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Libraryman comments: I love how it seems as if the characters are just randomly placed around this dead body. Kind of like a cluedo clue. “It was Sinbad with the scimitar in the dungeon!”
Published 1995

This cover… is perfect!
Libraryman, good show sir!

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Jeweleya Comments: This cover is so off-putting to me that I can’t bring myself to read the book.  A few highlights -

• The sword dissolving into blue dust
• The barbarian’s barely-decent rags (it’s refreshing that the woman is wearing more than the man, for once)
• The utterly generic, swirly, rainbow-threw-up-on-it background
• And my personal favorite: the horse that looks like it’s just been flung backwards from a giant slingshot

…Indeed, a cover for the ages.
Published 1978

Many thanks to Jeweleya!

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Don Comments: “Helmets with bunny ears will overpower helmets with horns every time.  So sayeth Ason the Incredibly Bored!”
Published 1973

Many thanks to Don!

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Well after CSA’s comments yesterday with Mr Ellison I noted he said this, “We should post a pic of the Bible tomorrow and see if Jesus posts within 24hours.”

I decided to take him up on that suggestion with this, sent into me about a year ago. And to Mr Ellison, I sent CSA to bed last night without super and I didn’t even read him his nightly install of Harry Potter verses Terminator. Thanks for commenting!

A real cover will be posted later!

Good Show Sir, Good Sir.

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Giles Comments: I love the Taltos novels, but these covers actually stopped me buying the books several times – they’re so cheesy. True, the artist gets some credit for getting the jhereg (the winged reptile) approximately right, but that doesn’t really offset the general awfulness.

Tache-tastic! Thanks to Giles!

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Harry Comments: According to the author, this cover was commissioned for another book but somehow ended up on hers. It’s very loosely appropriate: there is a sword, and there is a hero, but he is quite explicitly gay.

Superb! Thanks Harry!

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Well I am thinking, man in miniskirt stands in the background with a very large sword. Then we’ll have a man standing in the foreground thrusting his sword from his pelvis as he furiously… well. Lets just say he looks furious, the destroyed viewers’ minds will do the rest.

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Women love their horses and I’m pretty sure everyone grows up wanting that pony all their life. So that’s what we’ll give ‘em. Except give the horse a certain quality, an almost surprised expression as he stares off into the vast distance. And give the L&D letters of the title a black fill. I can’t see that one back-firing.

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A collection of fantasy stories? Well I know what they’ll want. A huge barbarian with a ponytail swinging his axe at randomly placed wood. Hmm, you’re right, needs thickened out. Throw a stereotype wizard/fireball combination in there and some damsel with a sword.

So, just wanted to do a little sum up of a few of the best covers we have posted and some personal favourites of the Good Show Sir staff. Just kidding, we don’t have staff, more like some sort of trained animal that has been taught how to sit correctly and not bite the children.

First, just a couple of thanks.   To JustinLeego who faithfully does all the tags for the covers, finds out who the artist is and corrects any spelling/grammer errors I make about six hours after I post it.  And to CSA, who endured an entire afternoon with me searching through the shelves of three second hand book shops over Christmas. We have quite the collection of covers to add to the site!

And thanks again to those who visit us here. We love to hear from anyone who comes along, so feel free to comment and you will be welcomed with sarcastic undertones!

One of our favourite covers:

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Another favourite:

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Personal Favourite:

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Most under-rated cover, as voted for by CSA:

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