It’s fascinating, the minor differences between British and American terminology. Jumper vs sweater, lorry vs truck. The way we each think of different things when we hear “football.” Then when it comes to the “Double Illusion” the Brits have a man-headed ape and a clown holding a hoop, while the American version calls for an anthropomorphic flying squirrel and a wiffleball bat.
Thank you Jerk of All Trades! Finally a rational, credible explanation for all these botched covers — the taboo subject of SF/F publishing, the elephant in the room:
95p for a monkey’s arse? (That sounds like a useful critical term for future use. As in “That’s a monkey’s arse of a book”. “You made a right monkey’s arse of that.” Etc.)
And isn’t “E High!” something that a cowboy would shout?
So is the clown in front or behind the hoola-hoop? That’s the double illusion my friends. Don’t pay attention to that blindfolded guy dressed as an ape. He’s just there as a distraction.
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January 26th, 2012 at 9:39 am
I think the artist was just clowning around.
There, I said it.
January 26th, 2012 at 9:59 am
Is the author’s name supposed to be an excuse for the cover?
January 26th, 2012 at 11:43 am
One of Pavarotti’s stress dreams before performing Pagliacci?
January 26th, 2012 at 12:02 pm
A Victorian engraving of a mandrill, a kids’ stencil of a clown, and a drawing of a head.
It looks like a psychology textbook.
January 26th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
It’s fascinating, the minor differences between British and American terminology. Jumper vs sweater, lorry vs truck. The way we each think of different things when we hear “football.” Then when it comes to the “Double Illusion” the Brits have a man-headed ape and a clown holding a hoop, while the American version calls for an anthropomorphic flying squirrel and a wiffleball bat.
January 26th, 2012 at 5:45 pm
Phillip E High indeed.
January 27th, 2012 at 5:02 am
This was not the work of a sober person.
January 27th, 2012 at 6:55 am
Thank you Jerk of All Trades! Finally a rational, credible explanation for all these botched covers — the taboo subject of SF/F publishing, the elephant in the room:
ALCOHOL.
My work here is done. 🙂
January 27th, 2012 at 2:06 pm
This is yet another one of those covers that’s so sublimely awful I’d be forced to pick the book up off the shelf and at least read the summary.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:38 am
Sadly, the Dr. Moreau Research Lab staff turned down the scary clown monkey design in favor of the more traditional trefoil biohazard symbol.
January 29th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
95p for a monkey’s arse? (That sounds like a useful critical term for future use. As in “That’s a monkey’s arse of a book”. “You made a right monkey’s arse of that.” Etc.)
And isn’t “E High!” something that a cowboy would shout?
February 1st, 2012 at 8:04 pm
So is the clown in front or behind the hoola-hoop? That’s the double illusion my friends. Don’t pay attention to that blindfolded guy dressed as an ape. He’s just there as a distraction.