Venus on the Half-Shell assumed that Vonnegut wrote the book. This problem was solved by the book being reprinted under Farmer's by-line. A common element to this novel is the origin of many of the characters' and locations' names. Farmer "put in a lot of references to literature and fictional authors... Most of the alien names in Venus were formed by transposing the letters of English or non-English words." The title and paperback cover art are a reference to an Italian Renaissance tempera painting by Sandro Botticelli, "The Birth of Venus", which depicts the birth of the goddess Venus as her rising from the
Lamentation over the Dead Christ (Botticelli, Milan) Lamentation over the Dead Christ (Botticelli, Milan) The Lamentation over the Dead Christ with Saints is a painting of the "Lamentation of Christ" by the Italian Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli, dated between 1490-1495. The painting was originally kept in Santa Maria Maggiore, Florence. It is currently housed in the Museo Poldi Pezzoli of Milan. The painting is one of two versions of "The Lamentation" by Botticelli. "The Lamentation over Dead Christ", circa 1492, is currently housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The painting depicts the lamentation (expression of great sorrow or deep sadness) over Christ’s death. The Virgin Mary