I often consider what it is that draws us toward books. It feels like something ancient. Passed down through the centuries. For some, it’s about more than just the words between the covers, or the places we are taken to when we read them; the wonderful escape. It’s also about a deep appreciation for the making of it, and the beauty in the object. The ultimate art of it.

This is expressed in the way the text is designed and how it is printed, the paper on which it is printed, the materials and craftsmanship of the whole.

Much can be said about the effect a fine edition can have on those who are drawn to them. We don’t necessarily have to understand why, only to appreciate the feel of the paper, the beauty of the typography, the elegance of the binding, and the materials used in its execution. To be grateful for it, and the effect it has on us.

For me, I was drawn to fine editions. From the first time I picked one up, I knew that I wanted to make books like that. There was a connection to this object which I could not explain or describe.

When I started Suntup Editions in 2016, I was inspired by the collective energy for fine bookmaking which was revitalized more than a century before my publishing adventure. When I decided to follow my dream of publishing beautifully crafted editions of novels which have touched our lives, I never anticipated the enthusiastic community of bibliophiles which has developed around the editions we publish.

Through this journey, I have discovered a purpose which goes beyond simply making books. What drives me on, day after day, is the fulfillment I feel when I see how much pleasure and excitement our editions bring to our customers, and for this, I am grateful.”

Suntup’s meticulously crafted editions have also touched the work of other authors including: Peter Benchley, Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury, Thomas Harris,  John Connolly, Blake Crouch, Roald Dahl, Philip K. Dick, Joe Hill, Neil Gaimnn, Stephen King and many others.  Each one an exquisite work of art worthy of the story contained within.

Here is a look at their latest offering, this time with Robert McCammon for his phenomenal tale, “Boy’s Life.”

A coming of age masterpiece, Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon is a richly imagined, spellbinding tale of everlasting summer days filled with boyhood adventures, and interwoven with a murder mystery. 

Set against the backdrop of the 1960s South; Zephyr, Alabama, is an idyllic hometown for eleven-year-old Cory Mackenson—a place where monsters swim the river deep and friends are forever. Then, one cold spring morning, Cory and his father witness a car plunge into a lake—and a desperate rescue attempt brings his father face-to-face with a terrible, haunting vision of death. As Cory struggles to understand his father’s pain, his eyes are slowly opened to the forces of good and evil that surround him. From an ancient mystic who can hear the dead and bewitch the living, to a violent clan of moonshiners, Cory must confront the secrets that hide in the shadows of his hometown. For his father’s sanity and his own life hang in the balance.

Winner of the Bram Stoker Award and World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, Boy’s Life was originally published in 1991 to wide critical acclaim. Book Page proclaims the novel “a tour de force of storytelling,” while Kirkus Reviews writes, “Strongly echoing the childhood-elegies of Stephen King and Ray Bradbury, and every bit their equal, Boy’s Life represents a brilliant blend of mystery and rich atmosphere, the finest work of one of today’s most accomplished writers.”

An unforgettable adventure steeped in nostalgia, Boy’s Life is a powerful reminder of the magic that exists in childhood and all that we confront on the way to adulthood.

The signed limited edition of Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon is presented in three states: Classic, Numbered and Lettered. The edition measures 6” x 9” and features six full color oil painting illustrations by David Palumbo. The edition includes Robert McCammon’s foreword to the 2008 edition, “Why I Wrote Boy’s Life”, as well as a new exclusive introduction by the author.

The text pages are set in Warbler and William Engraved with the Numbered and Lettered states printed letterpress by Max Koch and Bradley Hutchinson on a Heidelberg Cylinder in Austin, Texas. The Classic edition is printed offset, and the title page includes an additional spot color. The editions are printed on Cougar Natural, Mohawk Superfine, and mouldmade Arches Text papers.

CLASSIC EDITION:  PRE-ORDER HERE

The Classic edition is limited to 750 copies, and is the only edition to include a dust jacket illustrated by David Palumbo. It is a smyth-sewn full cloth binding with foil blocking on the cover.

Endsheets are illustrated and the edition is housed in a slipcase covered in Coloretta cloth, a finely woven, two-toned cover material with a subtle, yet distinctive color gradient effect. Its color changes depending on the angle of view. This state is printed offset on Cougar Natural paper and is signed by the author and artist.

NUMBERED EDITION

The Numbered edition of 250 copies is a quarter goatskin binding with a custom pattern design by Laura Serra printed on linen cloth covering the boards and a foil blocked leather label. The spine is Pentland Goatskin from J. Hewit & Sons. Endsheets are Hahnemühle Bugra and the head & tail bands are handmade with leather.

The book is housed in a cloth covered clamshell enclosure with velour lined floors and a foil blocked leather spine label. The edition is printed letterpress on Mohawk Superfine and is signed by the author and artist.

LETTERED EDITION

The Lettered edition is limited to 26 copies and is a full goatskin binding with leather capped corners, and a foil blocked cover with a leather spine label. Endsheets are hand marbled for this edition by Claire Guillot in France, and the head & tail bands are handmade with leather.

The clamshell enclosure is covered in European bookcloth with velour lined floors. This state is published in two volumes, with a paragraph from the text of the novel foil blocked in gold on the back covers. It is printed letterpress on mouldmade Arches Text, a beautiful wove watermarked paper, and is signed by the author and artist.