(Barclay Shaw’s cover for the 1987 edition of Texas Triumphant (1987), Daniel da Cruz)
I’m a Texan, well, not really (born/raised for a substantial part of my life in Virginia), but whatever, I’m a Texan. I’ve worked on a ranch, went to high school with a 600 square mile rural district twenty miles from my house, goats grazed in front of the school, high school football was everything, our band director stole band equipment (the year before I was in band) because all the school money went to said football team… But, I’m now that I think about it I’m not actually a Texan — oh wait, I did go to the University of Texas at Austin. Well, regardless I don’t own a gun, go tubing drunk down the Guadeloupe River, didn’t (well couldn’t) vote for Bush, never went to a college football game, and don’t barbecue, or ride horses. But I confess, do like the state and want to go back.
Nor would I ever write/read science fiction about Texas — the topic of today’s bad science fiction art post.
I dare not ask what compelled Daniel da Cruz to write this series — I desperately hope they are satires.
And the art (above): LOOK, TEXAS DEFEATS THE COMMUNISTS! THE CLOUDS PART FOR TEXAS!
These are less egregious but equally silly. Can you imagine being commissioned to make the covers for this series?
(Ralph Brillhart’s cover for the 1988 edition of The Ayes of Texas (1982), Daniel da Cruz)
(Barclay Shaw’s cover for the 1982 edition of Texas on the Rocks (1982), Daniel da Cruz)
Oh, and some evil Texans stealing the president/declaring independence….
(Dean Ellis’ cover for the 1974 edition of Texas-Israeli War: 1999 (1974), Howard Waldrop and Jake Saunders)
For similar posts consult the Adventures in Science Fiction Cover Art INDEX.
Science Fiction and Other Suspect Ruminations 
I’m originally from Kansas, so partial to THE GODS HATE KANSAS by Joseph Millard. I never really thought of Texas OR Kansas being so science fiction friendly!
I find hard to believe there isn’t an entire subgenre of sci-fi about aliens descending to Earth by means of tornados (and thus logically, Kansas) 😉 tehe
I remember finding the Texas-Israeli War: 1999 in the bookstore and being seriously tempted — believe it or not, according to some of the amazon reviews it’s worth reading!
Oh, and Rik, I miss your blog….
Texas-Israeli War is one of the holy grails of trashy paperbacks. I had a copy years ago, but pitched it in a move, not knowing what it was. And I’m half-tempted to find a copy just to see how bad it is.
I like how in the first cover they’re sharing the air-hose. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. And that pink spacesuit, how emasculating can you get?
Hahahaha, yeah, COMMIES ARE PINK not RED! That’s the real reason the Texans were able to defeat them!
I’m not going to lie, the Texas-Israeli War deserves a snarky write-up — I just don’t have the guts to procure a copy.
The Texas-Israeli War wasn’t that bad when I read it. Of course, it was a long time ago and my reading tastes have changed, i.e. grown more sophistocated, and a reread might have a whole different effect on me.
Well, if I get desperate for a good laugh I might pick up a copy — hehe.
Haha, I love these so much! Old sci fi and action movie posters used to be so great. They’re awful now. Great post.