Science fiction and fantasy were among the lifelong principal collecting interests of the late Stanley Simon, a postal worker from Queens. In a recent 19th and 20th century literature sale held in his home city of New York a number of his books brought record bids.
At Swann Auction Galleries’ (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) sale of May 15, the three books of 1951-53 that make up Isaac Asimov’s famous Foundation trilogy, in unrestored jackets and meeting all first issue points, sold at $7500 (£5555), and a signed 1950 first of his I, Robot reached $5000 (£3705).
A fine copy in unclipped jacket of the book on which the film Blade Runner is loosely based, Philip K Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? of 1968, sold at $5600 (£4150), but bid to $8000 (£5925) – more than doubling the previous best – was a copy of Dick’s The Man in the High Castle.