Stardust Signed by Neil Gaiman first edition 1999

London: Headline Book Publishing, 1999
 
8vo., black publisher’s boards, lettered vertically in gilt along backstrip, with publisher’s device to foot; bright blue endpapers; black ribbon marker; together in the original unclipped publisher’s dustwrapper (£17.99), with a jacket image by Lalique; pp. [x], 3-246, [ii]; double-page title and full-page chapter headings featuring repeat Art Nouveau designs by the author; a fine, apparently unread copy, with just a hint of pushing to the spine and overlaid barcode sticker to rear panel. 
 
First UK edition thus, with full number line 1-10. This copy signed by the author in brown ink to the half-title. 
 
First issued by DC Comics as a prestige format four-issue comic mini-series two years prior, this edition of Stardust was the first to appear in its adapted novel form without illustrations. Part romance, part fantasy, the book was written in a Tolkien-esque style, with a plot centring around the village of ‘Wall’. Gaiman - who conceived of the idea while driving - recalls seeing a stone barrier and imagining a world of faerie existing behind it. Originally entitled simply ‘Wall’, the original plot was to revolve around an American novelist, who travelled to the UK to find out more about this mysterious divide. It was while at a party sometime later, when Gaiman saw a shooting star, that the name was changed to ‘Stardust’. He dragged Charles Vess (who was at the same party and provided the original illustrations) to one side, and that evening the final concept for the story was born. The glossy booklets were released over a period of four months, and subsequently a ‘story book’ edition was issued in one volume, with reproductions of the magazine covers, along with many sketches by Vess. 
 
Beginning in 1839 (when in real life John William Draper was producing the first detailed photographs of the Moon and Charles Dickens was serialising Oliver Twist), the majority of the plot is set in 1856, 17 years later, and focuses on the adventures of a young man - Tristran Thorn - from the village of Wall, which borders the magical land of Faerie. Falling for the beautiful Victoria Forester, Tristan sees a star falling from the sky, and vows to retrieve it from the other side in order to win her hand. His adventures take him into perilous lands which feature witches, sky pirates and magical candles along the way. 
 
In 2007, the film adaptation of the novel was released, with a huge all-star cast which included such figures as Sienna Miller, Ricky Gervais, Rupert Everett, Peter O'Toole, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Robert De Niro in major roles. The film was narrated by Ian McKellen.
 
“Adventures are all very well in their place, he thought, but there’s a lot to be said for regular meals and freedom from pain.”
 
A hauntingly nostalgic fairy tale adventure, rare in this UK hardcover edition, and especially so signed.