Comic Cuts — 13 December 2024

I've picked up considerably this week despite still suffering from the long tail of a cold... I still have a few sniffles to contend with, but nowhere near as bad as it was. A cold normally lasts 7-10 days—the rule of thumb "three days coming, three days here, three days going" is usually accurate—but this one has hung around for a fortnight. But it's definitely on the way out.

I was very happy to learn that BEYOND THE VOID: THE REMARKABLE HISTORY OF BADGER BOOKS was named as the 2024 Book of the Year by Jules Burt on his YouTube channel. Bizarrely this is the second time Steve Holland has won (and I chose my words carefully) because last year's winner was the art book Steve Holland: Paperback Hero edited by Michael Stradford. Third time if you count the introduction I wrote for Rayguns and Rocketships by Rian Hughes, the 2022 winner.

BEYOND was up against some stiff competition, including issues of Bare Bones, Men's Adventure Quarterly, Phantasmagoria and The Paperback Fanatic, the art book Dangerous Dames and Cover Dolls: The Art of Ron Lesser Vol. 2 edited by Robert Deis, Bill Cunningham and Daniel Zimmer, the updated biography/bibliography  Basil Copper: A Life in Books, edited by Stephen Jones, and the anthology Weasels Ripped My Flesh! edited by Robert Deis & Wyatt Doyle, with Josh Alan Friedman.

I thought maybe the art book, Dangerous Dames, or the anthology, Weasels, might beat out my Badger Books history... but in the last few minutes of Jules' video BEYOND pipped everyone at the post. Here's the announcement and I'll put in the full video below...



I'm back to work for the next two weeks, although I've been quite lazy this week, spending some time putting together the John Brunner cover gallery that went up Thursday morning, tidying up some of the books that I'd needed while I was writing and designing DREAMING OF UTOPIA, battling the new online reception area set up by our local surgery so I could sort out a repeat prescription while on the phone to the human receptionist at the same surgery, putting up the Christmas tree, and a hundred and one other odds and ends I'd been putting off until after the book was written/out and after the cold had abated.

I've put in a little time on the next batch of books, but I've also pulled together a piece for someone else's magazine and written up a blog post for another site, although I'm waiting on seeing a scan of a book before I can finish it off. There's another article about an old author that I need to finish off, too.

And I'm looking ahead to future projects, including another index, and, floating around in the background, is yet another project that I suspect I'll have to give away, but it needs to be done for 2026 in order to celebrate an anniversary. This particular project has been waiting in the wings since 1979, so it will only be 47 years late... I really need to get going with that!

Hope you're all looking forward to Christmas as much as I am.

John Brunner cover gallery

This is a rather limited cover gallery as it concentrates solely on Brunner's British paperback editions. This means it misses out a great many of his early novels, which received only American paperback (usually Ace Books) publication. Still, most of his finest works (Stand on Zanzibar, Sheep Look Up, Jagged Orbit, etc.) did get a release over here and a collection of short stories appeared as recently as 2020.

Galactic Storm by Gill Hunt (Curtis Warren, 1951)
Curtis Warren, Nov 1951, 110pp, 1/6. Cover by Ray Theobald

Threshold of Eternity (New York, Ace, (Jan) 1959; revised by Damien Broderick, Phoenix Pick, 2017)
(no UK paperback)

The 100th Millennium (New York, Ace, (May) 1959; as Catch a Falling Star, Ace, 1977)
(no UK paperback)

The World Swappers (New York, Ace, (Oct) 1959)
(no UK paperback)

The Brink (London, Gollancz, (Nov) 1959)
(no UK paperback)

Slavers of Space (New York, Ace, (Feb) 1960; as Into the Slave Nebula, New York, Lancer, 1968)
as Into the Slave Nebula, Corgi Books 055212012-X, (Aug) 1982, 156pp, £1.50.

The Skynappers (New York, Ace, (Sep) 1960)
(no UK paperback)

The Atlantic Abomination (New York, Ace, (Oct) 1960)
(no UK paperback)

Sanctuary in the Sky (New York, Ace, (Nov) 1960)
(no UK paperback)

I Speak For Earth by Keith Woodcott (New York, Ace, (Mar) 1961)
(no UK paperback)

Meeting at Infinity (New York, Ace, (Apr) 1961)
(no UK paperback)

Secret Agent of Terra (New York, Ace, (Mar) 1962; as The Avengers of Carrig, New York, DAW, 1980)
(see Victims of the Nova)

The Ladder in the Sky by Keith Woodcott (New York, Ace, (May) 1962)
(no UK paperback)

The Super Barbarians (New York, Ace, (May) 1962)
(no UK paperback)

The Dreaming Earth (New York, Pyramid, (Mar) 1963; London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1974)
(no UK paperback)

The Psionic Menace (New York, Ace, (May) 1963)
(no UK paperback)

The Astronauts Must Not Land (New York, Ace, (Sep) 1963; as More Things in Heaven, New York, Dell, 1973)
as More Things in Heaven, Hamlyn 060020262-3, 1983, 142pp, £1.50.

Castaways' World (New York, Ace, (Nov) 1963; as Polymath, New York, DAW, 1976)
(see Victims of the Nova)

The Rites of Ohe (New York, Ace, (Nov) 1963)
(no UK paperback)

To Conquer Chaos (New York, Ace, (May) 1964)
(no UK paperback)

The Crutch of Memory (London, Barrie & Rickliff, (Jul) 1964)
(no UK paperback)

The Whole Man (New York, Ballantine, (Aug) 1964; as Telepathist, London, Faber & Faber, 1965; as The Whole Man, New York, Walker & Co., 1969)
as Telepathist, Penguin 2715, 1968, 190pp, 4/-. Cover by Carl Strüwe
as Telepathist, Fontana 000614611-2, (Sep) 1978, 190pp, 80p. Cover by Peter Goodfellow

The Martian Sphinx by Keith Woodcott (New York, Ace, (Feb) 1965)
(no UK paperback)

The Repairmen of Cyclops (New York, Ace), (Apr) 1965)
(see Victims of the Nova)

Enigma From Tantalus (New York, Ace, (Apr) 1965)
(no UK paperback)

The Altar of Asconel (New York, Ace, (May) 1965)
(see Interstellar Empire)

Wear the Butcher's Medal (New York, Pocket Books, (May) 1965)
(no UK paperback)

The Day of the Star Cities (New York, Ace, (Nov) 1965; as Age of Miracles, New York, Ace, 1973; London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1973)
(no UK paperback)

The Long Result (London, Faber & Faber, (Nov) 1965; New York, Ballantine, 1966)
Penguin 2804, 1968, 186pp, 4/-.
Fontana 000614612-0, (Jan) 1979, 185pp, 85p. Cover by Peter Elson

The Squares of the City (New York, Ballantine, (Dec) 1965; Handsworth, Penguin, 1969)
Penguin 014002686-X, (Oct) 1969, 311pp, 6/-. Cover by Franco Grignani
Fontana 000614610-4, (May) 1977, 311pp, 80p. Cover by Peter Goodfellow

The Productions of Time (New York, Signet, (Feb) 1967; Handsworth, Penguin, 1970)
Penguin 014003141-3, (Oct) 1970, 159pp, 5/-. Cover by Franco Grignani

Born Under Mars (New York, Ace, (Oct) 1967; London, Gateway (ebook), Sep 2011)
(no UK paperback)

Quicksand (New York, Doubleday, (Dec) 1967; London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1969)
Sphere 20060, (Aug) 1970, 222pp, 7/-.

Bedlam Planet (New York, Ace, (Apr) 1968; London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1973)
(no UK paperback)

Stand on Zanzibar (New York, Doubleday, (Sep) 1968; London, Macdonald, 1969)
Arrow 009004790-7, 1971, 576pp, 50p.
Arrow 009919110-5, (Dec) 1978, 576pp, £1.75.
----, 1984, 576pp, £2.95. Cover by John Harris
Legend 009919110-5, (Apr) 1988, 576pp, £3.50.
----, 1990, 576pp, £4.99.
Millennium 185798836-1 (SF Masterworks #15), (Aug) 1999, xvi+650, £6.99. Cover by Jim Burns
----, 2003, xvi+650pp, £6.99. Cover by Jim Burns
----, n.d., xvi+650pp, £7.99
----, n.d., xvi+650pp, £8.99.
Gateway/Orion 978-147320637-3, (Sep) 2014, 672pp, £12.99.

Double Double (New York, Ballantine, (Jan) 1969; London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1971)
(no UK paperback)

Black is the Color (New York, Pyramid, (Feb) 1969)
(no UK paperback)

The Jagged Orbit (New York, Ace, (Feb) 1969; London, SIdgwaick & Jackson, 1970)
Arrow 009905840-5, (Mar) 1972, 397pp, 50p. Cover by Chris Yates
----, (Jan) 1979, 397pp, £1.25.
Gollancz 057507052-8 (SF Collectors' Editions), (Aug) 2000, 397pp, £10.99.

Timescoop (New York, Dell, (Jul) 1969; London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1972)
(no UK paperback)

A Plague on Both Your Causes (London, Hodder & Stoughton, (Jul) 1969; as Backlash, New York, Pyramid, 1969)
Hodder Paperbacks 034012362-1, (Jan) 1971, 192pp, 25p.

The Incestuous Lovers by Henry Crosstrees Jr. (New York, Bee-line, 1969)
(no UK paperback)

The Devil's Work (New York, W.W. Norton & Co., (Feb) 1970)
(no UK paperback)

The Gaudy Shadows (London, Constable & Co., (Apr) 1970; New York, Beagle Boxer, 1971)
(no UK paperback)

Good Men Do Nothing (London, Hodder & Stoughton, (Jul) 1970; New York, Pyramid, 1971)
(no UK paperback)

Honky in the Woodpile (London, Constable & Co., (Nov) 1971)
Sphere 072212007-9, 1973, 222pp, 35p.

The Wrong End of Time (New York, Doubleday, (Dec) 1971; London, Eyre Methuen, 1975)
Methuen 041334580-7, (Apr) 1976, 185pp, 55p. Cover by Angus McKie

The Dramaturges of Yan (New York, Ace, (Feb) 1972; London, New English Library, 1974)
New English Library 045001824-5, Apr 1974, 158pp, 35p, Cover by Chris Foss
New English Library 045004518-8, Jul 1979, 158pp, 85p. Cover by Chris Foss

The Sheep Look Up (New York, Harper & Row, (Aug) 1972; London, J.M. Dent, 1974)
Quartet/Orbit 070431292-1, 1977, 461pp, £1.25. Cover by Eddie Jones
Arrow 009937770-5, 1984, 461pp, £2.50.
Legend 009937770-5, (Jan) 1991, 461pp, £4.99. Cover by Mark Salwowski

The Stardroppers (New York, DAW, (Sep) 1972; London, Hamlyn, 1982)
Hamlyn 060020008-6, (Apr) 1982, 144pp, £1.10. Cover by Joe Petagno

Ball in the Family by Ellis Quick (New York, Lancer, 1973)
(no UK paperback)

The Stone That Never Came Down (New York, Doubleday, (Dec) 1973; London, New English Library, 1976)
New English Library 045003054-7, (May) 1978, 207pp, 75p.

Total Eclipse (New York, Doubleday, (May) 1974; London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1975)
Orbit/Futura 086007883-3, (Mar) 1976, 187pp, 60p. Cover by Eddie Jones

Web of Everywhere (New York, Bantam, (Jun) 1974; London, New English Library, 1977)
New English Library 045003094-6, Mar 1977, 143pp, 60p. Cover by Tony Masaro
New English Library 045004685-0, May 1980, 142pp, 85p. Cover by Gerald Grace

Give Warning to the World (New York, DAW, (Jul) 1974; London, Gateway (ebook), 2013)
(no UK paperback)

The Shockwave Rider (New York, Harper & Row, (Mar) 1975); London, J.M. Dent, 1975)
Orbit 0860007933-3, (Feb) 1977, 288pp, 75p. Cover by Eddie Jones
Methuen 041317960-5, (May) 1988, 288pp, £3.95. Cover by John Higgins
Gollancz/Orion 978-147322830-6 (SF Masterworks), (Jan) 2020, viii+280pp, £9.99. Cover by Getty Images

The Infinitive of Go (New York, Del Rey/Ballantine, (Feb) 1980; London, Magnum, 1981)
Magnum 0417-6470-5, (Dec) 1981, 154pp, £1.25. Cover by Chris Moore

Players at the Game of People (New York, Ballantine, (Sep) 1980; London, Gateway (ebook), 2013)
(no UK paperback)

Manshape (New York, DAW, (Sep) 1982; London, Gateway (ebook), 2011)
(no UK paperback)

The Great Steamboat Race (New York, Ballantine, (Feb) 1983)
(no UK paperback)

The Crucible of Time (New York, Ballantine, (Sep) 1983; London, Arrow, 1984)
Arrow 009934850-0, (Mar) 1984, 474pp, £2.25.
Legend 009934850-0, (Jul) 1990, 474pp, £4.99. Cover by Chris Moore

The Tides of Time (New York, Del Rey/Ballantine, (Dec) 1984; London, Penguin, 1986)
Penguin 014008240-9, 1986, 235pp. Cover by Terry Oakes

The Shift Key (London, Methuen, (May) 1987)
Methuen 041314920-X, (May) 1987, 224pp, £2.50. Cover by Peter Elson

The Days of March (London, Kerosina, (Oct) 1988)
Kerosina 094889327-3, (Oct) 1988, 309pp, £5.95. Cover by Richard Middleton

Children of the Thunder (New York, Del Rey/Ballantine, (Jan) 1989; London, Sphere, 1990)
Sphere/Orbit 074740537-9, (Mar) 1990, 390pp, £3.99.

A Maze of Stars (New York, Del Rey/Ballantine, (Jul) 1991; London, Gateway (ebook), 2013)
(no UK paperback)

Muddle Earth (New York, Del Rey/Ballantine, (Sep) 1993; London, Gateway (ebook), 2012)
(no UK paperback)

Kingdom of the Worlds, with Damien Broderick (London, Gateway (ebook), (Jan) 2021)
(no UK paperback)

COLLECTIONS

No Future In It and other science fiction stories (London, Gollancz, (Oct) 1962; New York, Doubleday, 1964)
Panther 1840, Apr 1965, 192pp, 3/6. Cover: photo

Times Without Number (New York, Ace, (Oct) 1962; expanded, New York, Ace, 1969)
Hamlyn 060020086-8 (May) 1981, 233pp, £1.10. Cover by Melvyn Grant

Now Then! (London, Mayflower-Dell, (Oct) 1965; New York, Avon, 1968)
Mayflower-Dell 6500, Oct 1965, 143pp, 3/6. Cover by Jacks [Jack Kirby]

No Other Gods But Me (London, Roberts & Vinter/Compact, (Sep) 1966)
Roberts & Vinter/Compact F317, (Sep) 1966, 159pp, 3/6. Cover by Keith Roberts

Out of My Mind (New York, Ballantine, (Feb) 1967; abridged, London, Four Square, 1968)
Four Square 2102, (Jan) 1968, 128pp, 3/6. Cover by Paul Lehr
New English Library 045004684-2, May 1980, 128pp, 80p. Cover by Tim White

Not Before Time (London, Four Square, (Apr) 1968)
Four Square 2138, (Apr) 1968, 3/6. Cover by Don Ivan Punchatz
New English Library 045002391-5, (May) 1975, 128pp, 35p. Cover by Ray Feibush
New English Library 045004519-6, (Apr) 1979, 128pp, 75p. Cover by Tim White

The Traveller in Black (New York, Ace, 1971; London, Magnum, 1978; expanded as The Complete Traveller in Black, see below)
Magnum 041702080-5, (Mar) 1978, 181pp, 75p. Cover by Bob Fowke
----, 1985, 181pp. Cover by Bob Fowke

From This Day Forward (New York, Doubleday, (Jul) 1972)
(no UK paperback)

Entry to Elsewhen (New York, DAW, (Oct) 1972)
(no UK paperback)

Time-Jump (New York, Dell, (Dec) 1973)
(no UK paperback)

The Book of John Brunner (New York, DAW, (Jan) 1976)
(no UK paperback)

Tomorrow May Be Even Worse (New York, NESFA Press, (Feb) 1978)
(no UK paperback)

Interstellar Empire (New York, DAW, 1976)
Hamlyn 009938870-7 (Venture SF #04), (Jun) 1985, 256pp, £1.95. Cover by Eddie Jones
Arrow 0099938870-7 (Venture SF #04), (Aug) 1987, 256pp, £2.50. Cover by Eddie Jones

Foreign Constellations: The Fantastic Worlds of John Brunner (New York, Everest House, (May) 1980)
(no UK paperback)

The Compleat Traveller in Black (New York, Bluejay 1986)
Methuen 041314910-2, (Apr) 1987, 233pp, £2.50. Cover by Peter Elson
Mandarin 074930105-8, (Oct) 1989, 233pp, £3.95. Cover by Patrick Mortemore

The Best of John Brunner (New York, Del Rey/Ballantine, (Nov) 1988)
(no UK paperback)

Victims of the Nova (London, Arrow, (Mar) 1989)
Arrow Books 009962440-0 (Venture SF #22), (Mar) 1989, 473pp, £3.99. Cover by Eddie Jones

The Society of Time (London, British Library Publishing, 2020)
British Library 978-071235382-3, (Nov) 2020, 288pp, £8.99.