Description
Author: Robert Silverberg
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 1982
Edition: Second printing of the stand-alone Ace edition (May 1982, Series #11511)
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 180
Condition: Near Fine vintage mass-market paperback with brilliant color retention and a pristine, unbent spine.
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 1982
Edition: Second printing of the stand-alone Ace edition (May 1982, Series #11511)
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 180
Condition: Near Fine vintage mass-market paperback with brilliant color retention and a pristine, unbent spine.
Originally serialized in Amazing Stories in 1959 and later published as an Ace Double omnibus in 1961, this May 1982 edition presents Robert Silverberg’s classic space-age political novel as a single volume. The story follows the diplomatic and psychological tensions that unfold when Earth's aggressively expanding colonial empire makes its first abrupt contact with an equally formidable, highly advanced alien civilization.
The Visual Aesthetic:
This edition features striking sci-fi cover art by acclaimed visual artist John Harris, depicting two space-suited figures standing before a grounded interstellar vessel. Harris’s use of deep cosmic purples, glowing atmospheric light, and detailed technical linework captures the contemplative, grand-scale worldbuilding characteristic of early-1980s speculative book designs, providing exceptional shelf presence.
This edition features striking sci-fi cover art by acclaimed visual artist John Harris, depicting two space-suited figures standing before a grounded interstellar vessel. Harris’s use of deep cosmic purples, glowing atmospheric light, and detailed technical linework captures the contemplative, grand-scale worldbuilding characteristic of early-1980s speculative book designs, providing exceptional shelf presence.
Collector's Condition Details:
Near Fine (NF) Archive Quality. An incredibly well-preserved survival from a pristine, single-owner private collection of uncreased spinner-rack literature. The front and back covers retain their original high-gloss sheen with zero fading to the dark blue-purple hues. The spine is completely straight, perfectly square, and entirely uncreased by reading folds. Interior pages are clean and square, showing minor, uniform natural edge tanning completely free from stamps, signatures, or vintage bookstore notations. The book is preserved within a museum-grade archival protective sleeve.
Near Fine (NF) Archive Quality. An incredibly well-preserved survival from a pristine, single-owner private collection of uncreased spinner-rack literature. The front and back covers retain their original high-gloss sheen with zero fading to the dark blue-purple hues. The spine is completely straight, perfectly square, and entirely uncreased by reading folds. Interior pages are clean and square, showing minor, uniform natural edge tanning completely free from stamps, signatures, or vintage bookstore notations. The book is preserved within a museum-grade archival protective sleeve.