[polishgenius]

Dolorous Menhir;159887 said:

Are you talking about the American covers, Werthead?

He's guessing which characters will be on the new (British) covers to match this one and the new BH one.

And about the BH one, I think that's Apsalar, too slim to be Kalam, plus it's almost a dancer's pose.

I'd think:
GotM: Rake
DG: Coltaine or Duiker
MoI: Paran (though depicted how I'm not sure) or Gruntle (as he's distinctive)
HoC: Karsa, easily
Midnight Tides: Hmm. Brys? Him or Trull.

[Dolorous Menhir]

polishgenius;159942 said:

He's guessing which characters will be on the new (British) covers to match this one and the new BH one.

And about the BH one, I think that's Apsalar, too slim to be Kalam, plus it's almost a dancer's pose.

I'd think:
GotM: Rake
DG: Coltaine or Duiker
MoI: Paran (though depicted how I'm not sure) or Gruntle (as he's distinctive)
HoC: Karsa, easily
Midnight Tides: Hmm. Brys? Him or Trull.

I don't understand. What covers are you talking about?

[Abyss]

Morgoth;159928 said:

and she'll be slim and wrapped in very little clothing, just to assure the americans that yes, this is fantasy

Y'know, if they get a decent artist, and make the wolves visibly undead, and put a legion of T'lan Imass in the background, that might not suck.

- Abyss, is just saying...

[Bl1nder]

All they have to do to make the covers interest otehr audience is.. put Apsalar there, half naked playing in a distincitve way with a dagger, you know that WOULD get alot of wanted atention, no ?

[Imperial Historian]

@DM

Bantam seem to be planning on doing a re-release of all the books in a new format, like the RG one we see here, and the bonehunters paperback, all of a single figure...

Personally i'd plum for GotM: Rake, DhG: Coltaine or Icarium, MOI: Gruntle or Iktovian, HoC: Karsa, MT: Trull

[Karsa Orlong]

Imperial Historian;160027 said:

@DM

Bantam seem to be planning on doing a re-release of all the books in a new format, like the RG one we see here, and the bonehunters paperback, all of a single figure...

Really?!

Well, i guess the money I paid for the BH HC was the last money Bantam is ever going to see from me.
I hope TOR will not change their covers in the middle of the series as well... ^^ (not that i am very fond of the current ones, mind you). If they show a bit more dedication to their fanbase, i guess they will get my money.

[Abyss]

Anyone seen that LONG ago cover of a Dragonriders of Pern novel that was a photo, not an illustration, but an actual photo, of a naked woman riding a bad wire/papier maché dragon?

- Abyss, may have hit puberty around then. Oh, was that out loud?

[Bl1nder]

Abyss;160036 said:

Anyone seen that LONG ago cover of a Dragonriders of Pern novel that was a photo, not an illustration, but an actual photo, of a naked woman riding a bad wire/papier maché dragon?

- Abyss, may have hit puberty around then. Oh, was that out loud?

tt, you would know, wouldnt you ? The best cover I've seen so far is the one of the Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy, the one were you have all of the books in one, green cover with round green faces wavin about, brilliant!

[Ellestra]

I like the one person on dark background covers actually. Darkness is very appropriate for TfMBotF and the person is from the books not random chick in lack of armor . I like this Rhuald for RG more then American Gruntle in Capustan for MoI.

I just wish they would fit with old ones better. Now it looks like some completely different series.

[Abyss]

I'm sort of scratching my head over here... Obviously, we don't want the covers to be crap. And obviously, an eye catching neat cover that draws the eye is all good, a la Deadhouse Gates with snarling sandstorm dogs and all, as opposed to the US GotM with fetish-model Apsalar...

But why all the (loose use of word) 'hostility' towards any change in the cover style...

I get Harry Potter publishers doing an 'adult' cover and a kids cover, and LotR was reissued in like three dozen different covers while the movies were rolling, but so what? It's just a marketing tactic, and probably an effective one.

I'm not following why anyone would care if the cover style changes for MBotF... it's not like one MUST go buy the earlier versions so they all match on the bookshelf in order to enjoy them? I mean, really it's the content that matters...

- Abyss, seeking clarity.

[Reborn]

A larger picture: http://www.temp.sfbo...t/img/29174.jpg

[Bl1nder]

Ugg, it looks even worse close up

[Werthead]

Just had a though. Does this mean they are changing the interior as well? The typeface and font, the artist who does the maps, etc? That would be even more lame.

[Jorram]

Abyss;160134 said:

But why all the (loose use of word) 'hostility' towards any change in the cover style...

I get Harry Potter publishers doing an 'adult' cover and a kids cover, and LotR was reissued in like three dozen different covers while the movies were rolling, but so what? It's just a marketing tactic, and probably an effective one.

I'm not following why anyone would care if the cover style changes for MBotF... it's not like one MUST go buy the earlier versions so they all match on the bookshelf in order to enjoy them?

- Abyss, seeking clarity.

I mean, really it's the content that matters...

First, the new one sucks. Thats plain.
Second, whats with having a series half of which looks this way and the other half - that way? I'm not THAT big on collectionism and stuff, but it's just really silly. For all we know, they might be even different edition sizes. Is that still ok?
Third, it's completely unnecessary. "If it aint broke, dont fix it".

[Clip]

I have to agree with abyss on this one, and I'm afraid I have to use that cliche: "never judge a book by it's cover"
Obviously transworld is coming out with the new covers to catch a larger audience. They know all the obsessed fans are going to buy it anyway so they want to see if a change of covers will get a more general audience.

Besides I dont know why you are all so vehement about a change of cover, especially when its not actually that bad...

[Werthead]

Jorram;160182 said:

First, the new one sucks. Thats plain.
Second, whats with having a series half of which looks this way and the other half - that way? I'm not THAT big on collectionism and stuff, but it's just really silly. For all we know, they might be even different edition sizes. Is that still ok?
Third, it's completely unnecessary. "If it aint broke, dont fix it".

As has already been discussed, Bantam are changing all of the earlier books' covers to match the new BH cover and RG as well.

[Dinivan]

Let them do what they want... as long as the books get out in time.

The RG cover really sucks. But I don't care about any changes in the series:
On my shelf I have eight books (in German) up to the first half of MT, (which are looking similiar but also differ in printing style) then the mass-market MT, which is smaller and thicker than the rest and then the BH which are much bigger then the rest and doesn't fit into the shelf that I put the MBotF in...so it's a merry collection of different books anyway.

Cover is cover. I hardly see any good ones, they are mostly just bad. As is the RG one.

[Keruli]

It's good if they can increase sales this way. Covers and synopsises are important for impulse buys in my own experience. Though I fail to see how going from a cover style that stands out to one that stands out less will generate more sales... but I guess they ought to know what they are doing given it's their job.

But it is annoying to the fans who owns and likes the old covers. And for me this small betrayal takes away some from the overall feel of quality I think this series has, belittling it.

And as for not caring about what the fans says. They probably don't take us into consideration when they start changing covers and fonts, but we the fans, I believe, are a large factor in getting people to buy the books. I myself have gotten 5-6 people hooked on MBotF. So pleasing the fans, even through giving them covers they like, would help sales by giving them one more thing to rave about to all their friends and people they meet.

[Tiste Simeon]

Just to draw on music here - Something that is popular generally isn't good. The best bands are the ones that not many people have heard of.
Therefore, should we be encouraging Erikson becoming huge? I mean will it mean that he will just keep spewing out trash because millions around the world want it?

I'm not saying I thoroughly agree with this POV, but I think it is something to consider...

[Jorram]

Werthead;160421 said:

As has already been discussed, Bantam are changing all of the earlier books' covers to match the new BH cover and RG as well.

So, is this an invitation to RE-buy all the old ones, then? I mean it's EXACTLY what would stimulate my love towards bantam/transworld or whoever is responsible for this idiocy anyway.

And yes, I agree that the covers dont really matter. It's not like I'm not buying the books or something. It's just that these little signs of total publisher indifference are bad omens to the quality of the entire experience. Like Keruli already pointed out

The change in cover style is pointless. I never saw ANYONE on this topic that's expressed ANY signs of liking it. The best it gets is tolerance. Thats enough to be dissatisfied with, even if you dont care about the look of your librarary.