Utopia.
Translated by Ralph Robinson. With an introduction by H. G. Wells.
London: Blackie and Son Ltd, September 1908 Stock Code: 137554
The original Utopia, signed by a great utopian
First edition of More's Utopia with Wells's introduction, this copy inscribed by Wells incorporating one of his "picshuas", a sketch of a baby-faced flower denominated (somewhat in the manner of Edward Lear's nonsense botany), "To sketch Utopiana Grandiflora, from H. G. Wells". This edition appeared as part Blackie & Son's Red Letter Library series, here in the deluxe issue with red leatherette binding. The publisher's prospectus for the series, loosely inserted here, declares that "every volume... contains a vignette introduction by an authority of the highest repute". Wells, in the first decade of the 20th century, had been gaining in fame as an outspoken Fabian, publishing a sequence of works such as Anticipation (1901) and Mankind in the Making (1903), and the Plato-inspired fantasy A Modern Utopia (1905), through which his authority as as Utopian commentator were evidently secured. This inscribed Wells edition of Utopia acts as a fitting reminder that More's foundational work of political philosophy was also a notably early contribution to the history science-fiction and fantasy literature.Description
Small octavo. Original deluxe binding of red leatherette, titles and design gilt to spine and front, patterned endpapers, top edge gilt. Housed in a custom red morocco backed bookform slipcase and chemise.
Illustrations
Portrait frontispiece and decorated title page.
Condition
Much of the leather lost from spine, with some discreet repair, generally worn around extremities, otherwise sound and internally clean, a fair copy.
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