Y’know– I actually kind of like it, minus the fonts and “Generic Object #586”. The art isn’t amazing, but it’s stylized enough to where it sort of works.
Yeah, it’s kinda sorta passable. Not to say it couldn’t have been better with slightly better art and font treatment. And if it was cut right under the author’s name so the whole #586 whateveritis was cut right off. unfortunately, this site has seen far worse covers than this.
This bugfalls so close to the being good category that it hurts.
EricL
9 years ago
Get rid of Object 586, since it does nothing for selling the story, no matter how important it is somewhere inside the book. That will let you give some breathing space for all that text. Right now, the text seems so squeezed in that tight belt between the gun-toting chick and the laptop in the grass.
The Amazon listing gives it as “Book 1” but the cover is “Book I” and matches the “I” in “LEVI” in the same font on the cover. Any bets the follow up will be listed at Amazon as “Book 2” and the cover will be “Book II”? Remember we’re on Lousy Book Covers here.
No, no, john e.; don’t you see it? That isn’t auto-asphyxiations by rifle; it’s an erotomaniac firearm. You know, a gun that you can shoot and gives you an orgasm while you’re toting it around.
You know, the shame of it is, that artwork isn’t actually awful. With a better font, it would have been nearly passable. And I don’t know what it is, but that “586” is bugging me, as if I ought to know what that is/means. Damnit!
Little details like this (and like that cover that had a diesel train in the Old West) kinda spoil willing suspension of disbelief necessary for successful fantasy. As Lovecraft insisted, the real world details of a story must be realistic as possible, to make departure into the fantastic seem logical and acceptable.
Since the Marlin M60 usually does not come with sling swivels, I imagine an end user might install a single-point sling mount, but not on the left side of the forearm of the firearm: the mount point would be on the left side opposite the trigger area near the center of gravity of the gun (as with the majority of Civil War cavalry carbines and modern M4 Army carbines). The single-point sling is used to carry the gun in front, with the sling over one shoulder, across the back, under the opposite armpit. If the gun were carried on the back as shown in this cover, the single-point sling would be across the throat, leading to asphyxiation. That’s not practical in an apocalyptic survival scenario because the gun would be hard to access, especially if the user were oxygen deprived. (Plus I find autoerotic asphyxiation to be a turn-off. There are fans of anything I suppose: “The Erect Oak” keeps showing up in “Popular Posts”.)
![cover[1]](https://lousybookcovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/cover138-500x773.jpg)
Y’know– I actually kind of like it, minus the fonts and “Generic Object #586”. The art isn’t amazing, but it’s stylized enough to where it sort of works.
Just my opinion though 😀
Yeah, it’s kinda sorta passable. Not to say it couldn’t have been better with slightly better art and font treatment. And if it was cut right under the author’s name so the whole #586 whateveritis was cut right off. unfortunately, this site has seen far worse covers than this.
At least “lightning” is spelled correctly.
YES THANK YOU. One of my biggest spelling peeves.
This bugfalls so close to the being good category that it hurts.
Get rid of Object 586, since it does nothing for selling the story, no matter how important it is somewhere inside the book. That will let you give some breathing space for all that text. Right now, the text seems so squeezed in that tight belt between the gun-toting chick and the laptop in the grass.
In that font, it looks like BOOK I , not BOOK 1.
*not reading anything called “bugfall” but that’s just me…
Nope, not just you.
The Amazon listing gives it as “Book 1” but the cover is “Book I” and matches the “I” in “LEVI” in the same font on the cover. Any bets the follow up will be listed at Amazon as “Book 2” and the cover will be “Book II”? Remember we’re on Lousy Book Covers here.
I betting on Book Z.
My money would be on that, too.
I was going to try and tag this for you, Nathan, but I don’t think it can be done.
And I got distracted by the strap of the rifle. It doesn’t seem to connect to the stock. So, does it warrant an “Auto-asphyxiation by rifle” tag?
Things just got really weird.
No, no, john e.; don’t you see it? That isn’t auto-asphyxiations by rifle; it’s an erotomaniac firearm. You know, a gun that you can shoot and gives you an orgasm while you’re toting it around.
You know, the shame of it is, that artwork isn’t actually awful. With a better font, it would have been nearly passable. And I don’t know what it is, but that “586” is bugging me, as if I ought to know what that is/means. Damnit!
Yes, the strap is distracting and not practical.
Little details like this (and like that cover that had a diesel train in the Old West) kinda spoil willing suspension of disbelief necessary for successful fantasy. As Lovecraft insisted, the real world details of a story must be realistic as possible, to make departure into the fantastic seem logical and acceptable.
Since the Marlin M60 usually does not come with sling swivels, I imagine an end user might install a single-point sling mount, but not on the left side of the forearm of the firearm: the mount point would be on the left side opposite the trigger area near the center of gravity of the gun (as with the majority of Civil War cavalry carbines and modern M4 Army carbines). The single-point sling is used to carry the gun in front, with the sling over one shoulder, across the back, under the opposite armpit. If the gun were carried on the back as shown in this cover, the single-point sling would be across the throat, leading to asphyxiation. That’s not practical in an apocalyptic survival scenario because the gun would be hard to access, especially if the user were oxygen deprived. (Plus I find autoerotic asphyxiation to be a turn-off. There are fans of anything I suppose: “The Erect Oak” keeps showing up in “Popular Posts”.)
When the Zombie apocalypse comes, I want to be in your pack/tribe/team/family, Naaman.
Me, too! 😉
Due to the rifle knowledge or the Erect Oak knowledge? Both seem like vital life skills.
“bad font choice” is the first tag that comes to mind.
“random imagery” for the 586 thingee.
Naaman pointed out the problems with the rifle and the strap. But the way it just hangs there, doesn’t look natural either.
But other than that, I like the image. It’s a good first draft. It’s a shame that it wasn’t submitted to CoverCritics.
It’s the kind of cover I’ll comment to the effect: nice rough draft when do we get to see the finished cover?
A lot of covers that show up here are like getting the idea storyboards instead of the feature films.
Everyone keeps trying to tag this for you Nathan but I think you just have to go with your gut instinct and keep it Untagable.
Oh, that is a good tag right there. Untagable! 😀
Maxwell Smart tag: “Missed it by that much.”
Or, “Close but no kewpie.”
Kewpie doll reference? Well played!
Perhaps you need a “concept sketch” tag, because while this cover is a pretty good concept sketch, it’s not a great book cover.