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Jan 04

Happy New Year!

Well another year is here, I am just about over my hang over and of course back in work! So it’s time to start again and see what exciting covers we can find to brighten our days. Last year didn’t see a cover which had the power to beat, I Sing the Body Electric. But maybe this year… maybe…

Thanks to everyone who has sent in covers and comments! You all bring such entertainment to our lives. And of course thank you to all those amazing publishers, without you and your art direction where would Good Show Sir be?

Last year was very exciting now that I think about it. And my quest for terrible Sci-Fi/fantasy book covers also led to the best conversation ever in a second hand book store.

Shop Assistant: Wow.. that cover is so bad!!!
Me: Yeah isn’t it? That’s kinda why I am buying it actually.
Shop Assistant: Really? Awesome. You should start some sort of website to show covers like these.
Me: I have…
Shop Assistant: ……
And nothing more was said. Here is the book I bought.

The top rated cover of the year:

Bum chins are well known for invading the rest of your face.Click for original post

A Personal Favourite:

The dangers of eating radioactive fish.Click for original post

CSA Chooses dragon crotch!

Carry On films did get a bit... odd...Click for original post

And of course, how could we not mention the cover that started a censoring legend:

I know space ships don't need to be aerodynamic but...Click for original post

Actually, that cover IS a classical work of art!I would touch it without protective gloves.I've seen worse. Far, far, worse.Interesting, but I would still read it in public.Middlng: Neither awful nor awfully goodWould not like to be seen reading that!Awful... just awful...That belongs in a gold-lame picture frame!Gah... my eyes are burning! Feels so good!Good Show Sir! (Average: 8.00 out of 10)
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Dec 21

Well it has come to that time of year again when we at Good Show Sir need to take a break to steal Christmas presents from children, eat an insane amount of other peoples food and of course, get stinking drunk and rant about book covers!

Not to worry though, we’ll be back first thing in the new year with a round up of the best of 2011’s covers!

Here we have some fantastic Hungarian covers sent in by Gabor and River, about 9 months ago! I appologise for keeping them hidden for so long but here they are, all six of them!

Have a great holiday! And again thanks to everyone who visits the site and all the specials ones who leave comments which brighten our days with witty banter!

It's the new family holiday destination, space worm holes.Click for full image

Nothing makes an action hero more epic.. than a ferret on his knee!Click for full image

Looks like I picked the right time to bring this phallic shaped weapon!Click for full image

It was our first date and well... I learned we should have just gone for coffee.Click for full image

Marbles in space just isn't the same when you are playing by yourself.Click for full image

That digital world looks a bit... nippy...Click for full image

Actually, that cover IS a classical work of art!I would touch it without protective gloves.I've seen worse. Far, far, worse.Interesting, but I would still read it in public.Middlng: Neither awful nor awfully goodWould not like to be seen reading that!Awful... just awful...That belongs in a gold-lame picture frame!Gah... my eyes are burning! Feels so good!Good Show Sir! (Average: 7.96 out of 10)
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Dec 15

Having a tentacle for an arm makes things more... sticky.Click for full image

Alessandra Comments: Not, despite all appearances, a parody. It’s a young adult story with paranoid overtones, but as far as Puffin is concerned it’s the Attack of the Stuffed Olive Aliens.
Published 1998

Actually, that cover IS a classical work of art!I would touch it without protective gloves.I've seen worse. Far, far, worse.Interesting, but I would still read it in public.Middlng: Neither awful nor awfully goodWould not like to be seen reading that!Awful... just awful...That belongs in a gold-lame picture frame!Gah... my eyes are burning! Feels so good!Good Show Sir! (Average: 8.60 out of 10)
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Dec 12

Hey!!! Whoever is grabbing my ass... not cool dudes... not cool!Click for full image

Colette’s Art Direction: I want a colony of giant lavender termites- all with the same goofy facial expression- dragging an extremely khaki couple into their underground nest. Try and make the tunnel seem as reminiscent of a human colon as possible, as subtle subliminal foreshadowing of where a large purple ovipositor may soon find itself.
Published 1980

Actually, that cover IS a classical work of art!I would touch it without protective gloves.I've seen worse. Far, far, worse.Interesting, but I would still read it in public.Middlng: Neither awful nor awfully goodWould not like to be seen reading that!Awful... just awful...That belongs in a gold-lame picture frame!Gah... my eyes are burning! Feels so good!Good Show Sir! (Average: 8.55 out of 10)
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Dec 09

Do you know how long it takes to slick my hair like this... hours. But I look fabulous!Click for full image

Jami Comments: Me giant floating head and shoulders of Demolished Man. Me crush tiny stereotypical Hammer film type female vampire and tiny floating head version of me. Then me play with all the pretty animals and the tiny naked women. Tiny clothed men can get moon dust out of my giant ear. Me have glowy thing above knuckle. Me love glowy thing.
Published 1978

Click for back cover here
Click for previous Demolished Man cover here

47 votes, average: 5.55 out of 1047 votes, average: 5.55 out of 1047 votes, average: 5.55 out of 1047 votes, average: 5.55 out of 1047 votes, average: 5.55 out of 1047 votes, average: 5.55 out of 1047 votes, average: 5.55 out of 1047 votes, average: 5.55 out of 1047 votes, average: 5.55 out of 1047 votes, average: 5.55 out of 10 (Average: 5.55 out of 10, rated)
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Dec 02

Screw ridding dragons...Click for full image

Scott Comments: Elven stripper riding a giant flying owl-cat steed! Or, tiny Elven stripper riding a normal-sized owl-cat steed? Either way, that’s one terrifying/terrified owl-cat.
Published 1983

66 votes, average: 7.76 out of 1066 votes, average: 7.76 out of 1066 votes, average: 7.76 out of 1066 votes, average: 7.76 out of 1066 votes, average: 7.76 out of 1066 votes, average: 7.76 out of 1066 votes, average: 7.76 out of 1066 votes, average: 7.76 out of 1066 votes, average: 7.76 out of 1066 votes, average: 7.76 out of 10 (Average: 7.76 out of 10, rated)
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Nov 21

Keith really needed to get a new loincloth after his buttock enhancements.Click for full image

Tom Noir Comments: It’s the little details that separate the good artists from the bad. For instance, notice the bit of man-bun sticking out from under this fellow’s fuzzy tutu. GENIUS!
Published 1984

Actually, that cover IS a classical work of art!I would touch it without protective gloves.I've seen worse. Far, far, worse.Interesting, but I would still read it in public.Middlng: Neither awful nor awfully goodWould not like to be seen reading that!Awful... just awful...That belongs in a gold-lame picture frame!Gah... my eyes are burning! Feels so good!Good Show Sir! (Average: 8.14 out of 10)
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Nov 16

Well I don't know where we are going dinosaur horse but I thank god I don't have a nose!Click for full image

Alessandra’s Art Direction:It’s short fiction by some of the best, most respected science fiction authors in the field. So I want… A Viking with a bottom for a face! Riding the world’s most exhausted-looking dinosaur horse! With its tongue hanging out! Through a Dali-esque landscape out of the Old West! And give the Viking kind of … Samurai armor!
Published 1976
Actually, that cover IS a classical work of art!I would touch it without protective gloves.I've seen worse. Far, far, worse.Interesting, but I would still read it in public.Middlng: Neither awful nor awfully goodWould not like to be seen reading that!Awful... just awful...That belongs in a gold-lame picture frame!Gah... my eyes are burning! Feels so good!Good Show Sir! (Average: 8.69 out of 10)
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Nov 15

OH the irony of making your fish man row!Click for full image

Joachim’s Art Direction: I want an Indian hanging out in a boat with a yellow-thonged alien with a head drawn by a 4 year-old…
Published 1977

Actually, that cover IS a classical work of art!I would touch it without protective gloves.I've seen worse. Far, far, worse.Interesting, but I would still read it in public.Middlng: Neither awful nor awfully goodWould not like to be seen reading that!Awful... just awful...That belongs in a gold-lame picture frame!Gah... my eyes are burning! Feels so good!Good Show Sir! (Average: 8.17 out of 10)
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Nov 10

Everyone else is wearing leggings here! Why can't hawks do it? eh!?Click for full image

Tam W’s Art Direction: This is a great work of fantasy, so naturally we want it to look as retro, cliched and formulaic as possible. I’m talking men in tights! If you do decide to depict a wizard turning into a bird, don’t forget to catch him in the act. And make it man-sized, never mind what the novel says!
Published 1975

Actually, that cover IS a classical work of art!I would touch it without protective gloves.I've seen worse. Far, far, worse.Interesting, but I would still read it in public.Middlng: Neither awful nor awfully goodWould not like to be seen reading that!Awful... just awful...That belongs in a gold-lame picture frame!Gah... my eyes are burning! Feels so good!Good Show Sir! (Average: 7.92 out of 10)
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