Hailed as one of the 20th century's most visionary writers, J. G. Ballard lived far ahead of his time. Called his "prophetic masterpiece" by many, The Atrocity Exhibition practically lies outside of any literary tradition. The central character’s dreams are haunted by images of dead celebrities and car-crash victims as he traverses the screaming wastes of a nervous breakdown. Seeking his sanity, he casts himself in a number of roles, when finally, through the black, perverse magic of violence, he transcends his psychic turmoil to find the key to a bizarre new sexuality. Concrete Island follows Robert Maitland who, following a car accident, is left stranded in a large area of derelict land created by several intersecting motorways. Though surrounded by motorists and within sight of large buildings, Maitland is unable to escape the median strip and must struggle for survival. What begins as an almost ludicrous predicament soon turns into horror as Maitland realizes that this doomed terrain has become a mirror of his own mind.

For the Spanish editions of these J. G. Ballard classics, our cover cooks followed a minimalist recipe using one boiled down image from the central storyline of each novel and a colored brushstroke backsplash to tie the collection. A Renaissance-style black and white drawing combines a romantic nude female figure with a highly detailed depiction of the human anatomy, peeling back layers of flesh to reveal a 'new sexuality' waiting to be born in La exhibicion de atrocidades, while a motorway sign pointing in the direction of the Concrete Island hints to the barren wasteland awaiting both Maitland and readers in La isla de cemento.