Frederik Pohl, a titan of the field and one of the few individuals to win Hugo Awards as both an author and an editor, presents a satirical and prescient look at geopolitical power in Black Star Rising (1985). The novel is set in a future where the United States and the Soviet Union have destroyed each other, leaving China as the dominant world power—until a mysterious alien craft arrives demanding to speak with the President of the United States. It is a classic Pohl narrative: sharp, cynical, and deeply concerned with how humanity handles sudden, overwhelming change.
Publisher: Del Rey / Ballantine Books, New York (1985).
Format: Hardcover with dust jacket.
Binding: Quarter-bound in dark navy blue cloth with gray paper-covered boards; silver gilt lettering on the spine.
Dust Jacket: Features stunning original cover art by the multiple Hugo-winner Michael Whelan. With a few rips and chips to the top of the spine, the dust jacket is graded at very good.
Internal State: Stated First Edition: May 1985. The text block is clean and the binding remains tight. The book itself is in very good condition, with only a small bump to the top of the front board.
Points of Issue: Stated "First Edition: May 1985" on the copyright page with a full number line (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1), marking this as the correct first printing for the Del Rey hardcover.
While Pohl is the draw for the prose, the Michael Whelan jacket makes this a "cross-collectible" item for those who specifically collect Whelan's cover work. Finding this jacket without sun-fading to the spine is essential for preservation. This copy serves as a perfect entry-point collectible that bridges the gap between classic space opera and the more complex social science fiction of the late 20th century.
Frederik Pohl, a titan of the field and one of the few individuals to win Hugo Awards as both an author and an editor, presents a satirical and prescient look at geopolitical power in Black Star Rising (1985). The novel is set in a future where the United States and the Soviet Union have destroyed each other, leaving China as the dominant world power—until a mysterious alien craft arrives demanding to speak with the President of the United States. It is a classic Pohl narrative: sharp, cynical, and deeply concerned with how humanity handles sudden, overwhelming change.
Publisher: Del Rey / Ballantine Books, New York (1985).
Format: Hardcover with dust jacket.
Binding: Quarter-bound in dark navy blue cloth with gray paper-covered boards; silver gilt lettering on the spine.
Dust Jacket: Features stunning original cover art by the multiple Hugo-winner Michael Whelan. With a few rips and chips to the top of the spine, the dust jacket is graded at very good.
Internal State: Stated First Edition: May 1985. The text block is clean and the binding remains tight. The book itself is in very good condition, with only a small bump to the top of the front board.
Points of Issue: Stated "First Edition: May 1985" on the copyright page with a full number line (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1), marking this as the correct first printing for the Del Rey hardcover.
While Pohl is the draw for the prose, the Michael Whelan jacket makes this a "cross-collectible" item for those who specifically collect Whelan's cover work. Finding this jacket without sun-fading to the spine is essential for preservation. This copy serves as a perfect entry-point collectible that bridges the gap between classic space opera and the more complex social science fiction of the late 20th century.
