Comments on: Harper/Voyager UK to Release SF/F Classics with Beautiful Minimalist Covers

By: Steve Oerkfitz

Steve Oerkfitz — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 01:58:51 +0000

Sure beats Baen Book covers.

By: Darren Goldsmith

Darren Goldsmith — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:53:09 +0000

The Fahrenheit 451 cover is nice enough, but I’m not sure most of these hit the mark. More than a few remind me of dodgy vector clip-art than minimalist design. And ‘I, Robot’… it’s been a while since I read it, but I don’t think that kind of chip circuitry was available in Asimov’s robots? Does that matter? Maybe not… but did the designer actually read the book? Gears, valves, pumps, vacuum tubes… all the older electronic stuff (avoiding any steampunk trappings, obviously) would have been more suitable?

Is the ‘Neuromancer’ cover too reminiscent of The Matrix? It’s a shame, since it pre-dates those movies by a long way. Just seems a bit lazy to visualise cyberspace in this way? And there’s some funky optical illusion going on, making the text appear skewed.

The ‘A Game of Thrones’ cover is quite messy, visually? I haven’t read the book yet but I’m assuming it’s a reference to ‘winter is coming’. A single branch and leaf might have been better?

Accck… I hate to be critical. But we have this stuff shoved in our faces and just saying it’s ‘minimalist’ doesn’t make it so.

Anyway, just my opinion. Some people will undoubtedly love them.

By: Abhinav Jain (@abhinavjain87)

Abhinav Jain (@abhinavjain87) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 07:33:59 +0000

Interesting image for Magician. Too bad that they delivered such a terrible cover for Feist’s Jimmy and the Crawler novella. That one stinks.

By: Holly

Holly — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 20:36:01 +0000

These are gorgeous! I love minimalist covers. I especially like Assassin’s Apprentice and Neuromancer here.

By: Nick Sharps

Nick Sharps — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 19:25:30 +0000

These are awesome. I will be buying one of each. I love minimalist style.

By: John DeNardo

John DeNardo — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:48:42 +0000

Heh. There’s truth to the adage that Covers Sell. I can’t tell you how many times I bought a book because it had a cool cover (whether I already had the book or not).

By: Carl V.

Carl V. — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:42:23 +0000

I think you delight in making me spend money, Mr. DeNardo!

Many of these are striking. I think I’ll for sure be picking up yet another copy of I, Robot. And this may be the perfect time to pick up and read Neuromancer.