The Heads of Cerberus
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
The Heads of Cerberus (1919) is a science fiction novel by Francis Stevens. Originally serialized in The Thrill Book, a popular pulp magazine, The Heads of Cerberus was recognized as “perhaps the first science fiction fantasy to use the alternate time-track, or parallel worlds, idea” by anthologist and critic Groff Conklin. Noted for its satirical tone and dystopian themes, The Head of Cerberus remains central to Stevens’ reputation as a pioneering author of fantasy and science fiction. In 1918, three friends from Philadelphia discover a strange powdery substance. Before they can find out what it is or where it came from, they are transported to the year 2118. Somehow, the city has come under complete totalitarian control, forcing the vast majority of its poor citizens to live in constant fear of death and imprisonment. Names have been replaced by identification numbers and annual contests run by the ruthless overseer leave families torn apart by violence and death. With her eye on the present, writing at a time of war and increasing political division, Stevens tells a story about a future both strange and all too familiar, warning her readers about the dangers of unchecked power through the guise of fantasy and adventure. This edition of Francis Stevens’ The Heads of Cerberus is a classic work of American science fiction reimagined for modern readers.
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PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This rediscovered 1919 classic by Stevens (the pseudonym of Gertrude Barrows Bennett, 1884 1948, who arguably invented dark fantasy) is an intriguing and political time-travel adventure. Clever teen Viola Trenmore is hanging out in 1918 Philadelphia in the company of her brother, Terence Trenmore, a wealthy, burly Irishman; his friend Robert Drayton, a lawyer; and Arnold Bertram, a hapless burglar. After Drayton breaks open a crystal vial, the dust inside it propels the foursome to a strange limbo called Ulithia, where they meet dancing shadow people. Then they're sent 200 years into the future. The capricious regime of 2118 uses murderous public competitions to keep the population subjugated, and the oppressed are forced to wear large yellow buttons; though the text predates Nazi Germany by decades, modern readers will find those connotations inescapable. Viola is as logical as she is petite, and easily holds her own alongside the men as they explore weird Ulithia and interact with corrupt government officials. This work, set in the birthplace of America, proclaims that democracy is tenuous, and its themes will be deeply resonant for those concerned by present-day politics.