Illustrator Nicolas Mordvinoff – Literary Art and Illustration

I’ve had this copy of Ace Book’s 1968 edition of Daybreak – 2250 A.D., original title Star Man’s Son – for a long, long (did I say long?) time: If I recall correctly, I purchased it as a junior-high school student in the early 1970s, I think via a book sale by the Scholastic Book Service. In my library since then, it’s held up remarkably well across the decades, basically because I haven’t “held” it too much, and then, only for a single mid-1970s reading.

Which, I did enjoy.

Which, I still remember.

I suppose this “dates” me, but then again, given the nature of time, we all eventually become day-ted!

Rather than describe the book’s plot and characters, going over what’s already been reviewed in depth and detail by others, particularly furmagic (“My Tribute to Andre Norton: Star Man’s Son 2250 A.D.”) and Steve Zipp (“Heinlein & Norton”), here’s an anonymous review of the book that appeared in the Buffalo Evening News – a mainstream newspaper (remember those?!) – on November 15, 1952. The review appeared in a section titled: “Reviews of New Books – Notes on Authors and Publishers – Variety of Books Recommended for Young Readers.” (It was accessed via Fulton History.)

Star Man’s Son, by Andre Norton, illustrated by Nicholas Mordvinoff; Harcourt, Brace, 248 pp., $2.75 – this extraordinary story will probably have a strong appeal for boys and girls who read science-fiction. Andre Norton sets it in the year 2250 A.D. – 250 years after our civilization has been destroyed by atomic warfare. However, there are still men on earth. The Star Men, who live high in the mountains; the Plainsmen, who are roving tribes; and the men from the South who have been driven from their homes by volcanoes and earthquakes. Then there are the Beast Things – horrible creatures who are the result of atomic radiation. Fors, the hero, is of the Star Men, but he is an outcast because his mother was of the Plainsmen. Seeking to redeem himself, he goes on a long quest to the ruined cities in search of knowledge. An unusual story, it is illustrated with vigorous original drawings by the winners of the Caldecott Medal for 1951.

So, the cover of the Ace edition, originally appeared with this unfortunately -thus-far-anonymous-created illustration in 1961: Hero Fors and his hunting cat Luna explore the remains of a destroyed North American metropolis, two centuries after an atomic war.

What I found particularly memorable about Norton’s story, more even than the nominal adventure of Fors and Luna, was how time – deep time, even more than geographic location; even more than place (well, the tale by all evidence occurs in North America) – provides the story’s the setting. In this, I wonder about the degree to which Stephen Vincent’s Benét’s By the Waters of Babylon was the impetus, influence, or inspiration for Norton’s thinking. In any event, though not addressed by Norton and not really central to the story – which is a partially a “coming of age” tale – even as I read the novel (…yes, I still remember thinking this!…) I couldn’t help but wonder about why nuclear war occurred; of what happened to humanity’s accumulated wealth of knowledge; of what became of man’s technology, in the centuries intervening between our time, and, the year 2250. Perhaps the fact that Norton left these questions unanswered increased her novel’s appeal and impact, for the very absence of such information left room for flights of the reader’s own imagination.

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The cover art of the book’s first – August, 1952 – edition was by artist Nicolas Mordvinoff, known primarily for his illustrations for children’s literature, whose extremely productive life tragically ended all too early in 1973. In his composition of Fors and Luna overlooking the ruins of a destroyed metropolis, the figure of Fors, in terms of posture and proportion, seems to have been inspired by Michaelangelo’s David. (This image is from a catalog record by bookseller L.W. Currey, Inc.)

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Here’s the front panel of book’s cover, embossed with Mordvinoff’s simplified version of Fors and Luna. (This image is from an AbeBooks catalog entry by bookseller Southwestern Arts.)

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Fors and Luna, as seen on the book’s title page.

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The cover of the British edition, published by Staples Press in 1953, features art by R. Dulford. Dulford’s portrayal of Fors is similar to that of Mordvinoff, but it’s far less stylized, and, absent of Luna. Note also that while Mordvinoff features a destroyed and forlorn metropolis in the background, Dulford instead depicts what seems to be a small city, with a ruined church prominently displayed.

(This image, found via an Oogle image search, was featured in a catalog record – no longer available! – from a now-and-forever-anonymous bookseller at AbeBooks.)