On Thursday’s, The Werewolf participates in that time-honored tradition of judging a book by its cover – literally. I mean, let’s admit it, we all do it. And, as much as I’m in to audiobooks and eBooks, there’s nothing like having the real book in your hand, especially when it features particularly appealing artwork or design elements. And, while the recent Chip Kidd school is all fine and good, I’m a much bigger fan of the older, outmoded styles. I have to say that I fetishize book covers and so I present this feature where I cull Google images for the best cover art of whichever 3 or 4 books I happen to be reading that week. (Yes, 3 or 4 a week! Generally, a paperback at work for reading on the can, something from Audible on my iPod for when I’m doing mindless data entry or running, one CD book in the car from the library and usually even one more book for home.)
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So, I’ve all done with “Ubik” and “Heart-Shaped Box” from last week and still cranking through “The Orphan” on the toilet at my office (Don’t say you weren’t warned when you ask to borrow my copy!) and “The Shining” as well. But, I’ve added a couple more to the pile this week, so here goes…
VALIS by Philip K. Dick:
I have to apologize that last week, in presenting a couple of “Ubik” covers, I mistakenly identified that novel as coming after Dick’s Gnostic toothache nuttiness, but that was wrong. I know that now because I looked at the dates again, but also because “Ubik,” though mind-alteringly amazing and full of truly high-grade mad science, still makes the reader comfortable that they’re in the hands of a storyteller in full command of his faculties.
Whereas “Valis,” is a car going a hundred miles an hour with the driver laughing at you from the back seat while you cling to your seatbelt trying not to piss yourself. Not only does this book follow the spiritual revelations that Dick experienced in the mid to late 70’s, it is the ultimate expression of those revelations.
I’m not up to the task of even attempting a synopsis, but I’ll gladly show you some amazing covers…
First off is the British cover. Very similar to the original US paperback cover, this one differs in one major way, which is the addition of the actual Christ instead of a spacey looking surrogate…
Then we have the ever-batshit Japanese cover. I’m nearly done with the book and I honestly can’t say where this one fits the story at all, but it was too arresting an image not to present…
The German cover gives us one of the greater motifs in Dick cover art and that is the inclusion of the author himself into the image. This, more than any other instance of the technique, is the most obvious novel of his to do it with as he himself is the main character….
By the way, you can read a little more about the inclusion of Dick’s visage into his covers at the truly excellent blog entitled “Total Dick Head” (BEST – BLOG – NAME – EVER) which I’ll link to HERE. But, make sure you’ve got some time on your hands. I’ve spent way too much of my employers time at his blog and to the multitude of links it has sent me to.
Now, for the best of the best. This French cover for VALIS is beyond brilliant. Not sure what it is that strikes me so, but I wish to hell I had a poster of this one…
The image instantly recalls for me this quote from Herman Hesse’s “Demian”…
“The bird struggles out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.”
And now, for something completely different…
ASTRO BOY, Vol.1&2 by Osamu Tezuka:
My son and I have recently discovered a host of episodes of the 80’s “Astro Boy” cartoon on the watch now feature of my Netflix account. And, while it certainly has its charms, I still have the same trouble I always have with the weird translation and the truly awful voice acting. But, who cares about me? My boy is obsessed. So, when I saw Dark Horse was releasing the first two volumes of the original Manga in one edition, I knew it would make instantly good bedtime reading.
That said, when it comes to covers, I actually like the cover for the Vol.3 Dark Horse edition much more than the volume I bought, so I thought I’d present that here…
And, now that I think about it, if you’ve read “Valis,” then I suppose there is a slightly oblique connection here to Sofia, the girl savior who is some sort of android mainframe….I think…I’m not really sure.
Anyway, there ya go folks!
THE WEREWOLF 