E.R. Burroughs The Land the Time Forgot Trilogy ILLUSTRATED DLE (Item#3808; $470)

https://www.eastonpress.com/deluxe-editions/the-land-that-time-forgot-3808.html

> Personally, top three of the worst illustrations in DLEs - combination of cheesy "superimposed" images combined with "first-person shooter" perspective images...

> Illustrator Patrick Faricy's website:

https://www.patrickfaricy.com/

I rather like the art, but that’s what makes people different. It’s in keeping with the cover art on the original magazines and paperbacks (see a few examples in Wikipedia). I’ve never read the story, but the article compares it to Jules Verne’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “Mysterious Island,” as well as A. C. Doyle’s “The Lost World.”

The thing that jumps out at me is the price. Until recently EP had kept the price of these Deluxe Illustrated Editions under $400, but I suppose the increase is to be expected.

>2 jroger1: If it is means as tribute/homage to the original paperbacks/magazines, the illustrator does a better job for the books listed under Books section in his website... These looks to me a bit like my elementary school collages pairing 16th paintings with contemporary/digital photographs...

As to the price, it appears most of the new books or reprints have gone up by at least $100, which implies cost increases in materials/labor etc. of at least 20%. Four volume Hornblower set has just been reprinted at $596 compared to its previous price of $480...

>3 EPsonNY: Agreed, that's exactly what I thought -- it's clearly meant to be a homage to the pulp era adventures. I think the illustrations look great. The book is not cheap, but keep in mind this is the trilogy, so although not explicitly stated (which is kinda of silly for them not to) it should include three complete novels -- The Land That Time Forgot, The People That Time Forgot, Out Of Time's Abyss. So you're basically paying $155 per novel, which is pretty darn good for something of this caliber :)

>4 astropi: There are Tarantino caliber homages and there are SyFy channel homages... I stand by my opinion this is the latter especially after seeing the artist's work in his website. Here it looks like he did not try as much...

In regards to paying per novel the length of novella, Easton Press already published this trilogy in 2012 for $129 with that edition containing a front piece illustration (as the very least) and a matching slipcase.

To me it is of questionable value for a reprint of a scanned, out of copyright text, with 16 illustrations that were probably a fruit of one photo shoot with live actors, few searchers for paid images (bear!) and a few hours in a photo editing software... Questions to whomever has expertise - are the clothes and guns even period accurate?

At least Easton Press customer service will sigh with relief on this one. 'Signed Edition' is gone from the spine, which will save them time answering phone calls asking whether E.R. Burroughs actually signed the book...

>5 EPsonNY: I think many of your criticisms are fair (e.g. I'm not buying it because I don't like the art either), but I own maybe a dozen or so DLEs, and I've not seen them use scanned text for any of them. In fact, it would be pretty tough to pull off for a 9” x 11” volume even with generous margins, when the original was a fraction of that size.

Correction: I should have said "for any of the Signed by the Illustrator DLEs." The bound Dickens facsimiles, for instance, certainly use scanned text, understandably.

>5 EPsonNY: You're entitled to your opinion of course, but I think these illustrations do the work great justice and I think the fact that there are 16 illustrations adds significantly to the value.

In regards to paying per novel the length of novella, Easton Press already published this trilogy in 2012 for $129 with that edition containing a front piece illustration (as the very least) and a matching slipcase.

I'm glad you brought this up! I do think that edition is an excellent value. But, keep in mind it was published over a decade ago and times have changed, especially these post-pandemic costs everything is far more expensive. Note that the cheapest copy I've seen for the earlier trilogy is $225. It does come with three illustrations - one per novel. Again, it's a great deal especially if you do not approve of the newer illustrations. That said, for the DLE you're paying more for the much larger number of illustrations, the artist's signature, and overall higher production costs (thicker paper etc). In my mind, both editions are excellent.

>5 EPsonNY:
I have all 40 of the signed-by-the illustrator series, and I think it is safe to say that none of them are scanned and all contain original art. Some are better than others, of course, but one of the best was Burroughs’s Tarzan DLE.

The use of live action photography against a vintage-looking background is a tried and true staple of the movies, Jurassic Park being a good example.

>8 jroger1: Agree on Tarzan and dare to add Dracula, Gilgamesh, Jekyll and Hyde, Tragedy of Macbeth, Beowulf, Left Hand of Darkness, Atlas Shrugged, Frankenstein, Grapes of Wrath and Moby Dick.

I still feel that this edition's artwork is closer to parody than pastiche. I would prefer all characters to be drawn in the period pulp style. Unanswered question to whomever has expertise - are the clothes and guns even period accurate?

I received my copy today and stand by my earlier judgement. A classy production.

I had never read these novels until this week and find them easy and fast. It is often difficult to know whether an author intentionally wrote a book for children and teens or whether the story just happens to appeal to those age groups. These can certainly be enjoyed by adults, too. There are no obscure words or complex sentence structures or lengthy philosophical opinions or 120-page descriptions of wolf hunting in 19th century Russia (as in “War and Peace”). Rather, the adventures move forward at an even pace much like Tolkien or Harry Potter or Treasure Island or Robinson Crusoe.

Rudyard Kipling, who also wrote stories for children as well as adults, is reported to have said that Burroughs claimed to be trying to see how bad of a book he could write and get away with. At this objective he failed.

>10 jroger1: >11 jroger1: thank you, it looks great to me. I did read ERB's most famous work, Tarzan, some years ago. With regards to Tarzan, I will say that it's an important and incredibly influential work. However, by today's standards it does have some racist and misogynistic content. Not trying to dissuade anyone from reading Tarzan, but there are a few sections which might make you sigh (and not in the good way) - on the other hand, it does show you that we've come a long ways as a society to address aforementioned problems. Anyway, just my 2 cents :)

>12 astropi:
I don’t recall any passages in these three novels that I would call racist and, if there were, they were mild and unintentional unlike, say, Lovecraft. However, Burroughs clearly has a preference for modern humans versus earlier ones, e.g., Cro-Magnons, but I suppose that is still okay.

>11 jroger1:
Thank you!
I am now beginning to consider purchasing this book! :)

Does anyone know what the original price was for the 5-book Mars set by Burroughs? I cannot find this information anywhere on the forum.
And does anyone know what the original price was for the 6-book Mickey Spillane set?

I’m not sure there was a 5-volume Mars/Burroughs set. Do you recall any details about it? I think all his Mars books were published randomly and separately.

I’ll have to check on the Hammer collection later tonight…I’m pretty sure I have an old flyer for that somewhere.

>15 booksforreading:

I have the Spillane set, I don't have the cost in front of me just now, but it was likely

>16 treereader:
I am talking about a set of five books that have unified red covers and pictures of four-hand Martian with a spear on the spines. It contains titles as follows:
A Princess of Mars
The Gods of Mars
The Warlord of Mars
Thuvia, Maid of Mars
The Chessmen of Mars

>17 sdawson:
It looks like unfortunately part of your post did not come through.

Item 1351, The Martian Tales 5 volume set OEM price for year 2005 or earlier:

5-volume set in one shipment.

5 monthly payments of just $59.00.

5 3/4" x 8 1/2"

Item No. 1351

https://web.archive.org/web/20050222075508/http://www.eastonpress.com/ViewProduc...

Item 1512, The Mike Hammer Collection 6 volume set OEM price for year 2006:

5 3/4" x 8 1/4"

Item Number: 1512

6-volume set in one shipment.

6 monthly payments of just $59.00.

https://web.archive.org/web/20070107013433/http://www.eastonpressbooks.com:80/le...

>19 saintmelville:
Thank you so much!
I don't know how you found this information. I was looking forever!