Man Plus by Frederik Pohl

Man Plus by Frederick Pohl

Man Plus, a science fiction novel by Frederik Pohl, was originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in April 1976. The novel was well-received at release, winning the Nebula Award for Best Novel and racking up nominations for Hugo and Campbell Awards. A sequel, Mars Plus was published in 1994.

The book envisions a near-future scenario in which mankind must colonize Mars in order to survive. In order to endure the planet’s harsh conditions, a cyborg program called Man Plus is created. Participants must abandon their human bodies for artificial bodies that are designed for the Martian atmosphere.

The compelling cover art was provided by Peter Gudynas for the 1978 edition from Panther books. Gudynas was a British artist that created a number of memorable and colorful covers for science fiction novels. Over the course of his art career, he illustrated covers for books like The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick and Ian Watson’s The Martian Inca.

In the 1980s, Gudynas began to experience respiratory problems because of his exposure to paint fumes. In 1987, he founded Zap Art Productions, a digital art company, along with his brother, Bernard Gudynas. During the 80s and 90s, he provided art for Interzone and moved outside the realm of fantasy and science fiction, creating covers for books like The Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami. He also provided art for video games like Mercenary.

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