Why are the US covers so awful?

[smileyman]

Towers of Midnight UK

 

Towers of Midnight US

 

The Gathering Storm UK

 

The Gathering Storm ebook

 

The Gathering Storm US

 

 

Knife of Dreams UK

 

Knife of Dreams ebook

 

And the absolute worst fantasy cover of any book ever.

Knife of Dreams US

 

Crossroads of Twilight ebook

 

I'm just wondering why TOR can't use the ebook covers for the hardback, since every single one of the ebook covers is stunning. The art for the US hardcovers is just plain embarassing.

 

Here are some more of the excellent ebook covers

 

The Eye of the World

 

The Great Hunt

 

The Dragon Reborn

 

The Shadow Rising (my second favorite of the ebook covers)

 

The Fires of Heaven

 

Lord of Chaos (my favorite of the ebook covers)

 

A Crown of Swords

 

The Path of Daggers

 

Winter's Heart

[casusev]

I'm sure TOR has a contract with Daryl K. Sweet for the whole series. His EoTW cover is my favorite. And the worst is without a doubt TSR. I've never got the impression that he actually reads the books.

 

The ebooks are pretty sweet, though I don't like all of them.

 

I would love hardcover copies of the UK editions by Orbit Books, with just the symbol of the wheel. Very classy. I have a few of them in paperback. It's interesting because my paperback copies use different fonts/typefaces. And the maps in at least one of my copies are different.

 

Looking at my 2008 paperback The Great Hunt, the maps are drawn by Thomas Canty (The US editions are drawn by Ellisa Mitchell) and I find them pretty bland.

[smileyman]

I'm sure TOR has a contract with Daryl K. Sweet for the whole series. His EoTW cover is my favorite. And the worst is without a doubt TSR. I've never got the impression that he actually reads the books.

 

The ebooks are pretty sweet, though I don't like all of them.

 

I would love hardcover copies of the UK editions by Orbit Books, with just the symbol of the wheel. Very classy. I have a few of them in paperback. It's interesting because my paperback copies use different fonts/typefaces. And the maps in at least one of my copies are different.

 

Looking at my 2008 paperback The Great Hunt, the maps are drawn by Thomas Canty (The US editions are drawn by Ellisa Mitchell) and I find them pretty bland.

 

I'm not sure how long Sweet's original contract was for, but I guess they felt that they couldn't change the stylistic look mid-way through. You're right about tEotW though--it's one of my favorites. TSR is not nearly as bad as the abomination that is Knife of Dreams.

[Majsju]

Sweet does not have a contract for the entire series, but the decision was made to keep him because it would be odd to change the artist in the middle of the series.

As for sweet reading the book before he starts working, he only gets gets a few pages, describing the scene that goes on the cover.

[Stricklg91]

I totally disagree, Darryl K. Sweet's covers have always been the definitive Wheel of Time covers for me. Maybe that's just cause those were the first ones I read. Eye of the World and the Great Hunt were by far my favourite covers in the series. Obviously there's loads of things wrong with his artworks, but I think they just add a better feeling to the books for me. Can't stand the bland UK covers. Then again that's mostly because I love traditional fantasy illustrations. The eBook versions are alright, but I don't really like the differences in style of the different artists. All a matter of preference I guess.

[Darth Krewl]

LOL..is it just me or Rand standing on the mast of Domon's Spray in the cover of the EoTW ebook looks just like Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker in Episode III?

 

Anyways, no comparison between the ebook covers and the US TOR covers. The Spanish edition Wot covers are far better than their US counterparts, too. Similar to the UK editions. No illustrations, but very classy all the same. I guess it'd be interesting to see pics of the different WoT covers around the world.

[Phenom]

Wow...the ebook covers are badass. I agree about the American book covers. They suck...really bad.

[Lynchgrinch]

most of the US covers are mega-out-of-proportion, even the cover for aCoS and tEoTW have horrible proportions, i mean how the hell does rand lean so far foreward and still stay up? and why does moirane look like an ugly cow.

 

worst by far though is the cover for WH, which completely ruined my veiw of perrin.

 

Good US covers are tFoH, TSR (loved it), aCoS, tPoD, tEoTW, tGH, CoT.

 

 

And lets be honest right, you cannot dislike the front cover for tDR, stone of tear, sword that is not a sword? the only bad part is the awefull ishy face in the top corner,...oh and perrin... which yeah kinda ruins it. But i think sweet did a good job for the most part, and i for one kinda wish US covers were avilable in UK, i only actualy own half the US covers but i wish it was more.

[smileyman]

most of the US covers are mega-out-of-proportion, even the cover for aCoS and tEoTW have horrible proportions, i mean how the hell does rand lean so far foreward and still stay up? and why does moirane look like an ugly cow.

 

worst by far though is the cover for WH, which completely ruined my veiw of perrin.

 

Good US covers are tFoH, TSR (loved it), aCoS, tPoD, tEoTW, tGH, CoT.

 

 

And lets be honest right, you cannot dislike the front cover for tDR, stone of tear, sword that is not a sword? the only bad part is the awefull ishy face in the top corner,...oh and perrin... which yeah kinda ruins it. But i think sweet did a good job for the most part, and i for one kinda wish US covers were avilable in UK, i only actualy own half the US covers but i wish it was more.

 

TDR is a great cover, other than Perrin

[Demiandre]

 

THIS is the french cover of the second book in french version (from Whitebridge to the Eye, more or less), The Eye of the World. Don't be disgusted by your covers. We have the ugliest...

 

 

This one also, from the Dragon Reborn...

 

 

And last but not least, the fourth book (second part of TGH) in another edition. The covers for this edition were awful at first, but became almost acceptable with time. Well, I shall admit I droped after LoC and went to the UK version :)

[didymos]

Good US covers are tFoH, TSR (loved it), aCoS, tPoD, tEoTW, tGH, CoT.

 

tSR? Seriously? That's one of the worst. Especially Pseudo-Mat w/ Eighties Sweatband And Giant Unconcealable Dagger and Quite Possibly Deformed Egwene With Really Weird Hair playing housewife for the lads in the Waste in front of the wagon nobody in their group owned or used. Not to mention Rand toting a bow, something he's not done since tGH. What's more, it's not even a proper longbow: check out that recurve, baby! Oh, and Aiel in cadin'sor acting as servants and caring for the horses. And what looks like a couple trolloc dolls in the background.

 

And lets be honest right, you cannot dislike the front cover for tDR, stone of tear, sword that is not a sword?

 

Yes, you can: Callandor isn't supposed to look like that. It's a single-edged, slightly curved sword like nearly every other sword in the series. Mat also looks a little too "pretty boy" and his clothes aren't much better than what Perrin's sporting. Certainly not like what he was wearing at the time and looking pretty damn good after all the crawling on rooftops, blowing holes in the Stone, and fighting. Rand's clothes are similarly ridiculous, considering what he's up to throughout the book. I'm also not a fan of the dark-haired, dark-eyed, non-black-veiled "Aiel" wearing the giant impractical scarf (with tassels!) wrapped around his head and trailing down to his freakin' waist. The redstone columns are pretty nice, though. In fact, Sweet is actually pretty good in general when it comes to landscapes. Everything else? Not so much. "Error ridden" is about the most charitable one can be.

[smileyman]

 

 

THIS is the french cover of the second book in french version (from Whitebridge to the Eye, more or less), The Eye of the World. Don't be disgusted by your covers. We have the ugliest...

 

 

 

This one also, from the Dragon Reborn...

 

 

 

And last but not least, the fourth book (second part of TGH) in another edition. The covers for this edition were awful at first, but became almost acceptable with time. Well, I shall admit I droped after LoC and went to the UK version :)

 

OK, you win. The French covers are absolutely the worst.

[didymos]

THIS is the french cover of the second book in french version (from Whitebridge to the Eye, more or less), The Eye of the World. Don't be disgusted by your covers. We have the ugliest...

 

 

This one also, from the Dragon Reborn...

 

 

 

It looks like, with those two, someone just grabbed already existent art and slapped it on the front of the books. Possibly the first one as well, which is perfectly decent cover for an entirely different book.

[Lynchgrinch]

right, ok hands down the french win the crappieness contest.

 

 

And yeah ok the details on TSH are horrific yeah, but i loved it mostly for the scenery,a nd the wagon....just seeing that cover takes me right back to old skool WoT books that i loved more than life itself.....details are pretty mince though :/

[JordanRutherford]

I feel like I agree with Renfield. I love the art on the US covers. It's so "high fantasy."

[Ozzie_aiel]

right, ok hands down the french win the crappieness contest.

 

 

And yeah ok the details on TSH are horrific yeah, but i loved it mostly for the scenery,a nd the wagon....just seeing that cover takes me right back to old skool WoT books that i loved more than life itself.....details are pretty mince though :/

 

Does that French TDR cover have an actual dragon on it?

 

And the second one looks like someone ripped off a piece of medieval tapestry

[Whatsie]

 

I would love hardcover copies of the UK editions by Orbit Books, with just the symbol of the wheel. Very classy. I have a few of them in paperback.

 

Are they available in hardcover? I did a quick search the other day and could only find paperbacks.

 

Sent using Tapatalk

[Vermillion]

I was put off by the covers and the fact that I started at TSR. I was like what the hell is this crap after bubble of evil in Tear. I had gotten a few of the books from the library but they were like 4,5 and 7. I just went on and bought the first one and have stuck since.

 

I have seen some of the guys other work and they are not nearly as bad as Wheel of Time. Seems like he could get details on how the look as well as going along with the scene description.

[Mr Ares]

right, ok hands down the french win the crappieness contest.

Spoken like a true Brit.

 

Generally, I'm not a fan of any atempt to depict a scene from the book in cover art, but the attempts of WoT are pretty damn crap. Fortunately, I only have to put up with it on two of my books, the rest have the decent, British covers. But, I repeat myself.

[Demiandre]

right, ok hands down the french win the crappieness contest.

 

 

And yeah ok the details on TSH are horrific yeah, but i loved it mostly for the scenery,a nd the wagon....just seeing that cover takes me right back to old skool WoT books that i loved more than life itself.....details are pretty mince though :/

 

Does that French TDR cover have an actual dragon on it?

 

And the second one looks like someone ripped off a piece of medieval tapestry

Yes it is a dragon. It took me a while to realize it.

 

And indeed those are pieces of medieval tapestries, or drawings, not sure. I'll check and try to find the complete ones

 

Edit : didn't found any information... will have to look in the books themselves, but they are 850 km away, so it will take time ;D

Edited November 21, 2010 by Demiandre

[Lynchgrinch]

 

I would love hardcover copies of the UK editions by Orbit Books, with just the symbol of the wheel. Very classy. I have a few of them in paperback.

 

Are they available in hardcover? I did a quick search the other day and could only find paperbacks.

 

Sent using Tapatalk

 

 

yep, although i've only got 12 and 13 in british hardback. i've got 5-9 in american hardback...book 1 in american paperback and books 1-11 in uk paperback...oh yeah and new spring and the guide in uk paperback.

 

I'm pretty sure you can nab up the british hardcovers of amazon.co.uk, and yes they do look pretty damn classy ;) but as scrappy and "wrong" as they are, the american ones will always have a special place in my heart, i plan to get them all by some point.

 

 

And Mr Aries, I'M SORRY! i don't hate french folk like the standard british typecast, hell i've even got a few french mates! Scotish folk are normaly a bit more tollerant of other cultures, plussssss the whole Britain-France thing was REALY actualy England-France...it was all about thrones and whatnot, we dont care who sits high and mighty downsouth as long as we get our mountains and sheep.....

 

not realy, but yeah....

Edited November 21, 2010 by Lynchgrinch

[Darth Krewl]

Damn, Demiandre! You're right. Those French covers are really awful.

 

The cover for tEotW is OK, I guess. Though I dunno what scene it's supposed to be depicting. But the other two are definitely worse than the US covers.

 

The only good thing's how they resemble medieval tapestry. If someone designed them especially for tWoT, they're not w/o merit, I'd think. It's just that they don't fit in well with the vibe of the whole series, IMO.

[Demiandre]

IMO, the first looks more like the fight against the cavern orc of LotR than anything in WoT... Even Loial or a Trolloc isn't that big! Hopefully, this edition stopped, and now it is far far better with the new edition. We have covers depicting WoT scenes (more or less.. there is one with Rand nearby Tar Valon -_-)

[Darth Krewl]

IMO, the first looks more like the fight against the cavern orc of LotR than anything in WoT... Even Loial or a Trolloc isn't that big! Hopefully, this edition stopped, and now it is far far better with the new edition. We have covers depicting WoT scenes (more or less.. there is one with Rand nearby Tar Valon -_-)

 

Yeah, that's how the first cover feels. Like a Hobbit fighting a Troll in LoTR. I was trying to remember if it could be some creature from the Blight that the company fought on their way to the Eye, but there was nothing that looks like that. And yup, it's completely out of proportion for a Trolloc (and too ugly for an Ogier, IMO lol!).

 

But, hey, I'm not complaining. You guys are getting the books published, at least. In Spanish, the books are really hard to come by. Haven't even been able to find a good pic to post here! Good thing I can read them in English.

[Demiandre]

A french friend I met on a french forum read them in spanish, so I suppose she found them, but I couldn't say where... She read till LoC the last she spoke of it...

 

I have bought the german version, and the cover are goods. In fact, those are Sweet's covers, but silvery shade, and I admit they are far morr acceptable so :)

 

We have the book published, yes, but with a bad translation, and we had Knife of Dream this month. Two days ago if I'm not mistaken. And with twice as much books.