{"product_id":"the-b-52s-cosmic-thing-paperback-3","title":"The B-52s' Cosmic Thing - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003ePete Crighton\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe B-52s were always queer, though not overtly, and this book dissects the coded queer messaging in their music, using 1989's \u003ci\u003eCosmic Thing\u003c\/i\u003e as a focal point. \u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAlongside the author's own queer awakening, Crighton investigates the band's history and recorded work to date, providing cultural context along the way, and proves what was obvious all along - the B-52s aren't just pop culture icons, they are queer history. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eCosmic Thing\u003c\/i\u003e took the world by storm in 1989 in the wake of the band's single greatest tragedy: losing guitarist Ricky Wilson to complications from AIDS in 1985. \u003ci\u003eCosmic Thing \u003c\/i\u003eis a celebration of queer joy in the face of that seismic setback. Not only did the B-52s have to fight through their pain and grief to make their fifth full length record, the band was also up against a conservative government under Reagan (then Bush), a misunderstood virus still ravaging the queer community and an indifferent public after years out of the spotlight. Watching the band enjoy their greatest success in the face of adversity was part of what made \u003ci\u003eCosmic Thing \u003c\/i\u003esuch a marvel to behold - as miraculous as the B-52s' entire career.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePete Crighton\u003c\/b\u003e is a Toronto based author, freelance writer and record collector. He is the author of\u003ci\u003e The Vinyl Diaries: Sex, Deep Cuts and My Soundtrack to Queer Joy \u003c\/i\u003e(2025) and his work has appeared in the \u003ci\u003eGlobe \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eMail\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Toronto Star \u003c\/i\u003eand the \u003ci\u003eWest End Phoenix\u003c\/i\u003e. Crighton sings (badly) in the Dolly Parton choir \"The Tennessee Mountain Homos.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 136\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.35 x 6.53 x 4.91 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 04, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47386339049721,"sku":"9798765133125","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/2782\/3097\/files\/Jxrb9NYZfU9798765133125_de30c5c5-7c76-462c-9b74-34e048ef9a18.webp?v=1770189167","url":"https:\/\/bookscloud.io\/products\/the-b-52s-cosmic-thing-paperback-3","provider":"BooksCloud Book Dropshipping","version":"1.0","type":"link"}