“When I die, I’m leaving my body to science fiction”*…
When it comes to cover design, the science fiction genre is often accused, along with romance novels, of having the most godawful cover design going. With their typical brilliance in style, Penguin embraces all the good, the bad and the comically ugly in traditional sci-fi design with their science fiction series. From the campy cartoon-style creatures and ridiculous, buxom alien babes of space opera, to the darkly stylized futuristic cities in dystopian futures Penguin covered it all with story selection and cover illustration…
Confidently judge books by their covers at “Penguin’s Science Fiction.”
[TotH to @MartyKrasney]
* Stephen Wright
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As we travel through space and time, we might recall that it was on this date in 1963 that Arthur K. “Spud” Melin patented the Hula Hoop. In fact, both Melin’s company, Wham-O, and others had been selling millions of Martex (plastic) hoops since the late 50s. Melin’s innovation was an improved version- which, by virtue of the intellectual property protection, was available only from Wham-O.
No sensation has ever swept the country like the Hula Hoop. It remains the standard against which all national crazes are measured.
– Richard A. Johnson, American Fads
Spud Melin (left) and his Wham-O co-founder Richard Knerr