Philip José Farmer International Bibliography: The Obscure Life and Hard Times of Kilgore Trout

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The Obscure Life and Hard Times of Kilgore Trout

Genre	Fictional biography
Type	Short story
Series	Fictional biographies

Subtitled: "A Skirmish in Biography".
There are two versions of this piece.
A fictional biography of a fictional author, Kilgore Trout, who plays a role in several novels by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Later on, with Vonnegut's permission, Philip José Farmer used Trout's name as a pseudonym for his novel Venus on the Half-Shell (1975).

DESCRIPTION:
This is the first of Farmer's four fictional biographies. Farmer identified strongly with Trout, a character in the books by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. 1965, and Slaughterhouse Five, 1969). Farmer used these books as the source for his fictional biography, and made up the rest. For the second version of the biography he also read and used the just published novel Breakfast of Champions, 1973.
In the Author's Note with some of the publications, see under, Farmer mentions the then published Jailbird, 1979, with new information about Trout.

PUBLICATION HISTORY
| US | UK | BELARUS |

13 Publications

Fanzine Edited by Publisher Series+no. Format Dates Pages Price Cover art Notes	FIRST PUBLICATION in Moebius Trip Ed Connor Peoria, IL: Ed Conner Issue # 11 fanzine (28×21,5cm) December 1971 52 - William Rotsler Version 1.	William Rotsler

Collection Publisher Series+no. Bookno. Format Dates Pages Price Cover art Notes	in The Book of Philip José Farmer New York, NY: DAW Books UQ1063 / No. 63 SBN 451-UQ1063-095 paperback (18×10,5cm) 07/1973 (1st) 07/1973 (1st) [Canadian printing] 239 $ 0.95 Jack Gaughan Version 2, somewhat expanded (with about 1800 words) and corrected from the first publication. With an introduction by Farmer.	Jack Gaughan

Collection Publisher Series+no. Bookno. Format Dates Pages Price Cover art Notes	in The Book of Philip José Farmer New York, NY: Berkley Books Science Fiction ISBN 0-425-05298-2 paperback (17,5×10,5cm) 02/1982 (1st) 04/1982 (2nd) 248 $ 2.50 James Warhola Version 2, somewhat expanded (with about 1800 words) and corrected from the first publication. With an introduction and an Author's Note by Farmer.	James Warhola

Title Collection Edited by Publisher Series+no. Bookno. Format Date Pages Price Cover art Notes	"The Obscure Life and Hard Times of Kilgore Trout: A Skirmish in Biography" in Up from the Bottomless Pit and Other Stories Christopher Paul Carey Burton, MI: Subterranean Press - ISBN 978-1-59606-128-6 hardcover (23,5×16cm) 10/2007 385 $ 300.00 [Lettered, signed, traycased edition] Keith Howell and Charles Berlin Version 1. With a short introduction by the editor. Illustrated by Karl Kauffman. Only in the lettered edition of this collection.	Keith Howell & Charles Berlin

Collection Edited by Publisher Series+no. Bookno. Format Dates Pages Price Cover art Notes	in Venus on the Half-Shell and Others Christopher Paul Carey Burton, MI: Subterranean Press - ISBN 978-1-59606-142-2 hardcover (23,5×16cm) 01/2008 [Trade edition.] 03/2008 [Numbered, signed, slipcased edition] 325 $ 38.00 \| $ 125.00 Bob Eggleton Version 2, somewhat expanded (with about 1800 words) and corrected from the first publication. With a short introduction by the editor, and an Author's Note.	Bob Eggleton

Collection Edited by Publisher Series+no. Bookno. Format Date Pages Price Cover art Notes	in Venus on the Half-Shell and Others Christopher Paul Carey Burton, MI: Subterranean Press - ISBN 978-1-59606-142-2 hardcover (23,5×16cm) 10/2008 [Lettered, signed, traycased edition] 340 $ 300.00 Bob Eggleton Version 2, somewhat expanded (with about 1800 words) and corrected from the first publication. With a short introduction by the editor, and an Author's Note.	Bob Eggleton

Collection Publisher Series+no. Bookno. Format Date Pages Price Cover art Notes	in The Book of Philip José Farmer West Yorkshire: The Elmfield Press - ISBN 0-7057-0067-4 hardcover (21,5×13,5cm) 07/1976 239 £ 4.95 Josh Kirby Version 2, somewhat expanded (with about 1800 words) and corrected from the first publication. With an introduction by PJF.	Josh Kirby

Collection Publisher Series+no. Bookno. Format Date Pages Price Cover art Notes	in The Book of Philip José Farmer London: Granada Science Fiction ISBN 0-586-05656-4 paperback (18×11cm) 07/1983 318 £ 1.95 Richard Clifton-Dey Version 2, somewhat expanded (with about 1800 words) and corrected from the first publication. With an introduction and an Author's Note by PJF.	Richard Clifton-Dey

Novel Publisher Series+no. Bookno. Format Date Pages Price Cover art Notes	in Venus on the Half-Shell London: Titan Books A Grand Master Novel ISBN 978-1-78116-306-1 trade paperback (20,5×13cm) 12/2013 314 £ 7.99 ($ 12.95) uncredited Version 2. Published as a preface in this book.	-

Novel Publisher Series+no. Bookno. Format Date Pages Price Cover art Notes	in Venus on the Half-Shell London: Titan Books A Grand Master Novel ISBN 978-1-78116-306-1 ebook 12/2013 (314) £ 6.39 uncredited Version 2. Published as a preface in this book.	-

BELARUS

	Title Latin Omnibus Latin Publisher Series+no. Bookno. Format Date Pages Price Translation Cover art Notes	Russian: "Неприметная жизнь и тяжелые времена Килгора Траута: Спорные моменты биографии" "Neprimetnaya zhizn' i tyazhelyye vremena Kilgora Trauta: Spornyye momenty biografii" in Венера на половине ракушки in Venera na polovine rakushki Minsk: Подсолнечник (Podsolnechnik) ШФ (продолжатели) no ISBN hardcover (20×13cm) 05/2019 620 not priced A. Bushuev & T. Bushuev Gadino Version 2.	Josh Kirby

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