"More than any individual author, Richard Powers showed the public that   science fiction could be written by intelligent adults for intelligent adults. His superior aesthetics, which still overshadow most rivals, were actually whatstarted me reading modern sf - with Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination, the cover for which perfectly captured the mood of that great American novel. I bought the book in Paris in 1957 because the cover looked cool. It didn't insulteither my eye or my intelligence. So, if it hadn't been for Powers, my romance withscience fiction would have ended in my teens. I have huge admiration for him and am delighted that his talent is again on splendid display!"

Foreword

Vincen t Di Fate

Chapter One: The Life

Richard Gid Powers

Chapter Two: The Art

Abstract Surrealism

The Macabre

A Surreal Diversity of Styles

Surrealist Techniques and

Exploration

Chapter Three:

The World of fFlar

Chapter Four:

In His Own Words

An Unpublished Interview

with Richard Powers

Checklist of Book Covers

by Richard Powers

Bibliography and

Acknowledgements

Index of Works