Saturday, November 29, 2014

Paperback 839: Man from Tomorrow / Wilson Tucker (Bantam 1343)

Paperback 839: Bantam 1343 (1st ptg, 1955)

Title: Man From Tomorrow
Author: Wilson Tucker
Cover artist: Uncredited

Approximate value: $6-10

Bant1343

Best things about this cover:

  • "OK, so main guy shoots beams out of his eyes, and then the lady in his head shoots beams out of her face and … I don't know … let's say, whirlpool aliens wicker man done. Got it?"
  • This floating head has his own internal floating head. That's pretty high-end.
  • Font colors are wicked stupid.
  • Ooh, this novel "tells of something which may be happening now." Ooh, is it Armageddon? Winter? The Greater Rochester Arts & Crafts Festival!? I'm gonna have to read this.


Bant1343bc

Best things about this back cover:
  • And the razor frisbee takes out another alien.
  • "Perhaps" … way to sell it!
  • The Paul Breens = your next band name.

Page 123~

Paul wondered if this new woman in the adjoining apartment would be a plant.

"A ficus, maybe," he fantasized.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

2 comments:

DemetriosX said...

That jumbled mishmash of subjects and muddy palette are so typical for SF covers from that period. I have a nagging feeling that I should know who the artist is, based on the guy's head, but I just can't place it. ISFDB doesn't know either.

Tucker was pretty important in both writing and fandom. He also gave his name to Tuckerization, the art of adding real people to a story as an in-joke.

A said...

This cover is amazing!

Maybe the reason he has women and aliens in his head is because he's been eating too much ficus.