[bearhat]

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone else is really pleased with the way publishers are packaging fantasy at the moment? I don't know if it's connected to advances in computer art and artists using graphic design techniques, or are people just more image orientated?

I know I grew sick of covers with a wizard holding up a glowing talisman while riding a dragon. I think the last 5 years have seen books looking better and better. I like the symplistic stylized trend (Erikson, Gaiman, Barclay) over the 80s and 90s trend of paintings of characters in the midst of some bold act of derring-do (Jordan, Feist, Gemmell)

Just a question: what are the best books you've read that you think had the worst original cover art?

I'll throw a few out there:


George RR Martin - A Game of Thrones, and (Clash of Kings).
J.V. Jones - the Baker's Boy.
Ian Irvine - Tetrarch and Scrutator (called Alchymist in US and UK I think)
Sean Williams - The Stone Mage & The Sea

I might start another thread for most embarrassing fantasy title. Scrutator would have to be up there. Great book, but you get some strange looks reading it on the bus.

Any others?

[kged]

Oh Lord, yes. GRRM was not well served by (what I take to be) the original covers of the early volumes of ASoIaF, they were atrocious - particularly A Game of Thrones (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/A-GAME-OF-THRONES-George-R-R-Martin-1997-p-b-vgrc_W0QQitemZ120085986372QQihZ002QQcategoryZ2229Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item1200 85986372#ebayphotohosting). Who is that, anyway? Is it Ser Loras? And if so, why? The more recent ones are a great deal better.

But, the recent improvement in presentation can be a double-edged sword. I recently bought Myrren's Gift by Fiona McIntosh, and I must admit that I was swayed by the cover art (http://www.sfsite.com/gra/0508/mglg.jpg). It looked so stark, so thoughtful, so stylised, that I couldn't help thinking it must be comparable to other recent fantasy series I've rated highly, books which have stripped away so much of the nonsense of the genre and reinvigorated my love of fantasy epics. But it's turgid, and astonishingly poorly written. So, don't let this nice new presentation of fantasy books influence your choice of purchase. If only there were some traditional adage or nugget of folk-wisdom to prevent this mistake...

[caladanbrood]

All fo Erikson's American editions had horific covers, except Deadhouse Gates...

[Radone]

Any book, by any author, is vastly superior to the cover art, if that cover artist is named Darrell K. Sweet.

[Leiali]

Matthew Stover Heroes Die. Great read. Terrible cover. There is a thread somewhere with its various mutations across the globe...Most of them are pretty bad from what I recall:)

[SteveF]

Just looking at my books to hand, I reckon I've found one of the worst covers in the entire history of mankind; Inheritance (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inheritance-Keys-Power/dp/0756401623/ref=pd_sim_b_2/202-0513088-3854203) by Simon Brown. It was recommended to me by a friend so I asked for it over Christmas, without seeing the front. I'm also reluctant to start it now, simply because it looks so lame.

[SteveF]

Any book, by any author, is vastly superior to the cover art, if that cover artist is named Darrell K. Sweet.

You mean you don't think this is great art!

http://www.sweetartwork.com/images/0187.jpg

http://www.sweetartwork.com/images/0046.jpg

[JamesL]

Silverthorn by Feist (not that it is a great book). I could talk at length about how terrible this cover is, but one word sums it up: grotesque.

Some muppet with a pointy head on a horse, a huge, ridiculous rock, and...that's it.

Check it out, if you don't mind vomiting over your keyboard.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverthorn-Riftwar-Saga-Raymond-Feist/dp/0586064176/sr=8-1/qid=1171651106/ref=pd_ka_1/026-4749668-4896435?ie=UTF8&s=books

Consider the following question - is that the most poorly drawn rock in the history of art?

[SteveF]

Silverthorn by Feist (not that it is a great book). I could talk at length about how terrible this cover is, but one word sums it up: grotesque.

Some muppet with a pointy head on a horse, a huge, ridiculous rock, and...that's it.

Check it out, if you don't mind vomiting over your keyboard.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverthorn-Riftwar-Saga-Raymond-Feist/dp/0586064176/sr=8-1/qid=1171651106/ref=pd_ka_1/026-4749668-4896435?ie=UTF8&s=books

Consider the following question - is that the most poorly drawn rock in the history of art?

If you go to this website (http://www.crydee.com/) (books and then covers)you'll soon discover the full range of Silverthorn horror. Believe it or not, I don't think the UK edition is the worst.

I think I could have vomited and produce a slightly more appealing picture.

[Werthead]

The cover of Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson is utterly horrific. Curious, because his first novel, Elantris, had an unusually good (for Tor, anyway) cover.

I'm glad Orbit finally abandoned Darrell K. Sweet's covers for Wheel of Time. By doing it when they did (between Winter's Heart and Crossroads of Twilight) they avoided the three worst covers of Sweet's career: CoT, New Spring and the utter horrific crime against humanity that is the US cover to Knife of Dreams.

Pyr in the USA and Gollancz in the UK are having very good runs at the moment of really good covers. Kudos to both companies.