One of my particular pleasures is poking around secondhand bookshops to find vintage science fiction books (I recently picked up a 1980s Harry Harrison novel purely because of its jacket, which features a monster-sized dolphin with a mouth of very sharp teeth). So, stumbling across this labour of love and beauty – a website exploring the history and cover art of science fiction published by Penguin between 1935 and 1977 – thanks to the Penguin blog means that I've just spent much of my morning plumbing its depths.
We all know that Penguin is the master of cover design, but throwing all its science fiction jackets together in one place makes for a truly eye-popping display. Look at these gorgeous JG Ballards; see how The Day of the Triffids changes through its different editions (and what a cute little triffid that is); be afraid of 1984.
The dedicated authors of the site have also spent some time analysing how the jackets have changed over the years, from the classic block colours of the early Penguins, to the move to illustrated jackets, friction over the psychedelic covers of the 60s ("vulgar" and "gimmicky" according to Penguin founder Allen Lane) and that iconic Clockwork Orange jacket.
Bring them all back, I say – they're gorgeous and so much more fun than a boring old spaceship. I want them all, as I want the latest set of Gollancz's future classics. (And take a look at the first set of these if you haven't already seen them. They look beautiful and, more importantly, are great choices.)
