Red-tinted background with images of goblins, witches and ghouls. Foreground are signed papers that read in part: The Book of the Sixth World Fantasy Convention, 1980.
Library, Museums and Press Staff
October 30, 2024

A View from the Vault: Terrifying Ghouls and Strange New Worlds

By Petra Clark, Special Collections

“A View from the Vault” showcases some of the unique, notable or rare items that are a part of the Special Collections and Museums holdings at the University of Delaware. Each month, we highlight a different item and share interesting facts or intriguing histories about it. If you are interested in seeing any of the materials featured in person or want to learn more about anything showcased in the series, please contact Special Collections and Museums at AskSpec or AskMuseums.

 

6th World Fantasy Convention Program

Roland E. Bounds collection papers and ephemera, MSS 0494, Box 1, Folder 13

Delaware native Roland E. Bounds (1953-2002) was a geologist, but also a prolific collector of speculative fiction, including works of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Over the course of his life, Bounds amassed more than 20,000 paperbacks and magazines from the 1890s to 2002, an impressive testament to his love for tales of terrifying ghouls and strange new worlds.

 

Six bound periodicals with titles like "Weird Tales", "Coven 13" and "Amazing Stories" are arranged on a table top.

A selection from the Bounds periodicals collection.

 

Eight bound paperbacks with titles like "Psycho", "Tales from the Crypt" and "Starship Troopers" lie on a table top.

A selection of books from the Bounds paperbacks collection.

 

Title page of "The Book of the Sixth World Fantasy Convention, 1980".

The title page of the 6th World Fantasy Convention Program (1980) from the Bounds collection papers and ephemera.

Besides these books and periodicals, Special Collections also holds some of Bounds’ personal papers and ephemera, including programs from a number of science fiction and fantasy conventions he attended in the 1970s to 2000s. These souvenirs offer a fascinating peek into the professional and fan communities that developed around these genres and their creators.

The program book featured here is from the 6th World Fantasy Convention, which was held in Baltimore, Maryland on Halloween weekend of 1980. This convention was dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe and the program contains various literary and artistic works that pay homage to the iconic horror author, including contributions from the convention’s headliners, writers Jack Vance and Robert Bloch and artist Boris Vallejo. 

Bounds’ program was signed by all three, as well as by Stephen King, Fritz Leiber, Frank Belknap Long and several other well-known writers who participated in the 1980 convention–and whose publications are included in Bounds’ collections.

The three Bounds collections are a rich resource for anyone interested in genre fiction, pulp publishing, book collecting, fantasy art, and popular culture. Please click on the finding aids linked below to learn more about each.

 

Links to collections mentioned in this post:

Roland E. Bounds collection papers and ephemera (MSS 0494)

Roland E. Bounds science fiction paperback book collection (MSS 0553)

Roland E. Bounds science fiction periodical collection (MSS 0504)