The Lovers

The Lovers is a science-fiction novella by American writer Philip José Farmer (1918–2009), first published in August 1952 in Startling Stories. In 1961, the work was expanded and published as a stand-alone softcover novel by Ballantine Books. In 1979, it was reissued by Ballantine as a Del Rey Classic in a final revised ("definitive") edition. Hailed by the science fiction community as a bold and pioneering exploration of religion and sexuality, the original version won Farmer the Hugo Award for "Best New SF Author or Artist" in 1953.