Cover Art Change

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I'm Murrin
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Cover Art Change

Post by I'm Murrin »

Bad news for anyone who buys the UK editions of the books: They're redesigning them, starting with the mass market paperback of Bonehunters.

Said by the publishers, "we're reworking/refreshing Steve E's covers - making them less fussy, focusing on a single/iconic image (still using the brilliant Steve Stone) and, I hope, giving them a more contemporary/ mainstream feel."

And the result?
Generic art noone would give a second look to on the shelf.

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Post by [Syl] »

Yep. I'm underwhelmed.
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Post by lucimay »

crap.
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Post by Holsety »

...

...

Well, I'll grant I didn't really like the midnight tides cover, but that's pretty pathetic.

At least the US has had pretty good covers. My favorite is the House of Chains one.
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Post by Spiral Jacobs »

The cover of Bonehunters was already dull and saying nothing, but this is certainly no improvement.
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Post by variol son »

Now I'm going to have to buy the first five books again.

DAMN THEM ALL! :x
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Post by I'm Murrin »

A little note: The cover for the forthcoming Night of Knives has some elements similar to this new cover, but has much more style to it:
Image

Edit: Y'know, I hadn't read the cover blurb before. It's so... trivial.
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Post by [Syl] »

Yeah, it's less of a 'read this book' blurb than a 'read these other books' blurb.
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
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Post by pat5150 »

Check out the new cover: fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/2007/02/reapers-gale-cover-art.html

Cheers,

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
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Post by Sorus »

Meh. I liked the old cover art. I don't know much about the artist, but it appeared that he had actually read the books and knew how the characters were really supposed to look.

Also, having seven years of experience in visual merchandising in bookstores, books with 'interesting' covers are more likely to get 'faced out' in the section, books that are 'faced out' in the section are more likely to get picked up by a reader, and books that get picked up are more likely to be sold. 'Giving them a more contemporary/ mainstream feel' is going to make them blend in. Blending in is bad.

In the grand scheme of things it probably won't make much difference, but I personally find it a bit annoying. :?

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Post by I'm Murrin »

I believe the artist is still the same as on the original covers, Sorus. If you look (very, very) closely at the new RG cover, you can see that Rhulad looks a bit like the Tiste Edur on the cover of Midnight tides did. Not that they looked anything like the book described them (well, closer than the US edition, I suppose).
It's the publisher--the marketers and designers--that've enforced the new style, and the artist just has to go along with their wishes.
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Post by duke »

The change in covers makes them look more like George RR Martin's covers. A single image, almost like a logo. Quite different to the old covers which portrayed a scene from the book.

Note to self - when waiting for a series to finish before starting to read it, dont buy any of the books as they may change covers half way through.
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Post by pat5150 »

Just wanted to let you guys know that I've posted the cover art for THE LEES OF LAUGHTER'S END on the blog.:)

Cheers,

Patrick
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Post by Darujhistan »

I like the new UK covers - there i said it. :lol:

And anyway anything is better than the covers they have to stomach in the US! The usual generic Conan picture!
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Post by Demondime-a-dozen-spawn »

Darujhistan wrote:I like the new UK covers - there i said it. :lol:

And anyway anything is better than the covers they have to stomach in the US! The usual generic Conan picture!
No sh*t.

I'm currently reading Memories of Ice, and the garish cover (I'm guessing featuring Gruntle and Stonny) is so downright embarrassing I don't want other people to see it, and I place it face down while not reading.

It really is hidious and screams "fantasy crap."
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Post by Darujhistan »

Demondime-a-dozen-spawn wrote:
Darujhistan wrote:I like the new UK covers - there i said it. :lol:

And anyway anything is better than the covers they have to stomach in the US! The usual generic Conan picture!
No sh*t.

I'm currently reading Memories of Ice, and the garish cover (I'm guessing featuring Gruntle and Stonny) is so downright embarrassing I don't want other people to see it, and I place it face down while not reading.

It really is hidious and screams "fantasy crap."


I'm sorry to say US readers of Steven have really got the s***y end of the stick with the covers, the UK covers are pretty good IMO, i like them, both the old style, and the new ones.

I'd feel patronised and a tad humililated having the generic covers forced upon me.

Oh well, it doesn't spoil the reading of course, but i think it takes something away from the book as a 'possesion' in the same way CD's and those crappy plastic CD cases have no artistic value or pleasure in them at all, unlike the old Vinyl and their great sleeves.

A CD is throw away disposable crap, a Vinly album in a sleeve, is something to cllect and treasure.
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Post by Demondime-a-dozen-spawn »

Darujhistan wrote:I'm sorry to say US readers of Steven have really got the s***y end of the stick with the covers, the UK covers are pretty good IMO, i like them, both the old style, and the new ones.

I'd feel patronised and a tad humililated having the generic covers forced upon me.
The soft covers of the two later books, HoC and MT are good IMO. HoC with a small warrior with blood covered sword kneeling before three or four hounds attacking a uniformed soldier, anf MT with a few warriors standing in the midst of a forest around the skull of some giant reptilian or draconic skull. But the colors have been muted and or scaled to these very drab and muddy tones. It looks deliberate and having seen the same images online looking great, that's a fair conclusion. The books are soft covered but they're larger than trade paperbacks. Not sure what that format is called.
Darujhistan wrote:Oh well, it doesn't spoil the reading of course, but i think it takes something away from the book as a 'possesion' in the same way CD's and those crappy plastic CD cases have no artistic value or pleasure in them at all, unlike the old Vinyl and their great sleeves.

A CD is throw away disposable crap, a Vinly album in a sleeve, is something to cllect and treasure.
That is so true that the few exceptions to that rule really stand out. Tool's, for instance. But I'm certain that most bands have little or no say in the matter.
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Post by Darujhistan »

Why on earth have the last three posts been removed from this thread?

Why?
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Post by Onos T'oolan »

They were moved to the Best Book in the Series (so far)? thread, starting here:
kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=786938#786938
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Post by I'm Murrin »

I don't believe they had anything to do with cover art.
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