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three books sitting on top of each other on a white surfacea black book with gold trim on a white backgroundan open book with a picture of the title of a poeman open book with a picture of a cat on itan old book sitting on top of a white table next to a white wallan old book with writing on it sitting on top of a tablean open book with a picture of a cat sitting on top of ita blue and white book with a black cover on a white surfacean open book with a handwritten title and a picture of a manan open book with a picture of a cat on ita close up of a book on a white surface with a blue covera book with an image of a medical symbol on itan open book that has a picture of a bird on itan open book sitting on top of a white table next to a cup of coffee
MARAMBAT - de MALAFOSSE

51 - [FANTASY]. SET OF 4 RARE WORKS OF FANTASY LITERATURE:
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Estimate €300 - €400
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Description
[FANTASY]. SET OF 4 RARE WORKS OF FANTASY LITERATURE: SAND (George). LAURA. Travels and Impressions. Paris, Michel Lévy frères, Booksellers and Publishers, at the Librairie nouvelle, 1865. In-12 ½ bronze-green chagrin, chagrin-textured cloth covers, smooth spine divided by double gilt fillets, gilt title and date (Modern binding). A few scattered foxing spots, more pronounced on the first few leaves; leaves browned, with more pronounced browning on the first few leaves. ORIGINAL COLLECTIVE EDITION, bringing together ‘Laura – Voyage dans le cristal’, ‘Les Charmettes’, ‘Lettre d’un voyageur’ and ‘Ce que dit le ruisseau’. The main story had appeared in advance of publication in the ‘Revue des Deux Mondes’ of 1 and 15 January 1864. A scientific and fantastical tale inspired by mineralogy, “Laura” describes a visionary journey into the heart of a world of crystals and an expedition to the North Pole. Its publication preceded that of Jules Verne’s *Journey to the Centre of the Earth* by only a short while, and critics have noted several thematic parallels between the two works. GOOD COPY, in a high-quality imitation binding. ¶ Versins, 791: ‘A most curious work that begins like a fairy tale’ – Clouzot, 248. EYRAUD (Achille). VOYAGE TO VENUS. Paris, Michel Lévy frères, Librairie nouvelle, 1865. In-12 ½, contemporary green sheepskin, smooth spine divided by four gilt fillets, wide gilt roulette at the foot, gilt title, ‘J. D’Orlhac’ ex-libris gilt on the front cover (contemporary binding). Corners of the covers worn; a paper loss in the top left-hand corner of the front cover, roughly retouched; marked foxing. FIRST EDITION of this seminal novel of French science fiction, which recounts an interplanetary journey undertaken in a spacecraft powered by a jet propulsion system. It constitutes one of the very first detailed literary descriptions of a space rocket and the first known novel to take Venus specifically as its main setting. It was published in the same year as Jules Verne’s *From the Earth to the Moon*. A COPY featuring, opposite the title page, an AUTOGRAPHED DEDICATION: ‘To my old friend Justin D’Orlhac / Achille Eyraud’. ¶ Versins, 304. ROSNY (J.-H., pseudonym of Joseph-Henri BOËX, known as ROSNY the Elder). LES XIPÉHUZ. [Followed by LE CATACLYSME]. Paris, Société du Mercure de France, 1896. In-16 ½, petrol-blue buffalo leather, spine with 5 raised bands, gilt title, cover preserved (modern binding). Small corner loss at the top of the front cover, small brown stains at the bottom of page 127, without affecting the text. FIRST COLLECTIVE EDITION, expanded to include “Le Cataclysme”. A seminal text of scientific fantasy, “Les Xipéhuz” ranks amongst the essential works of early French science fiction. It was first published in 1887 in the collection *L’Immolation*, then separately by Albert Savine in 1888. This 1896 edition features a revised text, notably with corrections to the order and numbering of the chapters. ONE OF 15 COPIES ON HOLLAND PAPER (no. 7), the second paper used after only three copies on Imperial Japanese paper, the sole deluxe edition. A copy bound with full margins. ¶ Pierre Versins, 775. FREDH. MEKHANAI. Novel. Paris, Bernard Grasset, 1912. In-12 Bradel, blue and white abstract-patterned paper, plain spine, black calfskin title label (modern binding). Handwritten ‘Pierre Rémy’ bookplate at the top of the title page. FIRST EDITION of this very rare novel, which falls under the category of ‘μηχαναί’ (machines, processes or devices) and belongs to the speculative and philosophical literature of the early 20th century. The BNF identifies FREDH as Pol Marie Fred LAHALLE (1889–1968), a naval officer and writer; however, recent research suggests instead that it refers to his relative Frédéric Marie Charles LAHALLE (1857–1918), a retired naval commander, an attribution consistent with a review in *La Dépêche de Brest* dated 25 March 1913 devoted to *Mekhanaï*. A copy in an attractive modern imitation of a late 19th-century Japanese-style binding. ¶ BnF, authority record for Fredh – Patrick Ramseyer, ‘Le coin des pseudonymes et autres recherches biographiques’, *Le Rocambole*, no. 88–89, 2019, p. 319 – *La Dépêche de Brest*, 25 March 1913, review signed ‘Caradec’.
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About the sale Sale of Antique and Modern Books
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Auction time 11/12/2026 at 2:00 PM
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