Cover Debate: Mike Carey's 'Dead Men's Boots'

16 Responses to 'Cover Debate: Mike Carey's 'Dead Men's Boots''

1. DavidHeb on August 17th, 2007 6:18 pm

   You know, I was just thinking to myself the other day that I'd yet to see a British take on the current 'paranormal thriller' genre -- then I read your post and discovered there was one. So today I bought a copy of The Devil You Know to see what it's like (one more sale for Orbit and Mr Carey!). But, then, it wasn't the cover that made up my mind.

   I'm not generally the type to be bothered about covers, though (like most people, I suspect) I still prefer them to look attractive. I think the current trend away from 'illustration' covers has its pros and cons: it reduces the number of outlets for artists, but I can't deny that overall, genre books look more 'upmarket' these days than they used to. (Having said that, I would much prefer to read one of Terry Pratchett's old books with a Josh Kirby cover, so it can work both ways.)

   About the Carey covers: I think the old version looks more distinctive, but I don't see an awful lot of difference between them. I'd be happy to read a book with either of those covers; but I'm not the kind of reader the change aims to reach.

   One thought does cross my mind: if we're talking about first impressions, most bookshop customers will see the spine of a book first, rather than the front cover (depending, of course, on how the book is shelved). How does that factor into this issue? Once you've taken that book off the shelf, aren't the blurb and the first few sentences of the text itself going to be more important in swaying you than the front cover?

2. Ed on August 17th, 2007 9:23 pm

   I prefer the old one. There's a certain ambiguity to the look of them. If I wasn't already familiar with the series I'd be more likely to pick up the old style one, the new one just looks a bit cheesy and lacking in imagination. I'll still be buying it though, a poor cover doesn't put me off that much.

3. thomas conneely on August 17th, 2007 10:16 pm

   Definitely prefer the new one.. the older one with the man standing under a bridge looks like the Equalizer. And that's not very good. Plus it has a cat that looks much more demonic, which can only be a good thing......

4. John Berlyne on August 18th, 2007 5:46 pm

   The new cover I think seems more appropriate to the novel and probably markets it better. The pentagram is a dead givaway! But also important is the glimpse of London seen on the other side of the arch - the Castor books are identifiably London novels, the city - in it's alternate supernatural incarnation - looms large in the narrative so that it is almost a character itself. The previous covers didn't acknowledge this, instead seeming too abstract to really give some insight into the novels.

   So, I prefer the new cover, I guess. BTW, it's a kick-ass novel too! Mike Carey is one hell of a writer!

5. Mark on August 19th, 2007 1:12 pm

   Got to admit I like the new one more. Would have won hands down had it not been for that horrible strapline across the front of it. Yuk!

6. Ariel on August 19th, 2007 2:06 pm

   Actually Mark, the strap-line now just reads: 'A Felix Castor Novel' (see the previous thread, comments, for details...)

7. Christopher Teague on August 20th, 2007 9:02 am

   Nope, prefer the original: it's more in-keeping with the covers of the first two, thus offering a uniform design throughout the series.

   The new cover - the guy under the bridge - looks to be too much of a stock crime photograph with added pentagram just to highlight: THIS IS A BOOK THAT IS ABOUT THE SUPERNATURAL.

   (Also, I'm sure I've read in an interview with Carey that the new book sees Castor move *away* from London...)

   Anyway, loved the first, currently reading the second (which didn't quite grab me like the first).

8. Mark on August 20th, 2007 11:52 pm

   Thanks Ariel for clearing up my inability to keep up with a conversation. I stand corrected!

   Hi Chris!

   So what you're saying is that because the first cover matches the earlier covers, it's the best cover of the two above? That sort've reads to me like 2+2=5; but I take your point about the crime style photo. I must admit that a change of cover style is most irritating to me too: see George RR Martin and Steven Erikson for two recent ones.

   I think you've got a new blurb for the cover: THIS IS A BOOK THAT IS ABOUT THE SUPERNATURAL.

   LOL.

9. Linker’s Run « Torque Control on August 23rd, 2007 10:43 am

   [...] There's been a bit of a debate about cover art at The Genre Files [...]

10. gavsstudio on September 7th, 2007 4:38 pm

    Personally I like the one on the left. The one on the right feels a little too safe.

    Though saying that the one on the left might be a little too cartoony and they one of the right is more serious and might be attractive to new readers...

11. Ariel on September 7th, 2007 5:25 pm

    Hi Gav, thanks for dropping by. I think 'safe' is rather apt, yes. Except for the glowing pentagram... it's an enigma wrapped in a mystery with a dollop of 'wtf' sauce on top, and no mistake... ;)

12. gavsstudio on September 8th, 2007 12:27 am

    I should remember to drop by more often :)

    Strangely the cover doesn't really matter as long as it doesn't put a potential reader off. You've shown at the top of the blog what really matters is the spine! Look at them all.

    I've just been over to the other post. Wow! There are some strong opinion there. The new cover is a twist on a convention it might not attract the murder/thriller crowd but it might tell horror readers (as that's where it is in Borders) that it's a murder/thriller with pentacles thrown in?

    And the other thing that cover refreshed do it that they make you notice books again. You've just made a lot of people notice that Mike Carey has a new book out! Free marketing.

    Vintage Classics has just released a bunch of their books with new covers going as far as matching older classics with more contemporary companions. All the spines are a shade of red.

    Future Classics titles have just been released by Gollancz and the thing is that we're not the audience that re-release is aimed at. It's aimed at attracting people that might be put off by the more traditional covers.

    Stephen King has had a refresh - actually he has loads - his latest is full of funky colours. Jasper Ffordes refresh really enhanced the look of his books in my opinion. James Herbert just had another one.

    Jim Butcher and that vampire one that I can't remember but she's got about 13 books out hasn't had one yet. But I think they don't yet need one as they're not yet looking tired.

    Good old J.K. Rowling has an adult cover to save the blushes of older readers, so does Pratchett strangely. And 'd scream if they got away from the current style. He doesn't need a refresh either. Rushdie has had one recently. Penguin has just released a retro collection matching their original style.

    Poetry Publishers seem to always follow the same syle book in book out. You can tell a Faber, Seren, Carcanet, Bloodaxe book from the spine alone.

    Phil Rickman has just moved publishers but they've kept the same look for the books, slightly updated but not enough to confuse readers.

    Speaking of confusing readers one publisher has just done that on purpose with a cover refresh. There is a post on my blog

    I've probably bored you and told you a lot of what you already know. But it is an interesting can of worms.

13. gavsstudio on September 8th, 2007 12:29 am

    The link to my blog post should be this one sorry.

14. gavsstudio on September 8th, 2007 4:26 pm

    OK that's swung it. My copy arrived this morning and the new art has much more spine appeal. I'm looking at the book shelf from about 8ft away and the words Mike Carey really do stand out along with the flaming pentagram.

    As much as I like the art of the old one this spine is better. Sorry.

15. Ashok Banker on September 17th, 2007 5:12 am

    I've read the first two Felix Castor books and while I'm not influenced by covers, I do appreciate them aesthetically. I also respect them a lot; let's not forget that it was a cover re-design that catapulted Cormac McCarthy out of literary oblivion into stardom. Mercifully, McCarthy's covers were beautifully designed and executed.

    In this case, I'm sorry but the second, newer cover is just too cliche and crass, even...dare I say it? Too 'American mass market'. The illustrated cover not only fits with the first two--which matters more to series readers than publishers may realize--but is far superior in terms of design. And it just has something quirky, attitudinal and original about it that I like. The new one could just as easily be for any of the numerous 'urban supernatural thriller' books out there, there's nothing 'Mike Carey' or even 'Felix Castor' about it.

    Of course, I guess now this is all just water under the bridge--or should I say, a cat under a bridge!

16. Fine Art Prints on November 5th, 2007 5:23 pm

    I have to say that the new one is probably the most appealing, not that the old one is without merit though.

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