Monday, August 8, 2011

Covers: Spock Must Die!

Spock Must Die! was Bantam Books first original Star Trek novel, first published in 1970. It was written by James Blish, who had by then already written several of Bantam's Star Trek novelization anthologies. The book was later reprinted many times by Bantam, by Corgi in the UK, and in French, German and Italian translations.

Original 1970 edition
  • Publisher: Bantam Books
  • Cover: Photomontage



1972 Williams-Verlag German translation
  • Title: Enterprise 7
  • Publisher: Williams-Verlag
  • ISBN 380710029
  • Cover artist: Eddie Jones, signed as S. Fantoni
  • Language: German
  • Number 7 in Williams-Verlag's Enterprise series. The only book in the series that is not a reprint of one of Blish's adaptation anthologies.
1974 Corgi reprint
  • Publisher: Corgi Books
  • ISBN 0-552-09498-6


1978 Bantam reprint
  • Publisher: Bantam Books
  • ISBN 0553125893
  • Cover artist: Bob Larkin


1978 Star Trek Reader omnibus


1984 Bantam reprint
  • Publisher: Bantam Books
  • ISBN 0-553-24634-8
  • Cover artist: Bob Larkin, reuse of 1979 edition artwork.


1984 Corgi reprint
  • Publisher: Corgi Books
  • ISBN 0-552-09498-6



1988 Goldmann-Verlag German translation
  • Title: Spock Muß Sterben!
  • Publisher: Goldmann-Verlag
  • ISBN 3-442-23742-4
  • Cover artist: Bob Larkin, reuse of 1979 edition artwork.
  • Language: German
  • Translator: Hans Maeter and Hermann Urbanek
  • Number 12 in Goldmann-Verlag Raumschiff Enterprise series
  • Note: There seem to be two different versions of this book, but as far as I can tell both have the same ISBN and publication date. One of my readers has suggested the top cover was the one used in the first printing of the book, and that subsequent reprints used the second version of the cover.

1998 Garden Editoriale Italian translation
  • Title: Spock Deve Morire
  • Publisher: Garden Editoriale
  • Cover artist: Bob Larkin, reuse of 1979 edition artwork.
  • Language: Italian
  • Translator: Annarita Guarnieri
  • Number 5 in Garden Editoriale's Star Trek series
  • The book also contains an adaptation of Patterns of Force, and articles on Vulcan physiology and Star Trek: The Next Generation

1993 Fleuve Noir French translation
  • Title: Spock Doit Mourir
  • Publisher: Fleuve Noir
  • ISBN 2-265-04787-2
  • Cover artist: Bob Larkin, reuse of 1979 edition artwork.
  • Language: French
  • Translator: Gilles Dupreux
  • Number 3 in Fleuve Noir's Star Trek series


1999 Bantam reprint
  • Publisher: Bantam Spectra
  • ISBN 0-553-24634-8
  • Cover artist: Kazuhiko Sano

1999 Fanucci Editore Italian translation
  • Title: Spock Deve Morire
  • Publisher: Fanucci Editore
  • ISBN 8834707109
  • Cover artist: Kazuhiko Sano, reuse of 1999 Bantam reprint edition artwork.
  • Language: Italian
  • Translator: Annarita Guarnieri