I enjoy trolling various forums to get a look at upcoming cover art. Some weeks give me lots of material I want to highlight, other weeks give me nothing. For someone who hasn’t bought a book based on a cover in five years I find the entire exercise a little odd, but I’m a sucker for good paintin’. And I love almost nothing more than a tragically bad cover. I found three this week that felt deserved some commentary.
The first that caught my eye was this beauty from Michal Karcz for Kim Stanley Robinson’s forthcoming novel, Shaman:
I mean look at it. . . a novel of the ice age? With a guy on a snow drift with a big fucking space ship about to land on his head? Are you kidding me? The whole concept just sucks me in. It’s also a really well composed cover, coming off more like a movie poster than a novel. I’m feeling like it has some real cross over appeal without even reading the blurb. Thoughts?
If the Shaman cover is ‘the good’, then I’m afraid that makes Marc Simonetti’s cover for Michael J. Sullivan’s The Hollow World, ‘the bad’.
Of course there’s no title, or author name, or cropping, or whatever else goes in to producing a final cover, but I just don’t think these kinds of covers entice readers. From a purely compositional perspective, I think Marc Simonetti has once again produced a beautiful work of art, albeit faintly reminiscent of something done by Stephan Martiniere. But, as a book cover? Eh. I don’t think it connects with me in any meaningful way. I’ve seen too many of these style covers transition to more character driven ones in second and third books to impart a more dynamic representation for the impulse buy. Am I way off base?
Finally, I leave you with ‘WTF’. I’m not even sure it needs any additional explanation. Baen does it again:
What an interesting bikini top she has!
Justin
Justin Landon is the Overlord of Staffer's Book Review. When he's not writing things of dubious value to the world, he's at the gym or being a dad. You can follow him on a multitude of social media, which is strongly suggested lest you miss out on vital information that could someday save your life.
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Is that a spaceship? I thought it was a distant mountain range or something? It is still good either way. I agree with you on all three. The second cover is… a nice composition. But, eh. Yeah. It feels very 90s, doesn’t it? And the Burroughs one is a proper WOW.
I love the Simonetti, but until the text is emblazoned on it, tough to get a full feel. I definitely see a a lot intriguing things in it, potential for story points.
Baen, oh Baen. It isn’t your imagery that is so off-putting (though it usually is), but the typography/font abuse of the highest order.
**shakes head at Baen**
The art for Hollow World reminds me a lot more of Tom Kidd in his Dying Earth style rather than Martiniere. Unlike you though I did it. Brings back an older pulp vibe.
If the Burroughs anthology has a story about John Carter and mars, then I think the cover is spot on actually, despite being… wtf.
I had the same response as Jared. I thought the first cover depicted a mountain range, and not a space ship. Either way, it’s a gorgeous cover. I also agree that the second cover works well as an image, but I’m not sure it’ll stand out as a book cover. As for the third one, well, at least it made me laugh!
OH MY Freaking ….that WTF is just WRONG!
I have to disagree on the second cover – I find it beautiful, I would pick it up and read the blurb on the back if I saw it on a shelf.
Yes the good cover is definitely the best I need that freaking book right now!
Pabkins @ My Shelf Confessions
Yeah, that looks like a pile of rocks buried in snow, not a spaceship.
And the Burroughs one is looking true to the source, if that is indeed John Carter and Dejah Thoris.
My first thought on seeing the Shaman cover was movie poster too. I’m not sure what that faint structure is in the sky, but it definitely makes me want to find out.
As for Baen . . . well, what can you really say? You either love their covers for the pulp, trashy, embarrassingly inappropriate glory, or you don’t. I kinda do.
Baen: You are ridiculous. Please put a tan on that man so us ladies have some eye candy too. Thanks.
Yes, Book Cover 2 looks like something out of the Middle Earth saga and depending on my mood I would either jump on it or pass it by.
I love the second cover, for the first cover, I don’t know, it seems too empty and the focus is a little goofy.
@Justin
You clearly have poor eyesight,that’s not a spaceship,it’s a mountain.Get your eyes checked.
The Simonetti cover looks good,i have yet to see a Simonetti cover that could be called ‘bad’.
Yes, this seems to be the general consensus that I can’t see. I blame the lens flare. I am at this point willing to admit it’s a mountain. . . begrudgingly.
Are you on glue?!?
Space ship? LOL ! ! !
Justin, like you I thought it was spaceship on the Shaman cover until I really looked it. I think it is supposed to be a mountain, but I wonder if the artist made it ambiguous on purpose.
I too have to disagree on the Simonetti art, I think it’s gorgeous. The description of the book? Not so much.