Kevin's Watch

Your ass can't be THAT big!

Drew wrote:That's why my fave cover was the LFB cover whith the Ranyhyn on it.

I have no idea what you're talking about...

To me, Gunslinger, a book is a total package. It is the combination of many different people coming together to bring the story to the fore. There are dozens of people who work on a story to make it a book, and I like to see that book reflect the story.

I'm a bibliophile, and that definitely has something to do with my feelings on the matter. I like a wonderful presentation on my shelf after I've read the story. I like all of the books of a series having the same format, same artist, and same layout. I like the writer, who deserves most of the credit for a book, being given all due respect for their efforts. Respect equals bringing the right person onto the project, no matter the discipline that is needed. The art John Jude P. enjoys producing is not the kind of art that reflects the Land in my opinion, and varies so far from Michael Whelan it actually hurts.

If the publisher had been smart, they would have brought in Todd Lockwood. But, in the end, John Jude P. might surprise us. I hope so.

I find the cover art to be important to me in the respect that when I chose my next series of books I often browse the used paperback section of my favorite bookstore and peruse the cover art, if the art interests me then I will read the premise, if the premise interests me then I buy the book. If the cover art isn't catchy or appealling to me, I might not ever read the book.

Neverness was that way for me--when I discovered the paperback behind crap in a funky old coffeeshop I knew, by the cover, that it was going to be extremely cool--same as when my Mom gave me the Del Rey LFB paperback for my 19th birthday, I said, "It's so red...ooo a red book! Now this has to be a great read!"

I certainly shop by cover (predominantly). Although, in the case of The Chronicles I picked it up because it had on it "Comparable to Tolkien at his best" and at the time I was a huge Tolkien fan.

Maybe SRD's publishers are hoping to draw in a new crowd using a different artist (although, yeah...they probably couldn't get MW so they didn't have a choice).

I first read the Chrons because my father gave them to me when we were snowed in on the Cape. I think I was about 15 years old. I have hung on to them all these years and when I first met SRD I gave him my much tattered paperback copy of LFB to sign and he looked at me funny and I said it was because it was the copy my dad gave me and so had sentimental meaning. He signed it , "to Cameraman Jenn, Stephen R. Donaldson." Of course the cover was hanging off at that time and he signed it anyway and now it's my favorite of my entire collection because that book broke the ice and made him ask me why I requested the strange dedication which then gave me the opening to explain FBH. The rest is history.

I realize that post probably belongs in another thread but I will leave it here anyway...

Back to cover art. I would not have found some of the gems that I have loved if it had not been for my cover art shopping technique and I have actually discussed this with SRD. He wanted to know how I chose books and so I told him that I peruse the cover art. Granted I read some recommendations from friends and any book I am given as a gift but when it comes to choosing for myself, I peruse the art and if the art catches my eye I look a little further and if it intrigues me enough I buy and if I like the author enough I will tend to read everything they have written.

I'm not saying this is fabulous cover art but some of these covers sucked me in....









I apologize for the crappiness of the the pics but my actual still digital cam really is pathetic. I am also not pushing the authors but I did enjoy the stories and the writing of the depicted books and series.

Those covers look pretty cool.

Nice artwork.

Strangely, I read the author of the first one as "Eric V. Lustbadger"!




Need to get my eyes tested, or watch less animal docs.

Hmmm, I like the style of his art, I do hope though, that some direction is given if he has often had a habit of creating covers not really related to the story enclosed. He doesn't need to read the whole book regardless, just send him a passage that the cover should take some inspiration from.

Tjol wrote:Hmmm, I like the style of his art, I do hope though, that some direction is given if he has often had a habit of creating covers not really related to the story enclosed. He doesn't need to read the whole book regardless, just send him a passage that the cover should take some inspiration from.

Agreed.

Frankly, I'm not much of a fan of fantasy art in general. I think it's a notch above genre-level romance novels. If you see a cover of a fantasy novel, you automatically know it's a fantasy novel - just like a romance book.

I would like to see more diversity in fantasy art. While the UK edition wasn't a masterpiece of artwork, at least it didn't shout from the rooftops - "HEY, I'm a fantasy novel! I'm full of dragons, maidens in distress, men with large...swords...dungeons, magic - and most of it doesn't make sense! The person reading me is a total geek!"

(Fantasy that doesn't make sense is far too abundant, IMHO. It's a rare author - like SRD - who does the genre proud.)

True, the cover of a book should depict what's in the book. A wine book, for example, usually has a vineyard or a glass of wine on the cover. But it's always tastefully done. Fantasy art, again, IMHO, too often isn't tastefully done.

And, btw, I would almost (almost) rather have The Brothers Hildebrandt doing the cover art than this guy. I'm dreading the cover. Absolutely dreading it.

The artist that is going to be doing the cover art for Fatal Revenant now has an official website up and running...so check it out...

www.johnjudepalencar.com/

Thoolah lost.

burgs wrote:Thoolah lost.

Oh, Burgs, I'm not a Thoolah supporter! I'm pro-Linden. Some admin (that will remain nameless) has put that as my title and then locked me out from changing it! Some people!!!!

Seareach wrote:The artist that is going to be doing the cover art for Fatal Revenant now has an official website up and running...so check it out...

www.johnjudepalencar.com/

I'm expecting the cover of FR to be a real stinker.

After looking at the site, so am I.
He seems to be a fan of mutilating bodies though, so if he can chop Linden, I'll be happy.

I'm happy we tend to get UK versions around here. The coverart is overall noticeably better.

SRD deserves a lot better than this crap.

He also deserves to have sold more than 60,000 copies of Runes.

That said, people keep posting here, and to the GI, that they just now stumbled across Runes, so here's hoping Fatal Revenant gets SRD the recognition he deserves regarding sales.