John W. Knott, Jr.’s Science Fiction Stall

The 58^th New York Antiquarian Book Fair brought together collectors and booksellers of various disciplines, genres, time periods, and areas of interest. Some stalls featured interesting and bizarre oddities, while others showcased rare children’s books. One particularly interesting stall belonged to John W. Knott, Jr., whose collection was composed of science fiction classics and rarities.

Knott originally got his start as an avid reader of science fiction texts. As a young man, he made a connection with a man who had attended the first ever science fiction convention in Philadelphia in 1936. This man allowed Knott to view his vast collection of pulp magazines. Knott was then inspired to begin collecting, himself.

The most recent and most exciting of Knott’s acquisitions is a first edition of the American publication of Dracula inscribed by Bram Stoker. Knott confessed that there are many extant issues of Dracula, both American and British, and they pop up frequently in rare book circles. However, condition plays a large role in the value of these texts, and Knott’s copy is in very find condition. Also featured at his stall were copies of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Frank Herbert’s Dune.