“We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck.”

One of the most iconic opening lines in young adult fiction is also a line that helped launch a century full of outstanding, boundary-pushing, prescient, and memorable books for teen readers. Written by M.T. Anderson, Feed is a work of dystopia about Titus and his friends having their spring break plans completely upended when the feeds inside them malfunction. What follows is a story about a girl who has always lived beyond the tech-designated range of human feelings, helping Titus, his friends, and the greater world find meaning and purpose after the hijacking.

Published in 2002, Feed was light-years ahead of its time in thinking about the role of technology in our world. The story resonates deeply today, with many of the very predictions made 25 years ago now real issues being grappled with. Themes of consumerism and algorithms as identity collide with deeply human experiences of first love, friendship, and adventure.

I first picked up Feed when I began my career as a teen librarian. I’d spent a day doing professional development on audiobooks, led by librarians who’d been leaders in reviewing, promoting, and awarding the best of the best in audio production. They urged those of us who hadn’t yet read Anderson’s novel in print to pick it up on audio, and those who’d only read it in print to go back and listen to it. Feed remains one of my gold standards not only for YA dystopia but also for excellence in audiobook production and performance. Listening to this with headphones is an especially trippy and memorable experience.

The book has stuck with me for the years since, and it’s one I could not be more excited to have nominated as one of the Best YA Books of the Century (So Far). It’s been wildly influential to YA as a whole, including to many beloved authors who’ve called Anderson’s book a masterclass in writing for teen readers. Years after first experiencing Feed, I coordinated a multi-library event with young adult writer Siobhan Vivian for teens. Anderson’s opening line was one she referenced when leading a teen writing workshop as part of the event–and she’s far from the only author who points to Feed as an example of getting it right.

In 2027, Feed will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Readers will be able to pick up a dazzling new edition of the classic next spring, featuring a brand new cover. I’m thrilled to share that cover exclusively.

But before doing that, a moment for the iconic 2001 design:

The cover features the back of Gregg Hammerquist’s head. Hammerquist has been working at Candlewick–Feed‘s publisher–since 2001, where he’s now the Senior Director of Group Graphic Production.

“Prior to the design featuring my head, there was an approved cover design which featured a group of young people,” said Hammerquist, “Literally, days before we needed to get files to the printer, there was a decision made to try a different direction. The designer grabbed our office camera (this was years before iPhones were a thing) and asked me to go to the wall and turn around. She snapped the shot, did some color adjusting, and crossed her fingers.”

Covers at the time were discussed in weekly meetings, and Hammerquist noted that their office was open concept. He overheard the conversation about his head taking center stage.

“When the designer (Caroline Lawrence) presented her comp which featured my head to the group, the Head of Editorial at the time (Liz Bicknell) said “I think we should make his neck thinner”. I immediately thought to myself “Good Grief!,” he said. “As someone who loves going to the gym and being strong, the last thing I wanted was parts of me to be made smaller/thinner.”

The good news is that the design team elected to keep his neck exactly as-is when the book went to press.

So what does the cover celebrating the 25th anniversary of a beloved story and a memorable cover look like? Is the head still there?

Wait no longer. Here it is:

You’ll immediately notice that the new look takes everything that made the original and cranks it up a few notches. While the title now takes up much more real estate, it doesn’t erase what made Feed‘s cover Feed‘s cover.

“We wanted our cover to be a proper celebration of the story’s enduring legacy,” explained Larsson McSwain, Assistant Art Director at Candlewick. “This is a redesign for M. T. Anderson’s long-time fans and new readers alike.”

The new cover plays into many of the trends we see in cover design right now–printed edges worthy of display on shelves and on social media posts. While it retains Hammerquist’s head, it tweaks the text running across the entire background. Where the 2001 edition uses words to show off the feed, the new edition turns to binary. It’s a smart choice. The binary numbers don’t detract from the bold title font and styling.

“Retaining the head was a no-brainer; but we revamped the color palette (electric!), updated the type design (bold!), and adorned the book with eye-catching effects,” said McSwain. McSwain emphasized that the design team knew that they “had to keep the head.”

For new and established fans of the book, using its first line is the perfect choice for the four-color printed edges.

The 25th-anniversary edition of Feed will hit shelves on May 11, 2027, but you can preorder it now. If this is a book you haven’t read, it’s one to make sure is on your TBR; if it’s a book with which you have familiarity, consider a reread–it not only holds up, but it remains an example of the variety of teen characters that exist in YA to entertain and challenge readers, young and not-so-young.

Want more? You’re in luck. Read this fantastic new interview with M.T. Anderson about Feed, its enduring legacy, and its 25th anniversary.