Fantasy Aficionados discussion

I got the idea for this thread from the What Sub-Genre is This? thread.

Like a lot of the posts there, I have a love/hate relationship with book cover art. However, my issues aren't really about mainstream vs. authentic art for a book. Considering the genres I enjoy reading the most, my issues are more about corny/terrible cover art vs. something that's actually attractive.

Here is a good example of really bad cover art, in my opinion of course. :)

Oooh! That is pretty bad, lol.


One of the ones I really hate is . What makes it double terrible is the fact that the scene depicted never takes place in the book.

I hate this one:

lol! Those are so bad!

They are bad but they are also making me laugh, especially Clash of the Star Kings.

Andre Norton has some pretty horrible ones, too: and

How old are these covers?

Those are posted on a web-blog that's pretty funny: http://www.goodshowsir.co.uk/

They always add funny blurbs under the covers they post. Here's the one for Clash of the Star-Kings:

"Don Comments: It’s so embarrassing when Mummy catches you playing dress-up in her things, even if you’re an alligator. Maybe PARTICULARLY if you’re an alligator."

Christine wrote: "How old are these covers?"

A lot of them are from the 60s & 70s, but anything goes if it's bad. They'll post new ones too. The Star Kings one is from 1966.

These are great! There are some really awful ones in Paranormal Romance, but due to censorship, I can't post them. You wonder why PNR readers go en mass to eBooks.

I like simple covers. Like the Wheel of Time Series with the three circles on the front.

I like dramatic covers, I think is pretty decent (but I haven't read the book yet).

Awfully suggestive for our modern cynical minds:

LOL. Talk about suggestive to our dirty minds:

Andre Norton's Breed to Come. Weird looking cat in a weird get up:

Yummy!

This is what I meant when I said PNR/Romance/Erotica has some of the worst book covers, besides their need to plaster almost every cover with men's naked chests.

Must have saved money by hiring a family's high schooler to do the design:

More bad romance cover:

Does this cover have anything to do with the book?



Book Description:
Amazon.com Review
Meet Angelina Amaro, the star-crossed daughter of Mafia capo Paul Amaro. For ten long years virginal Angelina has been carrying a secret torch for the stool pigeon who betrayed her father to the cops in exchange for a spot in the Witness Protection Program. When she recognizes her beloved's hands mixing drinks in a relative's Key West vacation video, Angelina stops pining and starts planning her escape from her family and reunion with her man Sal, who now goes by the name of Ziggy Maxx. Naturally, the course of true love never did run smoothly, and it isn't long before Papa is on her trail with hilarious results.
Playing the Mafia for laughs is a novel idea, and it works quite well in Laurence Shames' fifth book, Virgin Heat. In Angelina, Mr. Shames has found a sympathetic heroine, and in his collection of undercover cops, cross-dressing mafiosi, vengeful hit men, and long-suffering wives, he has created a memorable cast of supporting characters. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

I'm dying here!

I can't see any covers in any of Aloha's posts except the last one.. Is it just me?

I saw the first few but not the last ones. They are hilarious!

I don't see 17 to 20. Must be bodice-rippers or something, LOL

Aloha, can you put the titles in so I can look them up myself. I'm enjoying these silly book covers and want to see more.
The cat one reminds me of the Doctor Who episode with the Nurse Cats.

I can't see 14 through 20, boo! :(

Now that's weird, why can some of us see some of them?

I saw the first thre and the last one. But the superman ones are ROTFLMAO funny!

Oh poo. I'm shoveling snow and taking a break in my car, hoping to be able to move it. I'll fix later. Must be a bad link source.

It might just be my browser.. I'm being naughty and am browsing from work. God knows my browser here is pretty outdated.. I just wondered if it was just me, or everyone.

Aloha wrote: "Oh poo. I'm shoveling snow and taking a break in my car, hoping to be able to move it. I'll fix later. Must be a bad link source."

Shoveling snow?? Are you in the DC area, too?

I'm in southern CT, 50 mins. train ride to NYC.

I heard The City got pounded again. Good luck with the shoveling.

Well, I'm there with you (although in reality somewhere else :)

Can you see the pictures now? I downloaded them and uploaded them to my Photobucket account.

Yes, I can see them now. And let me just say... LOL. Those are great!

Thanks! I'm sitting here as long as I can before I shovel some more. *SIGH* Yep, Gotta find me a nice, big, strong boyfriend, no brains required.

Man, Michigan has really gotten lucky lately. That's where I am, and we are usually the ones under twenty feet of snow. This year has been really light so far though! Although it is snowing now... *knocks on wood*

I'm fanning the snow back to you. LOL

I have a three day weekend, so as long as the roads are clear by Monday you can fan away! I'll take it.

Thank you. I know I can rely on a gal pal!

Aloha, thanks for the new pix, they are hilarious.
Cooking with Pooh, LMAO
You're right about the awful covers on the romance, what is up with the rabbit-ears? Too funny! Well, bodice-rippers are looking better and better compared to those, haha

Thanks, Aloha, for those book cover pictures. They gave me a much needed laugh!

Aloha, that cover art had me and my mum laughing. Perfect way to start the day :) Thanks

You're welcome! I love a good chuckle myself. Now if somebody can just give me a great arms and shoulders massage.

This one is pretty horrible, too.

Have you read this book, MrsJoseph? Does the cover have anything to do with the story? Fantasy covers are usually surreal.

Yeah, I own it. :) I'm a big Andre Norton Witch World fan. I have to day that I can't remember this scene taking place in the book - but if it did it was not prominent. There is this section of land called "The Waste" that could have a statue or two like that...

My stepdad used to read a lot of fantasy with those type of covers. They turned me off to fantasy, because it seemed too otherwordly. But when I finally read fantasy, they're really not so out there that I can't identify with the story.

I never had a problem with fantasy, I had an issue with sci-fi. I could never really get into it (my mom was really into sci-fi).