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

THE SIMULACRA

Ace SF paperback, 1976. Cover artist uncredited.

"The 21st Century. It was a shifting, shadowy and extraordinary world...and very dangerous. Most people, as in the present, were content to survive and grab what little pleasure they could. But there were others who cunningly played the deadly game of world mastery.... 

There was the incredible beauty who had ruled the White House for nearly a century, the world's last practicing psychiatrist, a psychokinetic pianist, the time traveler, the simulacra and the chuppers."

NOW WAIT FOR LAST YEAR

Granada / Panther SF paperback, 1979 reprint. Cover illustration
by Chris Foss.

"ONLY ONE MAN COULD SAVE THE WORLD, AND HE WAS DEAD. AGAIN. 

Once Gino Molinari, elected leader of Earth and supreme commander of its armed forces in a war against the reegs, had been assassinated by a political rival. The second time he had a heart attack while negotiation a surrender to the enemy. But now he was back, younger and more vigorous than before, giving Earth new hope in its battle for survival. 

Had he really died? Was an artificial Molinari - a robant - masquerading as the overlord of Earth? And what about the men from Lilistar, supposedly Earth's allies? Come to that, what about the reegs, supposedly Earth's enemies? One way and another, the Solar System was in bad trouble - and Molinari was the only one who could get it out of the mess it was in. If he could stay alive long enough. Or at least not stay dead too long..."

THE ZAP GUN

Panther SF/Grafton paperback, 1986. Illustration by Peter Jones.

"The terrifying arms race roared on. Daily, East and West produced more dreadful weaponry. And, daily, yesterday's weapons were turned into toys, souvenirs, egg beaters, furniture...and never, never used as weapons. Which was just as well, since they wouldn't have worked. 

It may have looked crazy, but it kept the 21st Century world peaceful and its population securely under the dominion of the monstrous, ubiquitous security agencies. 

But then the Sirius Slavers arrived from outer space. Whole cities began to disappear. The world was defenceless - and the race for an Ultimate Weapon for survival was on, for real this time. The outcome meant life or death for Earth. And it lay in the hands of two misfit weapons 'fashion designers', a demented comic book artist and a highly unlikely toymaker from the wrong side of time..."

NOW WAIT FOR LAST YEAR

Macfadden paperback, 1968. Cover artist uncredited.

"Only one man could save the world, and he was dead - again. Once he had been assassinated by a political rival. The second time he had a heart attack while negotiating a surrender to the enemy. Now he was back, younger and more vigorous than before, giving new hope to the terrans in their battle for survival. Had he really died once - or more than once - leaving a robant in his place? Or had he learned to manipulate time so he could use all of his several possible futures?"

DR FUTURITY

Artist uncredited.

"He had a moment of shattering, blinding terror. One minute he'd been driving along the familiar road to his city office, next he was hurtled centuries into the future - but why? The tribesmen of the wolf had chosen him for a grimly dangerous task. But how could he escape it, and return to his own time?"

THE PENULTIMATE TRUTH

Illustration by Peter Goodfellow.

"World War III is raging - or so the millions of people crammed in their underground tanks believe. For fifteen years, subterranean humanity has been fed on daily broadcasts of the never-ending nuclear destruction, sustained by a belief in the all-powerful protector. But up on Earth's surface, a different kind of reality reigns. East and west are at peace. Across the planet, an élite corps of hoaxers live in vast private demesnes - repayment for their services in preserving the great lie. Until one day, a tanker emerges and discovers the path to the most sinister penultimate truth of them all..."

LA SECONDE MORT PHILIP K. DICK

A few people asked, so here are scans of the Blade Runner article from Metal Hurlant issue 79, September 1982, plus a bonus article which appears to infer a Moebius / Blade Runner link - useless unless you speak french but if anyone does, let us know.

THE BEST OF PHILIP K. DICK

Ballantine paperback, first edition, March 1977. Cover artwork
by Vincent Di Fate.

"HERE - IN THE DEFINITIVE PHILIP K. DICK COLLECTION - ARE 19 OF HIS MOST FAMOUS STORIES...STORIES THAT LOOK BEHIND WHAT IS APPARENTLY REAL TO WHAT IS REALLY REAL! 

IF THERE WERE NO BENNY CEMOLI 

Then it would have been necessary to invent him, because somebody had to be blamed for the state of the world! 

AUTOFAC 

Automation can be a wonderful thing - as long as somebody is always in control! 

HUMAN IS 

There is more to being a human being than looking like one - and when she discovered that, she knew all would be well! 

BREAKFAST AT TWILIGHT 

They knew the end of the world was in sight - but nobody wanted to listen, alas! 

- AND LOTS MORE."

Contents:

Beyond Lies The Wub
Roog
Second Variety
Paycheck
Impostor
Colony
Expendable
The Days Of Perky Pat
Breakfast At Twilight
Foster, You're Dead
The Father-Thing
Service Call
Autofac
Human Is
If There Were No Benny Cemoli
Oh, To Be A Blobel!
Faith Of Our Fathers
The Electric Ant
A Little Something For Us Tempunauts

WE CAN BUILD YOU

DAW paperback, first printing, 1972. Cover by John Schoenherr.

"They began as manufacturers of electric mood organs and player pianos. Then they improved the line - they started building exact simulacra of famous men. They thought that people would pay a good price to have anyone they wanted made to order - to talk with, befriend and eventually utilize for any purpose they wanted. 

But they ran into trouble. For one thing an exactly programmed reconstruction of a famous man is going to be obstinate and as character complex as the real man was - and nobody's puppet. 

For another, they got involved with a project for settling the moon with their creations. And finally they got tangled up with their own personal identities."