Broken Frontier

Thanks to sfsignal.com, I discovered the existence of the Chut Libres series. A series 'of twenty sf reprints from French publisher Champ Libre with an emphasis on the experimental or sexually explicit speculative fiction of the late 60s and early 70s'.

The books concerned range from Philip José Farmer's porn novels A Feast Unknown, Image of the Beast, JG Ballard's Atrocity Exhibition; Michael Moorcock's Breakfast in the Ruins, Samual R Delany's Equinox etc.

The covers themselves are very striking in their boldness. The artwork exuberates a manic energy utilising stark colours, trapped in a black frame. The imagery is in drawing and content crude and violent and sexual. But through their boldness also comes an otherworldy sensibility of a universe where this imagery makes as much a statement of their times as the novels themselves. Can you imagine these titles being published today? Can you imagine Tarzan giving you the finger in this present day?

You can view the complete list at this link, click on the items to see the covers