Somewhere East of Life (Signed) (Masterpieces of Science Fiction series)

First thus. Stated ‘collector’s edition’.  Signed by Brian Aldiss xvi, 392, with a colour plate illustration.  Bound in full grey leather, five raised bands to spine and 22kt gilt stamped lettering and decorations.  All edges gilt.  Grey satin ribbon marker bound in.  Smyth-sewn pages with decorative head band.  Printed on archival-quality, acid-free paper which will not tan over time. 8vo.   Volume is neat, clean, bright and tight throughout.

The Easton Press, founded in 1975, is renowned for publishing fine quality and masterfully crafted, leather bound books.  The volumes are often reissues of historical, canonical and classical literature but the Easton Press also has original and modern sub-genres in its catalogue. Many of its publications use elegant, classic typography and vintage or specially commissioned illustrations: all are beautifully designed with stylish exterior and interior detailing.  

This Easton Press edition claims to the the first edition (on the signature page and on the title page): in fact it isn’t.  The first trade publication was earlier in the same year, published in the UK by Flamingo/HarperCollins as a standard cloth-covered hardback.  Yet this edition is prized as it hand-signed by Aldiss on the official signature page.