50 Years of Edward Abbey's The Monkey Wrench Gang with Ken Sanders

Presents

Edward Abbey, R. Crumb, the Monkey Wrench Gang, Earth First! & Me

Antiquarian bookseller Ken Sanders commemorates 50 years of The Monkey Wrench Gang by sharing memories of his friendship with Edward Abbey.

The late great Edward Abbey published twenty-one books during his lifetime (two posthumously). Both The Monkey Wrench Gang and Desert Solitaire have gone on to become what the author always dreaded - "classics" - and have now sold well over one million copies each.

2025 is the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Monkey Wrench Gang, and the fortieth anniversary of when Ken Sanders first commisssioned Robert Crumb to illustrate Abbey's masterpiece. Sanders has now published a 50th Anniversary edition "BOX" of The Monkey Wrench Gang, which will be available at the book fair and contains limited portraits of Abbey & Crumb by R. Crumb's daughter, Sophie Crumb, an unknown portrait of Abbey by Ralph Steadman, a painting of Ed Abbey by Trent Call, writings about Abbey by two of his children, Joshua & Susannah Abbey, R. Crumb stickers, writings by Ken Sanders, rare photographs of the real Monkey Wrench Gang, Earth First!, and much more.

Tickets to this talk are offered FREE with admission to .

Proprieter Ken Sanders has been buying, selling and collecting books since childhood. He co-owned and ran the legendary Cosmic Aeroplane Bookstore in the 1970s and founded Dream Garden Press, his publishing company, in 1980.

Ken Sanders Rare Books is a full-service antiquarian bookshop founded in 1997. it is located at 209 E 500 S inside the Leonardo Museum in downtown Salt Lake City. The store has three levels: the main floor, the rare room, and the underground with a vast inventory of used and rare books, a handful of new books, and an ever-changing selection of art, ephemera, maps, photographs, and postcards.

Ken Sanders specialize in Utah & the Mormons and Western Americana, with emphases on the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River, Yellowstone, and other national parks. The literary West is well-represented here, with deep selections of Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, B. Traven, and more. We offer rare and collectible books in many subjects, including Literature, Art, Photography, Children's, Illustrated, and Wordless Novels.

RARE BOOKS LA UNION STATION CELEBRATES FRANKENSTEIN

"It’s alive, IT’S ALIVE…!” Rare Books LA returns to Los Angeles Union Station on October 4-5, 2025 with a monstrous selection of antiquarian books, maps, fine prints, book arts, and more. This year’s fair is celebrating the release of Rare Books LA friend and patron Guillermo Del Toro’s new film Frankenstein on Netflix this November.

With support from AbeBooks, more than 50 exhibitors from London, New York, and everywhere in between will fill the Ticket Concourse at LA Union Station with an electrifying array of first editions and other historical material. Attendees are encouraged to join our partner Metro and hop onboard Metrolink, Metro Rail, or Amtrak for this transit-friendly book fair.

Rare Books LA Union Station will also feature a series of free talks on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and other bookish subjects. Plans are also in the works for a special fundraising event with Guillermo Del Toro set for Friday, October 3, in partnership with Netflix. This event will benefit the long-term recovery and rebuilding of the LA Public Library’s Palisades Branch, which was destroyed in the January fires. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

“We are thrilled to bring the rare book community together to celebrate the legacy of Mary Shelley and the artistry of Guillermo Del Toro for such a worthy cause,” said Rare Books LA Director of Operations Jodi Tolan.

Rare Books LA Union Station takes place at 800 N. Alameda Street and is open to the public from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday, October 4, and from 11 am to 4 pm on Sunday, October 5.

Please visit our website for a list of exhibitors.

For tickets and more information about the book fair, please click here.

Host or Publisher Rare Books LA