Outer Dark. by McCARTHY, Cormac - 1970

London: Andre Deutsch,, 1970. Hard people makes hard times First UK edition, first impression. Unlike McCarthy's other novels, Outer Dark takes place in fantastical setting, a twisted idea of rural Appalachia in a "world devoid of God, purpose, causality; a world where mankind appears only semi-literate and half-animal" (Geddes). It was first published in the USA in 1968. The novel takes its name from the Gospel of Matthew: "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12). Octavo. Original dark blue boards, spine lettered in silver, light yellow endpapers. With dust jacket. Head of spine bumped, edges faintly foxed; edges of jacket a little toned and nicked, top edge slightly creased, two short closed tears to head of front panel, unclipped: a near-fine copy in like jacket. Dan Geddes, "McCarthy's Outer Dark: Existentialist Darkness as Mood", Satirist, 3 Sept. 2001.