Page 110 Ice Nine Publishing

Robert Hunter, chief lyricist of the Grateful Dead and president of Ice Nine Publishing Company; which publishes the Grateful Dead’s songs, chose the name from Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, ‘Cat’s Cradle’. The story revolves around the appearance in the world of a new form of water, Ice 9, which once released from its vial would crystallize all forms of water on the planet to permanent ice! Perhaps in a related metaphor, Ice Nine’s logo is the I Ching hexagram for ‘Gathering Together’ changing to ‘Holding Together’.

Grateful Dead and Ice Nine offices