The Place of Dead Roads, William S. Burroughs

£40.00

The Place of Dead Roads, William S. Burroughs

Name: The Place of Dead Roads, William S. Burroughs
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 6282
Price: 40.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, John Calder (Publishers) Ltd., 1984

Formatting: 8vo, pp. 306.

Condition Report: Very Good. The softcover binding remains remarkably square and tight, featuring an uncreased spine that strongly suggests the volume has remained unread. The pictorial wraps are generally bright and clean, exhibiting only minor shelf-wear and a very slight upward curl to the lower fore-edge corner of the front cover. The text block shows a touch of uniform, age-appropriate toning, yet the internal leaves are crisp, clean, and entirely free from foxing, moisture damage, or prominent mishandling. An exceptionally sturdy, highly presentable survivor of a fragile paperback production.

Catalogue Note: This is the first British paperback edition of Burroughs's subversive and darkly comic Western, issued as Calderbook CB 410. Published concurrently with the hardback edition, this softcover retains the striking photographic cover layout and typographic design synonymous with Calder’s 1980s avant-garde output.

Given the notoriously fragile nature of trade paperbacks from this period, which are highly susceptible to heavy tanning, glue failure, and spine cracking, locating a tight, uncreased example of this seminal postmodern text on the open market has become increasingly uncommon.

The second instalment in William S. Burroughs’s monumental Red Night Trilogy, The Place of Dead Roads transports the reader into a hallucinatory vision of the American Old West. The novel chronicles the exploits of Kim Carsons, a homosexual gunslinger, time-travelling agent, and metaphysical outlaw who seeks to dismantle the oppressive moral and societal codes of the twentieth century. Blending science fiction, historical pastiche, and Burroughs’s signature cut-up techniques, the narrative unfolds as a surreal, shoot-out-filled exploration of freedom, control, and the fluid boundaries of reality.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: William S. Burroughs

Book Publisher: John Calder (Publishers) Ltd.

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Modern Fiction

Book edition:

Signed: No

Book Pages: 306

Book Publication Year: 1984

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Paperback

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: The Red Night Trilogy

Country/region of manufacture: Fairfield, Pennsylvania, United States

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.