Book Cover Insanity (or why I want to buy the new Terry Pratchett book in the UK)
ONE of the hazards of being an obsessive book lover is that you sometimes try to buy books in other countries, like England, before they are released in the US. You may be asking what’s the hazard. Well, too put it bluntly, most book cover design in the US sucks compared the UK versions.
The US one seems to portray the sport played in the book is basketball (they actually play soccer):
The UK one actually has a team photo of hilarious illustration:
Why commision a new cover for the US that simply looks dull in comparison and gets the sport discussed in the book wrong? Probably has to do with rights, money and the reluctance to put appealing covers on fantasy books. People might read them. They might laugh out loud. Well, in Pratchett’s case, people will read them. Most likely in paperback. Maybe they will get the cover corrected for the paperback.
Nevertheless, “Unseen Academicals” looks hilarious.
And on related note, did anybody else know that Eoin Colfer was writing a new Hitchhiker’s Guide book? I didn’t.
