Fantasy novels, of course, often have notoriously horrible covers (although I’m no longer convinced that the covers for fantasy novels are necessarily any worse than for any other genre, which often seem just as bad, but in different ways).
But James Long over at Speculative Horizons, has compiled some of the worst fantasy covers of late (I don’t think it’s fair to judge covers in the distant past, because sensibilities change so quickly). Anyway, I absolutely can’t argue with any of this choices. Here’s a sampling:
I’d like to add a few of my own choices, including the cover of one my favorite fantasy novels of all time, A Game of Thrones. Of all the things to illustrate in that terrific novel, that’s what they choose — and with such a pedestrian, flat-looking painting?
And I understand that the publishers want to give all of Jacqueline Carey’s terrific Kushiel books a distinctive look, but after seven books, we’ve now seen the tattooed, bare-shouldered Phedre with her face obscured in every position imagination. I agree it’s time to shake it up — but not in the way of the U.K. cover for one recent release, which is just laughable.
Incidentally, as an author myself (with eight published books, and inclusion in a number of anthologies), I know a little bit about how the book cover game is played. For one thing, the author has literally no role in the decision. (Whether they can influence things at all depends on (a) his or her relationship with the editor, who has real power here, and (b) the author’s recent sales record, which determines his or her current level of clout.)
But the thing is, the author of a book is linked to that cover, and will be linked to it for the rest of his or her life, in a way that I don’t think editors and publishers fully appreciate. It’s a little like how the stars of TV shows are forever linked with the theme song of their show, no matter how crappy or dated it is!
(For the record, I used to say, “Well, publishers and art designers are the experts at selling books. It’s their job to know what they’re doing, so I’ll just assume they do.” Let’s just say: I don’t believe that any more. In fact, the more I write, the more I think that we authors actually have a pretty good sense of what will and won’t work for our books, if only because the smart authors keep in very close contact with our fans, hopefully developing a very specific sense of what they do and don’t like.)
My bad covers? Sorry, I don’t need that headache. But here are two covers of mine that I do like, one fantasy, one not (one was a hit, one was a bomb, which just goes to show that covers don’t mean everything!):
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I agree with you on A Game of Thrones. The more recent editions have far better covers. I’m not a huge fan of “romance” style covers- like Duncan Coe.
My favorite covers are from Bank’s Culture Novels, Mieville’s work, and Gaiman’s American Gods.
The Tamora Pierce cover there is her fifth book I think - and not the original cover for that book anyways. I actually don’t mind that one! And I thought the actual originals had their own charm too.
There are very few covers that I’ll really consider ‘bad’, although there are plenty that just don’t grab my attention. It would be neat if authors had a bit more choice in cover art.
Ah, thanks. Corrected it!
Yeah, that’s Tamora Pierce’s fifth book, but I think my library has a copy of the 1981 edition and it’s really random. Some kid holding up a sword, is this supposed to be another King Arthur story or what? Hell, the copy I first read had an interesting enough cover for me to look at it, remember that I had read a review of the book when I was in like, fifth grade, and then check out. Cover’s so make or break books, I really wonder why some of them suck so much since that becomes a lose-lose situation for EVERYONE.
I think this weird group-think happens at publishers where no one wants to state the obvious for fear of offending someone. Plus, everyone is so rushed for time and pressed for resources that they all WANT to believe that a particular cover doesn’t completely suck.
But it’s funny how common it is.
Oi, is it bad that I love that cover enough that I’ve been looking for a copy of the 1981 version? The reason I like it so much is that it’s a scene directly out of the book, so it’s not entirely random. No other cover features a picture of Jon either! Plus, of course, the major nostalgic factor.
I think I’ve just proclaimed myself a Tamora Pierce geek, lol. But still, it was that cover that caught my 12 year old self’s attention, because it stood out amongst the rest at that particular time.
While it’s not great, I don’t think the A Game of Thrones cover is as bas as some of the other ones featured. I’m guessing, Brent, that you had little or no input in that area for your novels? I definitely agree that the author should have more influence in regards to that. Most of the random books I pick up in bookstores are based on the cover. The cover is a huge marketing piece that impacts sell-through.
For example, I might never have read David Anthony Durham’s novel Acacia if the cover hand’t grabbed my attention. His novels have some great cover art.
Well, it all depends on the editor I’m working with. I’ve had nine editors now. A few solicited my input, and actually listened to what I had to say. The others, not so much.
But I agree, even for me (who should really, really know better), the cover has a huge impact. And a great cover (that fits the book, in addition to standing on its own) is truly a beautiful thing.
Agreed. Well said.
Why is the UK using that cover for Kushiel’s Justice? The American cover (which features Sidonie, not Phedre) is so much better.
I’m not sure what’s going on this case exactly, but often (usually?) they’re completely different publishers who just happen to have purchased the same book from a particular writer.
Brent
Tolkien’s complaints about the cover of the Ballantine edition of LOTR are well known (”I begin to feel that I am shut up in a madhouse”, he remarked, after he was told that the illustrator hadn’t had time to read the book.)
I’ve some experience of this, albeit not with commercial publishers or custom-designed covers. I publish on Lulu. For my first book, I used a cover from the Lulu gallery. The gallery is very limited and it was the only remotely appropriate cover I could find.
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/hereward-sons-of-the-white-dragon/1822296
I quite like the simple style, but it was forced on me, and it doesn’t look like what one would expect if it were professionally produced. For the sequel, I designed one myself in a similar style:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/hereward-the-fury-of-the-northmen/6520447
>.< That cover of Kushiel’s Justice just makes me want to cry! They made Sidone look so…awkward. This is a personal nightmare of mine of what might happen to my own work one day.