Menu
RealityStudio
  • Bibliographic Bunker
  • Texts
  • Bibliography
  • Interviews
  • Biography
  • Criticism
  • Scholarship
RealityStudio

The Soft Machine

[M&M A5]

William S Burroughs, The Soft Machine, Olympia Press, 1961Paris: Olympia Press 1961, stiff olive-green wraps, with decorated dust jacket, one of 5,000 copies. Maynard & Miles A5a. The second publication of Burroughs’ work by Olympia Press. Dust jacket design by Brion Gysin.

New York: Grove Press 1966, first US printing, one of 18,000 copies, hardbound in dust jacket. Maynard & Miles A5b. This edition was revised from the Olympia Press printing with additions and expansions.

New York: Black Cat 1966, first wraps printing, one of 25,000 copies. Maynard & Miles A5c.

London: Calder & Boyars 1968, first British publication, hardbound in decorated dust jacket. Maynard & Miles A5d. The rear jacket panel states that following the Paris and U.S. Editions, “this final, definitive edition has been considerably revised by the author from the two earlier versions.”

_____ simultaneous British softcover edition. Maynard & Miles A5e.

London: Corgi Books 1970, first thus British edition in wraps. Maynard & Miles A5f.

New York: Ballantine Books 1973, first thus with surreal designed wraps. Maynard & Miles A5g.

London: Paladin Books 1986, first thus printing in wraps.

New York: Grove Weidenfeld 1992, first thus printing in wraps.

London: Flamingo 1992, first thus printing in wraps.

London: Flamingo 2001, a new British edition, bound in wraps.

This bibliography of A-List publications by William S. Burroughs derives from Eric C. Shoaf’s Collecting William S. Burroughs in Print: A Checklist and is published online courtesy of the author, who retains all rights. Published by RealityStudio in April 2007.
Cut-Up Eric Shoaf Soft Machine William Burroughs

6 thoughts on “The Soft Machine”

  1. Cornelius Collins says:
    November 19, 2013 at 5:34 pm

    Hello,

    Do you know whether the original Paris 1961 text of The Soft Machine has ever been reissued or reprinted in an edition that I could make accessible to my students (presumably by my scanning an excerpt)? I’m having success finding first editions available for viewing, but they’re in rare book libraries and so they have copying restrictions.

    I know the Paris edition is not the authorized text, since Burroughs made revisions, but the course is on American writers in Paris, so it’s the Paris text that’s appropriate. And as I understand it, it more clearly demonstrates the cut-up method.

    Thanks.

  2. RealityStudio says:
    November 19, 2013 at 10:27 pm

    The 1961 version of Soft Machine has never been reissued or reprinted (except to the extent that later editions of SM contain fragments of the 1961 edition).

  3. CC says:
    November 21, 2013 at 1:44 am

    Thanks for your reply.

  4. Donald Cameron says:
    April 6, 2015 at 11:32 pm

    http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=William%20Burroughs&fe=on&sortby=1&tn=Soft%20Machine

    THE SOFT MACHINE.
    Burroughs, William.
    Published by Traveller’s Companion Series published by the Olympia Press: Paris., 1961
    Used / Hardcover / Quantity Available: 1
    From John K King Used & Rare Books (Detroit, MI, U.S.A.)
    Bookseller Rating: 4-star rating
    Available From More Booksellers
    93 NewfromUS$ 1.00189 UsedfromUS$ 1.00
    Filter by:Signed Copy (11)Dust Jacket (48)First Edition (53)
    View all 282 copies of this book
    Add to basket
    Price: US$ 862.50

  5. Jack E says:
    July 20, 2015 at 3:35 pm

    Has the third edition remained in print? I always thought it was supplanted by the second edition even in the UK – I always wanted to read it but could never find it in an affordable edition.

  6. Michael says:
    January 5, 2023 at 7:33 pm

    The third version, first published in 1968 by Calder, can still be found new at a very reasonable price and published by Fourth Estate.

    The layout looks to be identical to the edition published by Paladin in 1986, and features the chapter “Streets of Chance” that replaced “1920 Movies” from the 1966 version.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Random Page

  • Charles Bukowski, William Burroughs, and the Computer

Recent Comments

  • Demi on Tornado Alley
  • Pam Plymell on #2 – Robert Jackson
  • RealityStudio on #10: The Digit Junkie
  • Peter on #10: The Digit Junkie
  • Michael on The Soft Machine

Links

  • About RealityStudio
  • Contact RealityStudio
  • Mimeo Mimeo
  • Supervert
RealityStudio is a Supervert production □ © Copyright 2023 □ About □ Contact