by Fred Hoyle
THE BLACK CLOUD by Fred Hoyle, a Collector's Edition from the Masterpieces of Science Fiction Collection by The Easton Press, issued as a limited run. The volume is bound in full grey leather with a hubbed spine, the leather softly grained with a fine, lightly creased texture and a deep charcoal-grey tone. The title, THE BLACK CLOUD, runs vertically up the spine in 22k gold stylized script; below it, set between raised hubbed bands, sits a small 22k gold emblem of a stylized cloud, and near the foot the author name FRED HOYLE appears in 22k gold. The front cover is framed by a thin 22k gold rule border and carries original artwork by Richard Powers, rendered as fine 22k gold line-work on the dark leather ground: a rising sun, its many straight rays fanning outward, partially eclipsed by a large dark cloud of curling gold outlines, with further stylized clouds and rolling wave-like forms toward the lower right. The page block is printed on acid-neutral, archival paper and finished with gilded edges. The binding features Smyth sewing and concealed muslin joints, and the inside front cover holds a pristine bookplate. A single-owner copy from a private collection, it is accented throughout in 22k gold and has always been stored in a dust-free bookcase in a dry climate. The condition is pristine, as-new, and unread.
| Publisher | Easton Press |
| Collection | Masterpieces of Science Fiction |
| Original Copyright | 1957 |
| Binding | Grey leather, hubbed spine, 22kt gold accents |
| Paper | Archival-quality, acid-neutral |
| Page Edges | 22k gold gilded |
| Construction | Smyth-sewn, concealed muslin joints |
| Signed | No |
| First Edition | No |
| Condition | Pristine / As New / Unread |
| Provenance | Single-owner private collection, stored in dust-free bookcases in a dry climate |