Lawrence Block rarities to see the light

I’m a big fan of Lawrence Block with the goal of reading everything he’s written. For an author with more than 60 acknowledged novels, that has proven a bit of a challenge. The key word there is “acknowledged.” He wrote under many pseudonyms in his early years, penning so many books he doesn’t seem to remember them all. The folks at Hard Case Crime have helped in the past few years, rescuing a few very early titles from obscurity, while Crippen & Landru and Subterranean Press also have done their part.

Being of modest means, I can’t troll eBay in search of those early works, and even have trouble justifying the cost of some of the reprints that have surfaced in the past decade. A collection of 24 of his earliest stories — those he deemed not worthy of inclusion in the omnibus Enough Rope — were published in a small run by Crippen & Landru as One Night Stands. Another C&L book gathered some Ed London novellas under the title The Lost Cases of Ed London. One Night Stands sold out immediately (and before I learned of it) and fetched insane prices on the secondary market. Fearing the same fate, I ponied up for the still-rather-expensive Ed London book, which is also now sold out.

Flash forward: Block has announced that HarperCollins will issue both books in one paperback edition, One Night Stands and Lost Weekends. Now, some collectors relish having the original work. I don’t I want the words on the page, any format will do. So, I was saddened to think that a bit more patience on my part would have allowed me to get the same material for considerably less money, with funds left over to pursue other of his books.

I’ve since learned my lesson: Block is very open about wanting to maximize the earnings from his writings, so it’s safe to say that eventually, everything will come out in some cheaper, mass market fashion. As long as I am willing to wait, I’ll be able to read most everything and stay within my budget.

As he reports in his newsletter this week: “Time went by, as it has a habit of doing, and I realized that it didn’t seem to be hurting me to have any of that early work available. All things being equal (whatever that means) I’d rather have my work being read than not. “

For those wanting the limited editions of these books despite their pending availability, Block is parting with his own copies… for a price. One Night Stands is $125; Ed London is $75. Not to undercut the man, but I’m willing to part with my copy — pristine shape — for $60. E-mail me if you’re interested.