tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post4546729787067235507..comments2024-02-26T02:13:54.009-08:00Comments on Caustic Cover Critic: Paper Space Opera!JRSMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-47327700585046436392009-12-01T22:03:18.379-08:002009-12-01T22:03:18.379-08:00That's a very good description of why these wo...That's a very good description of why these work. Now that I've finally seen these books in the real world, I like them even more.JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-55164524311878247662009-12-01T14:20:55.066-08:002009-12-01T14:20:55.066-08:00The appeal of the genre is cool ideas, even more t...The appeal of the genre is cool ideas, even more than good writing sometimes. A sophisticated cover design rather than a dumb fantasy/romance illustration suggests that there is more to these books than pulp-heroics.mchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05245334343275076002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-12390025603678858002009-01-29T14:04:00.000-08:002009-01-29T14:04:00.000-08:00Hi, Sanda: trhanks for stopping by and letting me ...Hi, Sanda: trhanks for stopping by and letting me know--I'll amend the post to give you your credit!JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-60942244107000256592009-01-29T09:59:00.000-08:002009-01-29T09:59:00.000-08:00The designer is Sanda Zahirovic...me! Thank you fo...The designer is Sanda Zahirovic...me! Thank you for posting them on your blog. Really interesting comments.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-64991087920515671322009-01-26T14:23:00.000-08:002009-01-26T14:23:00.000-08:00They've really grown on me a lot--I still don't kn...They've really grown on me a lot--I still don't know who designed them (they don't come out until Feb), but I really like them now. A subtle, simple idea.JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-35543952504035675252009-01-26T08:52:00.000-08:002009-01-26T08:52:00.000-08:00it's a brilliant and elegant idea and execution. I...it's a brilliant and elegant idea and execution. If anything, after all that has been said, these are beautiful to behold and presumed cheap to produce.Ian Koviakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06779092543413941740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-59477392364034682412008-10-23T15:18:00.000-07:002008-10-23T15:18:00.000-07:00Stefan: much of what you say is hard to argue with...Stefan: much of what you say is hard to argue with. I haven't seen the spines yet, but you're right about most of the impact relying on the books being seen (1) all together, and (2) face-out for their impact to really work. And I think you're spot-on about the snobbery/embarrassment about being seen in public with "obvious" science-fiction--you only have to see how 'mainstream' writers (and their publishers) who dabble in SF bend over backwards to pretend they haven't dirtied their hands with (the horror!) genre writing (Jeanette Winterson being a particularly egregious recent example). Dave Langford's said all this more articulately than me, but then you seem to work in the field, so I guess you know what I'm talking about better than I do. Thanks, by the way, for such a detailed and thoughtful comment.JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-18264781870974283912008-10-23T01:46:00.000-07:002008-10-23T01:46:00.000-07:00Personal response - ghastly covers, another bad mi...Personal response - ghastly covers, another bad misfire from Gollancz. However, perhaps I ain't the target market. The big question for me is always, always this: What response are these covers trying to generate? That isn't immediately clear.<BR/><BR/>Yeah, OK, they stop you in your tracks - good job there, very different from most of what's around (albeit similar to some of the b&w designs in the last Gollancz rejacketing - though they didn't have title or author on the front). Get someone to pick the book up and you've a higher chance of making that sale - if they never pick it up, they ain't buying it. Of course, many SF fans know what they are looking for, being *into* their genre, and the cover doesn't make a blind bit of difference to a sale.<BR/><BR/>Cover impact assumes these books will be face out. After six weeks in store, they won't be, period. Perhaps the publisher only needs them to sell for that long.<BR/><BR/>So, perhaps they are to attract new readers? Possibly. But who - young or old, new non-sf readers or people familiar with the genre? If they are non-sf fans they might not be perusing the specialist shelves. Perhaps they think that these modern, designed covers will get the books put at the front of the store, and get more pick-up that way? That simply won't happen - bookstore people know these are SF, and will file them accordingly: at the back, next to the painted spaceship covers.<BR/><BR/>People familiar with the genre? Some of them, I suspect, will be confused by the imagery on the covers, which doesn't represent the content of the books. Ringworld... a paper star? Scratches head... walks away... doesn't buy book.<BR/><BR/>I think these books are atcually aimed at people who sort of like SF, but are embarrassed by this prediliction, because they don't actually think it is cool to read SF, and cool is important to them.<BR/><BR/>They want any book they are seen reading to be trendier than garish spaceships and heroic poses. They'll not baulk at buying a computer game with a garish cover, because they don't brandish that package in public. Comicbooks are more of a problem, but in my experience they are consumed in bedrooms rather than the street, often read on arrival and filed, then re-read as a story arc every so often. But these books could be a modern New York-set piece of literature, seriously on-trend edge of current cool. You just hope none of their friends ask them what the book is actually about. Ah.<BR/><BR/>Is this a big market sector in the UK? Could be, and judging by the snootiness some of the Brit commentators show towards properly in-genre writing they seem truly embarrassed to be seen reading anything SF that might actually involve space, the future, technology, starships, aliens, etc etc. It'll interesting to see if these sell - and if they do, expect plenty of imitations from clueless copycat publishers to follow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-89627870268515847012008-10-22T14:57:00.000-07:002008-10-22T14:57:00.000-07:00Thank you. I'm just now looking at your won site--...Thank you. I'm just now looking at your won site--wow! Some amazing things there.JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-63573124970033106462008-10-22T14:03:00.000-07:002008-10-22T14:03:00.000-07:00great blog! great covers!great blog! great covers!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-42803830528448167432008-10-21T14:56:00.000-07:002008-10-21T14:56:00.000-07:00Hi, Tuesday: please do. I'm just wandering happily...Hi, Tuesday: please do. I'm just wandering happily around your blog now--lovely stuff!JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413291183164140297.post-33057072274625243062008-10-21T04:35:00.000-07:002008-10-21T04:35:00.000-07:00I am so glad I found your blog! I'm a firm believe...I am so glad I found your blog! I'm a firm believer in judging a book by its cover. Is it alright if I post some of these alongside my book reviews?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com