Clarke, Arthur C. (1951) ‘The Sands of Mars’, UK signed first edition

Arthur Charles Clarke (1951) ‘The Sands of Mars‘. UK first edition, first printing, published by Sidgwick & Jackson. Signed and inscribed by Clarke on the ffep: ‘To Jim Burch from Arthur Clarke”. Published in the UK a year before publication in the US by the Gnome Press.

Provenance:

Jim Burch was a science fiction fan and co-organiser of the 1951 Science Fiction Convention in London (10-13 May 1951) where he was responsible for the wire recording:

http://www.fiawol.org.uk/fanstuff/then%20archive/1951Festivention/Festi01.htm

A picture of Burch can be found here:

http://www.fiawol.org.uk/fanstuff/then%20archive/1951Festivention/Festi04.htm

Needless to say Jim Burch had easier access to the young science fiction writers of the early 1950s. We have recently acquired many books of that era with books inscribed to Burch by John Wyndham, Arthur C Clarke, John Carnell, and William F. Temple. So we do not doubt the authenticity of the inscription and it will stand the test of any decent authentication agency.

Condition: near fine in a very good dust jacket. Usual toning to the paper commensurate with age. No bumps to the boards. The jacket shows the price 10s 6d net as called for. Minor edge wear and spine darkened. The front panel has some colour loss as shown, possibly from the removal of a sticker.

‘The Sands of Mars’ is Arthur C. Clarke’s debut novel if one discards ‘Against the Fall of Night’ which was originally published in 1948 as a novella.

Sands of Mars is a very important work as it introduces a number of features that Clarke later used in ‘Odyssey 2001’ and its sequels.