Alfred Bester’s The Stars My Destination: Cover Painting by Ken Kelly

The Stars My Destination is a science fiction novel by American writer Alfred Bester. Its first publication was in book form in June 1956 in the United Kingdom, where it was titled Tiger! Tiger!, named after William Blake’s 1794 poem “The Tyger”, the first verse of which is printed as the first page of the novel. It was subsequently serialized in the American Galaxy Science Fiction magazine in four parts, beginning in October 1956. A working title was Hell’s My Destination, but the book was also associated with the name The Burning Spear until the American published title became The Stars My Destination –named for a quote by American space pioneer and occultist, Jack Parsons. It would prove to be Bester’s last novel for 19 years.

While both widely criticized and praised when it first appeared, it now is appreciated as a classic work in its own right, and as a prescient forerunner of the cyberpunk literary genre (predating it by over two decades), and is frequently cited as one of the greatest Sci-Fi novels of all-time. Philip K Dick, William Gibson, and Michael Moorcock each named it their favorite novel and have spoken of its influence upon their own work. Samuel R. Delaney called it “probably the greatest Science Fiction Novel,” and other esteemed fans include Thomas M. Disch, Neil Gaiman, Joe Haldeman, James Lovegrove, Robert Silverberg, and Gary K. Wolfe.

After generally criticizing unrealistic science fiction, Carl Sagan in 1978 listed The Stars My Destination as among stories “that are so tautly constructed, so rich in the accommodating details of an unfamiliar society that they sweep me along before I have even a chance to be critical”. At the time of his statement the edition with Ken Kelly‘s painting on the cover was only one in print.

Ken W. Kelly (May 19, 1946 – June 2, 2022) was an American fantasy artist. Kelly was the nephew of Frank Frazetta‘s wife Eleanor “Ellie” Frazetta. Over his 50+ year career, he focused in particular on paintings in the sword and sorcery and heroic fantasy subgenres, but also created iconic paintings for science fiction novels and rock albums – from Kiss‘ multi-platinum Detroit Rock City to album covers for Rainbow, Manowar, and Coheed and Cambria.

This painting is truly iconic and graced the cover of a truly important literary classic.