Back to more SF sleaze.
Here’s another book that makes no sense. The title may be referring to The Night Life of the Gods, the 1931 fantasy humor novel by Thorne Smith, which was mild whimsy about what happens when Greek Gods enter contemporary New York and have a night out on the town. But the illustration depicts the future, when, presumably, Greek Gods aren’t in the picture anymore. Plus, the lady introduced in the cover text seems less intent on seducing the rocketeer than resisting his advances. Rather icky vibes there from the smirk on his mug. We do realize the scene’s intention, though, from that rising, phallic rocket.
The cover would be a classic save for that piss-yellow background. So many 1960s paperbacks, I’ve found, utilize a garish yet off putting pastel color scheme that includes bubblegum pink, pukey shades of ochre, muddled turquoise and bruised purple. It’s likely related to the printing technology of the time and the ink colors available. I think of it was a Jean Renoir color scheme, but sullied and dull. You can see a prime example of it in this children’s book illustration from the same period.
I admit I like that goofy, chunky typeface.
What’s it about? Who knows. Read for yourself at Project Gutenberg.
Here’s another one available for free on Project Gutenberg!
Pagan Passions also has a Greek God theme which is fully played out, not hinted at as in the book above. Greek Gods return to Earth and take it over, outlawing both war and prudery. (It turns out later they’re aliens, not Greek Gods, but oh well.) In this strange new world a history professor, a devotee of Athena, has to choose between two women, girlfriend Gerda who is also an Athena devotee, and Maya, student who has a raging crush on him and worships Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Hijinks ensure when Dionysus, the god of free-loving bacchanals, gets involved. Described in Goodreads as “fun and frothy” “silly” and, despite its salacious cover, “mild-mannered.”
Both Janifer and Garrett were both long-time SFF writers and fixtures at SF conventions, with Garrett apparently being a terror to women with hijinks that wouldn’t fly in these #metoo days.
Here we have more murky purples and a cover that, though it features nudes, isn’t quite as sexy as the title implies. The mood is more one of despair and drug addiction by that needle and beaker.
Jan Hudson was a byline for writer George H. Smith, who wrote classics such as Country Club Lesbian and Sexodus! However Those Sexy Saucer People is not a novel like these but rather a collection of UFO contact stories from the Earth folks who experienced them, with emphasis on the salacious aspects of such encounters. Whether the author made it all up is up for grabs; it’s available here so you can judge for yourself.
Meanwhile, contemplate the alien’s uncanny resemblance to actor Robert Aramayo, who plays Elrond in The Rings of Power.
Now here’s a bit of saucy whimsy! A giant pink female with 3D models of atoms over her boobs menaces a bowlegged space cowboy. With a crooked spear and some kind of futuristic handvac, yet. You can’t get more whimsical than that!
The book is good-natured SF pulp of a war between the sexes in which women rule, at least in the US. The candylike pink/coral/fuchsia tones drive that point home loud and clear. Texas, now a separate country, is the last bastion of male pride and strength, so the hero departs for there after his girlfriend becomes his boss and his ego can’t take it. Space invaders then visit, the titular Girls, and of course the manly-man cowboys save the day. Not having read it, it sounds pretty sexist. The plethora of different covers it had suggested it stayed in print for a while, so there was obviously a market for it.
The writer was nominated for a Hugo award a number of times (not for this book) but never won.
