Nova Express -
William S. Burroughs
1964 - Grove Press, New York - First Edition
A fine first edition, with strong bright red lettering to the spine, unlike most examples.
‘A masterpiece of fantasy and reality, a carnival of horrors, a doomsday confrontation of man and his world.’
Burroughs’ ferociously political and prophetic novel – a parody of bureaucracy and human frailty, and the third in his linguistically ‘cut-up’ trilogy, following The Soft Machine and The Ticket That Exploded –fires the reader into the diabolical world of the Nova Mob, poised to wreak havoc and destruction upon the planet. Can Inspector J. Lee of the Nova Police stop them before it’s too late…? Dust jacket designed by Roy Kulhman.
Burroughs led a volatile life. Expelled from high school for taking Chloral Hydrate. Studied art at Harvard where he became involved in the gay subculture of New York City. He then travelled to Europe, married a Jewish woman to help her flee the Nazis. Divorced. Enlisted in the army but got a discharge when not made an officer. Moved in with Kerouac, became addicted to morphine, sold heroin in Greenwich Village to support his habit. He was living with Joan Vollmer, divorced from her GI husband after he found out about her addiction on returning from the war. Burroughs was arrested for various drug related crimes. Vollmer became his common law wife and they had a son. In 1951 Burroughs shot and killed Vollmer during a drunken game of ‘William Tell’ at a party in Mexico City. He spent 13 days in jail before the killing was ruled ‘criminal imprudence’ and he was released. Thus began his literary career.
Reference: Maynard & Miles A10a. Penguin Classics, web. Grove Atlantic Press, web.
Octavo (book size 21x14.5cm), pp. [2] 187 [3]. In publisher’s reddish-orange cloth. Dust jacket priced “$5.00” to upper corner of front flap. Condition: Fine in fine dust jacket with bright red lettering to spine, unlike the majority of copies offered. Ref: 102578 Price: HK$ 2,000
‘A masterpiece of fantasy and reality, a carnival of horrors, a doomsday confrontation of man and his world.’
Burroughs’ ferociously political and prophetic novel – a parody of bureaucracy and human frailty, and the third in his linguistically ‘cut-up’ trilogy, following The Soft Machine and The Ticket That Exploded –fires the reader into the diabolical world of the Nova Mob, poised to wreak havoc and destruction upon the planet. Can Inspector J. Lee of the Nova Police stop them before it’s too late…? Dust jacket designed by Roy Kulhman.
Burroughs led a volatile life. Expelled from high school for taking Chloral Hydrate. Studied art at Harvard where he became involved in the gay subculture of New York City. He then travelled to Europe, married a Jewish woman to help her flee the Nazis. Divorced. Enlisted in the army but got a discharge when not made an officer. Moved in with Kerouac, became addicted to morphine, sold heroin in Greenwich Village to support his habit. He was living with Joan Vollmer, divorced from her GI husband after he found out about her addiction on returning from the war. Burroughs was arrested for various drug related crimes. Vollmer became his common law wife and they had a son. In 1951 Burroughs shot and killed Vollmer during a drunken game of ‘William Tell’ at a party in Mexico City. He spent 13 days in jail before the killing was ruled ‘criminal imprudence’ and he was released. Thus began his literary career.
Reference: Maynard & Miles A10a. Penguin Classics, web. Grove Atlantic Press, web.
Octavo (book size 21x14.5cm), pp. [2] 187 [3]. In publisher’s reddish-orange cloth. Dust jacket priced “$5.00” to upper corner of front flap. Condition: Fine in fine dust jacket with bright red lettering to spine, unlike the majority of copies offered. Ref: 102578 Price: HK$ 2,000