I was curious about the CD on th front cover of the UK hardback:
No-one else seems to have noticed that the mastering code on the CD refers to this Robert Fripp release. Anyone think that's a reference to the supposed work Fripp was reputed to be doing on the never-to-emerge Neuromancer film soundtrack?

What it did do was confuse me about what i was buying from amazon! Did anyone else look at this image on the amazon site and think they were getting an audio book/ebook?

Other than that, I thought it was quite a cool cover. I assumed the CD was just a spare one they had lying around!
kitsch, how did you look up the mastering code?

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Originally posted by T39andcounting:
Did anyone else look at this image on the amazon site and think they were getting an audio book/ebook?

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Hehe, no, I first saw the cover in my local bookstore :-)

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kitsch, how did you look up the mastering code?

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The writing on the inner rim of the CD on the front cover is printed backwards - forwards, it reads "DGM9704 - MASTERED BY MAYKING". I just plugged "DGM9704" into Google and it turned up the Robert Fripp CD. Cunning, eh? :-)

If I remember correctly, Pie Jesu was a work written by Fripp in commemoration of the death of his mother. This would fit the spirit of the book. Being a Fripp/King Crimson fan I spotted the DGM number. If it's a publishers device then it's inspired, but somehow I guess this is Gibson's own idea.

Garfield

That cover is so much cooler then the US cover.

Read my novel in progres The reflection engine

Can't tell from the image, but does the cover also have an embossed map of London on it like the .au edition?

(One of the coolest covers ever, IMHO, and it's drawn a lot of comments when I've been spotted reading it)

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Originally posted by samedi:
Can't tell from the image, but does the cover also have an embossed map of London on it like the .au edition?

(One of the coolest covers ever, IMHO, and it's drawn a lot of comments when I've been spotted reading it)

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It does, it's cool, it's beautiful and even feels cool.

Pie Jesu: this is really too nice a coincidence. I always liked to read Gibson's novels or stories by listening to Fripp's soundscape-records, and was amazed to find the 'Pie Jesu'-CD, removed of the booklet, of course, on the cover of the UK-release of PR. Even the black sticker was there, now showing another name and title... Go on, both of you.

As I've stated elsewhere on this Forum, PR is my first Gibson book.
Being the shallow individual that I am, and neglecting to follow the well known adage, I purchased (partly) on the strength of the cover.
Why?
No book with a cover this arresting, minimal,(or dare I say it) beautiful, can be bad.
I read the book and felt completely vindicated.
Now I am going to read every word Mr Gibson has had published.
So, a positive outcome resulting from a great piece of design.
Can anybody think of occasions when the Book/Cover adage has proved all too reliable?
It's all highly subjective I know, but - hey, it's a bit of fun.

Where can I find an image of the UK cover?

Or is that CD it?

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Look at me! I know things!

The CD is it. On the white space around the picture of the CD is printed details of a map of London in glossy white contrasting with the matte white of the background.

[Oh. As someone already said that's on the Australian edition and I can't vouch for the UK edition - except to say that almost certainly they're the same edition due to the bizarre licensing deals that get books to this country.]

That is a bitchin' book cover.
British editions always have better covers than U.S.
Very neat, the whole Robert Fripp thing, and fun that someone would take the time to discern that.

But -- how is it that this topic gets so many hits so quickly? What is it about it that merits that? Is it the term 'CD' in the title?

It's haunting me. (Well, a little.)
Answers?

Shame really that the map covers an area just South of Camden Town, and therefore misses Damien's stamping ground. I can't remember if it covers Neal's Yard.

The map is a standard AtoZ street map of london in white, covering an area between Great Portland St (NW), Euston Square (NE), Soho Square (SE) and Hanover Square (SW). Neals Yard is off the map somewhere to the south east ( Neals Yard is near Covent Garden).

The reason why this thread has had so many posts is probably because Gibson links to and comments on it in his blog post of 8th June.

Gibson says there that he had no interaction with the books designers - so as ever all conspiracy theories are off.

P.S. Dillons in Birmingham is selling signed copies of PR at normal price - obviously left over from the reading he did there.

I have only just realised there is a map on the cover. (UK hardcover)I love it's minimalism and kids I work with all want to touch it to see if the CD is real. My mum borrowed PR from the library on the basis that it looked nice and clean and not too read, then when I saw william gibson on the cover I couldn't believe my mum was reading it. Suffice to say I read it, mum didn't. It took a while to get into it, as I had no idea it was published (not much of a Gibson market in Tassie, I posit)and started thinking it would be not like it is.
Apologies from a newby, not only to this space(?) but to forums/postings/? in general. Be nice and don't hurt me.

Lazzzzy...
A short film screenplay by RUR

INTERIOR. DAY. BRITISH PUBLIHER office building

Boss: You have to design a cover for this Gibson novel.

Designer: But Im tired! And you have not paid for the renewal of our Adobe(tm) license!
I cant do ANYTHING without Photo Shop!

Boss: Just do it! ASAP!

BOSS leaves. Designer looks tired, grabs a cd from his desk. Designer faces shows an Eureka!
expression. Designer takes cd, sans sleeve to scanner...

Six months later Designer wins award for book cover, is promoted to former boss position.

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Originally posted by caltrop:
Where can I find an image of the UK cover?

Or is that CD it?

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_Look at me! I know things!_

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Damn! I've been trying to hunt down the name and a photo of a caltrop fruit for ages! I googled for strange fruits and everything...



Yes, that folks is a caltrop. They're demon-nuts.

I realize that there are other things the word caltrop refers to, and you're probably not named after the satan nut, but it's frustrating that all along there was a member whose name was that word I was looking for...

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Can anybody think of occasions when the Book/Cover adage has proved all too reliable?

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too many times to put down here. my selection process is a combination of cover art, blurb, and jacket quotes. it's become an art, i say.
i'll mention just a few discoveries this way.

Coupland's Generation X
Noon's Vurt
Hugh Gallager's Teeth
Bester's The Computer Connection

the list really goes on and on...

Well, I for one find it really amusing that the whole thing with the bok is phobias of things, the main character's phobia is of things cool and that's why she's so good at her job and now here we are, discussing the coolness of the cover. The number of people who have come up to me and wanted to read my copy of the book is phenomenal.

Just a clarification. She has a phobia for things "uncool". So she probably would have approved the British cover, while saying a curt "No" to the US one.

At least in my opinion.