Aug 23
Scott B Comments: I heartily approve of the Space Moose steed here, but the culture clash of the Native American / Scots clothing is really messing with my mind. And the giant fiery phoenix hair. I guess this isn’t one of the four books my planetary civilization needs.
Published 1969
August 23rd, 2012 at 10:17 am
What, no sporran? Then where does he keep the ammunition for his sabre?
Oh silly me, on his cartridge belt, of course!
August 23rd, 2012 at 11:08 am
Yet again another cover angry at it’s title! Take that E! How does it feel being made a F?
August 23rd, 2012 at 11:18 am
“Gasp! Hamish! Reins too tight!”
August 23rd, 2012 at 12:34 pm
At least he’s not riding bareback.
August 23rd, 2012 at 12:37 pm
I play in my local pipe band and we have to issue warning on doing certain things in a kilt (because of the insurance on the uniform) – I now have to add “Riding a Space Moose” and “substituting elements of Native American Dress” to our quarter-master’s agreement….
August 23rd, 2012 at 12:47 pm
@BW: I’d like to be there when you do.
‘Four books are enough for any planetary civilization’, eh? I’m guessing they are Ivanhoe, Hiawatha, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and a Toxic Avenger comic book.
August 23rd, 2012 at 1:14 pm
Braveheart II: Gibson’s Director’s cut?
This is now doing the rounds of my band – we’re going to have a competition for who can come up with the best clan name and motto.
Clan McHellyeah – Nemo Me Historical Sagaciter Lacessit (Touch Me Not With Historical Accuracy)
August 23rd, 2012 at 1:35 pm
The mother of all bad hair days.
August 23rd, 2012 at 1:36 pm
“Whadya mean I’m kreezy? I’ll show ye KREEZY!!”
August 23rd, 2012 at 1:41 pm
It’s gonna take my retinas a while to recover from this one.
August 23rd, 2012 at 1:44 pm
What I at first took to be space moose’s red nostril now appears to me to be his eye. Which means that what I at first took to be spacemoose’s eye must be his earhole.
The Scots spacemoose jocket has a touch of the Russel Kane about him.
August 23rd, 2012 at 2:13 pm
@Phil, I don’t think you’re mistaken, that IS supposed to be an eye.
I really don’t think we should be making fun of this poor fellow’s color choices. For all we know he’s color blind, and thinks he’s wearing tastefully coordinated pastels.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:24 pm
Does space moose have a tattoo? Cool.
August 23rd, 2012 at 3:42 pm
Clever how the artist used his initials as the brand mark on Space Moose. Firearms but no stirrups?
August 23rd, 2012 at 6:17 pm
OK, who’d win in a fight – Space Moose or Scuba Horse?
August 23rd, 2012 at 7:12 pm
I did the same thing with the eye/nostril switcheroo, Phil. He must get poked in the eyes all the time when he’s grazing. Maybe that explains the red color.
August 23rd, 2012 at 7:33 pm
His boots are mesmerizing. That’s a Good Show right there.
August 23rd, 2012 at 8:27 pm
As someone with both Scottish and Native American ancestry, I applaud the kilt + moccasin look. I cannot, however, condone the hair.
August 24th, 2012 at 3:03 am
All the 80s bands are going “damn, why didn’t I think of that?”
August 24th, 2012 at 3:11 am
@Don Hilliard – hmm, that’s tough. Would the battle take place on dry land or underwater? ‘Cos I’m not sure how the misplaced eye/nostrals will fare underwater or with depth perception – maybe we could run it over a variety of different terrains over a few days?
Actually, that would make a pretty good SF book plot – not to mention an epic book cover….
Unless you mean who would win in a dressage/show jumping event, in which case it would be prettty even…
August 24th, 2012 at 3:28 am
@drlemaster: As someone of Scottish, Native American, and German heritage, I’m trying to figure out how to add lederhosen to the ensemble. (I’m part English, too, but honestly not sure what that would mean in terms of costume. Perhaps one of those funny hats that English ladies wear to public events.)
August 24th, 2012 at 8:06 am
You know that point where a person and his pet start to look alike? This guy past that point several years ago.
August 24th, 2012 at 10:50 am
@Sneaky Burrito – surely the English element would be Morris Dancing Bells.
August 24th, 2012 at 10:51 am
I’m pretty sure this ensemble was part of Vivienne Westwood’s spring/summer collection this year.
August 24th, 2012 at 9:25 pm
@Smith: I had to look that up. But as you might suspect, with my mongrel heritage, I’m from the good old US of A where we don’t typically encounter Morris Dancing Bells. The bells could work over the moccasins/boots, though…
August 24th, 2012 at 11:39 pm
@Book Wench: I would pay to see Space Moose Dressage.
August 27th, 2012 at 12:38 am
Another reference for non-UK correspondents to look up: I’m having horrible Tenpole Tudor flashbacks.
September 4th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
When I catch the guy that put these scratches on my moose’s new wax job, I’m gonna do some of my own scratching…with this sword…which is really sharp and pointy!
September 9th, 2012 at 9:12 pm
This is too awesome to be bad. My God, it’s Julian Clary in a Bob Mackie kilt wearing one of Cher’s wigs and riding on a monstrous whatchamacallit. The apocalypse is going to be fabulous!
October 1st, 2012 at 1:24 pm
That hair…
…Rufio?!
(For those who have managed to blot the film “Hook” out of your memories, look up a picture, at your own risk of course, and you’ll see what I mean!)
November 14th, 2012 at 1:33 am
I hate to go against the general consensus on the footwear, but it appears more likely they are of Lapp or Sami origin,(indigenous people of Finland) especially in their colouring. Which of course makes more sense. A Scottish space barbarian would find Finnish space barbarians more accessible. Just pop across to space Finland on holiday and hit the duty free shops.
January 20th, 2013 at 10:34 pm
I can imagine the fashion designer. “The kilt is fabulous, the space moose is to die for, but can you do something about that hair and footwear? You’re going to scare small children and pets away with that monstrosity.”
February 4th, 2013 at 6:55 pm
This cover is so full of awesomeness, it litterlly punches you in the face with its big fist of WIN!!!
We have sabre weilding Kazon, wearing Scottish/Native American clothes and a huge Peruvian hat, with a magazine (ala Mexican gunslingers) riding a manatee-space moose, possibly screaming “FFRREEEEEDDOOMM!!”
My good people behold, the greatest book cover in history!
December 20th, 2013 at 9:26 pm
Oh no, Mel is drunk again!
January 22nd, 2017 at 2:25 am
I like to think that the epic man on space moose is a former English major. He’s crying out, “Four books are enough for a planetary civilization!? FOUR?!?! By my sword, no! I demand that the major and minor canons be expanded to recognize 100 great books. I can think of at least a dozen about Scottish-Native American alien wranglers in Inca hats, to begin with…”
March 3rd, 2017 at 1:51 pm
Ugg.
Not the cover. The boots
March 3rd, 2017 at 2:15 pm
The blurb mentions the right way to capture a wife but I think this is less ‘crosses the line twice lol wtf’ and more ‘sad excuse to fantasy roleplay your escapism’.
March 3rd, 2017 at 2:50 pm
Something about that sword looks rubbery.
March 3rd, 2017 at 3:51 pm
They’re about to attack a giant wall of snow.
March 3rd, 2017 at 3:52 pm
Richard Blade needs to visit this planet and show them what real fashion sense looks like.
March 3rd, 2017 at 4:38 pm
@Fred – so, butt naked?
March 3rd, 2017 at 5:22 pm
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE! sword wieldin’, tartan wearin’, mocca-rockin’, head flair sportin’, space-moose straddlin’ berserker.
March 3rd, 2017 at 5:44 pm
@JuanPaul: I don’t know but I’ve been told that you need to punctuate such a sentence with a Woooo!
March 3rd, 2017 at 6:50 pm
@dswbt Dang, the edit window has closed. woo 🙁
August 20th, 2017 at 10:42 am
Four books are too much for a President!
(Too soon?)
August 20th, 2017 at 12:24 pm
@AR: you were alive for Ronald Reagan, weren’t you?
August 20th, 2017 at 4:30 pm
Oh, I think Reagan’s library beat Trump’s by a few (which isn’t saying much)…
http://www.favobooks.com/politicians/75-ronald-reagan-book-recommendations.html
November 29th, 2023 at 4:04 am
I have to bump this. This is the greatest cover of all time. After experiencing everything else already mentioned, It took me a while to notice the magic carpet/wampum saddle, the space moose’s bit that seems to have been stolen from the Port of Los Angeles, and the macrame reins it’s attached to. Simply stunning and awesome in every way possible.