Good Show Sir

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Bookworm Bas Comments: I prefer the other ‘The Star Beast’ cover. Aside from the background and the questionable suit coloring at least the artist got the lummox roughly right; on the other hand maybe it is better to have the reader use thier own imagination.
Published 1971

Many thanks to Bookworm!

(Average: 7.92 out of 10)

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Jo’s Art Direction: So we’ll have a human-like albino with totally gnarly fluorescent earrings clinging onto a stern-looking tree-alien holding a striped gun and sitting in a spotty spaceship, with an oddly-proportioned firefight going on in the background. Get to it!
Published 1987

Many thanks to Jo!

(Average: 7.47 out of 10)

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Erik’s Art Direction: This is a serious book about proving that aliens exist so I want a flying saucer landing in a barren wasteland, better jazz up the saucer, maybe stick a few satellite dishes on it. Now I want he alien to be wearing overalls but make them a bit more ‘out of this world,’ stick a big collar on it. Now hair, three words – Emerson, Lake & Palmer. To finish off make it look like he has just a stream of flaming urine down his legs.
Published 1977

Not Fiction (I think) but still great.
Many thanks to Erik!

(Average: 7.97 out of 10)

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Lauren Comments: The expressions on their faces have always bothered me–is he thinking about smashing her head with that statue? Is she considering using the trapdoor to dump him in a garbage pit?
Published 1991

Many thanks to Lauren!

(Average: 6.83 out of 10)

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Don’s Art Direction: This is a humorous novel about an interstellar diplomat. He’s suave, he’s debonair, and everything in the book’s played for laughs. So we want a horrific tentacle-headed, four-eyed, jelly-legged alien leaping at him with a spear. And we can’t afford the tux rental, so just use whatever your model’s wearing when he comes over from his rehearsal of A CHORUS LINE. But add some muscles! Retief is a two-fisted guy, no doubt with mighty thews! We don’t know what “thews” are, actually, but we’ll know ’em when we see ’em and by God he better have ’em! THEWS!
Published 1983

So it’s comedy. But it’s not a joke on the genre. That’s ok right?
Awesome! Thanks the Don!

(Average: 6.70 out of 10)

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Shira Comments: My partner discovered this book at the Friends of the Library Book Sale in Ithaca, NY. With my love of mushrooms and her love of cheesy sci-fi, we had to have it, of course!
Published 1973

A brilliant picture out in the wild!
Many thanks to Shira!

(Average: 8.58 out of 10)

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Art Direction: We all know from popular science fiction when one is stranded on a planet we loose clothing. It always ends up with a women in a mere bikini watching a man in a spear fight with some sort of daemon creature. Always! So draw it kinda like Robinson Crusoe… except with more breasts. And aliens.
Published 1983

Thanks to the Legend Dave R!

(Average: 6.68 out of 10)

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Johannah’s Art Direction: Okay, two words: Cat People! Yes, again. But this time we’ll have five of them surrounding a naked guy with a mustache. The one in front will be pointing a gun and the one next to him will be holding a futuristic mobile communication device. And let’s throw in a few of those aliens from the Mos Eisley Cantina for good measure. What’s that sound? Are you crying? Look, those art school loans aren’t going to pay themselves off. Just get painting already.

Awesome cover, excellent rug!
Thanks to Johannah!

(Average: 6.77 out of 10)

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Don’s Art Direction: Decapitated heads on strings gazing soulfully at each other while their occipital regions morph into Wookiees. Oh, and guess you’d better put some flying saucers in there, since they’re in the title of this 1930s pulp novella that we’re trying to pass off as a modern 1970s novel.

Freaky. Thanks to Don!

(Average: 8.48 out of 10)

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Jen comments: I was going to talk about his lack of spacesuit, or his overabundance of cleavage, or the protruding rock in space. Then I noticed that one of the strange ghost-images was smoking a cigar, and all words failed me.

Thanks to Jen! Good Find!

(Average: 8.06 out of 10)

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