Tanith Lee surrounded by Dick. No wonder the girl looks pensive. Not to worry, Freddie Mercury is coming through strong on the Flash Gordon-o-phone. (All we hear is Radio Gaga). He hasn’t quite mastered the Nimoy jazz hand though. Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the Queeniest of them all?
Now I see clearly: ripped shirt on old Fred, ripped tights on girl. Vacuum cleaners with gold head attachments rather than ornamental desk lamps. And land of the rising sun wallpaper.
Pink Haired Girl seems remarkably undisturbed by a man who may or may not be naked with a ’70s porn-stache coming out of her TV-slash-fishtank. Perhaps she doesn’t see him . . . or those two heads on stalks are preventing her from noticing. Questions, questions.
@fred—I was just starting to think, well, except for the horrible background color scheme, this isn’t such a bad cover. It’s got a decent attitude and isn’t taking itself too seriously . . . until you pointed out that terrible wen (and I don’t mean Spencer). Ouch.
@StevenLP: To be fair, quite a few male sci-fi authors also ended up on covers at some point, but usually in portrait trying to look visionary, and yet somehow coming across as lecherous. Mostly lecherous.
@JJYoyo: ‘Russian Barbarella’ or author portrait? https://www.austinchronicle.com/books/1997-05-16/528177/ Some earlier posts have commented on it, but she did rather trade on her Stevie Nicks image (especially after her ‘Blakes 7’ scripts).
But someone should have taught Daley Thompson the correct Vulcan Salute.
December 15th, 2015 at 1:27 pm
The new iPads keep getting bigger and bigger.
December 15th, 2015 at 1:39 pm
It’s six and a half minutes to the big green thing.
December 15th, 2015 at 2:13 pm
Tanith Lee surrounded by Dick. No wonder the girl looks pensive. Not to worry, Freddie Mercury is coming through strong on the Flash Gordon-o-phone. (All we hear is Radio Gaga). He hasn’t quite mastered the Nimoy jazz hand though. Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the Queeniest of them all?
December 15th, 2015 at 2:26 pm
@Ray P—Nor exactly how to wear a bra.
December 15th, 2015 at 3:49 pm
For all you fishermen out there. Get that neck looked at girl. Really, get yourself
to a hospital ER pronto.
http://www.stephenjoneseditor.com/whc2010/tlee/daybynight-daw.jpg
December 15th, 2015 at 4:03 pm
Now I see clearly: ripped shirt on old Fred, ripped tights on girl. Vacuum cleaners with gold head attachments rather than ornamental desk lamps. And land of the rising sun wallpaper.
December 15th, 2015 at 4:06 pm
Jim Rash in stereo?
December 15th, 2015 at 4:33 pm
@fred: is that even a proper fish?
December 15th, 2015 at 4:56 pm
Personally I wouldn’t put my 4K flatscreen so near the koi pond.
December 15th, 2015 at 5:35 pm
Pink Haired Girl seems remarkably undisturbed by a man who may or may not be naked with a ’70s porn-stache coming out of her TV-slash-fishtank. Perhaps she doesn’t see him . . . or those two heads on stalks are preventing her from noticing. Questions, questions.
December 15th, 2015 at 5:38 pm
@fred—I was just starting to think, well, except for the horrible background color scheme, this isn’t such a bad cover. It’s got a decent attitude and isn’t taking itself too seriously . . . until you pointed out that terrible wen (and I don’t mean Spencer). Ouch.
December 15th, 2015 at 8:55 pm
This is a curiousity as the gal portrayed is the image of Tanith Lee! Not sure Asimov or Heinlein ever got the same treatment …
December 15th, 2015 at 9:17 pm
There’s a resemblance, I’ll give you that.
December 15th, 2015 at 9:44 pm
@StevenLP: To be fair, quite a few male sci-fi authors also ended up on covers at some point, but usually in portrait trying to look visionary, and yet somehow coming across as lecherous. Mostly lecherous.
December 15th, 2015 at 11:22 pm
Moobs rise, thoughtful eyes
Staring back at me from the koi pond beside
No taste or restraint
Leading me to that empty feeling inside
Day by Night, away look there
Heads surmount the light
Day by Night, Tanith Lee dear,
They’re robotic fishes and I just can’t pretend!
December 15th, 2015 at 11:50 pm
Wow, Mrs Claus was quite a looker in her younger years (and if this was her home life, no wonder she relocated to the north pole).
December 16th, 2015 at 2:20 am
Baen Books likes its authors to earn their keep as cover models too:
Lois McMaster Bujold
James P. Hogan
Fred Saberhagen
and of course the man himself:
Jim I
Jim II
December 16th, 2015 at 9:20 am
“Look, Artoo, it’s Lando Calrissian trapped in carbonite! That’s why he couldn’t join the cast of The Force Awakens!”
“BOOP-BI-DI-DOO!” *
*(“Oh, he’ll turn up in the next sequel. Everyone will.”)
December 16th, 2015 at 2:52 pm
I get centaurs, lamias and mermaids but what’s the word for a woman-giraffe?
December 17th, 2015 at 6:57 pm
@A.R.Yngve: By the looks of it, he’ll be played by Neil deGrasse Tyson.
December 17th, 2015 at 8:14 pm
@Tat: Their child.
December 17th, 2021 at 11:03 am
The whole thing had a weird but consistent sort of Art Deco vibe to it. And then they stuck Russian Barbarella in front of it all.
December 17th, 2021 at 3:56 pm
@JJYoyo: ‘Russian Barbarella’ or author portrait? https://www.austinchronicle.com/books/1997-05-16/528177/ Some earlier posts have commented on it, but she did rather trade on her Stevie Nicks image (especially after her ‘Blakes 7’ scripts).
But someone should have taught Daley Thompson the correct Vulcan Salute.
December 17th, 2021 at 11:36 pm
Let’s call it “Tanith Lee cosplaying Russian Barbarella” and be done with it.