Thursday 11 March 2010

Baen (spelled with a double-D)

I've been trying to track down some obscure but supposedly excellent mid-century science-fiction short stories, and I find that some of them are available in new paperback collections published by Baen. That ought to be a good thing, but it isn't entirely--Baen books are almost universally hideous. Typography, colour choices and art combine to make for some of the most embarassing books you could be seen buying or reading in public.

They also tend to make use of one (or rather two) specific selling points in their art.


Those bosoms stay oddly pert for women who don't wear bras (or, indeed, clothes).

11 comments:

Craig D. said...

Reminds me of The Aviator.

"Howard, you really think they're gonna let you put out a whole movie just about tits?"

"Sure. Who doesn't like tits?"

Jonas said...

Yeah, continuity! There is a London Wheel in the bottom right of "Do unto others".

Matthew Adams said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Matthew Adams said...

Matthew Adams said...
I am glad to see that there are still cleavage artists out there getting work. Forget fancy design, just give me big boobs.

/ \/ \
\_0_/\_0_/

'Twas the only reason I read Pride and Prejudice.

Matthew Adams said...

damn it, asci art didn't post properly...

Deb said...

Many years ago, there was a company that sold fake paperback covers so that women could read romance novels in public without being "embarrassed." Perhaps something like that is in order here: You could get a fake cover of BEING AND NOTHINGNESS or HENDERSON THE RAIN KING and read these Baen's to your heart's content.

JRSM said...

Matthew, we'll pretend it's ASCII art of botched plastic surgery.

Deb: The perfect solution! Actually, I remember coming across somewhere that did similar covers to hide Harry potter books.

Craig D. said...

Here's a fake Potter cover collection from Cracked:

http://tinyurl.com/2znlys

I can't decide on a personal favorite: Memoirs of a Shark Fucker, Shaving Your Balls with a Butcher Knife for Dummies, or Terry Normal and the Land of Absolutely No Wizards or Anything Like That.

Also be sure to check out their "Best (Worst) Fantasy & Science Fiction Book Covers" article:

http://tinyurl.com/yebc5rx

JRSM said...

Those are amazing! I think it's the fine print about ball-shaving that makes that the winner (though 'Also by this author: Dick Wars! Shit Wars! Cock Wars!' has a certain charm).

Bob Fingerman said...

I'm so torn. I'm happy when I see some publishers are still using illustrators for cover art, but why this? Why is so much genre stuff saddled with yucky design work?

JRSM said...

I know--science fiction and fantasy novels seem to be the last refuge of full-on illustration, but when they get those horrible big pseudo-Hollywood type treatments, etc, it's sad-making.