Dystopias – Literary Art and Illustration

British writer Charles Eric Maine (David McIlwain) authored at least sixteen novels and four screenplays, as well as detective thrillers under the pen names Richard Rayner and Robert Wade. He may be best known for the dystopian 1958 Ace novel World Without Men, which features cover art by Edmund Emshwiller. Regardless of one’s opinion about the novel’s literary merits, this has to be one of the most striking covers ever published by Ace, let alone among the very many works created by Ed Emshwiller. His model for the startled red-irised lady was his wife Carol, who appearance was the template for the features of women in many of Emsh’s paintings.

Purple Hair? – check!

(Green Hair? – check!)

Silver Lipstick? – check!

~~Bullet Style~~ Artillery Shell Top? – check!

Jane Jetson style geometric flat-top collar? – check!

Below is Ed Emshwiller’s original painting. The subtleties of shading and color are here much more obvious than in the cover as printed. Particularly interesting are the eye-like red sphere at the upper right – shades of HAL 9000! – and, the antenna-like set of wires and rods set against a pink background, in the upper center. I don’t recall where I actually found this image; it might have been at Heritage Auctions. (Well, maybe. It’s been a while.)

– Mrs. Jane Jetson –

The book was republished in 1972 under the title Alph. Dean Ellis’ cover art connotes the novel’s theme far more sedately, and perhaps more effectively, than that of Ace’s 1958 edition.