MONA LISA OVERHAUL - NEW EDITIONS OF THE CYBERPUNK CLASSICS

William Gibson's groundbreaking early novels finally get a UK make-over.

Book cover art by Daniel Brown / Design by Sinem Erkas

Here at Future-Rocker's headquarters we have long bemoaned the appalling state of many sci-fi book covers. Luckily, some progressive-minded art directors realise that a strong font or an enigmatic cover can provoke the imagination, rather than give the viewer everything on a plate.

Daniel Brown's cover art perfectly captures the feel of 'The Sprawl' ( the vast megacity of Gibson's novels ), yet also reminds us that there are places on earth right now that already look like this.

Sci-fi fans are a conservative lot, so it's always been a risky business not having some lovingly-airbrushed interplanetary vista or 'cool'-looking reject from an 80s rock video adorning the cover. Sadly, the 80s rock analogy held sway over Gibson's oeuvre here in the UK for what seemed like decades.

We haven't read the novels since the old days, but were discussing round the office if it's worth digging the classics out to see if they hold up. The new editions give us a reason not to have to crawl around in our dusty old vaults looking for them. We can just order these brand-new editions from Amazon and enjoy the Inception-like cover vibe and collectability, thus saving ourselves the hassle. With the first of them, Neuromancer, being released this December, it's just in time for Christmas. Hell, we'll even pay extra for a drone to fly it down the chimney.

Neuromancer was published in mass market paperback 8th December 2016, Burning Chrome, Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive will be published in mass market paperback, 9th February 2017.

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THE FUTURE AIN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE...

Hey, don't get us wrong, we actually love these classic 80s covers...

It's the goddawful 90s Gibsons we have a problem with...ugh!

SYNTH YOU'VE BEEN GONE: ANTHONY SCOTT BURNS - PILOTPRIEST

Anthony is a movie director ( see his work with TENDRIL, in the recent MONOBLOG, and our BONUS FEATURE, below ), as well as an accomplished musician, and as you may have gathered, since childhood he has been immersed in the polished-chrome ambience of 1980's films and soundtracks.

His beautiful debut album PILOTPRIEST - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK is available to buy now, and is due out on vinyl shortly. You can hear the whole album on FUTURE-ROCKER right here, while we chat with Anthony:

- How long have you been playing? Has the synth always been your instrument?

I’ve been playing for 20 years. I play drums, bass, guitar,and keys. I started with synth. 

I’ve always been into this sound ever since I was 5. I loved the way it was so odd, yet popular. I have been writing this style since I started... I’m lucky it came back into style.

- Explain the titles - you wrote all the music, so they're not cover versions. Did you watch the films first, then write the music?

I just titled the tracks based on the film from my childhood that the song made me feel the most. ( Cont'd ).

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PILOTPRIEST - TOP THREES

ALBUMS 

3. Lou Reed – Transformer

2. Jeff Wayne – War Of The Worlds

1. Michael Jackson – Thriller

SOUNDTRACKS

3. Repo Man – Various

2. The Thing – Ennio Morricone

1. Bladerunner – Vangelis

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- Any scoops on the collaboration with artist / designer Ash Thorp?

We are developing numerous films right now... All different types of genre stories. We are really trying to bring back the realism of character, that was in stories put to film before the studios got scared of new untested ideas.

- Apart from that, what's next from you?

I’m always working on new music, and I’m trying to develop the next album as an oculus rift experience [ - meaning a head-mounted, high-field-of-view virtual reality device ].

I'm mostly focusing on directing... This month I’m directing an episode of a new horror anthology series.

Pilotpriest - Bodydouble (Phace Remix) / Neodigital 001