The Heads of Cerberus - Softcover

Stevens, Francis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1617209392 ISBN 13: 9781617209390

Publisher: Fantastic Books, 2013

Synopsis

"Those who yearn for the Good Old Days are bound to like it.... Those who insist on the close reasoning and satirical wit of modern science fiction will find surprising amounts of both here; and if, like myself, you have a foot in both camps, you're sure to be delighted by this connoisseur's blend of the quaint and the ageless... not dated writing and is never likely to be; it's lucid, didactic, analytical, and above all, zestful." —Damon Knight, In Search of Wonder

First published in the fabulously rare pulp magazine The Thrill Book in 1919, this masterful blend of time-travel fantasy, alternate realities, and social satire propels early 20th century characters into the Philadelphia of the year 2118, in which the city is an isolated dystopia run by a corrupt oligarchy, the Liberty Bell has been transformed into a disintegration machine, and William Penn is worshiped as a god. For readers actually familiar with the Quaker City, there is the added pleasure of seeing an eerily recognizable rendition of the past (1918) projected into a strange future. For anyone, it is still an exciting melodrama filled with striking images and vivid characters.

One of the genuine classics of early pulp science fiction.

Francis Stevens was a pseudonym of Gertrude Barrows Bennett (1883-1948), the first woman to be a major contributor of fantastic fiction to the pulp magazines. She wrote primarily for The Argosy and All-Story, but also appeared in Weird Tales and elsewhere. Her other novels include The Citadel of Fear and Claimed. Her shorter works have been collected as The Nightmare and Other Tales of Dark Fantasy.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Capped by a silver figure of Cerberus, the three-headed hound that guards the gates of Hell, an ancient glass vial contains ordinary-looking dust. Once inhaled, however, the dust exhibits extraordinary powers, transporting a trio of adventurers from the early twentieth century to the year 2118. The time-travelers emerge into Philadelphia's brutal totalitarian state, where the city hall is a temple, a statue of William Penn is worshipped as an idol, and the citizens are crushed under the religious tyranny of the Penn Service and its Superlatives.
This 1919 classic was the first alternate-world fantasy. Loaded with action and humor, the imaginative extravaganza anticipates the work of Philip K. Dick. Author Francis Stevens—actually Gertrude Bennett, a pioneer of science fiction and fantasy—was praised by H. P. Lovecraft as ranking among "the top grade of writers," and her dystopian political and social satire continues to captivate modern readers.
Dover (2014) republication of the edition published by Polaris Press, Reading, Pennsylvania, 1952.
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www.doverpublications.com

About the Author

Gertrude Barrows Bennett (1883–1948), writing under the pseudonym of Francis Stevens, was the first woman author of science fiction/fantasy to be widely published in the United States. Regarded as the creator of dark fantasy, she wrote pioneering short stories, novellas, and novels in the developing field of science fiction.

About this edition

• Publisher: Fantastic Books
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1617209392
• ISBN 13: 9781617209390
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 174