OUR FRIEND FROM FROLIX-8
Back covers
1970 Ace edition
Thors Provoni had gone to the stars to seek help for his fellow men. So far there was no evidence that anywhere out there existed any other intelligent race at all-let alone one willing to come to the aid of normal everyday homo sapiens on an Earth in which he had become a second.class citizen. For in the 22nd Century dominance in human affairs had passed to a cabal of genetic freaks who could outthink their "normal" brothers. With telep. athy, precognition, and the computerized "fix" just ordinary men didn't have a chance. '" Suddenly a message came from Pro\toniwho had long ago been given up for lost. He had found friends for mankind on Frolix 8. He was coming back to Earth with one of those friends. But of who this inhuman champion was - and of what price would be asked for help - nothing was said.
1971 SFBCE
In the 22nd Century the appearance of two types of mutants, the New Men and the Unusmils, has ushered in a new era in human history; an era of astounding mental powe~s, unparalleled progress-and terrible oppression for the ordinary men, the Old Men, which evolution has left so far behind, Systematically and ruthlessly they are being phased out of a society in which they can no longer compete. The Unusuals are gifted with telepathy and precognition, while the supreme intellects of the New Men are capable of thoughts which no Old Man can begin to understand...e~cept perhaps for Thors Provoni. Provoni, a leader of the Old Men, has escaped to the stars. Obsessed with freeing his fellow men from the control of the mutants, he has vowed to return with help from someone-or some thing-which he will find out there. No evidence exists that there is any alien race capable, much less willing, to save the Old Men from extinction, but the legend of Provonts quest remains the one faint hope left to them. Suddenly, after a silence of ten years, a message flashes across space, Provoni is coming back to Earth with help from the planet Frolix 8! Nick Appleton, member of a secret anti-mutant organization. is one of the first to hear the electrifying news. but finds little time to rejoice. For Nick and his friends have become the objects of a massive manhunt by the telepathic police who are determined to wipe out all resistance before Provoni arrives. In an ever narrowing circle of near capture and escape, Nick's only chance for survival seems to rest with Provoni's return, yet serious doubts have begun to haunt his mind. Do Provoni's alien friends have the power to overcome the mutants? And. most disturbing of all. who or what are the Frolixans and what price must mankind pay for their help? From the £irst page to its chilling conclusion, Our Friends From Frolix 8 conjures up a nightmare future whose only source could be the brilliant, satiric imagination of Hugo Award-winner Philip K. Dick.
1972 Ace edition
In the 22nd Century Earth was controlled by a cabal of genetic freaks, superior to "normal" men because of their powers of telepath'{ and precognition. Mere ordinary men didn't have a chance. Suddenly, however, there was one ray of hope- Thors Provoni was coming back. Provoni had stolen a spaceship, escaped from Ealth and gone out to the stars in search of another intelligent race that would help end the slavery of homo sa~iens-he had been given up for lost. He was coming back now with the representative of a powerful alien race that would champion the rights of man. Who was this inhuman savior? And what was the price of this friend from Frolix 8?
1988 Grafton edition
WHAT HAD ANSWERED MANKIND'S CALL FOR HELP? Thors Provoni had gone to the stars to seek help for his fellow men. So far there was no evidence that any other intelligent race existed out there at all, let alone one willing to aid ordinary homo sapiens on an Earth where he had become a second-class citizen. For in the 22nd Century dominance in human affairs had passed to a cabal of geneticfreaks~telepaths, precogs, 'New Men' with IQs which went off the scale-and ordinary men didn't have a chance. Suddenly a message came from Provoni, He was coming back, miraculously, with friends from Frolix 8 to champion the 'Old Men', But who, or what were these friends?