Nova Express: The Restored Text

The third installment in William S. Burroughs' "Cut-Up Trilogy," following The Soft Machine and The Ticket That Exploded.

As its title suggests, this novel launches readers into "outer space," exposing the grotesque activities of the Nova Mob—an organization that manipulates language and information to spread the virus of lies—while presenting Earth in flames.

A prophetic science fiction work that calls on readers to resist destruction and reclaim a stolen world through the final battle against the forces of control.

With this book, Burroughs brings his "Cut-Up Trilogy" to a climactic conclusion, refining his unique cut-up technique to its most sophisticated form.

Through the theme of an invasive virus, he challenges readers to question how language and information can serve as tools of domination and chaos while offering new perspectives on resistance.

Burroughs pioneered the "cut-up" technique—physically slicing and rearranging text to create new contexts and meanings.

For Burroughs, cut-up was not merely a creative method but a means of exposing how language shapes and controls human thought.

This approach has influenced not only literature but also music and visual arts. Notably, musicians such as David Bowie and Thom Yorke have employed cut-up methods in their lyrics and songwriting.

Edited and introduced by Burroughs scholar Oliver Harris, this edition provides an in-depth analysis of how the novel was shaped from extensive typed manuscripts.

It reveals the origins of Burroughs’ unique poetic expression.

With Swiftian humor satirizing bureaucracy and the fragility of human society, Nova Express delivers a provocative and powerful message, making it a fitting conclusion to the trilogy.

William S. Burroughs (February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997)

An American writer and a key figure in the Beat Generation literary movement. Known for his provocative exploration of drug culture and sexual taboos, his unique style has left a lasting impact on subsequent generations.

【Author】William S. Burroughs

【Release Date】April 22, 2014

【Publisher】Penguin Classics

【Format】Paperback

【Pages】320

【Language】English

【ISBN】978-0141396064