Unless I'm mistaken, the cover art for most of the books is done either by Chris Foss or artists influenced by him.
Nobody has ever painted spaceships in a more convincing or evocative manner; he gave them the look of being built out of real hardware while, at the same time, giving them the look of something out a dream.
The cover of The Last Starship from Earth caught my eye in a newsagents in Barry circa 1974 - something about the title and the image really struck my imagination. Still not read the book...
Yes, I remember the kerfuffle around that Tate painting - very cheeky. I think Tony Roberts' cover for Van Vogt's Destination:Universe is one of my all-time favorite SF images.
I highly recommend the recent Chris Foss omnibus, by the way.
I think we're of an age (I'll be 42 in two months) and I have so many childhood memories of his work on books. I didn't even know who he was until a few years ago! Then I saw pictures of his work (and then the omnibus) and it brought back a lot of memories for me.
I'm sure I read somewhere (it might say so in the Hardware book) that Foss is colour-blind, which explains some of the psychedelic colours in his artwork.
Anything yellow and striped is usually Chris Foss - I love his ships, from the first cover of his I encountered (Asimov's Currents of Space). I only found out recently that he worked on designs of Ridley Scott's Nostromo (http://alienseries.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/space-truckin-the-nostromo/)and of course, illustrated the Joy of Sex book.
That Brian Aldiss cover looks like the new Mac Pro to my eye.
ReplyDeleteUnless I'm mistaken, the cover art
ReplyDeletefor most of the books is done
either by Chris Foss or artists
influenced by him.
Nobody has ever painted spaceships
in a more convincing or evocative
manner; he gave them the look
of being built out of real hardware
while, at the same time, giving
them the look of something out
a dream.
The cover of The Last Starship from Earth caught my eye in a newsagents in Barry circa 1974 - something about the title and the image really struck my imagination. Still not read the book...
ReplyDelete334, of course, that well known space opera.
ReplyDeleteLast Starship v good.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that 'only' 8/13 of these covers are by the great Chris Foss. More covers next week, and attributions.
ReplyDeleteI count ten by him.
ReplyDeleteI can't find attributions for the Anderson and Delany. Do you have evidence they're by CF?
ReplyDeleteNo, I was eyeballing it based on my childhood and the giant coffee table book of his work that I have. No guarantees!
ReplyDeleteDoes Hardware have all his covers?
ReplyDeleteOne of the images here looks a little like CF's stuff...but isn't.
I'd say the Delaney is by Tony Roberts. Very active around the same time as Chris Foss.
ReplyDeleteThanks Al - can't find it on his web site, but one of the other covers is definitely by him.
ReplyDeleteOnly SF cover artist to have appeared in the Tate (when Glenn Brown 'appropriated' his cover image for Double Star).
Yes, I remember the kerfuffle around that Tate painting - very cheeky. I think Tony Roberts' cover for Van Vogt's Destination:Universe is one of my all-time favorite SF images.
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend the recent Chris Foss omnibus, by the way.
I have the omnibus as well and it is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI think we're of an age (I'll be 42 in two months) and I have so many childhood memories of his work on books. I didn't even know who he was until a few years ago! Then I saw pictures of his work (and then the omnibus) and it brought back a lot of memories for me.
The top one (Aldiss) looks like a Bruce Pennington, another favourite of mine of the era along with Chris Foss.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I read somewhere (it might say so in the Hardware book) that Foss is colour-blind, which explains some of the psychedelic colours in his artwork.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAnything yellow and striped is usually Chris Foss - I love his ships, from the first cover of his I encountered (Asimov's Currents of Space). I only found out recently that he worked on designs of Ridley Scott's Nostromo (http://alienseries.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/space-truckin-the-nostromo/)and of course, illustrated the Joy of Sex book.
ReplyDelete