Good Show Sir

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Nix Comments: You may recognise some aspects of this cover. The huge glowy face on the left? That, I think, is Tung: I suspect Miles is the other glowy face. In the book, Tung’s never described as having any kind of moustache, and it would fit poorly inside a combat helmet, but hey, Eurasians all look like Ming the Merciless, right? Right?
Published 1997

You might remember me from such covers as The Vor Game.
Many thanks to Nix!

(Average: 7.08 out of 10)

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Corwin Comments: In the future, designer space suits are in style, asynchronous space ballet is an Olympic sport, and we’ve all lost our pinkies.
Published 2008

(Average: 8.12 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: 7.60 out of 10)

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Art Direction: We’ll draw a couple of male models on the cover with laser guns, cold room jackets and a light halo around their slicked back hair. Just like it will be in the future! Realism my boy, we need to spell this out for the readers. Well, except for the F, we’ll partially cover that later in editing!
Published 1993

(Average: 7.97 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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Shelley’s Art Direction: We’re looking for a sort of lion-centaur. And a spaceship. And gore. And…could you do something with foreshortened perspective? Thanks.
Published 1977

That is… awesome.
Many thanks to Shelley!

(Average: 7.92 out of 10)

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Deborah Comments: Actually I think this is quite good, apart from the woman being none of the central characters – Heris is black, Lady Cecilia’s a redhead, Bubbles is blonde. But the COLORS are a little unsubtle!
Published 1995

Click here for the previous Winning Colours cover.
Many thanks to Deborah!

(Average: 5.40 out of 10)

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Nix Comments: This book is reasonable-if-crappy (it’s a Modesitt, so it has Modesitt’s sole interchangeable plot) and the cover is a pretty good depiction of a scene from the book… but the cover is so badly done it distracted me from reading the book. I’m not even sure what’s wrong with it. Are those bobbleheads or are they actually almost in proportion and merely a horrible example of the dangers of having naturalistic heads and cartoon everything else? I don’t know.
Published 2000

Space pilots are so moody!
Thanks to Nix!

(Average: 6.51 out of 10)

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Andy Comments: The art department obviously wanted to cram as much as possible in (even though this is apparently the second novel in a trilogy). I wouldn’t be surprised however if it was an image ripped from the text. I really like the bloke standing on the ear of dragon – it seems to go well with the tag line. The spaceship is supposed to be vivid purple (the first line of the book) but is obviously out-done in the purple stakes by the dragon.
Published 1995

Ah the days of… yellow jeans…
Many thanks to Andy!

(Average: 6.26 out of 10)

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Jessie Comments: The marks to the left of the floating cat head are my fault – they’re scratches from when i was ripping off the $1 used book price tag.
Published 1978

I think the scratches are the least of this covers problems!
Many thanks to Jessie!

(Average: 6.56 out of 10)

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