DREAMSNAKE

Published in 1979, this is the Pan Books paperback edition of Dreamsnake (1978) (© Vonda N. McIntyre/George Underwood/Pan Books – reproduced here on a strictly non-commercial Fair Use basis for educational/review purposes only)

Dreamsnake is a fantasy novel written by American sci fi/fantasy author Vonda N. McIntyre (1948-2019), and was originally published in 1978. Her second novel, it began as a novelette entitled 'Of Mist and Grass and Sand', its title referencing the names of the three healing snakes featured in it. First published in 1973, this story inspired the opening chapter of what became the full-length novel Dreamsnake – whose official blurb is as follows:

In a world devastated by nuclear holocaust, Snake is a healer. One of an elite band dedicated to caring for sick humanity, she goes wherever her skills are needed.

With her she takes the three deadly reptiles through which her cures are accomplished: a cobra, a rattlesnake, and a snake called Grass – a creature with the power to induce benign dreams, to smooth the path between life and death.

Rare and valuable is the dreamsnake. When Grass is wantonly slain, Snake must journey across perilous landscapes to find another to take its place.

Mist is the cobra and Sand the rattlesnake; both are genetically engineered. So too is Grass, who originated in an alien world, hence its extreme value and rarity.

'Of Mist and Grass and Sand' was first published in the magazine Analog Science Fiction and Fact, and won the prestigious Nebula Award for best novelette in 1974, as given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).

Four years later, in 1978, Dreamsnake won the equally prestigious Hugo Award for best novel, as given by the World Science Fiction Convention in its 1979 ceremony, fighting off stiff competition in particular from Anne McCaffrey's science fantasy novel The White Dragon (my favourite of her Pern series). Both novels were also nominated for that same year's Ditmar Award in International Fiction, but this time The White Dragon emerged the victor.

Vonda N. McIntyre is also famous for having written three novelizations for Star Trek movies – namely, The Wrath of Khan, The Search For Spock, and The Voyage Home – as well as two other, non-movie-themed Star Trek novels. Also, she was the person who came up with the Star Trek character Sulu's first name, Hikaru, which duly appeared on the sixth Star Trek movie, The Undiscovered Country. Her most active decades of writing were the 1970s and 1980s.

Last but not least: the very striking front cover illustration of the above-depicted Pan Books paperback edition of Dreamsnake, which is the edition that I own, was produced by none other than British artist/musician George Underwood. He is particularly famous for illustrating not only numerous book covers but also many famous LP album covers from the 1970s – these latter including Mott the Hoople's 'All The Young Dudes', Davie Bowie's 'Hunky Dory' and also 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars', as well as T. Rex's 'My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair'.