SO BRIGHT THE VISION

Magnum paperback, 1978. Cover artwork by Chris Moore.

Rear cover/synopsis.

PARALLEL LINES: THE SCIENCE FICTION ILLUSTRATIONS OF PETER ELSON & CHRIS MOORE

This is a 'second pass', after doing some housekeeping I was perplexed as to why in my original post of this book three years ago I only scanned three or four images out of approx. 77. Paralell Lines was published in 1981 by Dragon's Dream and contains a foreword by Roger Dean; most of the included paintings feature space hardware, though there are a few exceptions.

"Hot Sleep" by Chris Moore.

"The Rings Of Saturn" by Peter Elson.

"The Word For World Is Forest" by Peter Elson.

"Far Out" by Chris Moore.

"The Proud Robot" by Chris Moore.

"My Name Is Legion" by Chris Moore.

"Reach For The Stars" by Peter Elson.

"The Naked Sun" by Chris Moore.

"A Heritage Of Stars" by Chris Moore.

"On Darkling Plain" by Chris Moore.

Cover for "The Best Of Isaac Asimov" by Peter Elson.

GALACTIC ENCOUNTERS: DANGEROUS FRONTIERS - THE FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL ON DISANT WORLDS

Intercontinental Book Productions, hardback, 1980. Cover painting by Bob Layzell.

"The ships of the Galactic Federation's Survey and Preliminary Study Service ceaselessly range among the alien stars and unexplored planets which lie beyond the distant Perimeter. Contact with the bustling, central worlds of the Federation is difficult and infrequent as they face the dangers of the vast unknown. 

But the prosperity and growth of this great association of worlds would be impossible without new sources of supply and new avenues for expansion. Scarcely more than one in every hundred planets explored proves to be of sufficient interest to justify the implementation of a settlement programme. 

All the planets described in Dangerous Frontiers have won a place in the Federation at great cost in lives and efforts, and their existence owes much to the courage and determination of the creatures who first struggled for a foot-hold in their lonely and alien landscapes. 

Dangerous Frontiers is a study of those worlds as they are today. Some are vital to the network of trade, others have faded in importance and a few are only just emerging from obscurity. Whatever their current status in the Federation, it is to those who struggled alone in the emptiness beyond the frontiers that the honour belongs."

Painting by Angus McKie.

"One of the first sights to meet the eyes of a visitor to Monk's Field, are the impressive orbital terminals built in the mid twenty-second century."

Painting by Colin Hay.

"One of the scores of gigantic ore extraction plants constructed on Alpha Indi II to process the sea water. This plant is still operational."

Painting by Angus McKie.

"A view of Nihalan and its nearby lunar companion, Phox, showing one of the areas of intense volcanic activity which are scattered over the planet."

Painting by Chris Moore.

"The Beta Phoenicis system provides a base for the largest single industrial centre in the Federation. Transport between the twenty-seven planets and countless asteroids orbiting the sun is assisted by the vast transit stations where passengers can embark for any destination in known space."

Painting by Peter Elson.

"Passenger liners such as this Starfleet Major now ferry in pleasure seekers from all over the Federation to sample the delights of Ethsymon."

Painting by Cesare Reggiani.

"Until quite recently, the dolmens of 15 Lyncis Bee marked the sites of zyrillium treasure troves."

Painting by Roy Virgo.

"The research team's surface skimmers proved invaluable in their surveys of Eptel III."

GEMINI GOD

Penguin SF paperback, 1982. Cover illustration by Chris Moore.

"YEAR 2096 

The human race is in decline. Soon its numbers on earth will drop below survival level. 

Then New Carthage, a world inhabited by strange, cheetah-like creatures, is discovered. Could contact with these aliens provide a lifeline for mankind? 

Using the twins On Lo and Ti, experiments are started to create a human empathic telemetry system between the two worlds. But the encouragement of the closeness factor between the twins provides the catalyst for a far more fantastic event..."

GALACTIC ENCOUNTERS: WORLDS AT WAR - AN ILLUSTRATED STUDY OF INTERPLANETARY CONFLICT

Intercontinental Book Productions, hardback, 1980. Cover painting by
Tony Roberts.

"Despite the vast breadth of the Galactic Federation, and the many worlds and races it encompasses, it is nevertheless a minute speck on the rum of the great wheel of our Galaxy. Other worlds and other races lie scattered among the innumerable stars beyond its frontiers, and many of these will have evolved at least as far as the worlds comprising the Federation. 

There will be the those beyond its boundaries within reach, who regard the existence of the Federation with alien eyes: sometimes with resentment, sometimes with fear. As long as this is the case there exists the threat of interstellar war. 

Worlds at War records the battles that have already taken place in the dark and airless wastes of space, describes the reasons behind them, the events which followed and the final outcome of each confrontation between the Federation and its enemies. Only three major wars have taken place during the last 150 years but each of them threatened the security of the hundreds of inhabited planets that make up the Galactic Federation, and each of them demanded considerable sacrifices from the brave creatures who offer their lives in defence of their fellows."

Painting by Chris Moore.

"The huge transmitting centers of the Federation's signalling stations played a key role in the desperate attempt to halt the advance of the nightmarish intruder, and proved more effective than the sophisticated weaponry of the entire Federation Defence Force."

Painting by Jim Burns.

"A grim sight met the eyes of the rescue teams rushing to the main camp on the planet of Bell's Lode in answer to the desperate cries for help of its occupants."

Painting by Bob Layzell.

"Operating from semi-permanent bases established near Bell's Lode, squadrons of military warships stood by to intercept any further raids by the Marauders."

Painting by Tony Roberts.

"Beneath the dense cloud cover of a Marauder planet a huge invasion fleet was massing."

Painting by Bob Layzell.

"Aware that they had advanced too far, and with supplies running low, the Phalan attack began to slow. The arrival of the Federation fleet from the battle with the support force turned the tide against the enemy. Here a Phalan command ship makes a dash for the safety of deep space."

THE GOLDEN MAN

Magnum paperback, 1981. Cover illustration: Chris Moore.

"Here's a chance to read not just one but fifteen stories created by one of the most popular SF writers of today. This anthology is full of both new and classic ideas, brimming over with wit and the author's natural sense of fun. 

If you want to learn about THE GOLDEN MAN - totally irresistable to women, of the secret life of wub fur, of chameleon-like aliens called fnools, and a great deal more, read on... This collection includes an introduction, story notes and afterword by Philip K. Dick."

Contents:

The Golden Man

Return Match

The King of the Elves

The Mold of Yancy

Not By Its Cover

The Little Black Box

The Unreconstructed M

The War with the Fnools

The Last of the Masters

Meddler

A Game of Unchance

Sales Pitch

Precious Artifact

Small Town

The Pre-Persons

GALACTIC ENCOUNTERS: ALIENS IN SPACE - AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO THE INHABITED GALAXY

Intercontinental Book Productions hardback, 1979. Cover painting by
Bob Layzell.

"One of the more significant developments in human history, and without doubt the most dramatic in terms of mobility of he species, was the introduction of the first Hyperdrive engine by Henri DeVass in 2027 AD. Within a short space of time this device had transformed Man's attempts to explore his extraterrestrial environment, and the doorway to the stars was open. 

The question of whether we were along in the Universe had haunted Homo Sapiens for generations, but even those believing most fervently in the possibility of life existing elsewhere in the vast reaches of space, had little idea that it would be discovered so close to our solar system, or that contact would lead directly to the founding of a great galactic empire. 

Aliens in Space is a fascinating account of the worlds within the Galactic Federation where sentient beings exist, and describes the characters, cultures and circumstances of an extraordinary variety of creatures, from the gentle and sophisticated Alpha Centaurians to the terrible Fangstones of Hades. Each section opens with a planetary data check and navigational reference, before going on to outline the planet and some of the intriguing life-forms to be found there. 

Steven Caldwell joined the galactic Federation Security Force in 2393 and quickly rose to the rank of Group 1 Battleforce Commander. During his 15 years of active service he travelled to all parts of the Federation, and was awarded the Andromeda Star for his part in the settlement of the Perimeter Worlds. He now runs his own company prospecting for the ore Zyrillium - the major propulsive for Interstellar Military Interceptors. 

The GALACTIC ENCOUNTERS series is produced by the Federal Data Bureau which was formed in 2168 as a division of the Galactic Information Service in order to provide a comprehensive service for space travellers. 

Although most of its publications are highly technical programmes for licensed spacecraft operators only, the series was developed to satisfy the the growing demand for information of a more general nature, and to serve as an introduction to the rich variety of life within the Galactic Federation."

Painting by Bob Layzell.

"The settlements of Gadgetia are entirely industrial in nature and offer little in the way of amusement to travellers. They are, however, a fascinating race and there are sufficient points of interest to justify a brief stay, although the only places suitable for humans to relax are the domed glass solar centers where the inhabitants top up their energy levels."

Painting by Joe Petagno.

"Due to their extraordinary powers, the solitary wandering people of Nova Nevada are known as the Magicians."

Painting by Tony Roberts.

"A private solar-sailer encounters the infrequent but no less unpleasant phenomenon of the high-flying creatures of Swarmy as they congregate during the mating season in the manner which earned the planet its name."

Painting by Mike Masters.

"Very often the first sight visitors to Reptilia have of the local wildlife is the arrival of the nearest Scarlet Dragon whose ferocious-looking form belies its placid and inquisitive nature."

Painting by Chris Moore.

"The ponderous dormant species of Matar IV is a wholly unpredictable creature, and it is best to avoid any unnecessary contact. Although frequently generous in their dealings with off-worlders, they are as likely to erupt into an unprovoked rage."

Essentially re-purposed paperback covers, artist portfolio pieces and other examples of fine SF art of the late 1970s, Aliens In Space is part of the series of Galactic Encounters books. As the synopsis gives away, this one is a guide to extraterrestrial life-forms in a fictional Galactic Federation, rather similar to Steven Eisler's The Alien World - The Complete Illustrated Guide, which I also have (see post here). This one amusingly re-uses a painting of H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu by Terry Oakes to illustrate a Reptilian alien called the Slycath, and R'lyeh is its sophisticated aquatic civilization. Peter Elson's painting for the Hamlyn paperback cover of Henry Kuttner's Mutant (see post here) doubles as a Proximan; hairless beings resembling humans in all ways but for the arrangement of their internal organs. I love these books, at times it's a little difficult if you're familiar with the artwork to accept that painting X is a depiction of alien Y, but the descriptions really are brilliant and imaginative, if a little juvenile sometimes - emphasis on a little, and sometimes.

ON WINGS OF SONG

Magnum paperback, 1981. Cover illustration: Chris Moore.

"The twenty-first century in the United States. 

Society ranges from the extremes of megadecadent New York to the bleakly repressive and religiously obsessed mid-western states like Iowa. A future where the ultimate trip is to release the spirit through singing and fly, leaving the body behind in suspension. But in Iowa singing and music are taboo. 

Daniel Weinrib grows up in Iowa, and as a teenager is sent to Spirit Lake detention centre for circulating a radical newspaper - a prison without bars where each prisoner carries an electrically controlled explosive in his stomach. 

Although embittered by this experience, Daniel is determined to learn to fly. His struggle leads him through the grotesque extremes of the country in which he lives."

SPECIAL DELIVERANCE

Methuen paperback, 1984. Cover illustration: Chris Moore.

"They were six ill-assorted players of the strangest game ever devised. Set on a strange planet, they knew neither its rules or its aim. There was the giant blue cube, the ruined city, the singing tower, the roaring wall of Chaos - all deadly dangerous, all part of the challenge that the unwilling travellers must confront. But what was it all for - and would they survive to find out?"

SUM VII

Magnum paperback, 1981. Cover illustration by Chris Moore.

"A medical research trip to Egypt leads to the opening of a magnificent new tomb and the discovery of a unique mummy. Code-named SUM VII, the mummy is so perfectly preserved that specialists are able to revive the body - a being considered dead for nearly 5000 years! Believed to be a high priest to a Pharaoh, SUM VII reveals awesome powers. Soon a fugitive hunted by the men who returned him to life, his true identity is stranger and more mysterious yet..."

THE STARS MY DESTINATION

Gollancz SF Masterworks paperback, 1999. Illustration by Chris Moore.

"EDUCATION: none. 

SKILLS: none. MERITS: none. 

RECOMMENDATIONS: none. 

That is the official verdict on Gully Foyle, unskilled space crewman. But Gully has managed to survive for 170 days in the airless purgatory of deep space after the wreck of his ship, and has escaped to earth carrying a murderous grudge and a secret that could change the course of history."

Ten points go to Bill Miller, who spotted that the painting is actually mirrored. According to Wikipedia this was done for aesthetic reasons. So when Gully meets the Scientific People, they tattoo 'DAMON' on his forehead.

PARELLEL LINES

Dragon's Dream paperback, 1981. © Dragon's Dream, Peter Elson, Chris Moore.

Derelict II by Peter Elson

Painting for Stanley G. Weinbaum's short story collection A Martian Odyssey
by Peter Elson.

Cover for Philip K. Dick's novel The Unteleported Man by Chris Moore.

 

Cover for Paul French's novel The Big Sun Of Mercury by Chris Moore.

COLONY

Magnum paperback, 1979. Cover illustration: Chris Moore.

"The first novel of colonies in space 

Hurtling across a vast and rousing canvas, from Baghdad to what remains of New York City...from Messina, the capital of the Earth, to the moon, to Island One, the magnificent colony in space...Ben Bova's extraordinary new novel is a brilliant epic of sheer storytelling power. 

COLONY is the story of once-proud cities of the earth made humble by greed and revenge, of stone age cultures and advanced civilizations in space, of a cast of extraordinary and memorable characters from the remote corners of the globe and beyond... And of David Adams, the first genetically perfect test-tube human being - the only man who can save the earth from final destruction."