Tag: Fredric Brown

Star Shine, by Fredric Brown – 1954 [Richard M. Powers]

While a number of my prior posts illustrate the work of Richard Powers,* his cover art for the 1954 Bantam Books edition of Fredric Brown’s Star Shine uniquely exemplifies his skill and versatility, to an extent not necessarily evident in his other compositions.

Specifically, Powers’ painting is composed of four elements.

First, the skyline of a futuristic city, composed of asymmetrical buildings, all finished in  orange and pink, appears in the lower background.  A World War One era biplane (well, it looks like a biplane!) incongruously  floats above.

Second, a violet band covered with frivolous, indefinable curves – probably not representing anything at all! – of yellow, black, blue, and orange, occupies the center of the cover.  Patterns like this are present in many of Powers’ compositions.

Third, a stylized lady – an upside-down-lady, at that!, holding a rose in her mouth – occupies the upper cover.  (You can see her in greater detail by scrolling down a little.)

Fourth – and in the context of Powers’ work, most interestingly – the central element of the cover is the face of a very contemplative man.  Neither stylized nor abstract (albeit greenish-blue!), this figure shows Powers’ skill in natural representation, which is not apparent in most of his science fiction illustrations.

Contents

Pattern, from Angels and Spaceships (1954 anthology)

Placet Is a Crazy Place, from Astounding Science Fiction, May, 1946

Answer, from Angels and Spaceships

Etaion Shrdlu, from Unknown Worlds, February, 1942

Preposterous, from Angels and Spaceships

Armageddon, from Unknown Fantasy Fiction, August, 1941

Politeness, from Angels and Spaceships

The Waveries, from Astounding Science Fiction, January, 1945

Reconciliation, from Angels and Spaceships

The Hat Trick, from Unknown Worlds, February, 1943

Search, from Angels and Spaceships

Letter To a Phoenix, from Astounding Science Fiction, August, 1949

Daisies, from Angels and Spaceships

The Angelic Angleworm, from Unknown Worlds, February, 1943

Sentence, from Angels and Spaceships

The Yehudi Principle, from Astounding Science Fiction, May, 1944

Solipsist, from Angels and Spaceships

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The Mural

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The Upside-Down-Lady

* With more to follow in future posts…

Martians, Go Home, by Fredric Brown – 1955 [Richard M. Powers]

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Fredric Brown’s novel – note that his name is presented as “Frederick” – originally appeared as a single installment within the September, 1954 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. 

The cover of this particular issue of Astounding is representative of the magazine’s cover design for the latter part of the 1950s: The majority of issues published from February, 1954 through November, 1959 featured – always in the upper left corner – a diagram, abstract representation, or symbol of an aspect of the physical sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering / technology) with a brief explanatory “blurb” within the magazine’s table of contents. 

So, for September of 1954, we have:  “Optical confusion: The eye cannot simultaneously focus on pure red and pure blue.”

Well, I don’t know if it’s really that confusing.  At least, it wouldn’t be for a Martian peering through the oversized keyhole!

My personal favorite is from December of 1957, and needs little explanation…