Emsh's Levitating Hero, Galaxy Magazine Cover June 1960
A sense of vertiginous wonder electrifies this dynamic cover — a red-suited hero defies gravity, his blue cape billowing as he floats upward through a surreal molecular landscape, clutching a bottle like a talisman. The glowing atomic lattice structures framing him suggest a mind-bending science-fiction reality where chemistry and superpower collide. This illustration for Frederik Pohl's 'Drunkard's Walk' perfectly captures the optimistic yet unsettling promise of Atomic Age science fiction.
The hero casually clutches a bottle while defying gravity amidst glowing atomic scaffolding — suggesting the power of intoxication as a literal superpower, which is exactly the kind of gloriously absurd concept that made Galaxy Magazine irresistible.
“Galaxy Magazine JUNE 1960 50¢ A Tense New Novel DRUNKARD'S WALK by FREDERIK POHL Author Of "GRAVY PLANET," "SLAVE SHIP," etc. Questions and Answers by Willy Ley and other stories”
