An author whose work fairly rejects any notion of “casual fandom,” Harlan Ellison has amassed such an impressive body of creative output that even he can’t find the storage space. Hearing that he plans to put a huge chunk of that impressive collection—from his personal archives—up for sale is definitely cause for freaking the fuck out. Early next week, Ellison and his wife Susan will launch the third edition of The Great Ellison Book Purge, a three-day sale of beyond-rare items from the Ellisons’ own library. You can check out a brochure of what’s on offer—complete with charmingly retro photocopied illustrations of the book jackets.

Among the finds: many, many rare and signed first-edition copies of Ellison’s own works—including a one-of-a-kind No Doors, No Windows with a replacement slipcase that Susan crafted from the felt of an old pool table (with “bits of Harlan’s gnashed teeth and BBQ’d flesh sprinkled throughout”); two copies of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman: Book Of Dreams, with personalized inscriptions to his friend Ellison; several screenplays, including Ellison’s drafts for an abandoned I, Robot film and an episode of The Outer Limits; and a treasure trove of comics, DVDs, CDs, posters, and books by several other authors from “Harlan’s personal library.”


Prices range from a mere $5 all the way up to a few hundred dollars, which gives even those casual fans we said don’t really exist a sporting chance. The Purge will take place over a dedicated one-time phone line that will only be open for two hours per day, July 6 through July 8. Harlan’s wife will answer the phone herself, so everybody be nice.