Continuing with our Drake theme- this time, emphasizing UFO hair – color, if not length: Charlie Stross (who’s heard of J. G. Ballard) writes a post explaining how much control an author has over the way their book is published (especially, in this case, influence over cover art).
Unless we’re talking about the small press or self-publishing, the answer is “zip”. The author is responsible for writing and delivering the contents of the book and, optionally, additional material such as a dedication and acknowledgements. But the way their manuscript — a typescript, typically prepared in accordance with the ancient and established Rules — is turned into a book is entirely up to the publisher.
Why would he feel that it was important to say this? Behold the US cover for his latest – due for a July release:
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As an aside – what better place for the immobile enhanced breast meme than in a CGI portrait…
Poor Stross, that falls into the category of “so unbelievably bad it really isn’t any good at all so it has to be funny”.
Even when I was 12, I hated that sort of skiffy cover. Perhaps especially when I was 12. Now at least I’m much harder to embarrass.
The font used for Saturn’s is a nice touch – somehow it makes me think of this.
“Perhaps especially when I was twelve”– exactly, Mike. One was already a geek for reading SF…
I think the first Ballard I read was The Drowned World, scientifically rubbish, but vivid imagery, and a last line with the protagonist battling his way south, fighting giant bats…
Who was it who said that the “golden age” of SF is whenever the reader was thirteen years old?