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May 10

Good to see busty adventures still wear watches!Click for full image

Jaouad’s Art Direction: We’re going a bit more classy for this one. Everyone always only looks at the boobs, right? Well, not this time! This cover is going to be about ears. Elf ears. On a lion.
Published 2012

Actually, that cover IS a classical work of art!I would touch it without protective gloves.I've seen worse. Far, far, worse.Interesting, but I would still read it in public.Middlng: Neither awful nor awfully goodWould not like to be seen reading that!Awful... just awful...That belongs in a gold-lame picture frame!Gah... my eyes are burning! Feels so good!Good Show Sir! (Average: 6.24 out of 10)
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47 Responses to “Honor’s Paradox”

  1. THX 1138 Says:

    “Strikingly weird and wonderful”? I can’t believe my ears! Well, I can’t believe somebody’s ears.

  2. bardbloom Says:

    This one is particularly annoying to the author, because the character on the cover is specifically flat-chested. And the cat-thing is blind, having had its eyes burned out.

  3. Bibliomancer Says:

    She is wearing quite a sexy costume. All the princes in the realm of Kencyrath speak approvingly of this damsel’s jerkin …

    … but it is a left-handed compliment.

  4. Tom Noir Says:

    “Stay here while I go change into my best lion fighting outfit!”

  5. Doug Says:

    “I like the way you are holding that tree branch….I don’t like the way you are holding that knife.”

  6. DaveM Says:

    There’s either some wild perspective issues here, or that’s a really big Elf-Lion.

  7. Phil Says:

    Wasn’t that a hit for the Eagles? “You can’t hide…Your lion ears…”

  8. Adam Roberts Says:

    ‘What time does it say on the Scary Lionface Clock, children?’ ‘It says ten past ten … no, ten past seven … no twenty to eleven … wait, I’m confused …’

  9. Doug Says:

    I really like these books. Didn’t know there was a new one. I heard there were issues with the last pub.

  10. B. Chiclitz Says:

    @Phil—beautiful. ouch.
    Are there enough phallic symbols on this cover? Maybe not; let’s lightly pencil in some elven lion yarbles at just the right horizontal sight line.

  11. Rags Says:

    BEHIND YOU!!

  12. Bibliomancer Says:

    To the Admin: What is with the Anglicized title? It is Honor’s Paradox — not Honour’s. Is this an attempt to co-opt our proud American heritage of heroic fantasy literature? What’s next? The Lourd of the Rings? Zed Zed Top?

  13. JuanPaul Says:

    Look as fierce as you want, elf-lion, that cleavage is making you all but invisible.

  14. Bibliomancer Says:

    To the Admin: Thanks for doing me the favor of doing the labor to honor my request. I feel in much better humor and will try to not let my furor color my behavior or demeanor.

  15. Jaouad Says:

    @Bibliomancer: Hah! I was just going to propose a US-spelling-issues tag. (And shouldn’t that be “prod American heritage”?)

  16. The Tag Wizard Says:

    Heh. I think we can judge the admin’s troulling a success.

    Anyway, isn’t the main character called Jame? Who’s this Honor everyone’s talking about?

  17. Bibliomancer Says:

    @Jaoad. Thnk f th kystrks svd f w drppd nt jst th “U”s bt ll f th vwls!

  18. GSS Admin Says:

    @Bilbomancer – What can I say… I’m Sourry. 😛

    If I had REALISED someone might take OFFENCE, I would have not used that particular brand of HUMOUR!

    I APOLOGISE and now I am off for a cup of Earl Grey with dearest MUM!

  19. Bibliomancer Says:

    @GSS Admin: It’s Biblio-mancer; not Bilbo-mancer. I ain’t no Hobbit. 🙂

    Tell your MUM I would like to knock her up some time next week. 😉

  20. GSS Admin Says:

    @Bibliomancer – Well I say… Good Show… Good show indeed sir! 😀

  21. Tom Hering Says:

    Yes, I’d expect to run across someone wearing Caribbean-pirate-style clothing in terrain that looks like the Alps.

  22. fred Says:

    Werelion? There lion!

  23. David Cowie Says:

    The blue-and-orangeness just keeps on coming.

  24. FearöfMüsic Says:

    Myself I think it’s wonderful that between dealing with ruffians, soccer hooligans, and what not, P.C. Hodgell has had time to write fantasy fiction. Ignore yhe mockery of your fellows, Hodgell. You are no poncey poofster. You sir, are an AUTHOR.

  25. Bokrug the Beleagured Says:

    @Bibliomancer: Not the Bagginses? He lies to us, precious. We thinks he lies, yesssss.

    Precioussss…

  26. Phil Says:

    Who is this Ken C. Rath fellow?

  27. Rags Says:

    Elfy-Lion” “Just what were you gonna do with that petrified woody lady Jame?”

    Jame: “Huh?!! Wha….nothing, just leave me alone…stop judging me with your eyes!!!!!”

  28. B. Chiclitz Says:

    Such an entertaining thread keeps me looking back at the cover. It is so disorienting. What law of physics would allow her cloak to hang at that angle relative to her body posture? Are we in—another dimension? Or is it just more good bad art?

  29. Dead Stuff With Big Teeth Says:

    We’ve snuck a spy onto the cover, and she’s going to stab it RIGHT IN THE BAEN SYMBOL!

  30. Bibliomancer Says:

    @B.Chiclitz. Methinks the damsel is fighting a stiff breeze blowing from right to left across the cover (also note her hair) … and speaking of stiff, that’s quite a woody she’s holding in her left hand (in my best Groucho voice!)

  31. FéařofMusic Says:

    @B.Chiclitz: I get the impression the ground beneath herr (but not that under Glorsimbadel the elven lion) has begun abruptly to move to the right. Thus necessitating the grab for wood and the over the shoulder glance back of surprise from Lionelf. Or perhaps the artist just said ‘whatever’ to cause/effect.
    ‘Boobies, cleavage, lions with elf ears. Who’s gonna look at the cloak?’

  32. Dead Stuff With Big Teeth Says:

    ‘Snarl! Hiss! Hot death to the Ilona Andrews cover off to my right! Phwoar!!

    ‘Lady, look. Just…forget it. Breathe in, breathe out…take in the scenery…and let go of the branch.’

  33. Phil Says:

    Grrrr. So what if I have big ears? I’m a lion. Grrrr.

    More powerful than my more civilised cousin (http://www.goodshowsir.co.uk/2012/04/beasts/).

    Less bemused than my Italian cousin (http://www.goodshowsir.co.uk/2010/09/sleepwalkers-world/).

    So leave me alone with my ears. Grrrrr.

  34. B. Chiclitz Says:

    @FoM—I like your theory better. B’mancer may be the maven of GSS, but he’s no meteorologist. That wind theory won’t hold water. Her hair would be plastered to her face, not puffing out.

    Speaking of Glorsimbadel, seems that the “I’ve just been goosed” look on his face might hint at what she’s been doing with that woody thing.

  35. Stevie T Says:

    “A New Kencyrath Novel”

    Well, that just rolls off the tongue…

    “Kensy Rath”?
    “Kenky Rath”?
    “Ken Syrath”?
    “Ken Kyrath”?
    “Kencyr Ath”?
    “Kency Rah-Rah-Rah”?
    Or maybe it’s French: “Kensireh”?

  36. Rags Says:

    “Lady Jame has the most strikingly weird and wonderful boobies in epic fantasy today!”
    – Charles Stross

  37. A.R.Yngve Says:

    They were on a quest to grab the Lowest Common Denominator by the gonads! They were artists cursed by…
    BAEN’S PARADOX

    “Baen prints the most strikingly schizoid and retrograde covers in F & SF today.”
    -Name Withheld

  38. Jerk of all Trades Says:

    I am disappointed that the artist didn’t give those boobs elf ears too. Or the landscape. Or the knife. Elf ears for everything!

  39. Anti-Sceptic Says:

    Lion: “Roaaarrr!”

    Jame: “Peeew….Ok, you may be able to cover the sound with your roar, but you can’t mask the smell!”

  40. A.R.Yngve Says:

    Fantasy damsels often suffer from chest frostbite.

  41. rev Says:

    Who’d win in a fight between Elf-Lion and ElvenBane?

  42. Severian 67 Says:

    @Bibliomancer. I wasn’t aware that The Lord of the Rings was written by an American. Did anyone inform JRR Tolkien?

  43. Tat Wood Says:

    If this were an English book, I’d suspect the author was an off-duty plod.

  44. anon Says:

    @Tag Wizard: Honor Blackman? The paradox something about Pussy Galore?
    The woman on the cover sure looks like she could be named Pussy Galore.

  45. Anna T. Says:

    @Tag Wizard: Harrington, maybe? The title is something I would associate more with the aforementioned Weber series.

    And maybe the woman on the cover is actually impersonating the non-endowed heroine. It’s a possible explanation for the gratuitous and inaccurate bosom.

  46. GSS noob Says:

    @DSWBT: She does seem to be offended and disgusted by the BAEN! symbol, doesn’t she?

    As are we all, dear, as are we all. At least you got a free boob job out of it.

    You know that one Monty Python sketch where they come outside and (I think) Chapman says “Good Lord. I’m on film” with some surprise? This expression is the equivalent when you and your elf-lion see that symbol and realize “Good Lord. I’m on BAEN!”

  47. JuanPaul Says:

    I am reading the first in this series, and my image of the heroine is not quite this.

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