Book Cover Award Thing 2016: Round 1.1
Oh how to manage 34 books and four criteria! I’ll be doing 9 posts. Two for each criterion (one directly after the other – just for manageability) and then a final post with the totals. Feel free to argue with criteria ratings and I’ll change them because I have no backbone.
Just to recap. Four criteria with varying points. (original) Artwork first with 0 to 4 points. Ceiling and floor effects are intentional (i.e. not everything with a 4 is equally as good, and not everything with a zero is equally lacking).
With artwork, I’m looking for original images of an SF/F nature that are notable independent of being on a book cover. Textual and other graphical elements I’ll ignore. For some covers, there is going to be a blurred line between the artwork and design. However, the Graphic Design criteria has extra points available to compensate for covers that are less focused on a pretty picture.
Works are in alphabetical order of title.
Ancillary Mercy – Ann Leckie : Artist/Designer – John Harris(Artist)
John Harris has produced some stunning painted space scenes. The impressionistic effect helps make the image stand out in a world of CGI spaceships. The space-fighter in the foreground adds colour and a sense of movement. 4 points.
Arcadia – Iain Pears : Artist/Designer – Nameless Hero(Artist)
This image will pick up extra points in the graphic design but even as a plain artwork it is stunning. The use of an almost black cover and a simple geometric cut to frame a fragment of a pastoral scene is very striking. 3 points.
Arcadia – Iain Pears : Artist/Designer – Thomas Cole(Artist)
Some conceptual similarities with the other cover and also some interesting graphic design work. I assume the glimpse of painting we can see are parts of some classic landscape. Judge purely on artwork alone though, 0 points.
Barsk: The Elephants’ Graveyard – Lawrence M. Schoen : Artist/Designer – Victo Ngai(Artist)
Very effective and striking image which uses a limited set of colours to create a very memorable image. 4 points.
Children of Time – Adrian Tchaikovsky : Artist/Designer – Nameless Hero(tbc)
Nice treatment of planet+spaceship style image with a bit of fake lens flare that helps connect the two corners of the picture. 2 points.
Ctrl Alt Revolt! – Nick Cole : Artist/Designer – Nameless Hero(tbc)
The art itself is fine but the power of this cover is in the overall design. 1 point.
Envy of Angels – Matt Wallace : Artist/Designer – Peter Lutgen(Artist)
Playful and fun image. Very original. I wouldn’t hang it on my wall though 😉 2 points.
Europe at Midnight – Dave Hutchinson : Artist/Designer – Clint Langley(Artist)
The image is busy and too overworked for my taste. 0 points.
Half a War – Joe Abercrombie : Artist/Designer – Mike Bryan(Artist)
The flame design, incorporating weapons, against a dark landscape image is quite effective. 2 points.
Hell’s Foundations Quiver – David Weber : Artist/Designer – Stephen Youll(Artist)
The cover design gives the artwork a more favourable landscape orientation. Art if exciting and intriguing, with sailing ships, explosions and spacecraft. Foreground characters look a bit ho-hum about the flying saucer blowing up a galleon. 3 points.
League of Dragons – Naomi Novak : Artist/Designer – Nameless Hero(tbc)
DRAGONS! Doing…something…The hint of a building on fire in the centre of the dragon tangle, gets a bit lost amod the dragons…but DRAGONS. 2 points.
Raising Caine – Charles E. Gannon : Artist/Designer – Bob Eggleton(Artist)
A fun retro-SF painting. 4 points.
Seveneves: A Novel – Neal Stephenson : Artist/Designer – Jonathan Knowles(Artist)
I like the overall design but the image by itself is not that remarkable. 1 point.
Somewhither: A Tale of the Unwithering Realm – John C. Wright : Artist/Designer – Jeremiah Humphries(Artist)
Art-deco Assyrian ziggurat of doom being sucked into the vanishing point of its own perspective. Fun. 3 points.
Son of the Black Sword – Larry Correia : Artist/Designer – Larry Elmore(Artist)
The central motif is part of a bigger Larry Elmore picture. However, the motif itself is effective but not particularly remarkable. I think this cover (which is very effective) will pick up more marks elsewhere. 1 point.
Sorcerer to the Crown – Zen Cho : Artist/Designer – Nameless Hero(tbc)
Nice motif but more of a graphic design piece than artwork. 0 points.
Sorcerer to the Crown – Zen Cho : Artist/Designer – Nameless Hero(tbc)
As above nice motif but more of a graphic design piece than artwork. 0 points.
That Arcadia cover is so good I bought the book as soon as I saw it.
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