The Cover Battle of 2012: Phase 1, Round 2

		Written by Stephan on Dec 2, 2012 \| 4 comments \| Forum Discussion
		Filed under: Aaron Allston, Alan Campbell, Alastair Reynolds, Ben Aaronovitch, Cover Battle of 2012, Cover Battles, Elizabeth Bear, Fantasy News, G. Willow Wilson, John Joseph Adams, K.J. Parker, Martha Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, N.K. Jemisin, Stephen Baxter, Terry Pratchett

This December, The Ranting Dragon is trying something new: an epic cover battle! We will pitch sixty of the best covers of the year against each other—half of these selected by our team, the other half submitted by you—and our readers get to decide which of them wins the ultimate title of best cover of 2012. Any book released in 2012 is eligible—all it needs is a gorgeous cover!

Want to know more or look at other rounds? Check out the big introduction post here.

Here are the covers in the second group:
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Click the cover images above to zoom; click the links below to view on Amazon.

Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson, Armored ed. by John Joseph Adams, Blue Remembered Earth by Alastair Reynolds, Damnation for Beginners by Alan Campbell.

Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal, Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear, Sharps by K.J. Parker, The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin.

The Long Earth by Stephen Baxter and Terry Pratchett, The Serpent Sea by Martha Wells, Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch, X-Wing Mercy Kill by Aaron Allston.


		Which covers are your favorites?
You may select up to four covers.

		The Serpent Sea (41%, 330 Votes)
		The Killing Moon (38%, 310 Votes)
		The Long Earth (28%, 229 Votes)
		Range of Ghosts (28%, 226 Votes)
		Glamour in Glass (24%, 197 Votes)
		Damnation for Beginners (20%, 160 Votes)
		Whispers Under Ground (20%, 159 Votes)
		Sharps (17%, 135 Votes)
		Blue Remembered Earth (16%, 132 Votes)
		Armored (11%, 91 Votes)
		X-Wing Mercy Kill (8%, 67 Votes)
		Alif the Unseen (8%, 62 Votes)
		
Total Voters: 807


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http://magneticcrow.wordpress.com Li Grabenstetter

We’re voting on the covers not the books’ contents here right? Maybe give credit to the artists whose work you appreciate? : I mean, that *is* a gorgeous lineup!

http://www.facebook.com/people/Stephan-van-Velzen/100000499757880 Stephan van Velzen

Yeah, it’s a vote for covers and cover art, rather than writing.

I’ve chosen to list only the book’s title and author in this phase, and will do the same in the next phase. However, after that, when there are head-to-head battles instead of big groups, I’m going to give a lot more info on the covers and the artists.

This is a decision I made that may not be the most polite towards artists (and I would have loved to be able to give credit where credit is due), but I had to make it regardless. It often takes a significant effort to find out which artist made a particular cover; the information isn’t always readily available. With sixty covers, that is simply going to cost more time than I have to spare.

http://magneticcrow.wordpress.com Li Grabenstetter

I think you ought to take a moment to read (artist/art director) Marc Sheff’s comments on a similar poll that recently ran in The Atlantic. This is not an isolated attitude among artists. If you really desire to show respect or pleasure in these designs, please properly attribute them.
https://www.facebook.com/marcscheffillustration

http://www.facebook.com/people/Stephan-van-Velzen/100000499757880 Stephan van Velzen

For the next phase, I shall give credit to any artist I can find out.