Favorite Sci-Fi, Fantasy pbk. Covers - Page 2

protector2814 · 07-13-2008, 10:01 PM

I'm a sucker for Dinosaur Sci-Fi - Here are 2 good reads w/ cool covers.

Babytoxie · 07-13-2008, 10:50 PM

One of the first genre paperbacks I ever bought: ERB's I am a Barbarian. In retrospect, the story was not that great, but it got me into Burroughs' stuff. Of course, cover by Boris Vallejo.

Cugel's Saga by Jack Vance. Excellent sci-fi "disguised" as fantasy, and he's had covers illustrated by Jeffrey Jones and John Berkey, who are no slouches. Not sure who did this cover, but I always thought it was neat. I've never read a story by Vance that I didn't like. His Dying Earth tales are the main basis for the rules of magic in the D&D universe.

Ken Kelly... in the '70s, this guy was the next best thing to Frazetta or Boris. He did covers for Warren mags, rock albums, and paperbacks, including a run of Robert E. Howard books. Here's my favorite:

scott · 07-14-2008, 07:53 AM

I used to find a lot of paper backs at goodwill,so looking at the cover was the main way to sort them out. This book was written & drawn by the Brothers Hildebrandt. Perhaps best known for their visual recreation of the characters of Lord of the Rings & the 1st Star Wars movie poster. Sadly their story telling does not match their ability to illustrate.

Babytoxie · 07-14-2008, 09:00 AM

Good call on Urshurak - that was one I picked up for the art, as well. Story = blech!

Along those same lines, Larry Niven's The Magic Goes Away, with a great cover by Boris Vallejo AND interior illustrations by Esteban Maroto. Some interesting concepts, but didn't do much for me.

protector2814 · 07-14-2008, 09:41 AM

Guy gets off the night-shift at a 7-11 and goes caving to celebrate his B-day.....alone. Hits an odd pocket, gets disoriented, comes out of the cave to a world populated by warrior raccoons. I know it sounds like an apes rip-off, but it wasn't. Actually a great sci-fi/fantasy. The pulp-inspired cover sold me. The Architect of Sleep.

This is the Battlefield Earth I have. Don't let the movie fool you, the book was pretty good. The cover caused me to buy it years before the movie was even discussed.

Back to Boris for a sec. His few covers for Moorc0ck books were great in that Harlequin Romance sort of way. This cover for The Ice Schooner sold me. An Eternal Champion I definitely wish Moorc0ck had devoted more than just one book on.

*Scott - Had that Ushurak pbk too. Now, that was a memory.

Babytoxie · 07-14-2008, 10:30 AM

AE van Vogt's The Silkie has had some excellent covers throughout its multiple publications, including one by Wayne Barlowe. A quick read, and a pretty good story, too. See all images here:

http://vanvogt.www4.mmedia.is/silkie.htm

protector2814 · 07-14-2008, 11:45 AM

Knew nothing about Brian Jaques Redwall series when I picked this one up. Some of the covers are gorgeous. The 2 I've read, I've enjoyed.

scott · 07-14-2008, 07:35 PM

My first ERB book. Read when I was 13 years old after I found it in the public library. Of course I found this one decade later. Sorry I bent the rules a little since this is a HC, but I wanted to share.

protector2814 · 07-14-2008, 08:10 PM

double post.

protector2814 · 07-14-2008, 08:12 PM

No, your far from guilty of breaking of the rules here Scott (there are none). That's a great cover. Cool to see it in all its glory as a wrap-around.

Sounds like alotta of us owe a debt to Burroughs and Howard for jump starting our imaginations. They were definitely the gateway writers for me.
The Tarzan and Conan novels started it all for me. Doc Savage followed.