Ex-Libris John Ruyle Part Two
This week we present you with a list of 110 early science fiction titles that we obtained from Serendipity Books after the unfortunate passing of Peter B. Howard. These books belonged to the writer, publisher, and ardent collector, John Eric Ruyle (1934-2008). Yes, that is correct, to our great surprise, we unearthed several more boxes. Ruyle, the creator of Berkeley’s fine press, Pequod Press, was a vigorous collector of Sherlockiana and early science fiction, including books with only minute or unclear “occult” and “fantasy” elements. The impassioned spirit with which Ruyle approached his collection, is immediately discernible when one looks at the detailed pencil notations he has left on the endpapers of so many of the books that he collected. In his notes, Ruyle readily comments on such things as the sheets used during the publication process of the title, its printing history, and any specific references or themes in the book, which imbue it with its unique “fantastical” flavor, no matter how subtle.