Friday, May 1, 2015

Paperback 874: The Zap Gun / Philip K. Dick (Dell SF 19907)

Paperback 874: Dell SF 19907 (1st thus, 1978)

Title: The Zap Gun
Author: Philip K. Dick
Cover artist: Uncredited

Estimated value: $12-16

DickZapGun
Best things about this cover:

  • Early desktop RPGs were no joke. If you rolled a Q-bert, you had to self-lobotomize while listening to Rush. Hardcore gamers wore their wrestling unitards 24/7.
  • Love the old-school tech: before lobotomy guns went wireless.
  • I assume the floating man in the crosshairs is Captain Nosepick's conscience, who is clearly leaving for some interplanetary vacation.
  • That nose pose is gonna haunt me. Zap.


DickZapGunbc
Best things about this back cover:

  • Ooh, the 21st Century! My favorite.
  • All these names are great. I can't make fun of them, as they are all very much aware of their own ridiculousness. I'm gonna borrow Lars Powderdry for my internet trolling needs.
  • I got this book at the local library book sale. So much junk … and then, bam: gold. God I love the serendipity of book sales.


Page 123~

Lars said somberly, "You're a cog."

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

2 comments:

Unknown said...

And I thought my current ENT was a little odd.

Attwood Collected Works said...

PKD fans compare the length of their Dicks. My shelf holds six-feet of Dicks. "Tell Us Everything," first story in my "Very Quirky Tales" collection is a kind of homage to PKD. I really admired how quickly he could pull a reader into to his story and main character. Fabulous writer.