Why is the cover art for most science fiction, including OSC's, so... um, well... bad?
Posted by raskolinov (Member # 11864) on :
I for one wish they had put a picture of the pequeninos on the cover of speaker for the dead.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Define "bad."
Cover art is actually one of the things the publishing industry has done serious studies on-- it turns out most people WILL judge a book by its cover. Cover-art (and word of mouth) are the two things that consistently sell books.
I seem to recall that Intergalactic Medicine Show did a series of columns on cover art...Aha! Here it is. Mostly covers the differences between British and American covers, though.
Posted by Lanfear (Member # 7776) on :
First to bring up Alvin Maker *though it's fantasy.
Romance novel ftw.
I dont' mind the Ender series cover art. I do mind the rerelease of Ender's Game where he looks like a smurf.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
I didn't mind this cover for Ender's Game. Cute little boy... speaking from maternal instinct, I wanted to snuggle him. The hand gesture is also poignant, like he's saying "stop!"
I didn't understand the cover for Speaker for the Dead at all, however. What is that tower?
Posted by Tara (Member # 10030) on :
It works as long as it says "ORSON SCOTT CARD" in really big letters.
Personally, I've always sort of liked the bad cover art... At least I like it when I get people to read the book in spite of it, and then they go "OMG, Ender's Game is so good, I had no idea!"
Also, I heard somewhere that the cover art for EG -- that is, the one with the yellow letters -- was in fact intended for a different sci-fi book that never got published. So... they just stuck it on, figuring it still looked pretty cool.
Posted by GinaG (Member # 11862) on :
quote:Originally posted by Scott R: I seem to recall that Intergalactic Medicine Show did a series of columns on cover art...Aha! Here it is. Mostly covers the differences between British and American covers, though.
Anglophilia strikes again. I much prefer the British covers in those examples. That Robert Jordan US cover is hideous.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
quote: What is that tower?
The goal of the cover-- specifically, the sci-fi cover-- is not to depict a scene within the book.
The goal is to SELL the book.
Sometimes you can do both. Sometimes, you cheat.
Posted by Armoth (Member # 4752) on :
Seriously! The cover for Xenocide? I mean, i guess it doesn't matter at the point that you are already into the series.
My favorite Card cover is for Empire. Enthralling!
Posted by Clumpy (Member # 8122) on :
I did a review awhile back on my blog of some of the worst OSC book covers (most of them foreign language prints, though the YA printing of Ender's Game is terrible):
I love the original covers for the Ender quartet. It leaves more to the imagination and it looks great on a trade paperback (the large softcovers with better-quality paper and thicker plastic covers).
Those of you wishing for Pequenino pictures may think twice when you see the Portuguese cover for SotD.
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
Hey! I have that German version, Enders Schatten. I think Pudgy Kid is cute, though I'm not sure which character he's supposed to be.
Posted by lynda (Member # 11730) on :
I don't like the cover of shadow of a giant. It is misleading, it looks like Bean and Petra get on a star ship together to leave Earth. You see two people from behind and you assume that is who they are. well that is not what happend
Posted by GinaG (Member # 11862) on :
quote:Originally posted by Scott R:
quote: What is that tower?
The goal of the cover-- specifically, the sci-fi cover-- is not to depict a scene within the book.
The goal is to SELL the book.
Sometimes you can do both. Sometimes, you cheat.
Who are these people who like the covers?? I suppose they must be comic book fans?
P.S. I do recall hearing from another author that publishers decide what goes on the cover, not necessarily the author. Hopefully the person making that decision has actually read the book?
Posted by Clumpy (Member # 8122) on :
"Who are these people who like the covers?? I suppose they must be comic book fans?"
No - our aesthetic impressions of something are often very much defined by superficial elements like packaging and form. For example, I read Ender's Game for the first time in a large softcover and can't read OSC paperbacks as a result. I love the fact that the covers have no direct connection to the stories in the books - something a little more impressionistic usually works.
For example, the cover for Lost Boys makes it look like a mass-market horror book, when in reality it's a family drama or a coming of age story with strong thriller/mystery elements. Yet I love the cover - the "ghost children" one you get when you open the first page wouldn't work nearly as well.
Posted by Sean Monahan (Member # 9334) on :
quote:Originally posted by GinaG:
quote:Originally posted by Scott R: I seem to recall that Intergalactic Medicine Show did a series of columns on cover art...Aha! Here it is. Mostly covers the differences between British and American covers, though.
Anglophilia strikes again. I much prefer the British covers in those examples. That Robert Jordan US cover is hideous.
All of Robert Jordan's US covers are hideous.
Posted by Snow Flake (Member # 12007) on :
Funny, those differences. In most case, I feel US- and UK-covers are overwhelmed by the size of title and author's name. Probably because I'm used to French covers who leave much more place to the art-cover: http://www.amazon.fr/s/ref=nb_ss_b_0_5?__mk_fr_FR=%C5M%C5Z%D5%D1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=alvin+le+faiseur&sprefix=alvin
("poche" stands for paperback)
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Welcome to Hatrack, Snow Flake.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by lynda: I don't like the cover of shadow of a giant. It is misleading, it looks like Bean and Petra get on a star ship together to leave Earth. You see two people from behind and you assume that is who they are. well that is not what happend
True story, and if it's not them that means Bean went off in a star ship with some other woman! If I ever read SOTG again I'm going to read his touching dialogue with Petra in the light of a person cheating who is trying to convince his wife that she can't come on his business trip. Posted by Snow Flake (Member # 12007) on :
Thanks, Scott R.
I'm so jealous that you already have all those books to read!! I'm stuck at the end of 4th Alvin book (the 5th is already translated, but not yet in paperback). I just bought the 3rd of the Shadow series, but it's difficult to start it after re-reading Alvin Maker. I'm still caught in that universe.
The link about the difference between US and UK was very intersting. I wanted to compare with French covers, but couldn't find the books. Funny how the covers of Shadow of the giant are different, having the same art-cover.
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
quote:Originally posted by Snow Flake: Thanks, Scott R.
I'm so jealous that you already have all those books to read!! I'm stuck at the end of 4th Alvin book (the 5th is already translated, but not yet in paperback). I just bought the 3rd of the Shadow series, but it's difficult to start it after re-reading Alvin Maker. I'm still caught in that universe.
The link about the difference between US and UK was very intersting. I wanted to compare with French covers, but couldn't find the books. Funny how the covers of Shadow of the giant are different, having the same art-cover.
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