A newly expanded and updated second edition of Hugh Syme's The Art of Rush is due to release next month (the original edition was released back in 2015) and is currently available for pre-order. This updated edition will include a newly designed cover along with an additional 24-page section featuring the artwork of Rush's 40th anniversary box set releases from recent years. Syme has been collaborating with Rush as their album artist and illustrator since the release of 1975's Caress of Steel album, and recently sat down with John at Cygnus-X1.net for an extensive interview to discuss the new book, and his long career working with Rush. From the interview:

... "Every once in a while I [pinch myself]. Certainly during the process of being as fortunate as I was, it wasn't just a question of being with a band that that was gaining notoriety and becoming, you know, a cult following kind of band and a BIG band. It was that I was so fortunate to be working with the likes of these guys. These were creative guys. These were guys that did, to Neil's credo, deviate from the norm. They even surprised me, and the fact that we could enjoy humor so early, and they would embrace some of my glib ideas for some of Neil's always remarkable titles. He's been my favorite person to offer up these brilliant titles like Signals and Moving Pictures and Hold Your Fire. I mean, not many bands are as consistent as Neil was with his wordsmithing. ... He was a man of words, in all respects, whether lyrics or as the author that he was, as well. But the freedoms they afforded me were just ridiculous and much appreciated by me, because they wanted that same freedom from the record labels. They didn't want A&R people in their recording studios any more than they wanted anyone talking to me, which was unheard of." ...

You can read the entire Hugh Syme interview via Cygnus-x1.net here.