Here's my original post from back in '09:

I was just curious (and perhaps other forum members are, also) as to which F. Paul Wilson book was your first?
How old were you when you read it?
Why did you read it?
Inquiring minds want to know how you got hooked...

Sincerely,
Srem

Here's my story on how it all started:
In 1985 (I was 13 and on summer break from school) my father brought me along on one of his "construction excursions." It was a cold, rainy day and due to the fact that I was too young to operate the heavy machinery needed to build the new indoor tennis court he was working on, I got stuck sitting in his cramped Toyota truck all day.
Sensing my boredom, he gave me some money and said I could go get whatever I wanted from the brand new mini-mart that had popped up next to the tennis court's construction site. After walking around the mini-mart for awhile, and armed with the usual kid-fare of soda pop and candy, I drifted over to the bookstand. Deciding that there was nothing of interest for a 13 year-old kid in the stand, I almost walked away, then my eyes suddenly fell on a creepy-looking greenish-yellow novel with the words THE TOMB emblazoned on the front cover. This was the first soft-back printing of the book, and it was larger than anything I had ever read, but I decided after studying the teaser on the back I was ready for the challenge.
I read and re-read the book several times over the course of 8 years, not realizing that after I had already bought and read another novel titled Nightworld, that this was part of a six-book collection called "The Adversary Cycle." From there I proceeded to painstakingly hunt down and collect the rest of the out-of-print series, which is still one of my favorites to this day.

The end of my story is a tragic one, however, as the worn but still intact remains of my first sentimental copy of The Tomb was torn to shreds by my ex-roommate's pet Beagle. No other book was touched. How could this be, I wondered in anguish?
My only thought was to conclude to the possibility that this vicious excuse for a dog had been touched by the Otherness...

Coincidentally, the same ex-roommate was visiting some relatives on an Indian reservation and found this in some little hole-in-the-wall used bookstore while there:




She paid 2 bucks for it, and although it's not mint, it is what I consider to be in 'very good' condition. Interesting enough, it was the only F. Paul Wilson book there.

This is a good omen indeed; now all it needs is Paul's autograph to make it complete.

(Btw, this copy of The Tomb has been safely removed from the presence of all Otherness-infected, book-devouring Beagle dogs.)

:amen:

That's a neat story, Srem.

Here's my original post from back in '09:




Coincidentally, the same ex-roommate was visiting some relatives on an Indian reservation and found this in some little hole-in-the-wall used bookstore while there:




She paid 2 bucks for it, and although it's not mint, it is what I consider to be in 'very good' condition. Interesting enough, it was the only F. Paul Wilson book there.

This is a good omen indeed; now all it needs is Paul's autograph to make it complete.

(Btw, this copy of The Tomb has been safely removed from the presence of all Otherness-infected, book-devouring Beagle dogs.)

:amen:

The first book I ever had signed by "The Man" was a very worn out issue of "The Tomb". Lookes alor like your's before all of the abuse. I loved what he inscribed, but it may be more suited to you after reading your post. "Gaurd your Karma"!

That is a great story Srem!.

That was the first book of his I ever bought too. I still have it. I can't remember if I got my paperbacks signed at either of Paul's two signings that I went to or just the hardbacks.