Chuck Palahniuk

It seems this writer has become very collectible...

I have his "Invisible Monsters" - autographed. A very friendly bookstore is
close by his home and will get the books autographed if you wish free. So
mine cost about $15 with shipping, and I noted the same book on Abebooks for
$200!!!!!

Apparently a movie will start production in 2005. Reproduced below is an
example of the cult like following...

Hey! Better than Enron!!!

Hugs,
Willow

To: WW Norton Publishing
Before the cult novel "Fight Club" ever saw the light of day, a middle-aged
diesel mechanic from Portland Oregon named Chuck Palahniuk had already
written a manuscript for a novel called "Manifesto." Later renamed
"Invisible Monsters," this book would soon go on to see the desks of almost
every major publishing house. Unfortunately, it also quickly saw the trash
baskets of those same publishers.

It seems Chuck Palahniuk couldn't get his foot in the door with a novel that
publishers felt was too risque. Hell, they didn't even know what the book
was about, much less how to market it. And so, out of spite and anger, Chuck
sat down and wrote his second book which would become his first published
novel. This was of course "Fight Club," but three years later, Chuck felt
compelled to return to his original labor of love: the story of a girl and
her rifle, her brother and an ill-fated aerosol can, and one of the most
bizarre road trips you'll ever read.

"Invisible Monsters" finally saw the light of day in 1999, although it was
released in trade paperback form because Chuck felt bad asking his
publisher, WW Norton, to release any of his works for more than $15. With
"Monsters," he finally got his wish and the book skipped the hardcover phase
and went straight to trade paperback. Little did Chuck or WW Norton know
that Chuck's stardom was gonna rocket and that he would soon have fans that
couldn't bare to be without a hardback version of perhaps their favorite
Palahniuk novel.

And so, in early September, when Aaron McKeever, a fan of Chuck's and of our
website ChuckPalahniuk.net, contacted me and said he had spoken with WW
Norton's senior editor, Amy Cherry... I knew a new door in publishing
history would soon be opening. Aaron, like so many other Chuck fans, WANTS
"Invisible Monsters," out on hardcover. It's the principal of the matter.
The book deserves this sort of treatment. And so when Amy said that with
enough queries, WW Norton may consider it, Aaron knew he had to contact me.

And so here I am... talking to all of you. We have a mission. We have a
goal. And that goal is to get this cherished book released in hardback! So
spread the word. Get as many people as you know to sign this petition. And
when we have enough signatures, we'll send it back to Amy Cherry and
convince her and WW Norton that putting "Invisible Monsters" out in
hardcover could be the best business decision their company makes all year.

- Dennis Widmyer
Webmaster/Filmmaker
www.chuckpalahniuk.net
www.ourladyofsorrow.co

Sincerely,

"Willow Arune" wrote...
It seems this writer has become very collectible...

I have his "Invisible Monsters" - autographed. A very friendly bookstore
is
close by his home and will get the books autographed if you wish free.
So
mine cost about $15 with shipping, and I noted the same book on Abebooks
for
$200!!!!!

Of course, those $200 books are for signed copies of the first printing only
(First Edition stated, with complete 1 to 0 number line). There were many,
many later printings, and these would be worth considerably less, even
signed.


--
Jon Meyers
(To reply, lose
your way)

Actually, your comment is not accurate. Same.same. No numbered firsts and
even if there were, it is not mentioned in the ad.

Cult writer says it all...

Willow

Willow Arune wrote...
"Jon Meyers" wrote...
"Willow Arune" wrote...
It seems this writer has become very collectible...
I have his "Invisible Monsters" - autographed. A very
friendly bookstore is close by his home
and will get the books autographed if you wish free.
So mine cost about $15 with shipping,
and I noted the same book on Abebooks for $200!!!!!

Of course, those $200 books are for signed copies of the first printing
only
(First Edition stated, with complete 1 to 0 number line). There were
many,
many later printings, and these would be worth considerably less, even
signed.

Actually, your comment is not accurate. Same.same. No numbered firsts
and
even if there were, it is not mentioned in the ad.


What's not accurate? I bought the book the week it came out: A trade
paperback, priced $13.00, front cover has a spectrum background & the
silhouette of a woman--First Edition stated near the top of the copyright
page, number line 1234567890 at the bottom. Any other number line is a
later printing.

Then Norton rereleased it last year with a new cover--B&W illustration of a
woman's head with pink smears, priced $13.95.

Only first printings of the first version would be considered "first
editions" by collectors and (reputable) dealers, and those account for
nearly all the copies selling for top-dollar at ABE.

But I say "reputable" dealers because you are correct that there is one
seller calling one of the $13.95 copies a "First Edition" and asking $200
for it, signed, but that seller is either misinformed or dishonest (and I'll
go with misinformed, since Norton started a new number line with the new
cover, so the later version has its own first printing, but is still not a
true first). And just because one misinformed seller is asking a lot for a
misidentified book doesn't mean the book is "worth" that much. If an
informed buyer decides to purchase it, on the other hand...


--
Jon Meyers
(To reply, lose
your way)