Sunday, May 25, 2008

Paperback 99: The Einstein Intersection / Samuel R. Delany (Ace F-427)

Paperback 99: Ace F-427 (PBO, 1967)

Title: The Einstein Intersection
Author: Samuel R. Delany
Cover artist: Jack Gaughan

Yours for: $10


Best things about this cover:

  • "Red Bull - gives you gorings and talonous scrapings wings!"
  • "Sorry, sir, Hideously Mutated Bovine Night is Thursday. Tonight is Ladies' Night."
  • "I have seen the future ... and it has fancy vending machines."
  • Sadly, that pasty discothèque bouncer / ATM guard looks a lot like me.


Best things about this back cover:


  • "Cordwainer" is possibly the best first name in human history.
  • I can only hope that "Lobey" has Gigantic ears.
  • "They call me 'Kid Death' ... on account 'a I kill people."
  • Editor me says: "'Millennia' has two 'n's"

Page 123!~

Suddenly he tossed the skull gently. It passed me, hovered a moment, then smashed on the stones and Spider laughed. It was a friendly laugh, without the malicious flickering of fish scales and flies' wings that dazzled the laughter of the Kid. But it nearly scared me to death. I ran out the door. For one step bone fragments chewed at my instep. The door slammed behing me. The sun slapped my face.

I must give a ton of credit to the very accomplished Mr. Delany, who made sure that the cover artist got credit on this book by including him in the Dedication! Awesome:

"for Don Wollheim
a responsible man
in all meanings
to and for what is
within and
Jack Gaughan
for what is
without"

~RP

3 comments:

mybillcrider said...

Thomas B. Dewey wrote a mystery novel as "Cord Wainer," which I thought was pretty good.

Michael5000 said...

"The Einstein Intersection" won the Nebula, although it's kind of hard to see why based on page 123.

"They call me 'Kid Death' ... on account 'a I kill people." made me laugh hard enough that Mrs.5000 came to offer assistance.

Anonymous said...

As you probably have already guessed "Cordwainer Smith" is a pseudonym. His real name was Paul Linebarger and he was, among other things, an expert in psychological warfare.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordwainer_Smith

Bruce T.