No.16: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

As part of Vintage Sci Fi month being hosted by Little Red Reviewer I’ve given myself a small challenge to post a vintage book each day – one that I’ve read – and to highlight some of the covers.   Today’s choice is one of my favourites: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.  This only just snuck into the challenge due to it’s relatively young age and I’m pleased it did.  I loved this book.  I read this as part of the Vintage Sci Fi event and my review is here.

Here’s the first edition :

So we have:

1. 1979 Harmony (with the cheeky green planet pulling it’s tongue out)
2. 1980 Ballantine Books (which looks like a pile of m&ms)
3. 1984 by Tor UK (with the two little white mice – love this cover!)
4. 1991 by Heinemann Educational (with the disembodied ear and the Babel fish – not feeling that one!)
5. 1995 by Turtleback Books (The split purple cover with another cheeky green planet – I like this one too – I think the colours and font just appeal to me)
6. 1997 DC Comics
7. 1995 by Turtleback Books – cute with the hitchhiking robot
8. 2009 by MacMillan Childrens – Large fonts in blue, white and black
9. 2012 by Gollancz – lots going on in this cover, whales, mice, cups of tea and what is presumably the back of Arthur Dent in this robe.

No.15: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift.

As part of Vintage Sci Fi month being hosted by Little Red Reviewer I’ve given myself a small challenge to post a vintage book each day – one that I’ve read – and to highlight some of the covers.   Today’s choice is: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift.  I think I may have mentioned (or not) that a few of my choices on here might be controversial in terms of whether or not they’re really sci fi – this is one of them.  First published in 1726 this definitely fits into ‘Vintage’ and apparently it’s so popular that it’s never been out of print – hence lots of covers.  It is a great story for sure although it’s been a while since I read it and it certainly is without doubt a classic.  Personally I think it fits the sci fi bill.  It’s all about exploration, and surviving in different environments that feel ‘alien’.

I actually really like this one:  Just the style altogether draws me in.

1899 by Henry Altemus Co

I also really like the one below and would never guess it was 1912:

1912 by rand McNally & Co

Penguin 1920

1940 Whitman Publishing

1960 Pocket Books

1977 Oxford Uni Press

1985 Penguin Books

1996 Dover Thrift

These two are almost like mirror images! Although the Dover Thrift colours are lovely.

2004 Barnes and Noble

2010 Penguin Books

No.14: The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison

As part of Vintage Sci Fi month being hosted by Little Red Reviewer I’ve given myself a small challenge to post a vintage book each day – one that I’ve read – and to highlight some of the covers.   Today’s choice is The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison.  This is another of my Vintage Sci Fi reads.

The original blurb:

‘We must be as stealthy as rats in the wainscoting of their society. It was easier in the old days, of course, and society had more rats when the rules were looser, just as old wooden buildings have more rats than concrete buildings. But there are rats in the building now as well. Now that society is all ferrocrete and stainless steel there are fewer gaps in the joints. It takes a very smart rat indeed to find these openings. Only a stainless steel rat can be at home in this environment.’

I must confess that I’m not absolutely enamoured with any of these.  If anything, I would say the Ace 1986 is my favourite – I like the bold colour and the mechanical looking rat.

First Edition 1961

Sphere 1973

Ace 1986

Sphere 1988

Orion 1988

No.13: I am Legend by Richard Matheson

As part of Vintage Sci Fi month being hosted by Little Red Reviewer I’ve given myself a small challenge to post a vintage book each day – one that I’ve read – and to highlight some of the covers.   Today’s choice is I am Legend by Richard Matheson.   This is a great book, it’s not cheerful, in fact it’s downright bleak but reading about one man’s journey into loneliness and despair is bound to be a bit bleak.  All the same I thought the ending was innovational.  I did hum and ah about whether or not this is sci fi – but I think it is.  I suppose it’s also horror and you could say it was the early inspiration behind zombies.

First edition from 1954 below:

1. 1964 Bantam
2. 2007 Doherty Tom Associates
3. 1956 Corgi Books
4. 1997 Orb
5. IDW Graphic novel

The corgi one is a bit shocking!

No.12: Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

As part of Vintage Sci Fi month being hosted by Little Red Reviewer I’ve given myself a small challenge to post a vintage book each day – one that I’ve read – and to highlight some of the covers.   Today’s choice is Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne.  Classic sci fi from 1864.  I liked this book and in fact read it as part of one of the Vintage Sci Fi months.  Review here.  I like the 65 and think the 74 looks almost comic book – which I also like:

1965 Scholastic

1959 Book Club Edition

1974 Pendulum

1980 Ladybird

2008 Cruguru