Good Show Sir

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Scott B’s Art Direction: For this cover I want a fantastical pink-purple-green eight-armed lobster-snake thing. But to bring it down to Earth I want you to paste in photographs of four human eyes. Because that won’t be incredibly creepy or anything.
Published 1969

(Average: 8.76 out of 10)

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Thanks to Nix who says:

_Patterns of Chaos_ is a slightly famous book with a lot of amazing setpiece scenes which could have been used for the cover, starting with the destruction of entire planets, meticulously described, and ending with a transgalactic trip to a memorably unpleasant destination. If any book counts as overblown space opera, this one does.

So what did they use for the cover? A scowling cowled bloke, a weird plant, a badly-designed castle and a random number generator.

(Average: 5.09 out of 10)

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Bibliomancer’s Art Direction: I want a picture that will be timeless. Like a mash-up of Peter Max meets Chairman Mao. Art like that will never go out of style. Now give me another foot-long pill and leave me alone. I’ve got a lot of art-making to do!
Published 1970

(Average: 8.61 out of 10)

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The Tim’s Art Direction:Give me a dude in front of a pyramid with some spikey armor. No, more spikes. More. Still not enough spikes. More spikes! More!
Published 1991

(Average: 4.31 out of 10)

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Joachim Comments: Doing the fish dance! Steps: 1) make sure you have a fish head, 2) limp wrists, 3) and a steady gurgle.
Published 1973

(Average: 8.42 out of 10)

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Kim Comments: Don’t even know where to start.
Published 1977

(Average: 8.59 out of 10)

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Kelly Comments: Considering that later editions have an absolutely gorgeous cover by Michael Whelan, I’m always a bit horrified to see the travesty on my own copy of the book. It looks like a poster for some kind of low-budget 70s bondage. My poor eyes!

Muttley Comments: Did you see a mouse? I’m sure there’s a mouse in here. Gonna blow that mouse away . . .
Published 1981

Thanks to Kelly and Muttley who both sent this in!

(Average: 8.20 out of 10)

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Hayley Comments: This is what the back-cover says, “Warning: Graphic sex between a human woman and an alien male who is anatomically different from human men!”
Published 2008

Many thanks to Hayley!
Submitted through our wonderful Facebook group!

(Average: 8.30 out of 10)

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Oh, I know: I had this strange dream last night, possibly a nightmare. We’ll have a horse, the mare, charging through a book case, transparent like a ghost, into the view of a typical accountant type. Lapels and booze bottles around him, just like real life. Just kidding of course, we’ll have to make him look like he’s washed recently.

(Average: 4.32 out of 10)

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Do dragons wash themselves? I guess they’d have to. Who would want to ride on the back of a big stinking dragon, eh? Ah hahaha – so have one in the sea or something, scrubbing away. And have some damsel stumble across him. And though I kinda want them, best not draw any dragon ‘bits’.

(Average: 4.08 out of 10)

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