Mar 25
Phil’s Art Direction: Who’s a cute little Harlie? Now, keep still for the cover artist, there’s a good little cyborg. When you grow up, you’ll be a famous writer and have your face on your own book!
Published 1975
Phil’s Art Direction: Who’s a cute little Harlie? Now, keep still for the cover artist, there’s a good little cyborg. When you grow up, you’ll be a famous writer and have your face on your own book!
Published 1975
March 25th, 2013 at 10:52 am
And his first words were “Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do…”
March 25th, 2013 at 11:02 am
Harlie, the first self-aware computer to send data packets through semaphore.
March 25th, 2013 at 11:43 am
They could have gone either way. But when Harlie was two they removed the face half and went with the full cyborg look.
March 25th, 2013 at 12:21 pm
This novel’s title has the acronym ‘WHWO’. Best spoken softly in a Keanu Reeves voice.
March 25th, 2013 at 12:57 pm
Apparently the artist had very little knowledge of actual circuit boards… but plenty of familiarity with Ancient Aztec Notebook Doodles.
March 25th, 2013 at 1:38 pm
He looks more Lego then cyborg. Built from the”Poorly Envisioned Future Technology Wonderland” kit ( a rare find these days, seldom seen).
March 25th, 2013 at 1:50 pm
“Honey… the baby has thrown up over himself causing a short circuit again!”
March 25th, 2013 at 2:22 pm
Of all the many tags this cover might attract, “baldness” never occurred to me.
March 25th, 2013 at 2:49 pm
One of what? Churchill impersonators?
March 25th, 2013 at 7:39 pm
I had the same problem with my toaster; dang thing thought it was human as well. Until that one fateful day good ol “toasty” decided to take a shower……..it’s too painful to speak of…
March 25th, 2013 at 10:10 pm
I’d say the artist had a little bit of familiarity with printed circuit boards and/or IC lithography, such as they were in the 1960s and early 1970s.
This is the cover I remember from reading this book when I was 13 or 14. I think I got it from a used book store, and yes I paid for it and took it home. I’ve got another couple cover shots for other editions that I can forward to Our Good Host for the slush pile. One’s very dark, the other is, um, photorealistic.
March 25th, 2013 at 11:02 pm
I consider this to be the single worst cover I have ever had on any of my books. This is from the early 70’s and I have no idea what the artist or the publisher were thinking. It’s an embarrassment.
If you hadn’t selected it as an example of galloping godawful, I would have nominated it myself.
The novel was a Hugo and Nebula award nominee. It deserved better than this.
David Gerrold
March 26th, 2013 at 3:50 am
Another would-be Gerber Baby head shot destined for the circular file, despite the pathetic attempt at cuteness with the pasted-on silicon dimple. Somehow, I suspect, Harlie vows revenge . . . .
March 26th, 2013 at 10:33 am
@David Gerrold – Welcome aboard! At least the cover actually has something to do with the story.
Though…. I’d still hide that one at the back of the bookshelf!
March 26th, 2013 at 12:16 pm
Hooray, another GSS book attracts its author to join in the fun. Welcome, David Gerrold!
March 27th, 2013 at 2:28 am
What really? His name is Charlie? Oops.
March 30th, 2013 at 7:42 am
Despite the ban, some scientists went on with their experimentation with Thalidomide.
April 5th, 2013 at 12:35 pm
Disney presents:
HONEY, I WIRED THE KIDS
August 27th, 2015 at 12:32 am
I’m not sure what book, if any, deserves a cover with a demonic cyborg baby from the Uncanny Valley. Judging by Mr. Gerrold’s comment up there, this one in all likelihood was not it.
June 25th, 2016 at 3:05 am
Nobody expected the singularity in the guise of the Gerber baby.
December 31st, 2016 at 7:41 am
Did the “author in comments” tag not exist yet when this was posted?