THE SONGS OF DISTANT EARTH

Grafton paperback, 1987. Jacket art by Michael Whelan.

"THE VOYAGERS AWOKE IN PARADISE 

When Earth's sun went nova, the MAGELLAN barely escaped in time, with its precious cargo of one million sleepers and gene banks of plants and animals. 

Five hundred years into the voyage they stopped for repairs on the idyllic planet of Thalassa. 

But whilst the awakened Earth people envied them their stable, harmonious world, the hospitable Thalassasns were drawn by the long quest of the interstellar voyagers. 

And when Lieutenant Commander Loren Lorenson met beautiful thalassan mirissa, their alien destinies became inextricably - and tragically - entwined. 

THE SONGS OF DISTANT EARTH 

is the novel that Arthur C. Clarke has wanted to write for the past 20 years, a brilliant blend of sound scientific speculation with a moving story of life and love on an alien and beautiful world."

MIRKHEIM

Sphere SF paperback, 1978. Cover artwork by Peter Elson
(thanks, Yvan).

"THE DOOMED PLANET 

The gigantic planet of Mirkheim was gone - blasted and vaporised by a supernova. But its core had survived the holocaust, and now, transmuted, it was the only source of certain vital supermetals. David Falkayn, agent and troubleshooter for the powerful Polesotechnic League, governors of the Terran Empire, had plans for Mirkheim. But the Baburites - an unscrupulous alien race - were one step ahead of him and had claimed the priceless minerals as their own. The conflict cloud mean only one thing - war, on a titanic scale - unless Falkayn could turn the tide and negotiate a peaceful agreement. But with the Baburites, that was a near-impossible task."

2061: ODYSSEY THREE

Grafton paperback, 1988. Cover illustration by Michael Whelan.

"2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY WAS THE CLASSIC STORY THAT TOLD OF MAN'S DESTINY IN SPACE. 

2010: ODYSSEY TWO PUSHED BACK THE FRONTIERS OF HUMAN IMAGINATION STILL FURTHER.

NOW, 2061: ODYSSEY THREE TELLS OF HUMANITY'S EVOLUTION TOWARDS THE STARS... 

In 2061, when two suns share the skies of Earth, Halley's Comet returns to the inner Solar System. Soon the fates of the two spacefaring expeditions are entwined by human necessity and the immutable laws of astrophysics, Centenarian Heywood Floyd must once again confront Dave Bowman, a newly independent HAL and the limitless power of an alien race that has decided humanity must play a part in the evolution of the galaxy - whether it wants to or not... 

2061: ODYSSEY THREE takes the century's greatest story on to brilliant new dimensions of wonder and excitement. This is visionary storytelling at its compelling, mind-expanding best."

2010: ODYSSEY TWO

Granada paperback, 1983. Cover illustration by Michael Whelan.

"2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY WAS THE GREATEST STORY EVER WRITTEN OF MAN'S DESTINY IN OUTER SPACE. 

NOW IN 2010: ODYSSEY TWO, THE ULTIMATE QUEST CONTINUES... 

Out among the moons of Jupiter, the empty spacecraft DISCOVERY and the enigmatic alien monolith still float in the silent depths of space, mute witnesses of the mysterious disappearance of astronaut David Bowman through the 'Star Gate' nine years before. To them comes the LEONOV, bearing a joint Soviet-American scientific team on a mission of investigation and recovery. A mission whose outcome will be beyond the wildest imaginings of any of the mere humans involved... 

2010: ODYSSEY TWO carries the century's greatest story onward into astounding new dimensions of the imagination. It is a masterwork by one of the twentieth century's greatest storytellers and thinkers."

THROUGH A GLASS, CLEARLY

NEL reprint, 1970. Artist uncredited.

"Enter the incredible imagination of Isaac Asimov: 

IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY: Nature had been forgotten in this electronic world of the future, until one day, quite by accident, a young boy strayed outdoors and discovered what was there. 

BREEDS THERE A MAN?: The physicist had arrived at a theory - very interesting, but highly improbably. But something not quite human seemed to be causing a bit of trouble... 

THE C-CHUTE: The spaceship had to be recaptured from the aliens, which meant that somebody had to be a hero. But who would that be...and why?

Contents:

It's Such A Beautiful Day

Belief

Breeds There A Man

The C-Chute

BEHOLD THE MAN

Mayflower paperback, 1973 reprint. Cover painting by
Bob Haberfield (thanks, Mark).

"Karl Glogauer, obsessed with the bright silver crucifix that dangles around the little girl's neck, tortured by his growing sexuality and the overwhelming mystic power of religion...Karl Glogauer loves with Eva, innocent and beautiful, but he is too destructive. He loves with a troop of middle-aged women, but they are just a training ground. He loves with Monica, but she is explosive, she stings like a scorpion. He loves. He tries to love. He tries... 

The story of Glogauer's crisis and identity weaves between modern london and ancient palestine, between Glogauer's erotic hunt for personality and Christ's journey to the cross. This is perhaps the most controversial portrait of Christ ever painted."

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."

I, ROBOT

Panther SF paperback, 1969. Photograph by Dennis Rolfe.

"I, ROBOT 

To you, a robot is just a robot. But you haven't worked with them. You don't know them. They're a cleaner, better breed than we are 

I, ROBOT 

When Earth is ruled by master-machines...when robots are more human than mankind 

I, ROBOT 

Isaac Asimov's unforgettable, spine-chilling vision of the future"

Contents:

Robbie

Runaround

Catch That Rabbit

Liar!

Little Lost Robot

Escape!

Evidence

The Evitable Conflict