Billy Beldock

Former drummer and now head of the Muzik, Inc. record label, from Norman Spinrad's 1987 rock 'n' roll sci-fi novel Little Heroes. He used to be a drummer for a real band, but is now pushing virtual, or AP (artificial personality) rock stars created by record company, Muzik, Inc.

He had been a drummer back in the early seventies when they were lovers, not a great one, but a real rock and roller, and good enough to keep himself riding around in a Porsche. When sophisticated Drumulators and percussion synthesizers enlisted drummers in the great army of the unemployed, Billy had read the writing on the video screen wall well enough to go with the wizardware rather than go out rockin' with his drum kit. He got hold of one of the early primitive VoxBoxes, went with the enemy, became the producer of some early VoxBox hits, and gained entry to the business end, and now,here he was, at the top of the corporate pyramid, about to have his heart ripped out and sacrificed to the Great God of the Sacred Bottom Line, by the look of him.