Clay’s Ark by Octavia E. Butler, St. Martin’s
First edition of Clay’s Ark, the last novel published in the Patternist series by American author Octavia E. Butler (1947–2006). Butler was the first Black female science fiction writer to reach national prominence, and the only writer in her genre to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.
The boxy display typeface is Stan Control, a design by Stan Davis of Amelia fame, published by VGC in 1973. Book designer Lee Wade used the default form for t which has a single-sided bar to the left (the font sample shows the symmetrical alternate form). The narrow E appears to be a customization – it’s not shown as one of the font’s alternates.
In this printing, the title on the front panel is white, and not gray as in the one shown above.
Book cover with golden spine lettering; back panel of dust jacket with text in Helvetica
Title page of a signed edition featuring Arpad, another VGC release from the early 1970s
The advance uncorrected proof came as softcover in red wraps and already featured Stan Control.
