(John Schoenherr’s cover for the 1964 edition of Alien Worlds (1964), ed. Roger Elwood)
Michael Whelan’s cover for the 1979 Dutch edition of Greybeard (1964) by Brian W. Aldiss appeared in a collection of SF art Space Wars, Worlds & Weapons (1977). I remember encountering the collection at a used bookstore, perhaps in Philadelphia when I went to visit my grandparents… It terrified me for years. The bizarre metal construct looming over the destroyed world—and most of all, the strange tentacled hands…
…hence, today’s themed art post!
Tentacles and Other Strange Appendages.
I have a confession: I am warming to the art of Charles Moll—1974 edition of New Dimensions 3 ed. Robert Silverberg. His covers for Malzberg and Spinrad for example really encapsulate the outlandish experimentation, irreverent dismantlement of cliché and convention, etc. of their work.
This can easily be a series so if you know of any I did not include (there are probably hundreds of covers that match the theme) let me know. Also, what are your favorites? Why?
(Leo Morey’s cover for the February 1936 issue of Amazing Stories, ed. T. O’Conor Sloane)
(Julian S. Krupa’s cover for the June 1940 issues of Amazing Stories, ed. Raymond A. Palmer)
(Ralph McQuarrie’s cover for the 1986 edition of Sinister Barrier (1939), Eric Frank Russell)
(Ronald Walotsky’s cover for the 1969 edition of Dark Stars (1969), ed. Robert Silverberg)
(Paul Lehr’s cover for the 1969 edition of The Aliens Among Us (1969), James White)
(John Holmes’ cover for the 1982 edition of Honeymoon in Hell (1958), Frederic Brown)
(Michael Whelan’s cover for the 1979 Dutch edition of Greybeard (1964), Brian W. Aldiss)
(Brian Lewis’ cover for the November 1957 issue of New Worlds, ed. John Carnell)
(Gerard Quinn’s cover for the September 1961 issue of New Worlds, ed. John Carnell)
(Charles Moll’s cover for the 1974 edition of New Dimensions 3 (variant title: New Dimensions III) (1973), ed. Robert Silverberg)
(Malcolm Smith’s cover for the May 1950 issue of Other Worlds Science Fiction, ed. Raymond A. Palmer)
(Luis Rey’s cover for the 1988 edition of The Secret Ascension or Philip K. Dick Is Dead, Alas (1987), Michael Bishop)
(Ed Emshwiller’s cover for the 1964 edition of To Conquer Chaos (1963), John Brunner)
(Jack Gaughan’s cover for the 1966 edition of The Planeteers (1966), John W. Campbell, Jr.)
(Jack Gaughan’s cover for The Second War of the Worlds (1976), George H. Smith)
(Richard Powers’ cover for the 1957 edition of Those Idiots from Earth (1957), Richard Wilson)
(Vincent Di Fate’s cover for the 1977 edition of The Tritonian Ring (1951), L. Sprague de Camp)
(Uncredited (Karen Thole?) cover for the 1967 edition of Hospital Station (1962), James White)
(Robert Foster’s cover for the 1971 edition of A Wilderness of Stars (1969), ed. William F. Nolan) 
(Ron Turner’s cover for the 1953 edition of Exit Life (1953), John Russell Fearn)
(John Cayea’s cover for the 1978 edition of Unto Zeor, Forever (1978), Jacqueline Lichtenberg)
For many many many more art posts consult the INDEX
Science Fiction and Other Suspect Ruminations 
No doubt about it… They don’t make covers like they used to…
Well, I have seen recent covers with tentacles… But yes, a lot of the inventiveness seems to be gone.
Warming to the art of Charles Moll? NO-OOOOO!
Hahaha. But doesn’t the New Dimensions cover sort of evoke the early 1970s in terms of SF?
Oh yes, definitely. But more so the list of featured authors below the title. Names like Malzberg, Tiptree, and – a favorite of mine then, and still today – Lafferty.
Well, there you go — Moll is wonderful IN CONJUNCTION with the right author of the time. 😉
I’ve read (and enjoyed) numerous of Lafferty’s short stories…. But, as of now, I’ve not yet been intrigued enough to read his novels. Not sure why. Perhaps when I’ve finished Malzberg’s ouvre…. Also, I know I’ll like Lafferty’s novel length work — it’s just a matter of when I get around to reading him 😉
Not cover art, but an image that has stuck with me since I first saw it in 1964. Virgil Finlay, “The Visitors,” from THE COMPLETE BOOK OF SPACE TRAVEL, by Albro Gaul and Virgil Finlay, World Publishing, 1956.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0LY_IA6TPrIcDEtNkxIRlNLLU0/view?usp=sharing
That’s an eerie illustration Tom
Hering
Lots of pulpy goodness on many of these covers. I agree: they do not make them like they used to. In the drive to have science fiction appear more “respectable” and “mature” so much of the cover artwork of the last few decades has just been so dull. Give me some good old-fashioned BEMs!
I’ve got to say, the octopuses on Leo Morey’s cover for the February 1936 issue of Amazing Stories are not so much menacing as rather adorable with those big, wide, round eyes. The same thing with the whatever-it-is on Julian S. Krupa’s cover for the June 1940 issue of Amazing Stories.
But… all this talk of tentacles and nothing either written by or inspired by H.P. Lovecraft? Where is Cthulhu? With the absence of the Great Old Ones from this blog post, I am compelled to post a link to this amazing painting, Cthulhu Awakens by Bob Eggleton, which was used for the cover of the Best of Weird Tales anthology published in 1995:
http://lovecrafteternal.tumblr.com/image/99873206087
Where is Cthulhu? Umm, it’s not SF? And, as I said, this is hardly encyclopedic….
I was just joking. Lovecraft’s work sort of straddles the genres of horror and sci-fi, but you are correct, he is usually regarded as a horror author.
Haha, I know. The Tritonian Ring cover looks vaguely cthulhu-esque…
I have to admit I love that Whelan cover on the Aldiss book. It first caught my attention when I saw another variation of it on a more recent edition of Harrison’s Planet of the Damned: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?287362
I suspect it fits that book so much more than Greybeard! haha
I’m trading my boring copy of the Michael Bishop novel for the one shown.
Do you have the edition with all the small heads of PKD? Or, the one with the robotic Hitler?
Neither — the very boring US edition as “The Secret Ascension”. Just a rainbow, lettering, and a large silver background.
Yeah, completely forgot about this one due to how dull it is… http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?46702
I hope I’m not shattering any fond childhood memories by informing you that “In de nadagen” is not German at all – Google Translate claims it to be Dutch and gives its meaning as “In the Twilight”.
As for Lafferty, he was one of the, possibly even the most brilliant authors of SF stories, but his novels (at least the two I read) are far inferior to his short fiction work, they just don’t have the depth of the best of the stories and their humour felt very forced to me. The stories on the other hand…. I hope someone does an affordable re-issue soon, they really deserve a much wider recognition.
You’re right, it’s the Dutch imprint…. My memories more had to do with the image. I don’t think I ever saw it on a cover.
http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1367473
Yes, a nice, fat hardcover (and paperback) edition of the “The Best of R. A. Lafferty” – something along the lines of “A Jack Vance Treasury,” or “Two-Handed Engine” (Kuttner and Moore), or NESFA’s two-volume “Complete Science Fiction of William Tenn.” And may I add – though I know he doesn’t get much love here – it’s long past time there was an omnibus volume of Theodore R. Cogswell? And Robert F. Young. And …
I’ve only read that one Theodore R. Cogswell collection and was grossly disappointed.
Hospital Station has it for me although there’s something quite disconcerting about The Aliens Among Us cover….
Twisted aliens are the best aliens! Kudos!
My favourite has to be Paul Lehr’s cover for The Aliens Among Us. It’s really elaborate, but somehow that alien creature manages to look bored (“Jeez, I hate Mondays, guess I’d better fiddle with this guy’s brain.”). I find the Ed Emshwiller a bit unsettling because I dislike worms and the creature looks very wormy. Artistically speaking, I like the John Cayea.