(found) Post-apoc sci-fI read in 1985 or so, green cover. “Glittering autostrada” warfare, with psychotropic effects that linger in many characters.

Tgoode451

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Hi everyone, I’m looking for a sci-fI novel...
  • Media - soft cover novel
  • Original year - I read it in paperback sometime between 1982 and 1986
  • Major theme - post-apocalyptic novel based in Europe (Italy, France and UK?) several years after a war that involved chemical warfare using psychotropic drugs.
    Plot - some skullduggery post-war reveals a shocking hidden truth about the war. There are many veterans and civilian casualties of war who live on with debilitating psychological problems of various types with different effects. At some point there was a description of a government television PSA ad saying MDA is OK, just don’t take PCP
  • Characters - can’t remember
  • The language you read or heard the story in - English a phrase that comes up is “Glittering autostrada”
  • Details about the cover, green color was prominent. Maybe an image of a tank with a peace symbol painted on it(?) I might be conflating a different novel with the tank on the cover. For some reason I think the author may have been a semi-important English sci-fI author


  • Target audienience: sci fI fans
  • Ideas that you have already ruled out - various google searches over the years.
 
This sure sounds like Barefoot in the Head by Brian Aldiss.

3201190.jpg


It definitely has the European psychotropic drug war theme. Aldiss is more than "semi" important, I'd say.

Long article on the novel here:

Barefoot in the Head by Brian Aldiss
 
well done to the OP for following our guidance notes so well ✓

I've just looked for 'autostrada' in my e-book of Barefoot etc, I found 'autostrada gleaming' and 'bucketing autostrada', don't know if that matches the querent's old memories
 
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Oh, Aldiss is seminal all right. I was sure it was going to be this just from reading the thread title.
 

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