The Top 100 Speculative Fiction Magazine Covers, #50-#41
Guess what's back? This thingy. Anyways, there was a mini spout of new comments for some previous entries, and I found out some folks were actually interested in seeing this list continue. Whodathunkit, right? But please file all cries of foul about using LJ cuts to the complaint department in the corner. It's a trashcan.
As always, if you missed previous entries, here's some links to help you along the way:
Here we go, kiddies...
#50
Name: Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show
Issue: #8, April 2008
Cover artist: Unknown
Reason it rocks: Now, I’ve never been a fan of this magazine’s covers. On average, the artwork’s generally appealing, but they always seem to funk it up with an ugly see-through box of text just slabbed across it like butter. Here, this is very much the case, but I really like the painting. It’s a great mix of red and blue, and it definitely grabs one’s eye(s). Feels unfinished, but for a reason.
#49
Name: Fantasy & Science Fiction
Issue: July 2003
Cover artist: Bob Eggleton
Reason it rocks: Huge fan of Eggleton’s work ever since I devoured The Obsidian Chronicles by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Here, his loose painting style is obvious and seemingly without effort, but his love for mixing fiery oranges with diluted greens works perfectly for whatever alien pod party this thing is attending.
#48
Name: If
Issue: August 1972
Cover artist: Jack Gaughan
Reason it rocks: Ah, Gaughan. How I effin’ love your work now. I’d love this cover even more if the cliffs and man in the lower corner were removed; they kind of ruin the perspective of the image, and if these two marionette-like lovebirds were just out in the open, floating in blue, well that’d be pretty spectacular.
#47
Name: Fantasy & Science Fiction
Issue: June 1953 (the year is a guess; please correct me if I got it wrong)
Cover artist: Unknown
Reason it rocks: I’m a sucker for the oddball. And here’s a great example. Who even knows what is going on here? A bug reading from a book and some weird mish-mash of a friend are…performing a play, perhaps? Your guess is as good as mine. But it’s catchy, as well probably a leap of faith for its time. I’d love to know if it was commissioned or just something the magazine’s editor loved.
#46
Name: Realms of Fantasy
Issue: February 2009
Cover artist: Daniel Merriam
Reason it rocks: Yup, another Realms cover makes the list. Might be the last though. This one rocks because it’s just so absurd. Has a Corpse Bride atmosphere to it, with a sickly woman all dolled up and petting her cat. I love that both her skin and the clothes she’s wearing are nearly the same color, which really makes her pop against the blue-gray background. Her odd-shaped head and the kitty's tail covering up some nip slips will have you going, “Whaaaaaat?” This could be labeled a fail, but I really dig the art. So there.
#45
Name: Exuberance
Issue: #4
Cover artist: Unknown
Reason it rocks: For a small press sf/fantasy/horror magazine published in the early 1990s, Exuberance’s covers rock. They only published six issues from what I can gather, and this one could easily be found on a superhero comic book. I love the simple feel of vanishing it gives off. Great action lines and look to it.
#44
Name: Beyond Fantasy Fiction
Issue: November 1953
Cover artist: René Vidmer
Reason it rocks: Don’t know much about this magazine of the hey-old days, but it definitely caught my eye while searching for covers for this list. Vidmer’s incomplete woman and desolate terrain has a Dali feel to it, and it’s just a peculiar image nonetheless. Why is she missing that part of her body? Wish the names of the authors had been better implemented, but that’s okay. She kind of looks a little like Marilyn Monroe, right?
#43
Name: Clarkesworld
Issue: #38
Cover artist: Kazuhiko Nakamura
Reason it rocks: Two things to mention right away. 1) I’m a slush reader for Clarkesworld and don’t want to come across biased, but I’ve loved the covers Neil picks for a very long time and 2) there’s going to be a good number more on this list as we creep towards the final installments. Anyways, look at this thing. It’s massive, it’s detailed, it’s creepy, and it’s downright cool-looking. Reminds me somewhat of the final boss in Shadow of the Colossus. Or if the Mad Hatter met steampunk. Either way, it works, and there’s no denying that.
#42
Name: Solaris
Issue: #171
Cover artist: Unknown
Reason it rocks: Canadian magazine. A striking image, like something out of World of Warcraft. Epic fantasy, but cartoony. All shrouded in somber shades of blues and grays, but there’s a pinch of light behind our musician troll, giving the piece a bit of warmth. Love how warbled the instrument is, whether that's by design or the troll's hands. Wish there was a bigger image to ogle. It's also nice to see unheard of writers like Neil Gaiman getting some love.
#41
Name: Interzone
Issue: #218, October 2008
Cover artist: Unknown
Reason it rocks: Immediately, it’s different. From the figure’s outfit and ruined car in the background, you know we’re looking at something lifted right out of post-apocalyptic somewhere. What’s nice is, because of this, there’s no reason to clutter the image, allowing us to really see the grit and grain on the ground and buildings. Love how the umbrella is falling apart, too.
Until later, cover art fans!
As always, if you missed previous entries, here's some links to help you along the way:
Here we go, kiddies...
#50
Name: Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show
Issue: #8, April 2008
Cover artist: Unknown
Reason it rocks: Now, I’ve never been a fan of this magazine’s covers. On average, the artwork’s generally appealing, but they always seem to funk it up with an ugly see-through box of text just slabbed across it like butter. Here, this is very much the case, but I really like the painting. It’s a great mix of red and blue, and it definitely grabs one’s eye(s). Feels unfinished, but for a reason.
#49
Name: Fantasy & Science Fiction
Issue: July 2003
Cover artist: Bob Eggleton
Reason it rocks: Huge fan of Eggleton’s work ever since I devoured The Obsidian Chronicles by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Here, his loose painting style is obvious and seemingly without effort, but his love for mixing fiery oranges with diluted greens works perfectly for whatever alien pod party this thing is attending.
#48
Name: If
Issue: August 1972
Cover artist: Jack Gaughan
Reason it rocks: Ah, Gaughan. How I effin’ love your work now. I’d love this cover even more if the cliffs and man in the lower corner were removed; they kind of ruin the perspective of the image, and if these two marionette-like lovebirds were just out in the open, floating in blue, well that’d be pretty spectacular.
#47
Name: Fantasy & Science Fiction
Issue: June 1953 (the year is a guess; please correct me if I got it wrong)
Cover artist: Unknown
Reason it rocks: I’m a sucker for the oddball. And here’s a great example. Who even knows what is going on here? A bug reading from a book and some weird mish-mash of a friend are…performing a play, perhaps? Your guess is as good as mine. But it’s catchy, as well probably a leap of faith for its time. I’d love to know if it was commissioned or just something the magazine’s editor loved.
#46
Name: Realms of Fantasy
Issue: February 2009
Cover artist: Daniel Merriam
Reason it rocks: Yup, another Realms cover makes the list. Might be the last though. This one rocks because it’s just so absurd. Has a Corpse Bride atmosphere to it, with a sickly woman all dolled up and petting her cat. I love that both her skin and the clothes she’s wearing are nearly the same color, which really makes her pop against the blue-gray background. Her odd-shaped head and the kitty's tail covering up some nip slips will have you going, “Whaaaaaat?” This could be labeled a fail, but I really dig the art. So there.
#45
Name: Exuberance
Issue: #4
Cover artist: Unknown
Reason it rocks: For a small press sf/fantasy/horror magazine published in the early 1990s, Exuberance’s covers rock. They only published six issues from what I can gather, and this one could easily be found on a superhero comic book. I love the simple feel of vanishing it gives off. Great action lines and look to it.
#44
Name: Beyond Fantasy Fiction
Issue: November 1953
Cover artist: René Vidmer
Reason it rocks: Don’t know much about this magazine of the hey-old days, but it definitely caught my eye while searching for covers for this list. Vidmer’s incomplete woman and desolate terrain has a Dali feel to it, and it’s just a peculiar image nonetheless. Why is she missing that part of her body? Wish the names of the authors had been better implemented, but that’s okay. She kind of looks a little like Marilyn Monroe, right?
#43
Name: Clarkesworld
Issue: #38
Cover artist: Kazuhiko Nakamura
Reason it rocks: Two things to mention right away. 1) I’m a slush reader for Clarkesworld and don’t want to come across biased, but I’ve loved the covers Neil picks for a very long time and 2) there’s going to be a good number more on this list as we creep towards the final installments. Anyways, look at this thing. It’s massive, it’s detailed, it’s creepy, and it’s downright cool-looking. Reminds me somewhat of the final boss in Shadow of the Colossus. Or if the Mad Hatter met steampunk. Either way, it works, and there’s no denying that.
#42
Name: Solaris
Issue: #171
Cover artist: Unknown
Reason it rocks: Canadian magazine. A striking image, like something out of World of Warcraft. Epic fantasy, but cartoony. All shrouded in somber shades of blues and grays, but there’s a pinch of light behind our musician troll, giving the piece a bit of warmth. Love how warbled the instrument is, whether that's by design or the troll's hands. Wish there was a bigger image to ogle. It's also nice to see unheard of writers like Neil Gaiman getting some love.
#41
Name: Interzone
Issue: #218, October 2008
Cover artist: Unknown
Reason it rocks: Immediately, it’s different. From the figure’s outfit and ruined car in the background, you know we’re looking at something lifted right out of post-apocalyptic somewhere. What’s nice is, because of this, there’s no reason to clutter the image, allowing us to really see the grit and grain on the ground and buildings. Love how the umbrella is falling apart, too.
Until later, cover art fans!