On Wings of Song

Some have attained flight - their spirits separated from their physical bodies and propelled on waves of their own, borne on wings of song through the universe. This is the story of a young man's attempt to master the art of song and flight, We follow him through bizarre and enchanting terrain, from prison camp to marriage to the lovely daughter of a political wizard of the repressive Midwest to a new identity in a decayed and decadent New York City. Winner of the John W. Campbell Memorial Award "Stunningly original." - Harlan Ellison "On Wings of Song," his 1979 masterpiece, is a work of literature. William Gibson called it 'one of the great neglected masterpieces of late 20th-century science fiction.' - Elizabeth Hand, Salon "Big, solid and immensely enjoyable." - David Pringle, Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels "A superb book ... extraordinarily original." - Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction "Tragic and funny, biting and sensitive ... . Brilliant." - The Chicago Tribune "A free-wheeling talent - full of startling invention, humor, distancing surmise, and many, many immediate pleasures." - Kirkus Reviews "Tragic and funny, biting and sensitive, this brilliant novel should appeal to readers of mainstream novels as well as science fiction, both as entertainment and art." - Publishers Weekly "If contemporary American letters has been lucky enough to find an answer to Borges and Garcia Márquez, to Carlos Fuentes and Günter Grass, it is from Thomas M. Disch. The danger in commenting on Disch is that one loses all sense of reserve; sensible praise is too weak; he commands superlatives. Today no intelligent person dares call him/herself well-read without a thorough grounding in Disch's startlingly original work." - Harlan Ellison "He is a virtuoso." - The New York Times Book Review "He tosses off bits of verbal virtuosity the way a fine jazz player tosses off musical phrases." - The Chicago Tribune "Clever, imaginative, and sly ... . Myth, mystery, the ordinary are his materials." - Publishers Weekly "Disch may be the most formidably gifted unfamous American writer... diversely gifted ... entirely original ... joyously versatile ... a unique talent." - Walter Clemons, Newsweek "Because of his intellectual audacity, the chillingly distanced mannerism of his narrative art, the austerity of the pleasures he affords, and the fine cruelty of his wit, Disch was perhaps the most respected, least trusted, most envied and least read of all modern sf writers of the first rank." - John Clute, Science Fiction Encyclopedia "Thomas Disch has been writing wonderful tales of imagination for years now - stories that sometimes amuse, sometimes sting, sometimes horrify, and sometimes manage to do all three at the same time." - Stephen King