Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site topaz.ARPA
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!columbia!topaz!jen%mit-nessus@mit-athena.ARPA
From: jen%mit-nessus@mit-athena.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Cover Artwork in general
Message-ID: <2002@topaz.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 15-May-85 12:09:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.2002
Posted: Wed May 15 12:09:25 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 16-May-85 21:46:55 EDT
Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 33

From: jen%mit-nessus@mit-athena.ARPA (Jennifer A Hawthorne)

I fully agree with you, SKZB, that the purpose of cover artwork is to 
look nice and sell books, and little else.  I don't even *expect* it to
have anything to do with the content anymore; it's merely become a habit 
to look back at the cover and see how well it agrees with the story.  If
the cover is nice and the material inside is readable, it doesn't much
matter to me if the two aren't connected even remotely.  There are only
two occassions where I get a trifle upset with cover art:  1) If I buy a book
because of its stunning cover and then find that the inside is utter drek, in
which case it's my  own fault for judging the book by its cover, and 2) if
I see a book that  I know to be excellent packaged badly, in which case I
can only hope that more people go by word of mouth than by cover when
deciding which books to purchase and read.
   On the other hand, I get a warm feeling when I see a nicely-executed 
cover that accurately reflects the book behind it.  This is a moderately
rare occurrance. I am given to understand that many artists are given only a 
synopsis of a book they are supposed to illustrate, which must make it
tough on them.  
   And then there's the cover of "Trumps of Doom", which not only has
absolutely nothing to do with the book's content that I can see (if I'm
missing something important, someone please let me know), but is also
no fun to look at.  What's an SF reader supposed to do?  You pays your 
money and you takes your choice.
   I found it interesting that you liked the cover to Hell, SKZB; rumor
had it that you detested it.  

   And finally, a departing flame:  Cover art can be said to be worthwhile
even if it doesn't concern the book, but can the same be said for back-
cover blurbs that badly distort the plot/theme/tone of a novel?

		---Jen H.---