by Clifford D. Simak
Way Station by Clifford D. Simak, with original cover artwork by Vincent Di Fate, is a Collector's Edition volume from the Masterpieces of Science Fiction collection by The Easton Press, issued in a limited run and bound in full leather of a deep crimson red with a fine pebbled grain and a soft satin sheen. The front board is framed by a single thin rule accented in 22kt gold, set in from the edges, enclosing a stylized celestial scene worked entirely in gold line: three cratered spheres drift across the upper field, trailed by long sweeping streaks, while four-pointed starbursts and scattered dots occupy the space between them. Toward the lower half a farmhouse with a gabled roof, tall chimney, and lit windows rises from close-hatched ground, its forms built from parallel ruled strokes. The spine carries raised hubs dividing it into panels; at the head sits a small radiant emblem, below it the title in flowing gold script reading downward, then the surname SIMAK in gold capitals, and at the foot a miniature repetition of the house device. The pages are gilded on all edges in 22kt gold and printed on acid-neutral archival paper, Smyth sewn with concealed muslin joints for durability, and a pristine bookplate remains affixed inside the front cover. This copy comes from a single-owner private collection, unread and always stored in dust-free bookcases in a dry climate, its condition pristine and as new.
| Publisher | Easton Press |
| Collection | Masterpieces of Science Fiction |
| Original Copyright | 1963 |
| Binding | Red 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 |
| Cover Artwork | Vincent DiFate |
| Condition | Pristine / As New / Unread |
| Provenance | Single-owner private collection, stored in dust-free bookcases in a dry climate |