Fred Marcellino (1939-2001)
Radix
partial signature (bottom right)
pencil and airbrush on paper, mounted on card
16 x 12in. (41 x 31.3cm.)
executed in 1981

The original dust-jacket artwork for the first edition of A.A. Attanasio's Radix.

Radix, published in 1981 as the first work in the Radix Tetrad, is an innovative work in the science fiction genre, combining elements of space opera, metaphysics, and far-future speculation. Widely regarded as one of the most ambitious and philosophically rich science fiction novels of its time, it was nominated for the Nebula Award and has since become a cult classic, influencing both literature and philosophical discussions within the genre.

The present artwork was created by Fred Marcellino to illustrate the dust-jacket for the first edition of Radix as published by William Morrow, and it has since adorned multiple editions of the book. It
stands as a visual representation of the novel's ambitious scope and philosophical depth, inviting readers into Attanasio's complex and thought-provoking universe.