[Rarebooks] Offering: W.J. Godrich Archive: TALES OF THE SUPERNATURAL

[Michael John Thompson]

GODRICH, W. J. [William John, 1926-2000].  TALES 
OF THE SUPERNATURAL: AN INDEX, by A.E.R.M. 
Stevens and W.J. Godrich  (unpublished), plus a 
substantial archive of correspondence concerning 
the collecting of Weird and Supernatural Fiction, 
plus miscellaneous notes, dealers catalogues, etc., etc.

William “John” Godrich lived in Swansea, Wales. 
He was a collector of rare books and records, 
specializing in weird and supernatural fiction, 
illustrated books, and American blues recordings. 
H was co-author (with Robert M.W. Dixon) of BLUES 
AND GOSPEL RECORDS (1964), still in print and 
considered the ‘bible’ of collecting early blues 
recordings, as well as  RECORDING THE BLUES, 
(1970), also with Dixon. He spent many years 
working on a bibliography of Supernatural 
fiction, based on his own collection and that of 
his friends and correspondents. Initially, this 
was co-authored with Anthony Stevens; later he 
worked with Richard Dalby. The bibliography, 
tentatively titled TALES OF THE SUPERNATURAL: AN 
INDEX, was never published. Godrich died in 2000. 
His book collection was sold off before his death 
and has long ago been dispersed. Anthony 
Stevens’s collection went to Sothebys in 1996 ( 
Sale LN6731, 17 December 1996, Lots 372-641, “The 
A.E.R.M. Stevens Collection Of Detective Fiction, 
Ghost Stories, Gothic Novels, Science Fiction And 
Fantasy And Victorian Fiction”).

We offer here Godrich’s original unpublished 
typescript for the bibliography, plus his notes 
and subsequent drafts, plus his correspondence 
with other collectors and dealers over a 
multi-year period concerning the identification 
and acquisition of books of supernatural fiction, 
including a substantial archive of letters with 
important bibliographical information. Over 200 
pages of original typescript and letters are 
included, forming an in-depth look at 
researching, collecting and cataloguing 
supernatural fiction in these formative years.

------------------------

TALES OF THE SUPERNATURAL: AN INDEX. (Preliminary 
checklist. 2nd draft. March 1975) by A.E.R.M 
Stevens and W.J. Godrich. 23 pp., carbon-copy 
typescript on rectos only, with numerous 
manuscript additions and notes. “Items owned or 
inspected by us are designated by either one or 
two asterisk following book titles. Complete 
details of other listed titles urgently needed
.” 
Thanks are given to Richard Dalby, Bob Yates, 
John Melville and George Locke. Approx 1200 titles are listed. Unbound.

[along with]

TALES OF THE SUPERNATURAL (Third draft) April 
1976 (by John Godrich and Richard Dalby). 
Unfinished. 4 pages, original typescript on 
rectos only, carbon copies included.Covers 
authors from A.P. Barker - E.F. Benson. A more 
proper bibliography, with author, title, 
publisher, date and a plot synopsis. Also 
included are three pages on Herbert Russell 
Wakefield: A biography (photocopy of typescript) 
and 2 pages of bibliography (original typescript, 
carbons included). Also included is one extra 
sheet of stories from the pulps, random, with 
plot outlines; plus short checklists of magazine 
appearances of stories by Philip Jose Farmer, 
Otis Adelbert Kline, Laurence Manning, C.L. 
Moore, Eric Frank Russell, Jack Vance, Roger 
Zelazny, Leigh Brackett, George Allen England, 
Ray Cumings,  J. Rousseau, C.B. Stilson, Tod 
Robbins, Frances Stevens, Philip M. Fisher, 
Perley Sheehan, W.C. Morrow, Ralph Milne Farley, 
Jack Mann (E. Charles Vivian), John Taine, E. Hoffman Price and others.

[along with]

Biographies of Algernon Blackwood, Aleister 
Crowley, Dion Fortune and Edith Nesbit, 2 leaves, 
typescript, first leaf printed on recto and 
verso, 2nd leaf printed on recto only. Penned by 
Godrich, these are amateur but original 
biographical sketches, with some first hand 
knowledge, i.e.: 
”Frieda Harris, who thought 
Crowley the most wonderful man she had ever met 
and after his death wore his huge jade ring, once 
told me that he felt an overwhelming pity for 
women thus afflicted (with alcoholism)” .

[along with]

18 pages of typescript (9 pages printed on rectos 
and versos) by Godrich, reprinting stories from 
the pulps: THE MALIGNANT INVADER by Frank Belknap 
Long (Weird Tales Jan 1932); THOSE WHO SEEK by 
August Derleth (Weird Tales Jan 1932); THE KELPIE 
by Manley Wade Wellman (Weird Tales July 1936); 
THE NECRONOMICON by Lin Carter (from The 
Shuttered Room, Arkham House, 1959); Extracts 
from THE BOOK OF THE DEAD: FARNSWORTH WRIGHT by 
E. Hoffmann Price (from W. Paul Cook’s “The 
Ghost”; reprinted in Anubis. No. 3. 1968);  and 
THE SEALED CASKET by Richard Seawright (Weird Tales March 1935).

CORRESPONDENCE:

ANDREW STEVENS. To John Godrich. 8 Autograph 
Letters Signed, dated 12th January 1975 – 24th 
April 1977. 21 pages on 11 leaves. Mostly dealing 
with bibliographical matters, books traded or sold between them, etc.

RICHARD DALBY. To John Godrich.  67 Typed Letters 
Signed and 1 Autograph Letter Signed, total 68 
letters 1972-1977: 5 dated 1972, 13 dated 1973 
(one is 3-pages); 14 dated 1974; 17 dated 1975; 
15 dated 1976; 3 dated 1977. All concern weird 
fiction: the contents of books (and proposed 
books) edited by Dalby, extensive lists of titles 
sold by Dalby to Godrich (and vice-versa); who 
has what books (Covent Garden Bookshop had 
Christopher Blayre’s THE CHEETAH-GIRL, one of 20 
copies, at £12.50), prices charged by dealers, 
great finds (Dalby recounts purchasing Timlin’s 
THE SHIP THAT SAILED TO MARS for £2 in a country 
bookshop; mentions purchasing a 1st edition of 
William Hope Hodgson’s MEN OF THE DEEP WATERS, 
1914, in d/w), book illustrators, much on 
collecting M.R. James, H.R. Wakefield, Mervyn 
Peake, Austin Osman Spare, etc, etc; and, later 
on, collaborating together on TALES OF THE 
SUPERNATURAL. Also included is a one-page 
typescript of the Table of Contents for the 
proposed work THE SPECTRE SPIDER AND OTHER GHOST 
STORIES, edited by Dalby (never published as such).

JIM PITTS [ILLUSTRATOR]. To John Godrich. 1 
Autograph Letter Signed and one Typed Letter 
Signed, both dated 1976. The ALS is on Pitts’ 
illustrated letterhead, with Cthulhu and other 
weird figures. Concerning the purchase of 
magazines and publications available.

HUGH LAMB. To John Godrich. 4 Typed Letters 
Signed & 1 Autograph Letter Signed, all dated 
1976. Concerning Lamb’s anthologies, and 
suggestions for contributions to them (Godrich 
suggested the story “Finless Death” by R.E. 
Vernede, it was later included in Lamb’s 
anthology THE MAN-WOLF AND OTHER HORRORS (1978).

BRIAN STABLEFORD. To John Godrich. Undated. 1 
short TLS, mentioning a letter in Science Fantasy 
No. 78 as well as admitting to the short story 
BEYOND TIME’S AEGIS by “Brian Craig” in that 
issue, written by him in collaboration with a 
school-friend named Craig. Signed simply “Brian”.

EDWARD P. BERGLUND. To John Godrich. 12 Typed 
Letters Signed. Dated 1972-1977. First 4 are on 
air mail paper, remainder on 8.5 x 11. Printed 
rectos only. Discusses Fanzines, supernatural 
tales, an HP Lovecraft bibliography titled 
BIBLIOTHECA: HPL  and anthologies edited by 
Berglund, Robert Weinberg’s READER’S GUIDE TO THE 
CTHULHU MYTHOS (co-edited by Berglund), stories 
by Brian Lumley and Lin Carter, FROM BEYOND THE 
DARK GATEWAY (edited by Berglund); work on the 
proposed HYBORIAN AGE CHRONOLOGY, Cthulhu Mythos 
tales in the SUPERNATURAL STORIES paperbacks, his 
anthology DISCIPLES OF CTHULHU, etc, etc.

W. PAUL GANLEY. To John Godrich. 2 Typed Letters 
Signed. Dated 1975 & 1976. Concerning WEIRDBOOK, 
and offers for magazines and books.

WAGNER, Karl Edward. To John Godrich. 2 Typed 
Letters Signed, dated 1975 & 1976, on Carcosa 
Press letterhead. The first confirms an order for 
E. Hoffman Price’s FAR LANDS, OTHER DAYS, with 
some commentary (plus enclosed invoice); the 
second concerns the return of said book as being 
mis-bound, and notes the upcoming publication of 
MURGUNSTRUMM & OTHERS. Quite chatty.

Plus, BRIAN MOODY, 2 long letters; JOHN M. 
HARVEY, 5 letters, MARTIN STONE, 1 letter, WAYNE 
WARFIELD, 1 letter, NIGEL SMITH (BFS) 5 letters, 
EDDY C. BERTIN 2 letters, CHRISTOPHER LOWDER 2 
letters (mentioning Dermot Chesson Spence’s 
LITTLE RED SHOES), VERNON LAY 2 letters, DAVE 
FLETCHER 2 letters, M.F. CRAWFORD 1 letter (on WITCHCRAFT & SORCERY letterhead)

[along with]

Approx 15 pages of quotes and book offers from various and sundry;

[along with]

Approx 10 book catalogues & lists from G. Ken 
Chapman, Ferret Fantasy, Robert Madle, 
Loompanics, Phantasmagoria, etc. All from the 1970’s.


For the Archive: $500.00 US.



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Michael John Thompson
ABAC / ILAB
5275 Jerow Road
Hornby Island, BC
Canada V0R 1Z0
250-335-1182

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