The SF Site: Mark V. Ziesing Books

A number of years ago, the Ziesing Brothers operated a large bookstore in the college town of Willimantic, Connecticut. It stocked a wide range of titles but with a particular emphasis on SF, fantasy, horror, and the like. Mark Ziesing had built up a large local clientele along with a substantial mail order arm. They had tried their hand at some non-SF small press publishing when, one day, Mark decided to do Gene Wolfe's The Castle of the Otter. Its success led to a second book, The Wolfe Archipelago, which had double the print run of the first. These were the only two SF items done under the Ziesing Brothers imprint. Subsequent books have appeared with the Mark V. Ziesing Books logo. In 1989, Mark Ziesing and family moved from Willimantic back to his native state, California. The Book of the Dead was the final book published in Connecticut. Setting up a mail order business, as publisher and bookseller, became the principal focus.

Ziesing books can be purchased from a variety of sources. Mark supplies books to specialty book dealers around the world, his titles are available through online suppliers like amazon.com and, of course, directly from him. Ziesing limited editions come only direct, many of which are sold out immediately.

Mark V. Ziesing

Mark V. Ziesing Books Website

Books can be purchased from:
Mark V. Ziesing
P. O. Box 76
Shingletown, CA 96088
They accept Visa and MasterCard.
Phone & Fax: (530) 474-1580
Email :ziesingbooks@frontiernet.net

Mark V. Ziesing Books
Installments
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Mark V. Ziesing

Sports & Music (1994)
Lucius Shepard

Done as a 50 page stapled paperback, the two reprint stories form the content of what is labeled Ziesing Chapbook #1. One story, "Sports in America", originally appeared as a novella in Playboy, July 1991, is revised and expanded. The short story, "A Little Night Music" appeared in Omni, March 1992, was also revised and expanded for this edition.

Insomnia (1994)
Stephen King

Little bald guys in white lab coats running around with scissors? People with auras coloured with the state of their health? Where does Stephen King come up with this stuff? Stephen King takes a simple premise, a senior with insomnia, and turns it into a heartwarming story. Ralph Roberts suffers following the death of his wife and, along his new friend Lois, witnesses some pretty weird events in his neighbourhood. His simple life has changed to one of confusion and danger, unreality and mayhem. And he may just become one of the victims unless he can solve the puzzle.

The Earth Strikes Back (1994)
edited by Richard T. Chizmar

Richard T. Chizmar, editor of Cemetery Dance, put together this anthology of original stories on the theme of ecological horror and disaster. It was produced in a trade paper format with wraparound ends -- like a dust jacket (with end papers) but the paper is thicker. It contains the following stories:

My Copsa Micas by Dan Simmons

Harvest by Norman Partridge

Toxic Wastrels by Poppy Z. Brite

The Forest is Crying by Charles de Lint

I Remember Me by Thomas Tessier

Ground Water by James Kisner

Cages by Ed Gorman

Where It's Safe by John Shirley

Expiration Date by William Relling Jr.

The Dreaded Hobblobs by Gary A. Braunbeek

Cancer Alley by Nancy A. Collins

Binary by Roman A. Ranieri

Tyrophex-Fourteen by Ronald Kelly

Torrent by Mark Rainey

Toxic Shock by Rick Hautala

Please Stand By by Thomas F. Monteleone

Double-Edged Sword by Barry Hoffman

The Fur Coat by Richard Laymon

Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200 by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Genesis II by Hugh B. Cave

Forthcoming Titles

Books slated for future release include:

A Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore edited by Mark V. Ziesing which features weird and dark stories about books and book collectors. Contributors include Thomas Ligotti, Brian Stableford, A.A. Attanasio, Patrick O'Leary, and several others.

A Handbook of American Prayer by Lucius Shepard is planned once the author finally turns in his manuscript.

Mark V. Ziesing

Remake (1995)
Connie Willis

Wide margins and sizable type make this novella feel more like a novel. It is the story of a future Hollywood filled with decadent editors censoring alcohol and tobacco from digitized versions of old movies. They use computer graphics to remake the films with different famous actors and changed endings. Actors rarely work and it is hard for somebody to break into the business. And all Alis wants is to dance in the movies. But she knows if you want something badly enough, you can get it, in the movies.

Lunching With the Anti-Christ (1995)
Michael Moorcock

A reprint collection of connected stories, they span the years 1925 to 2015 and are set in such diverse locales as London, rural England, North Africa and Southeast Asia. It follows the exploits of several families and their political impact. Many of the stories first appeared in a number of obscure UK publications. It collects the following stories:

A Winter Admiral

Wheel of Fortune

Dead Singers

Lunching with the Antichrist

The Opium General

The Cairene Purse

Crossing into Cambodia

Walking Wolf (1995)
Nancy A. Collins

Sub-titled A Weird Western, this novel is about a native American who happens to be a werewolf. The werewolf encounters a cowboy who turns out to be a vampire. Despite differences, they become companions to adventure throughout the west. An interesting idea from the author of Sunglasses After Dark and the writer for Swamp Thing, it has its odd moments and its gory moments.