When science fiction book cover illustrations transcended their nich
Gene Szafran’s (11/4/1941 – 8/1/2011) series of covers for Robert Heinlein’s books published by Signet are stunning. They look like they have been etched, or made out of stained glass, as the figures are often composed of simple circles and lines and the colors seem to glow, as if illuminated from behind by sunlight. The background colors blend and wash into one another like material that has been tie-dyed, giving the covers an early 1970s hang-over from the Summer-of-Love vibe. The cover design itself is also very sensitive of the artwork. The book titles are small and kept out of the way, and the white banner at the top appears perforated, highlighting the author’s name with the background art. It a real tragedy that the artist’s career was so cruelly cut short.
A classic Bruce Pennington (10/05/1944) cover — the sureal juxtaposition of running, be-ribboned girl, the barren earth, massive inscrutable pylons, and the huge gas giant hovering on the horizon. The painting invites so many questions that you really do have to pick up the book to see what it’s all about (a rather mixed collection of Aldiss short stories). The art style is quintesential Pennington, with vibrant colors, terrific use of light, and enormous vistas set against tiny details.
Finally, Penguid pick an artist/illustrator Andy Bridge, who has managed to convey a little of the sinister terror of the triffids (his website is here). The juxtaposition of the innocent yellow flowers with their disturbing white tongues (stamen?) with the knotted and gnarled stems binding and blinding the eyes of the man in the image warn the reader that the plants in the storymore than they might initially seem — mere plants.
Roger Dean (31/08/1944) is well known for his other-worldly fantasy and science fictional record album covers, most especially for the progressive rock group Yes. I was surprised to learn he has illustrated sci-fi/fantasy book covers, four to be precise, and I believe all four are below. All his characteristic artistic tropes can be seen in the first three book covers; his oil/water technique to generate the fluid shapes he fashions into pictures, the twisted, writhing, windblown trees, the clusters of pod houses, and the melding or organic and inorganic. The then there is The War of the Worlds cover, which is brilliantly executed, but very un-Dean like.
Mati Klarwein (1932 - 2002), a German painter, had a “Brick Expressionist” architect father, and trained in Paris. His art is perhaps best known through the record albums that use it — “Bitches Brew” by Miles Davis, and the Santana album “Abraxas,“ among others. Indeed, the cover of “Arrive at Easterwine” uses part of the “Annunciation“ artwork used on “Abraxas.“ His art incorporates elements of pop art, surrealism, and ethnic imagery, often blended into strange, asymmetric mandala-like paintings. It seems that one of the art directors at Ballentine Books felt in love with his work. That. or they were cynically exploiting the popularity of the record albums decorated with his work?
