dlbpharmd wrote:I bet that the person who made this marketing decision is the same person who decided to put a yellow gold ring on the recent paperback editions.
Different publishers, but certainly the same mentality. It's a shame. It degrades the entire genre, when discerning readers like those of us at the Watch are looking for more intelligent, insightful -- ACCURATE -- art.
I admit that, as a teenager, I was drawn to Covenant because of the covers, and the fact that the title was "The Chronicles of..." But I'd like to think that what sold me on the books was what I read when I looked inside, the two to four pages of raving critical reviews, one of which called it the
War and Peace of fantasy.
The publishers would tell you that I bought the book because of the cover, as I might not have looked inside to see the terrific reviews if there hadn't been something on the cover that I found appealing. Interestingly enough, it was shortly after I had finished reading The Lord of the Rings, and I was looking for more books like that. I say interesting, because that's what Donaldson is getting hosed with now--The Lord of the Rings all over again, but this time, it's the movies, not the books.
I can understand their decision, although I despise it. If this was right after The Second Chronicles were published, maybe we'd see different art. SRD might have had more clout.
Look at GRRMs covers now. Decidedly, and thankfully, not typical "fantasy fare".