More Sketches

Based on the Obstruction: Use only circles, showing my two backup fantasy choices. Overprint on the Mort image produces a very thin blue edge on the scythe.

Books as objects

Reading essays by (among others) the beautiful and gorgeous maker of beautiful and gorgeous books, Audrey Niffenegger. I am a pulled back to thinking about books as objects. How they are physical portals between the private worlds of our own heads to the broader worlds of our total cultural experience. That, as artifacts, they should carry potency and be treated with respect. That those considerations should be bound up in their making, even by deliberate irreverent omission. But I'm back to the question of how to create those- do I use a board bound format. can it be done in paperback. I think those questions need to be answered by what can be printed in the time that I have- what is available to me. There is no point considering the physical object if I'm not going to produce a physical object.

Less disheartened

The thing is every idea has been done before. And if you find out that one of yours has already been done, then you can take that as a call to find something else or you can keep your old idea and be the one who takes it to the next level, or adds the next twist to it.

I was principally downed by the fact that a book design here http://www.abduzeedo.com/amazing-illustrations-micah-lidberg Under Firestorm (1/4 the way down) was exactly the same as an idea I'd been scribbling and toying with. And for Orion and Fallon, no less. Big name companies. But, you know, I got to my idea on my own and my idea was more about using the temporal aspect of opening the cover to reveal more of the story, not just to find an interesting (and extremely successful) way to covey texture an image.

Also: Electroluminescent covers. Beat that.

Disheartened

By the fact that every idea I have seems to have already been done.

Two Treasure Troves

Worth Sharing:
http://www.baen.com/author_catalog.asp?author=RAHeinlein Click around the Baen site for some howlers of noisey, undirected composition, overblown and gaudy type treatments, classic muscle men and chainmail bikinis and the occasional surprising gem of kitsch.

http://spacesick.blogspot.com/2009/01/i-can-read-movies-series.html There are a few of these going around, especially at the very NSFW 'Something Awful' photoshopphriday section, but spacesick (untrained in Graphic design, a testament to his natural talent)is among the best. His covers have even been featured in Creative Review (Mar 2009). What is so excellent about them is how he (instinctively?) boils something essential about the movies into a simple two tone illustration.

Book List As It Stands

The votes are in and lots of factors have been considered, over quite a long period of time. Although subject to change, the layout is:

Core Choices
William Gibson Burning Chrome
Robert A Heinlein Time Enough for Love
Ursula Le Guin Wizard of Earthsea
Margaret L'Engle A Wrinkle In Time

Backup Choice
Arthur C Clarke Rendezvous with Rama
Richard Matheson Incredible Shrinking Man
Joanna Russ The Female Man
Anne McCaffrey Dragonflight

Thanks to everyone so far, your input has been enlightening and invaluable.

Blimey

Gollanzc isn't doing to bad with some of their titles- have a look at the paper based images here http://bookcoverarchive.com/publisher/gollancz_orion_pub_group

Well I'm going to do better.