Good Show Sir

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Stevie Comments: Robert Silverberg’s Recalled to Life has to be the classic tentacle-sex cover drama. Why is the guy naked and floating in a huge vat of octopus to begin with? Wow!
Published 1977

Many thanks to Stevie!

(Average: 7.84 out of 10)

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Simon Comments: Not only does the illustration not match the fairy-tale quality of the title (not to mention the story), it does not look like the kind of thing you’d find at a library booksale, where I saw it, and where I was urged by my sister to buy it on the grounds that you can never have too many copies of this book, especially one as bizarre as this.
Publication 1974

I give this two Ronnies!
Many thanks to Simon.

(Average: 8.92 out of 10)

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Anne’s Art Direction: It’s a book of short stories by one of the most lyrical authors in the universe? I know, we’ll put a ripped blond naked guy on the front with something or other covering his nibbits. How about a tiger head? That sends the right sort of message, don’t you think? Then we’ll surround him with some dobermans for good measure. To top it off, we definitely need three different fonts but also distract everyone with an aurora border.
Published 1978

Many thanks to Anne!

(Average: 8.48 out of 10)

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Carolyn Comments: You can probably analyze this better than I! I assume the artist just read the jacket blurb.
Published 1977

“Imagine: Gorilla-shaped bismuth junkies who stack their dead ancestors like cordwood in the living room; gentle souls who can touch with a touch or a thought. A throwback fiefdom on a planet where huge poisonous bats rule the night sky, where serpents the size of semi-trailers slither though the rotting jungle. A sarcastic mansized beetle that’s a Talmudic scholar and swears like a longshoreman. And claims to be immortal. All in a life’s work for Otto McGavin: Prime Operator for the TBII, undercover guardian of the rights of aliens and humans under the Confederacion.”

Mmm… uhh… seriously? That snake doesn’t look too happy.
Outstanding! Good Show Carolyn!

(Average: 8.90 out of 10)

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Art Direction: We need something that really gets across the feeling of time travel. So, in other words I mean a naked gladiator takes on a Boeing 737. And by naked I just having him at some strange angle so we can’t see his bum crack or giblets. I know, I’m no fun.
Published 1980

(Average: 8.97 out of 10)

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Phil’s Art Direction: We don’t want people thinking he’s odd just because he’s tall and thin, so let’s have someone else tall and thin in the background. Then give him really odd hair.

Many thanks to Phil!

(Average: 8.98 out of 10)

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Bookworm Bas Comments: A 1978 PAN edition. I like the play on words with the title submitting ‘sex’ for ‘things’ in reference to H.G.Wells. I also like the artwork. After all who doesn’t like naked women? No relation to any of the stories of course. At least I don’t recall any flying platform jetting away from a mountain range while a nude women, her decency protected only by her exceptionally long brunette hair, is overcome with emotion. Still I bet they sold a few and I reckon the hair extensions were painted in later (which is a shame I think).

(Average: 7.33 out of 10)

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Leo Comments: Nothing says “Sci-Fi” like a robed guy reading to some naked ladies infront of a box full of bleeps and bloops. I havent read this book yet but I’m sure I’m in for a wild ride.

The Perms.. the perms! Thanks Leo!

(Average: 7.87 out of 10)

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Harry Comments: According to the author, this cover was commissioned for another book but somehow ended up on hers. It’s very loosely appropriate: there is a sword, and there is a hero, but he is quite explicitly gay.

Superb! Thanks Harry!

(Average: 9.02 out of 10)

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So I think we’ll just have some naked redhead riding her giant insect in the midst of pleasure. That’s the type of thing every teenage boy imagines, right?

Many thanks to NoiselessPenguin!

(Average: 8.90 out of 10)

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