OMNIVORE

Corgi paperback, 1977. Cover artwork by Peter Jones.

Rear cover. More art!/synopsis.

TRIPLE DÉTENTE

Sphere SF paperback, 1975. Cover painting by Jim Burns (I think).

Rear cover synopsis: 

"Victory! 

Our invincible space fleet has occupied the monsters' worlds. 

Victory! 

Our mighty space force has seized the aliens' home planet. 

Victory! 

Our triumphant space warriors have captured the enemy system. 

But then why are we suffering so beneath the tread of those heartless conquerors from the stars?"

FAITH OF TAROT

Granada / Panther SF paperback, 1982. Cover illustration by
Melvyn Grant.

"On the ancient world of TAROT dreams come true - and fanged nightmares stalk the land. Sent to pierce the dread curtain of the Animation that turns fantasy into hideous reality, the wanderer-monk Paul finds himself on a trip to the ultimate, most terrifying fantasy of all. Hell."

VISION OF TAROT

Granada / Panther SF paperback, 1982. Cover illustration by
Melvyn Grant.

"On the planet TAROT nothing is real. Or everything. For the shimmering Animation curtain is moving across the worldscape like a storm of monsters, changing fantasy into hideous reality, trapping the wanderer-monk Paul in a nightmare of dragons, demons and spectacular lusts!"

GOD OF TAROT

Granada / Panther SF paperback, 1982. Cover illustration by
Melvyn Grant.

"Moments from now and light years away, on the ancient planet of Tarot, the new religions still flourish. But all who dwell in that occult world still worship the timeless Tree of Life as the one supreme god. 

Now this primitive culture is being haunted by apparitions from the mystery-ridden deck of Tarot - by Animations who destroy minds and take human life. can this horror be their god's ultimate challenge to his people? 

A young Earthling adventurer is sent to find the answer. Alone he dares to conjure a Tarot Animation, penetrate its awesome domain - and risk being trapped forever within the mystic borders of the ancient cards."

CHTHON

Granada paperback, 1983. Cover artist uncredited.

"THE LOWER DEPTHS... 

Aton's crime was a dreadful one. He had loved a Minionette. All the worlds of mankind despised and feared this almost mythical siren. But no creature anywhere could tell Aton why. 

In the brutally hot garnet mines of Chthon to which he had been condemned, Aton sought an answer. And when he could not find it he determined to seek it elsewhere.  

He had to escape. And no man had ever escaped from Chthon and lived. But the mystery of the Minionette had to be solved. Aton had to have his answer..."

MACROSCOPE

Grafton / Panther paperback, 1986. Cover illustration by Tim White.

The macroscope is the most expensive, important device ever put into space by the inhabitants of Earth. Many nations have come together to build and run it. 

By using a newly-discovered aspect of radiation, the macroscope is able to give clear images of worlds thousands of light-years away. 

And somewhere - out there - is a civilisation which has learned how to broadcast in the macroscopic band. Some brilliant scientists have already studied the broadcasts, with devastating results. Their brains have been badly damaged. 

There is one person who might be able to cope with the alien broadcasts - Schön, the elusive genius who won't appear if things bore him..."

THOUSANDSTAR

Granada paperback, 1984. Cover illustration by Tim White.

"A TREACHEROUS SPACE RACE FOR THE LEGACY OF THE ANCIENTS 

For Heem of Highfalls - an outlawed Hydr0 - and Jessica of Capella - a Solarian impostor, the new competition is a matter of life and death. 

The target planet is a wilderness world - Eccentric. The objective of the competition is an Ancient site. And the site is believed to be in operable condition. 

That means that the competition will be murderously stiff. It will be a race against time, enemy aliens and black holes. 

And for Heem and Jessica - linked together in the most intimate way possible - the contest is very simple: they can win. 

Or they can die... 

Thousandstar takes Piers Anthony's marvellously inventive Cluster series exploding further across the bounds of space and time."

STEPPE

Granada / Panther SF paperback, 1980. Cover illustration by
Fred Gambino.

Alp the Uigur steps into the Game 

Alp is a 9th Century warrior on the great Steppes of Russia, suddenly plucked from his own time by 24th Century Galactics, players of the Game. 

The Game is a reconstruction of history, controlled by a super-computer. Any Galactic with enough money can buy himself a part. The more he prospers, the more points he scores and the more fans he acquries on the outside. The history being re-run now is Steppe, 9th Century...with a difference. Instead of on rolling grasslands, the Game is played over an entire galaxy. Instead of on sturdy ponies, the competitors travel by individual spaceship. Only the women, and the need to use cunning and strength, seem the same..."

CHAINING THE LADY

Avon paperback, third printing, 1978. Cover illustration by
Ron Walotsky.

"Ten centuries after the War of Energy, Melody of Mintaka - daughter of Flint the Caveman - assumes the forms of alien and animal, male and female, to bring victory to the people of Cluster against the Andromedan spacefleet. But first she must endure untold humiliation... 

THE MISTRESS OF SPACE IS ENSLAVED!"

Reverse of wraparound cover of the 1978 Avon paperback.

After yesterday's Larry Niven salvo, today I thought I'd make a start on all the Piers Anthony paperbacks I have lying about. This one is my favourite, and with the cover especially so. I don't usually make a habit of scanning both front and back of wraparound covers but I really love the artwork here, by Chesley Award nominee Ron Walotsky - unfortunately, the front was a victim of the phantom permanent-marker-scribbler, so now everyone can see I paid 70p for it.