"Dune Messiah" by Frank Herbert (1975)
Originally uploaded by M I I Z Z Z A R D

Mike Miles reprezent

"The Star Dwellers" by James Blish (1961)
Originally uploaded by M I I Z Z Z A R D

I barely remember what this book is about. It was entertaining but its forgettable sixties sf. The coolest part about it is that when I bought it (in San Antonion or Denton, I can’t remember which) it was in a bag. Or maybe it was in Austin? Jeez. Anywayz, James Blish stole the idea for sentient star beings from Stapledon.

"The Wind Whales of Ishmael" by Philip Jose Farmer (1971)
Originally uploaded by M I I Z Z Z A R D

This book begins directly after “Moby Dick” (my favorite book) ends with some of the characters falling through the sky of an alien world. Unfortunately, I found the writing so dismal that I didn’t get much further than that. But the cover’s still dope. Reminds me of the Outback in the Maxx, y’all remember that? Reprezent Air Whales forevz. Anywayz, I picked up this dope-lookin tome at a used book store on Haight street when I went to San Fran in 2005.

"The Wizard of Linn" A E Van Vogt (1962)
Originally uploaded by M I I Z Z Z A R D

This book has been staring at me for years and I have never opened it up but I’m going to take it back to Austin with me and finally read it. I love A. E. Van Vogt, prolly one of the craziest sf authors ever. His later work blows cuz he became a Scientologist. But this book was originally serialized in a magazine in 1950 so it should be good. I’d say don’t read anything after 1970 but that may be too late. Here’s the back cover blurb: “12,000 A.D. – The Earth, after the atomic holocaust, had reverted to a strange kind of barbarism where men could build spaceshipts but could not communicate except by the most primitive means. Alien invaders had been sighted at the edge of the galaxy – but no one took action. Only one man, THE WIZARD OF LINN could save the decadent empire and with his mysterious powers, prevent the Earth’s destruction.” Wow. Such bad grammar.

"The Shape of Space" by Larry Niven (1969)
Originally uploaded by M I I Z Z Z A R D

This is a collection of stories from Niven’s “Known Space” universe. I enjoyed Niven a lot when I was in junior high but I tried to re-read some of the Ringworld books when I was livin with my folks and I got kinda bored. Sorry Larry. This cover is dope though and the Puppeteer (depicted on the left) is prolly one of the weirdest aliens ever dreamt up by homo sapiens sapiens. So way to go LN.

The Eyes of the Overworld_Jack Vance_1966
Originally uploaded by M I I Z Z Z A R D

I seriously doubt I’ll ever read this but I found it on one of my parents’ bookshelves and thought the title was awesome. Here’s a snippet from the back cover blurb: “In this world of mystery and danger, the adventurer known as Cugel the Clever was forced to undertake a quest for lucounu [sic?] the Laughing Magician – a quest that as to take him to lands stranger than any he had dreamed of, and pit his wits and his sword against
powers from beyond time itself.” The bold text is what interests me.

"The Rose" by Charles L Harness (1969)
Originally uploaded by M I I Z Z Z A R D

I’m pretty sure that “The Ring of Ritornel” is extremely similar to this book, which I have read. Cheezy in parts but Brian Aldiss and Michael Moorcock claim that this is a sf book for sf writers. I don’t know about that but there’s some interesting, fairly weird stuff in here.

"Rogue Moon" by Algis Budrys (1978)
Originally uploaded by M I I Z Z Z A R D

Alongside Charles L Harness, Budrys is one of the unsung heroes of older sf. This book stars a death-lovin racecar-drivin total badass movie star or somethin dude. I bought this at the Half Price Book in Rice Village in Houston and then saw a hardcover at the Half Price Books on Lamar in Austin. So pissed. (On a side note, the weird shape behind the claw-handed astronaut could be the Miizzzard’s Tranzdimensional Hypercastle…)

"The Ring of Ritornel" by Charles L Harness (1968)
Originally uploaded by M I I Z Z Z A R D

I bought this at an amazing book exchange on Manchaca in South Austin. They have the best used sf collection I’ve seen outside of this one store in Riverside, CA run by a dude with a pony tail who claims to have co-founded Half Price Books. I haven’t read this yet but I’ve been looking for “Paradox Men” by Harness for several years now. I know I can order it on Amazon but F that.

"Childhood’s End" by Arthur C Clarke (1967-7th printing)
Originally uploaded by M I I Z Z Z A R D

I don’t know if this is the exact book that I read when I was younger, but what I do remember is that I found “Childhood’s End” incredibly creepy. I haven’t re-read it as an adult yet.