While I enjoyed looking at the covers, I get the feeling that the person running the site must either hate SF or have only a very superficial knowledge of the genre. For example, there is a cover of a John Carter novel that, yes, is a bad painting.
Yes, I have inside information that the person running this site DOES hate SF. I have photos of him sitting by the fire reading from his stack of favorite romance novels.
But do tell me more about this bad painting on a John Carter novel. I find that hard to believe.
I would normally laugh at a cover like this, but it’s not funny when a bad picture scares people away from an actual masterpiece of literature! This is such a good book! Find a copy with decent art so you can enjoy it without stares.
Believe it or not, I own the original cover artwork of this book. I think its great and it has been valued by a professional in 2009 at £750.00.
The artist is Phillippe Bernard and it was published by Pan Books in 1975.
@Colin Larkin – Since you are the proud owner of this masterpiece we will take you as the authority on the cover artist. “Unknown Artist” tag has been replaced.
Well, I think it’s like the stock market and fairies: if enough people don’t believe in the picture, it will go into a decline.
Looks like the Silent Planet needs some work with a noisy weed wacker. IIRC, the setting did have very tall, thin trees, but not so closely packed: as other people have pointed out, it looks more like a fence or theater curtains. Or perhaps an outsized pipe organ.
As to whether it’s a great book or not, opinions differ; it certainly has some very good and imaginative bits, but there are some brutal attacks on various defenseless straw men. The Wicked Witch of the West should take notes.
750 quid for that? The art world really is out of kilter.
That’s either a theatre curtain or an extreme closeup of corrugated cardboard. And either way, it’s backing up a very wee Corbyn, who’s had a very bad week indeed and is now in a terrarium full of succulents. Or, as our much-missed pal DSWBT opined, star anise.
August 11th, 2015 at 9:19 am
Is that Jeremy Corbyn?
August 11th, 2015 at 9:49 am
“Hey, get your space-pod off the stage, the curtain’s about to go up!”
August 11th, 2015 at 10:27 am
“Gwapple me gwapenuts!”
August 11th, 2015 at 11:06 am
“It’s our favourite zoo enclosure, off-the-rails accountant.”
August 11th, 2015 at 1:38 pm
‘Morning. I’d like to buy a small box of the silent planet, please.’
‘Sorry, luv, we’re all out of the silent planet. But we’ve got all the star anise you can carry.’
August 11th, 2015 at 2:08 pm
@ Pual
It’s Jeremy Corbyn surrounded by his new shadow cabinet.
August 11th, 2015 at 2:14 pm
That must be a self-portrait of the Unknown Artist. I hear he is out standing in his field.
August 11th, 2015 at 2:23 pm
@THX: COM-POST COR-NER!
August 11th, 2015 at 2:33 pm
In the audience at a Rick Wakefield after ‘whatever’ kicks in.
August 12th, 2015 at 5:36 am
In keeping with the multiple Jeremy Corbyn sightings:
“Out of the Silent Planet… comes a call for the end of austerity!”
August 14th, 2015 at 4:18 pm
Professor Weston tried to reach Mars and found himself in Kew gardens.
August 19th, 2015 at 7:51 pm
No “Behind You!’ tag?
August 19th, 2015 at 7:56 pm
BEHIND YOU! implies there is something threatening to be warned about. Otherwise every book cover has something BEHIND YOU!
August 25th, 2015 at 6:30 pm
I was under the impression the plants in Kew Gardens were GREEN.
August 31st, 2015 at 3:36 pm
While I enjoyed looking at the covers, I get the feeling that the person running the site must either hate SF or have only a very superficial knowledge of the genre. For example, there is a cover of a John Carter novel that, yes, is a bad painting.
August 31st, 2015 at 5:54 pm
Well, I can’t speak for everyone, obviously, but as for myself, I have a most superficial knowledge of the genre.
August 31st, 2015 at 6:09 pm
Yes, I have inside information that the person running this site DOES hate SF. I have photos of him sitting by the fire reading from his stack of favorite romance novels.
But do tell me more about this bad painting on a John Carter novel. I find that hard to believe.
August 31st, 2015 at 9:48 pm
I have learned during my time here that there is an inverse correlation between “knowledge of the genre” and “quality of the post.”
As in so many things, you’re either on the bus or off the bus.
Now get yer ass in gear and we’ll trow back some keggers and boilo at the ‘DC or hit the weed like a champ.
August 31st, 2015 at 10:05 pm
@B.Chiclitz: “I have learned during my time here that there is an inverse correlation between “knowledge of the genre” and “quality of the post.” ”
Gee, thanks!
September 1st, 2015 at 4:14 am
@TW 19: Welcome, Sir Tat, and thanks for the many fine mots.
@DSWBT 16: “I am a deeply superficial person.”~~Andy Warhol.
@B’Mancer 17: Problem with that cover is that it portrays Lynda Carter, in flagrante delicto, I think.
December 23rd, 2015 at 3:35 pm
I would normally laugh at a cover like this, but it’s not funny when a bad picture scares people away from an actual masterpiece of literature! This is such a good book! Find a copy with decent art so you can enjoy it without stares.
March 18th, 2016 at 6:48 pm
Believe it or not, I own the original cover artwork of this book. I think its great and it has been valued by a professional in 2009 at £750.00.
The artist is Phillippe Bernard and it was published by Pan Books in 1975.
March 21st, 2016 at 4:21 am
@Colin Larkin – Since you are the proud owner of this masterpiece we will take you as the authority on the cover artist. “Unknown Artist” tag has been replaced.
March 22nd, 2016 at 8:25 am
@Colin Larkin: I hope you’ve placed it in a room that looks exactly like that.
March 31st, 2016 at 12:50 am
@Colin: if I don’t believe you, will the value go up? Or down? 🙂
December 13th, 2019 at 7:25 am
Now I’m wondering if the value of the cover art has gone up or down since it was last posted.
December 13th, 2019 at 9:42 am
@B. Chiclitz:
Well, I think it’s like the stock market and fairies: if enough people don’t believe in the picture, it will go into a decline.
Looks like the Silent Planet needs some work with a noisy weed wacker. IIRC, the setting did have very tall, thin trees, but not so closely packed: as other people have pointed out, it looks more like a fence or theater curtains. Or perhaps an outsized pipe organ.
As to whether it’s a great book or not, opinions differ; it certainly has some very good and imaginative bits, but there are some brutal attacks on various defenseless straw men. The Wicked Witch of the West should take notes.
December 13th, 2019 at 12:42 pm
Don’t worry sir, a hideously drawn Tarzan will be along shortly to free you from this predicament.
December 13th, 2019 at 2:02 pm
It does look like Jeremy Corbyn. Doing his impression of Homer disappearing into the bushes.
December 13th, 2019 at 2:28 pm
The artist was told to paint a pole vault.
December 13th, 2019 at 7:04 pm
@Bibliomancer: but he can’t, not without running into the sphere with ports/giant robot head/giant insect head behind him
@fred: excellent callback!
December 13th, 2019 at 8:04 pm
Is there a really lame attempt at a joke here having to do with flower bulbs and light bulbs? Is this so obvious no one has mentioned it?
—Hey, are those tulips?
—No, they’re 200 watts.
December 14th, 2019 at 6:22 am
750 quid for that? The art world really is out of kilter.
That’s either a theatre curtain or an extreme closeup of corrugated cardboard. And either way, it’s backing up a very wee Corbyn, who’s had a very bad week indeed and is now in a terrarium full of succulents. Or, as our much-missed pal DSWBT opined, star anise.
@Tor: GSS!
August 17th, 2020 at 11:45 pm
And they’re really using sticks of aniseed-flavoured rock as a background?