Berkley Medallion Books – Literary Art and Illustration

I’ve read very little in the way of J.G. Ballard, with the solitary exception of the anthology Billenium, and his novel The Wind From Nowhere. Though I read both long ago, what still stands out in my memory is the sheer originality, in terms of plot and theme, of these literary works. Within Billenium, I was particularly impressed by the short story “Chronopolis”, which originally appeared in New Worlds back in June of 1960. Overall, I remember that neither the novel nor that anthology were undergirded by grandiose, sweeping, (space) operatic concepts. Instead, the foundation of both works both lay in taking an idea, event, or technology, indefinitely extrapolating its effects and implications in order to focus on the reactions of “man” – or, individual men and women – to worlds that have been transformed in unexpected, unanticipated directions.

Kind of like today. Now. 2023. (And beyond.)

So, here’s a Ballard anthology which I have yet to read: The Voices of Time from 1962, featuring cover art by Richard Powers. As for other anthologies, Powers’ painting has neither a central them nor really a single, main, primary (and major?!) subject. Instead, its only theme are abstractness and ambiguity. Within a haze of wavy red, then, gray, then olive, and finally dark green fog stand (and, float) shining, elongated objects (kind of lava-lamp-like, eh?). Some are solid; other are delicate lattices. And, a vertical shape in the background gives a sense of distance.

The only human form is a small anthropomorphic profile surrounded by a shining shield, in the left foreground.

Maybe I’ll get around to reading this one some day…