Graham Masterton's "Rules of Duel" (1970/2010/2014)

Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Wales: Telos (book, foreword), 2010.
7.75" x 5.125" x 0.375", 128 pages, softcover, ISBN 978-1-84583-054-0.

Rules of Duel by former Mayfair editor Graham Masterton, a book originally completed in 1970 and published in a first softcover edition by Telos (Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Wales) in 2010. Edited by Sam Stone, and typeset by Arnold T. Blumberg. Printed by Good News Press.

William S. Burroughs is noted on the cover of this book, but is only really responsible for the inspiration, and for the foreword, which is both presented in paragraph form and in its submitted three-column form ("2. Last Autumn – Over the Last Skyscrapers a Silent Kite / September 17, 1899 [sic] / Over New York").

The character "Motherwell the Everlasting Executioner" is modeled on William S. Burroughs.

At the last page is a photograph by Antony Balch of Graham Masterton, an unidentified woman, and William S. Burroughs at the Scientology Centre at Saint Hill in East Grinstead.

This specific copy of the book was formerly in the collection of Supervert (New York City).

Not in Shoaf.

Not in Schottlaender.

Also in the archive is a second edition of the book, acquired from the collection of Beat Scene publisher Kevin Ring (Binley Woods, England). Aside from the copyright information, this book is identical to the first edition.

Also in the archive is a revised 2014 edition of the book. This differs in a number of ways from the 2010 printings:

• the typeface on the covers is different
• the spine is green (as opposed to the darker spine of the 2010 edition)
• Burroughs is mentioned on the back cover, and the excerpt text differs significantly on the back cover
• there are no cover flaps on this edition
• the text inside is completely in a different font, and re-typeset
• the cover artist is credited (Lee Thompson)
• the address for Telos is now noted as Shortlands, Bromley, England
• in this edition, "About the Author" follows the photograph of Masterton and Burroughs
• 169 pages, including a "More Telos Titles" section
• ISBN 978-1-84583-856-0

This copy was acquired online.

Contents: 

• Graham Masterton: Introduction
• William S. Burroughs:
• Foreword [in paragraph form]
• Foreword [as three-column text: "2. Last Autumn – Over the Last Skyscrapers a Silent Kite / September 17, 1899 [sic] / Over New York"]
• Graham Masterton: "Rules of Duel":
• List of Characters
• "1. yes, we have no bananas"
• "2. hi-ho, etc."
• "3. a man of conscience"
• "4. but you remember each other inside my skin"
• About the Author [this follows the photograph in the 2014 edition]
• Antony Balch: photograph of Graham Masterton, an unidentified woman, and William S. Burroughs at the Scientology Centre at Saint Hill in East Grinstead
• More Telos Titles [this only appears in the 2014 edition]