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.
For more information about collecting first edition books, take a look at our article using Carl Sagan’s Contact as an example.
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.
For more information about collecting first edition books, take a look at our article using Carl Sagan’s Contact as an example.
