Best cover art?

[Horrim Carabal]

Which fantasy/sf book has the best cover art, in your opinion?

For me, the cover art has to:

a) Look great.

b) Actually match something that happens in the book.

c) Make you curious as to what the book is about...or make you want to know what is happening on the cover. This one is tough to put into words. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the cover art should intrigue the casual viewer in the bookstore or browsing online.

For my nomination, I pick River of Blue Fire, which is the second book in Tad Williams' Otherland series, which I was just discussing in another thread.

Here is the artwork in question, by painter Michael Whalen:



And here is how it looks on the book.

www.suelloyddaviesbooks.com/shop_image/ ... 114023.JPG

I liked this cover so much I bought the book! Then bought book one so I would know what the heck was going on. So I think for me this was the most effective cover I have ever seen, since it convinced me to buy book two of a series I had never read.

It also depicts something that actually happens in the book near the climax. I dislike when a cover image has little/nothing to do with actual events in the book.

Anyone else have a nomination? Very interested to see other people's picks!

[Avatar]

That's a tough one. I usually don't pay much attention to cover art, because of b) matching something that actually happens in the book.

It's easier to find cover art I hate really.

--A

[Horrim Carabal]

That's a tough one. I usually don't pay much attention to cover art, because of b) matching something that actually happens in the book.

It's easier to find cover art I hate really.

--A

Ah, so you don't like when the cover art gives away a plot point? I agree, but the one above doesn't really give anything away except for the fact that it shows you there is a literal river of blue fire as the title indicates.

I'd love to see examples of cover art people hated, as well. I have a few of my own I could post.

[Avatar]

Nah, I mean cover art is all too often not related to anything that happens...it's like the artist never actually read the book...

--A

[Sorus]

Michael Moorcock is a great example. Look at some of the covers they did for Corum back in the 70s. Generic guy with a big sword + damsel in distress - not even vaguely resembling any characters or scenes in the book.

Love Michael Whelan though.

[Avatar]

Not his TC covers though.

--A

[I'm Murrin]

Mod note: I've turned your second image there into a link, since it was messing up the page formatting.

[Horrim Carabal]

Mod note: I've turned your second image there into a link, since it was messing up the page formatting.

Sorry!