that the title was too long.) A manuscript reader for Dell described the book as "unutterable bilge" and claimed the only intelligible part was a little prefatory note by an imaginary "Uncle Dudley." When Jim Frenkel, the last of the four Dell editors who worked with the novel, asked Lupoff to remove the "Uncle Dudley" sections, he readily agreed. Frenkel wrote about the novel's style in his introduction to the hardcover reprint: "there are no fixed rules of grammar, spelling, or punctuation in the book, save for the unwritten rule that the inconsistency in all of the above is recognizably different and consistent within each narrative thread” The thread with the greatest divergence from standard English is the “WTBBB” sections. For example: ’nifykin look outha portole sreely pretty, sreely pretty, lookna Port Upotoi swinging roun thole mudball, thole goodole place, it’s maybe not the prettiest place na whole universe but nobody ever said it was, it was home though m that counted frole lot that swat Leander Laptip saw outha portole: These divergences are apparently an attempt to represent (orthographically) vernacular English of the southern states of the US. Publishing history Dell (), June 1978, paperback (cover by George Barr) Gregg Press (), May 1980, hardcover, photographic reprint of the first edition (includes a new introduction by James R. Frenkel, editor of the first edition) Publication of the various sections: "With the Bentfin Boomer Boys On Little Old New Alabama" (written 1967-1969) (originally published in Again, Dangerous Visions, ed. Harlan Ellison, Doubleday, 1972) "After the Dreamtime" (written 1973) (originally published in New Dimensions IV, ed. Robert Silverberg, Signet, 1974) "Sail the Tide of Mourning" (written 1973) (originally published in New Dimensions 5, ed. Robert Silverberg, Harper & Row, 1975) "The Bentfin Boomer Girl Comes Thru" (written 1974) (originally published in Amazing Stories, ed. Ted White, March 1977) Note: Chapter 10 (“Our Own Little Mardi Gras”) was previewed in Heavy Metal, August 1977. Contents "Sailing the Dark with the Bentfin Boomer Bappa Zappa Kid" (introduction by Harlan Ellison) "And I Awoke — Was This Some Kind of Joke?" (preface by Richard A. Lupoff) Chapter 1. By His Own Speech (First part of “After the Dreamtime”) Chapter 2. Beneath the Pelican Banner (New material) Chapter 3. Call It Yurakosi (New material) Chapter 4. Disappearing in Other Parts (Second part of “After the Dreamtime”) Chapter 5. At Elmina Castle (New material) Chapter 6.