Posted by Rich Thomas on February 22, 1997 at 09:16:21:
I guess that this subject has cropped up several times before but I have to get it off my chest so here goes. Whilst replying this afternoon to the post titled : An english vance reader reader (msg 369) the subject of my personal vance bugbear cropped up - The Tor hardback of Araminta Station and the dreaded cover art.
The TOR HB really niggles me in the fact that it is obvious that Borris Vallejo didn't either (a) read the story or (b) care if he did, as Glawen is portrayed as a "Blonde-haired lantern-jawed American-footballing hero" which is somewhat removed from the spare dark-haired boy and Sessily Veder is portrayed as more pneumatic than a tyre factory with shocking platinum hair. Oh well, - an opportunity lost although, in retrospect, at least he drew her with clothes on!
Feel a little better know. However, this little tirade leads me onto a informal competition :
1) Which are your favourite Vance covers ?
2) Whom is your favourite Vance artist ?
3) Have you ever bought more that one edition of a Vance book because the cover art was better on the second book?
Here are a few for starters :
I love the New English Library covers of the Cadwal Chronicles and the Underwood cover of Night-Lamp. These are bettered only by the Voyager cover for Nightlamp - really beautiful and captures the old-world style of Vances' planets.