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Mar 10

Der CyberpunkmannClick for larger image

The secret ingredient in Ralph Lauren Cologne is RalphClick for larger image

It’s a Two-fer Tuesday: New Romancer Foreign Edition Special

Good Show Sir Comments:

1. Winner of the Philip Dick-Award for questionable hyphenation.

2. No. You should only wash Claude on the “delicates” setting.

Thanks to Helmut and Alain!

Published 1987, 1988

Actually, that cover IS a classical work of art!I would touch it without protective gloves.I've seen worse. Far, far, worse.Interesting, but I would still read it in public.Middlng: Neither awful nor awfully goodWould not like to be seen reading that!Awful... just awful...That belongs in a gold-lame picture frame!Gah... my eyes are burning! Feels so good!Good Show Sir! (Average: 7.00 out of 10)
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27 Responses to “Neu-romancer/Neuromancien”

  1. THX 1139 Says:

    1: “I’m getting the band back together – I’ve got the keytar right here!”

    2: “Damn floatation tanks – I told you we should have gone swimming with dolphins instead!”

  2. Tat Wood Says:

    1. James Fox joins the New Romantics in an ill-advised 1983 remake of ‘Performance’.

    2. Someone rush-read ‘Johnny Mnemonic’ and missed the key detail that Jones was a dolphin.

  3. Francis Boyle Says:

    After the disastrous attempt to solve racism by making everyone pretend to be a Chinese, a better solution was discovered: dye everyone a uniform grey.

  4. Ryan Says:

    These actually aren’t too bad in terms of capturing the vibe of the book, particularly for the 80s, where authors and cover illustrators were often very much not on the same page.

    The French one does seem to show a guy with a seriously weird rear skull lobe, though.

  5. Bibliomancer Says:

    1. Visionary William Gibson thinks pay phones will never go away.

    2. Barclay Shaw cashes in.

  6. fred Says:

    William Gibson lost a lot of weight between ’88 and ’89.

  7. Bruce A Munro Says:

    @Francis Boyle: I blame “Blade Runner.”

    @Ryan: I dunno, that second cover seems a bit cliche to me, enough so that as @Bibliomancer points out, it was used for a completely different novel: “naked women (and occasionally dudes) in test tubes” has been an SF trope for a long time. https://imgur.com/gallery/lFk8r0F

  8. Tor Mented Says:

    1. China’s stolen version of TARDIS technology contained high levels of lead, cadmium and arsenic.

  9. Tag Wizard Says:

    @Bruce – Yes. That is why we have the popular people-in-bottles tag.

  10. JuanPaul Says:

    1. A neu romancer? Might you be looking for a brand new lover? Someone to lie with you and doesn’t notice all the other cyber punks?

    2. “Hey! Don’t pee in the pool pod!”

  11. A.R.Yngve Says:

    “Case tried to use the phone booth to call up Cyberspace, but a human in a vat was already jacked in, blocking the line. Muttering a fashionable Neo-Chinese curse, Case hung up and went to look for another booth…”

  12. B. Chiclitz Says:

    1. Hey, that cyberpunk is wearing Geordi’s eye visor and Lt. Uhura’s ear plug communicator! Little thief.

    2. You’d think with those calves he’d be a better swimmer.

  13. JuanPaul Says:

    The falling down guy from #2 is Peter Boyle.

  14. Verylatetotheparty Says:

    @Tat Wood 2: And when they found out, it was too late to change it, they had to settle for painting him dolphin coloured.

  15. Bruce A Munro Says:

    @Tag Wizard: huh, missed that one. (Possible alternate tag: Humans under Glass)

    @A.R. Ygnve: cyberspace will be installing a second line any day now.

  16. Tracy Says:

    More airbrush, please! — Art director’s notes for the German cover.

    As for the French cover, nothing says future times like a baggy strapless jumpsuit.

  17. Tat Wood Says:

    @Tracy: Slappy’s a big Billie Eilish fan.

  18. GSS ex-noob Says:

    @B’man: good catch on the reused cover #2. Cheap French bastids.

    #1 does illustrate a lot of the stuff in the book and is apropos to the time. Although it looks as if the artist suddenly found out the book cover was wider than he thought and had to hastily add blobs to either side.

    I was wondering why the German cover didn’t mention the Hugo Award, and then I realized der blurber didn’t know said award has never used the “Gernsback”. (West) Germany hosted a Worldcon before this, so bad show blurb department.

  19. Bruce A Munro Says:

    @Tracy: it’s held up by SCIENCE.

  20. Fiona Says:

    Long time lurker, also long time pedant; I think the hyphen’s there so as to retain the pun in the English title (Neuromancer/New Romancer), with is completely lost in the French version.

  21. GSS ex-noob Says:

    @Fiona: What an excellent first comment! You’re probably right. And now my brain radio is playing Spandau Ballet. I know your comment’s true

  22. Longtime_Lurker Says:

    Now I wish I had a useful comment to add.

  23. Tor Mented Says:

    That’s never stopped me.

  24. GSS ex-noob Says:

    Me neither.

  25. Sam Says:

    I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen a one word book title hyphenated on the cover. lol

  26. Verylatetotheparty Says:

    That’s a v-
    ery go-
    od po-
    int.

  27. GSS ex-noob Says:

    Dammit, the brain radio’s stuck on Spandau Ballet again.

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