Science fiction novels have been, through the modern history of the printed book, a space for innovation and creativity. Their cover art, in particular, was something special and beautiful.
Some incredible cover art. Image: Art from Amazing Stories. Screencap via YouTube
In a new video, Nerdwriter runs down the history of cover art in the sci-fi novel, which is a history of visionary, weird artists playing within a distinct and fascinating space. He makes a compelling argument here for sci-fi book covers as a special, beautiful artistic space, doing distinctive and strange things throughout the entirety of the 20th century.
Some of this stuff is pretty iconic, but I didn’t know the history of the genre’s development in the detail that Nerdwriter spells it out. If you’ve ever spent way too long staring at an old pulp sci-fi paperback’s psychedelic cover, this video is for you. Check it out.