP is doing a single novel for Hodgson has me hoping they’ll do the same for Poe and Lovecraft, and give us nice matching editions of The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym and At The Mountains of Madness.

I really don’t think we need new “greatest hits” collections of either of those authors.

>170 ultrarightist: Can't wait for Conversation Tree's Weird. Their version of Peter Pan gives me really high hopes.

>155 Levin40: what are the other two books in your top three?

The Ethics of Ambiguity from No Reply Press, with the "choose your art" aspect, and Arden of Feversham from Tudor Black Press.

Also very high on the list but not yet confirmed (nor guaranteed to be letterpress) is The Hellbound Heart from Suntup.

>171 NathanOv: The fact that CTP is doing a single novel for Hodgson

Oh, didn't know that. So either The House on the Borderland (most likely) or The Night Land. Personally I'd go for The Boats of the Glen Carrig, but my tastes run towards nautical horror.

>173 Shadekeep: I believe they announced House On The Borderland, but I may be wrong.

I would’ve also preferred a Sargasso Sea collection. It feels odd to do a singular highlight of Hodgson and not pick something nautical.

>174 NathanOv: It does, doesn't it? It's his most consistent milieu, in spite of him also excelling at haunted houses, strange futures, and ghost hunting. I always firstly associate Hodgson with the terrors of the seas.

The first book of the WEIRD titles will be House on the Borderland. That's what the CTP webpage says .
20 WEIRD volumes in total are planned if iam correct.
Would be very disappointed to not see any POE or Lovecraft.

I'm most excited for Flowers for Algernon though. Lovely book. Next CPT announcement/ pre order should be next month, but not sure which title.

I ordered the numbered Frozen Hell today. I've been on fence because it's a pretty major investment, but I noticed on Facebook recently that Hand & Eye had posted some photos of the colour printed proofs of the paintings, and they look absolutely brilliant. I think the large fold-outs are going to pretty spectacular! Anyway, that's what finally, and happily, pushed me over the edge.

Frozen Hell looks to have been more time consuming than expected. A couple of short clips here giving some insight.
It’s a Facebook link but you don’t need to be a user to see the content.

https://www.facebook.com/AreteEditions?_rdr

Phil and Marcello should update their Arete Editions Blog more frequently, for those of us that don't use Facebook. I tried to look at their Facebook page but apparently you cannot see much without signing in.

>179 tkellici: Done. Insanely busy!

Thank you, sir! Always obliging.