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NEL Mars Books

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  • #1

    NEL Mars Books

    Thought I'd bang in a quick query about the New English Library editions of the Mars books. Was there ever a uniform issue of the series with new covers at the time of mid-70s Lord Of The Spiders cover?

    [image moved]

    I've never seen any, although The Tanelorn Archives book lists reprints from the mid 70s. Anyone know? All I've seen is a later edition of Masters Of The Pit which reuses the 1971 cover and a 1979 issue of City Of THe Beast, which appears to have contemporary artwork.
    'You know, I can't keep up with you. If I hadn't met you in person, I quite honestly would NOT believe you really existed. I just COULDN'T. You do so MUCH... if half of what goes into your zines is to be believed, you've read more at the age of 17 than I have at the age of 32 - LOTS more'

    Archie Mercer to Mike (Burroughsania letters page, 1957)
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Aral, the sets I know about are:

    [image moved][image moved][image moved]

    the original 1971 NELs, which had coloured spines for the first editions, but white spines by 1978.

    Then in 1979 they changed to:

    [image moved]
    [image moved]

    I've never seen a matching cover for Masters of the Pit to go with those two.

    Finally there's the one you posted above for Lord of the Spiders. Again, I've not seen matching volumes for the first and third Michael Kane books.

    I would also be interested in knowing whether there are complete sets out there.
    _"For an eternity Allard was alone in an icy limbo where all the colours were bright and sharp and comfortless.
    _For another eternity Allard swam through seas without end, all green and cool and deep, where distorted creatures drifted, sometimes attacking him.
    _And then, at last, he had reached the real world – the world he had created, where he was God and could create or destroy whatever he wished.
    _He was supremely powerful. He told planets to destroy themselves, and they did. He created suns. Beautiful women flocked to be his. Of all men, he was the mightiest. Of all gods, he was the greatest."

    Comment

    • #3
      I haven't seen any other covers than the ones you two have listed between you. Odd anomalies which I hadn't noticed before now. Well spotted, you two.

      On the US end of the same topic, at least one of the Lancer editions of Masters of the Pit had a Steranko cover:

      [expired link]
      but did any of the other titles?
      Last edited by Reinart der Fuchs; 04-21-2010, 12:08 PM.

      Comment

      • #4
        There's this one also from Lancer, but I can't tell who the artist is.
        [image moved][expired link]
        Last edited by Reinart der Fuchs; 04-21-2010, 12:08 PM.
        _"For an eternity Allard was alone in an icy limbo where all the colours were bright and sharp and comfortless.
        _For another eternity Allard swam through seas without end, all green and cool and deep, where distorted creatures drifted, sometimes attacking him.
        _And then, at last, he had reached the real world – the world he had created, where he was God and could create or destroy whatever he wished.
        _He was supremely powerful. He told planets to destroy themselves, and they did. He created suns. Beautiful women flocked to be his. Of all men, he was the mightiest. Of all gods, he was the greatest."

        Comment

        • #5
          Yes, I have that one and it's definitely not Steranko; it's signed Behan I think.

          Comment

          • #6
            Dear all,

            This is the information I have to hand:-

            'The City Of The Beast': Lancer, '70, cover: Kenneth Smith
            NEL, 05/'71 (as 'City Of The Beast')
            NEL, 05/'74
            NEL, 07/'77, cvr.: Tim White
            NEL, 04/'79, cvr.: Tim White
            NEL, 01/'83, cvr.: Tim White
            DAW, 01/'79 (as 'City Of The Beast or Warriors Of Mars', cvr.: Richard Hescox.

            'The Lord Of The Spiders': Lancer, 02/'71
            Lancer, 02/'73
            NEL, 06/'71 (as 'Lord Of The Spiders')
            NEL, 01/'75, cvr.: Ray Feibush
            NEL, 03/'75, cvr.: Ray Feibush
            NEL, '77 (?)
            NEL, 02/'79, cvr.: Tim White
            NEL, 03/'83, cvr.: Tim White
            DAW, 02/'79 (as 'Lord Of The Spiders or Blades Of Mars', cvr.: Richard Hescox.

            'Masters Of The Pit: NEL, 07/'71
            NEL, 10/'75
            NEL, 02/'78
            Lancer, 08/'71 (as 'The Masters Of The Pit'), cvr.: Steranko
            DAW, 03/'79 (as 'Masters Of The Pit or Barbarians Of Mars', cvr.: Richard Hescox.

            Best,


            John.

            Comment

            • #7
              I've never read MM's Mars, still reading ERB's Mars books at the moment. How are they diffrent?

              Comment

              • #8
                I found a 1974 printing of City Of The Beast on ebay, which has the 71 cover:

                http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MICHAEL-MOORCO...he-Beast-1974-

                I find it odd that NEL didn't reissue these in uniform editions, as with the 1971 set. What started this off in the first place is that I have a great fondness for the mid 70s NEL sf line, with those great covers by Bruce Pennington and others, and wondered why I hadn't seen any matching covers for Mike's Mars books. Not sure if Mike knows the reason for this?

                NEL of course issued the Burroughs Mars books as well (and the Venus ones). I have most of those, although A Princess Of Mars doesn't seem to turn up very often.

                To answer Azariel, I guess Mike's books are a humorous pastiche and not intended to be taken as seriously as Burroughs. They were also written incredibly quickly, and as Mike has said before were his Father's personal favourites of his books.
                'You know, I can't keep up with you. If I hadn't met you in person, I quite honestly would NOT believe you really existed. I just COULDN'T. You do so MUCH... if half of what goes into your zines is to be believed, you've read more at the age of 17 than I have at the age of 32 - LOTS more'

                Archie Mercer to Mike (Burroughsania letters page, 1957)

                Comment

                • #9
                  Simple. NEL don't have the rights any longer and I'm disinclined to do any further business with Orion/Victor Gollancz. As with other titles not currently in print in the UK, I'm hanging on to them until I decide what would be the best way to publish or until someone makes me an offer I can't refuse! I'm actually in no hurry to reprint, as I've mentioned before in relation to US editions.
                  Pre-order or Buy my latest titles in Europe:
                  The Whispering Swarm: Book One of the Sanctuary of the White Friars - The Laughter of Carthage - Byzantium Endures - London Peculiar and Other Nonfiction
                  Doctor Who: The Coming of the Terraphiles - Kizuna: Fiction for Japan - Modem Times 2.0 - The Sunday Books - The Sundered Worlds

                  Pre-order or Buy my latest titles in the USA:
                  The Laughter of Carthage - Byzantium Endures - London Peculiar and Other Nonfiction - The Sunday Books - Doctor Who: The Coming of the Terraphiles
                  Kizuna: Fiction for Japan - The Sundered Worlds - The Winds of Limbo - Modem Times 2.0 - Elric: Swords and Roses

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Originally posted by JohnDavey
                    Dear all,

                    This is the information I have to hand:-



                    'The Lord Of The Spiders': Lancer, 02/'71
                    Lancer, 02/'73
                    NEL, 06/'71 (as 'Lord Of The Spiders')
                    NEL, 01/'75, cvr.: Ray Feibush
                    ...
                    Thanks for that typically thorough response, John.

                    Just the one Steranko to look out for, then.

                    Comment

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