"Book Of The Dead" Slipcased Signed Limited Edition No. 431 of 500 [Fine/Fine]

Personally signed by all contributors, including Stephen King, Richard Laymon, and Robert R. McCammon. 

Willimantic, CT. Mark V. Ziesing Publishers 1989 "The Book Of The Dead". Slipcased signed limited edition of only 500 produced. Hardcover book with dust-jacket. This is number 431. Very Fine without any flaws. Signed by all the contributors, including Stephen King, Richard Laymon, and Robert R. McCammon. 334 pages.

Edited by John Skipp and Craig Spector.

Cover artwork by: J.K. Potter

Book of the Dead

Book of the Dead is an anthology of horror stories first published in 1989, edited by John Skipp and Craig Spector and featuring a foreword written by George A. Romero (erroneously credited as George R. Romero in first print editions of the book). All the stories in the anthology are united by the same premise seen in Romero's apocalyptic films, depicting a worldwide outbreak of zombies and various reactions to it. The first book was followed three years later by a follow-up, Still Dead: Book of the Dead 2, with a new group of writers tackling the same premise, though the second book put the stories in order according to their imagined chronology of the zombie takeover.

The Book of the Dead compilations are regarded as classic anthologies in the horror and splatterpunk genres, featuring a great number of famous names including Stephen King, Joe R. Lansdale, Robert R. McCammon and foreworded by George A. Romero and Tom Savini. They are likely the first anthologies of zombie-themed tales ever printed, and have been cited as perhaps the first true "zombie literature" as such.

According to author Ian McDowell, a third anthology was planned back in 1991. However, bad luck led to it going "through many permutations and publishers over the years. I've been paid for my story by two different publishers and I've proofed two different sets of galleys." Cemetery Dance finally released it under the title Mondo Zombie in 2006.

Anthology contents

Book of the Dead

Foreword by George A. Romero (credited as George R. Romero in first print editions)

"Introduction: On Going Too Far, or Flesh Eating Zombies: New Hope for the Future" by Skipp and Spector
"Blossom" by Chan McConnell (pseudonym for David J. Schow) 
"Mess Hall" by Richard Laymon
"It Helps If You Sing" by Ramsey Campbell
"Home Delivery" by Stephen King
"Wet Work" by Phillip Nutman
"A Sad Last Love at the Diner of the Damned" by Edward Bryant
"Bodies and Heads" by Steve Rasnic Tem
"Choices" by Glen Vasey
"The Good Parts" by Les Daniels
"Less than Zombie" by Douglas E. Winter
"Like Pavlov's Dogs" by Steven R. Boyett
"Saxophone" by Nicholas Royle
"On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert With Dead Folks" by Joe R. Lansdale
"Dead Giveaway" by Brian Hodge
"Jerry's Kids Meet Wormboy" by David J. Schow
"Eat Me" by Robert R. McCammon