THE HOUSES OF ISZM

First hardcover edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Original green cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in the Chris Miller illustrated dustwrapper. With a black and white frontispiece reproducing the dustwrapper illustration. A fine copy, the binding square and firm. There is some very slight spotting to the closed text-block edge and prelims, the contents are otherwise clean and without previous owners' stamps or inscriptions. Complete with the very good lightly rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that is a little toned at the spine and extremities, and has a very short closed tear to the head of the spine. Not price-clipped ($25 on the read flap).

Signed by Jack Vance in black ink on the title page. A science fiction novella about a planet where a species of tree has been bred to function as a living house, now a jealously guarded commodity that is coveted by the rest of the universe. It was first published in 'Starling Stories' magazine in 1954, expanded for an Ace Double novel (with Vance's 'Son of the Tree') in 1964 and finally issued as a standalone novel in 1974. This is the first hardcover edition.