Cover Art - what would you do?

dwndrgn

Fierce Vowelless One
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Ok, many of us complain about certain covers or enthuse about favorite ones. So, take any book you care to and describe how you would choose to illustrate the cover of it, if it were up to you. For anyone who has not read whichever book you choose, please include a plot summary.

As soon as I finish pondering this, I'll post mine.
 
Ok, well, I am unable to paste a copy of a book cover here for some odd reason so I'll add a link to the book at amazon and that will also serve to show a plot summary (wow, am I lazy or what?).

Here's a new cover created for the 25th anniversary edition of the Sword of Shannara series: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345453751/qid=1152192888/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/103-3803824-8587842?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

To begin with, I like the way this one is laid out, it is simple and pleasing to the eye without any jarring bits. Since it is one book containing the three books of the original series, it doesn't take truly specific images from the story. They have the sword as central (although, it seems to me that this sword doesn't match the description, but it's been a while since I read it and I could have it confused with a hundred other swords I've read about since...), and surrounding the sword is the giant S. The background of generic countryside could be anywhere, anytime and sort of illustrates the idea of travel. Then there are the clouds and illuminations therein...sort of a foreshadowing of trouble to come on those travels.

So, I like it but I think it could have been better. What do you think?
 
I never like cover art, or rarely ever, to be honest. Seems to be most covers are too bland, too polished, or too unimaginative for my taste.
 
One of the worst covers art is on Chuck Palahniuk's Haunted. Both American as the English edition.

Luckily on Palahniuk's official website, fans submit there own covers, which are tons better. It would be so nice so have a fan-base like Palahniuk has.
 

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