May 05
Knuckle Girls
Gang Girls
Guerrilla Girls
Promotion Tour
Good Show Sir Comments: GSS Superfan Reggie M. (who prefers to keep a low profile) sent in these fine examples of literature printed by the New English Library back in the 70s. We here at GSS are familiar with the terrible sci-fi cover art overachievers at N.E.L. See here.
But N.E.L. is also know among paperback aficiandos for their sleazy girl covers. These here show the exciting lifestyle choices of a comely English lass who starts out as a fist-fighting brawler, graduates to shiv-lady in her local gang, then a Patty Hearst terrorist clone, before moving into a steady day job in the publishing business as a naked copy editor.
I am sure these attractive young misses are all quite proper British grannies now and remember fondly their previous modeling careers. So let’s reward them all with a Good Show Sir Honourable Mention.
Published 1970s

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Tagged with: artist? you're kidding me • bladed weapons • damsel • fight club • fists of fury • Harry Whittington • Honourable Mentions • machine gun • Maisie Mosco • New English Library • Richard Allen • starkers • Terry Harknett
Feb 07
It’s time for Mars Sexytime Honourable Mentions. And it’s a score in more ways than one. Scraping the bottom of the Mars barrel, here are three also-rans that, for various reasons, didn’t meet our STRICT AND RIGIDLY ENFORCED GROUND RULES.
Sex Life on the Planet Mars. I can’t find much info on whether this is comedy, sci-fi or maybe even a mystery. But I’m not surprised it’s written by this guy. Somewhere Capt Kirk is getting a boner.
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A Princess of Mars. Further proof of the benefits of novels losing their copyright and entering the public domain. This is an actual by-the-rules science fiction book cover, but it’s print-on-demand and I didn’t feel like spending a tenner of Tag Wizard’s expense account money to buy a copy.
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Mars Ho! It’s a Kindle ebook cover. I think it’s also paperback but, since nobody is in a hurry to send that cover in, this will just have to do.
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Good Show Sir Comments: Thanks to Cyndi-with-an-i, me, and Sir Douglas Quintet for sending these in.
Published 1986, 2008, and 2017

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Tagged with: aliens • antennae • beard-wielding • BGU Ltd Print-on-Demand • cleavage • CreateSpace Publishing • Dennis McMillan • dude • Edgar Rice Burroughs • eye-yi-yi • font problems • Fredric Brown • Honourable Mentions • Jennifer Willis • Mars • Phil Foglio • romancing • sexytime • space suit • teat shields • Unknown Artist Institute
Aug 30
We have here a trio of Honourable Mentions since these are e-books and technically not being photographed sitting in our sweaty hands. But the “publisher” Phoenix Pick informs us that you can own an actual dead-tree book version of the same. The odds are vanishingly small that any book versions of these titles would ever be found in what few book stores still exist. So let’s have our fun with these e-book pix nicked from the Intertubes. I see some vestige of an artist signature on one of these. Go figure. But none of my usual sources gives any hint who they might be. So Unknown Artist Institute it is.
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Good Show Sir Comments:
1. He-man and Cat-in-the-Hat take on flaming Gummi-Bear monster.
2. Stop wearing the chamois, son. I’ve got to dry the car.
3. Don’t think you’re setting a foot outside wearing that strapping outfit!
Published 2012

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Tagged with: beard-wielding • boats • books on the covers of books • damsel • Dancing Gods Series • dude • fairy • fire • Honourable Mentions • Jack L. Chalker • muscles • old-timer • Phoenix Pick • strange creature • strapping outfit • top hat • Unknown Artist Institute • waistcoat
Mar 22
Magazines, franchise books, paper dolls and “non-fiction” occult. We have a potpourri jamboree here for another in our continuing series of Honourable Mentions. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
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Erik Tollstedt Comments: I want an image of Ernest Hemingway. He should be sitting on a purple couch in outer space. There should be papers flying away from his lap. Also, I’d like to see Ernest Hemingway’s head explode. But not in the normal way. It should explode into several other heads, one of them a sleeping hispanic man, and the other Emperor Ming. And have some sort of purple beam shoot out of his brain too. Yeah, that will convey “creative genius” like nothing else.
Published 1990
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Lillie Awesome Comments: When the party supply store attacks.
Published 1972
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GSS ex-noob Comments: Why don’t you post more of my covers?
Published 2017
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Theresa Comments: The satanic black mass orgy happpened so fast that it was just a blur.
Published 1973

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Tagged with: Ace Books • Baby Tattoo Books • beard-wielding • Brian Kesinger • cephalopod • Clark Darlton • cleavage • damsel • dude • Francis King • frickin laser beams • Gardner Dozois • Gary Morrow • Honourable Mentions • Isaac Asimov • Joe Haldeman • magic • mighty moustache • mind: blown • my head aplode • New English Library • octopus • Perry Rhodan • Satan • sexytime • starkers • strange artifact • suits you • tentacles • top hat • Wayne Barlowe
Dec 07
Good evening, and welcome to a private showing of three paintings, displayed here for the first time. Each is a collectors’ item in its own way – not because of any special artistic quality, but because each captures on a canvas, and suspends in time and space, a frozen moment of …
OK, that’s just a Rod Serling Night Gallery quote I copped off of IMDB. But here, for your consideration, are three cover submissions that didn’t make the cut. Not because they aren’t terrible. Not because they are based on a franchise. Not because they are parody or comedy. Not because … well, just because …
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Raoul Comments: That 70s Show.
Published 1975
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Alice Comments: “Let the Magic Journey begin! Oh crap. Wher’d my ass go?”.
Published 1988
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Maureen Comments: Click all you want. No boobs under the sheep.
Published 1972
Oh, and Tag Wizard sent me this racism and dared me to post it. Now you owe me a pint:
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Tagged with: author on the cover • boredom • Chang-San • clown • Dell Books • devil's dumplings • Diane Dillon • dude • floating face • font problems • Harlan Ellison • Harvey E. Ward • Honourable Mentions • John Nichols • Leo Dillon • long haired men • Lynn Hall • Mei Ya Publications • Pocket Books • Pyramid Books • rocket in my pocket • Sheep! • shortbow • skeletons • Unknown Artist Institute • USA! USA!
Jun 15
It has been a while since we’ve had an Honourable Mention post, so following are some of the recent doozies that didn’t meet our strict, fiercely-enforced rules for cover submissions. Enjoy!
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Leah Comments: I know it’s a tie-in, but this is definitely worthy of an Honorable Mention. That lettering is not actually black, it is bright orange metallic foil. I think it says a great deal that the picture is an accurate depiction of the featured aliens.
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Leah Comments: Another Honorable-Mention-worthy tie-in. Working title: ‘Attack of the Fifty-Foot Fop’.
Cliquez pour enlever le mouton
Joachim Comments: A French cat woman? There’s so much wrong with this cover.
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Bibliomancer Comments: I don’t think it’s technically science fiction. But Lordy, is this a bad cover.

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Tagged with: BBC Books • Black Sheep (artist) • cat people • devil's dumplings • dinosaur • Doctor Who • dog people • Earth • flowers • Galaxie • gams • George Roux • handguns • Honourable Mentions • Jacqueline Rayner • lion • Paul Magrs • Picador • pyramids • rocket • tasteful smoke • Thomas Pynchon
May 01
It’s the awesome month of May! Which can only mean even more honourable mentions!
Found these beauties in a charity shop the other day. Would you read them on a bus? Or try to complete a shiny unicorn puzzle on a bus? I know I would… just for the attention!
Have a great long weekend if you get it! Otherwise, just have a great weekend!
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Tagged with: cleavage • damsel • devil's dumplings • dude • eye-yi-yi • flowers • Honourable Mentions • James A. Michener • Penguin Books • space sheep • Unknown Artist Institute • William Trevor • WTF
Apr 02
Only two honourable mentions for the long Easter weekend! Mainly because I have completely lost track of what’s in my inbox!
Good to be back and posting covers again, thanks to everyone for supporting me through the dark times! You all get a cookie!
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Piper Comments: It isn’t exactly fantasy/science fiction. It’s psychology. The longer you look the more insane it gets (E.G. Eagle heads in crystals).
Unknown published date
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Good Show Sir Comments: Unfortunately I never got to play this, I like to think it would be just as epic as the box art.
Published 1988

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Tagged with: birds • crystal • damsel • floating face • giant birds • Good Show Sir • Honourable Mentions • landscape face • lens flare • lightning • magic • magical orbs • magical weapon • shortbow • sky-eyes • strange creature • sword • Ting! • Tor Books • Unknown Artist Institute • unknown publisher • wolf
May 23
YES! It’s not only a bank holiday on Monday but the site is working! Woo! That means we can finally do another Honourable Mentions!
Thanks to all of you who constantly checked the site for over a month to see if it was working again! I missed all your comments, though oddly I actually got some work done. Anyway, I’m back to my normal pace now! Till the site breaks again…
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Scott W’s Art Direction: Ok, I need me a Ben Franklin, some lecherous 18th century dudes copping feels (or having their feels copped) by busty harlots, and oh yeah, can you possibly have Mr. Hundred Dollar Bill ride in on a cardboard lightning bolt with a pleasantly startled expression on his mug?
Published 1980
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Matt Comments: It wasn’t the airplanes. It was chain smoking that killed the beast.
Published 1977
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Ian R Comments: Do you accept old pulp sci-fi magazine covers? I hope you use them, if only because of that… thing on the woman’s neck/shoulder. It looks quite uncomfortable.
Published between 1955 & 1958
BONUS SPECIAL OFFER!

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Tagged with: ape • Arthur C. Clarke • bird hairdo • bracers • cigar • cleavage • damsel • Donald Zochert • dude • electricity • fire • font problems • frickin laser beams • Fritz Leiber • goblet • gun • Harlan Ellison • helicopters • Honourable Mentions • lightning • long haired men • megaphone • monkeys • once you see it • Penguin Science Fiction • pointing • Richard Wilson • space ships • Star Books • suggestive • suits you • tunnels • utility belt • Walter Wager • WTF
Mar 28
Oh yes! It’s the Easter weekend and that can only mean one thing, some honourable mentions! These have been sent in to us and oh boy they are simply amazing!
So enjoy the covers and have an excellent long weekend (if you get one!) And once again thanks to all who send in covers and comment on the site. You gals and guys are all amazing, also you keep my grammar correct and my tags sensible!
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Tat Wood Comments: it was published in 1970 and tells of all the different ways the Earth will end by 2000 AD (although one would be enough). As we are now a dozen years beyond the Best Before date does it now count as fiction? A bit? Sort of?
Published 1970
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Laura Comments: I came across this book in a used book store and I was hoping that the badly-drawn tough old guys would fit on Good Show Sir.
Published 2007
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Jaouad’s Art Direction: Let’s see… Pynchonesque, Burroughsian, Robert Anton Wilson-like… Oh, I know! Tim from Marketing has a girlfriend who does exotic dancing, right? See if you can get her to pose. Ask her to bring one of her pets. Yes, I know the author will want in on this… I’ll think of something.
Published 1996

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Tagged with: cleavage • damsel • devil's dumplings • dude • evil children • explosion • Good Show Sir • Gordon Rattray Taylor • gun • Hawthorne Vance • Honourable Mentions • Panther Books • Paul Di Filippo • shotgun • snake • space sheep • Unknown Artist Institute • WTF
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