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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I think IGJ is the one I would be most embarrassed
to be seen reading on the train - I'd sooner have a sexy mermaid on the cover
than that ridiculous Neighbour falling over his feet! RTTW is fine
IMO. The Knight/Wizard covers are at least fairly monotone and don't
jump out.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I admit I would also prefer something more abstract
or less exotic.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Still, I think it's an interesting point that we
are apt to consider these images terribly naff in visual form and yet they
are pretty much exactly what is described in the text. Perhaps we should
not be so precious about them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Anyway, embarrassment at SF covers has a long and
honourable history, though perhaps the advent of e-readers will before long
bring it to an end...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>- Gerry Quinn</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=danielottojackpetersen@gmail.com
href="mailto:danielottojackpetersen@gmail.com">Daniel Petersen</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=urth@lists.urth.net
href="mailto:urth@lists.urth.net">The Urth Mailing List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, January 01, 2011 5:30
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: (urth) Wolfe covers</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Gerry Quinn <SPAN dir=ltr><<A
href="mailto:gerryq@indigo.ie">gerryq@indigo.ie</A>></SPAN> wrote:<BR>
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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>On the other hand, people have objected to the
Short Sun covers - but are they not, essentially, very faithful and
literal representations of the contents of the
books?</FONT></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Em, not so sure about that. Is Seawrack's hair colour wrong?
Horn's hair doesn't look balding at all. Babbie and the Neighbour
would require much speculation on the part of the artist and these are not
particularly impressive. And the godling looks more giant than I
remember him being described when he's holding Silk-Horn.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>But that aside, even if they depict accurate content from the stories,
they are terrible 'unicorns and rainbows' fantasy drawing styles, not
particularly skillful or tasteful or interesting. They're some of the
worst and most embarrassing fantasy kitsch I've ever seen. (RttW is not
as painful as the others - OBW is the worst.) Is it even a good
idea to try to depict some of the most pulp-fantastic elements of Wolfe's
stories on his covers? That can be so susceptible to misapprehending the
literary excellence and subtlety of the writing that simultaneously
celebrates, subverts, and transfigures the subgenre(s) Wolfe is drawing from
(alongside his 'mainstream' influences). Why not try something more
subtle or quite clearly 'beautiful'? If it has to be straightforward
representational figurative paintings of events in the stories, then AT LEAST
GET AN ARTIST WHO HAS A CLUE ABOUT GOOD REALISTIC PAINTING.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>These paperback covers for The Knight: <A
href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/gene+wolfe/the+knight+28ebook29/6515022/">http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/gene+wolfe/the+knight+28ebook29/6515022/</A></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>and The Wizard: <A
href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/gene+wolfe/the+wizard/5596395/">http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/gene+wolfe/the+wizard/5596395/</A></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>are just the worst! Looks like they would be the Twilight of heroic
fantasy! Yech!</DIV>
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