One of fantasy and sci-fi’s all-time greats has passed away. Artist Greg Hildebrandt, known for his iconic work on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Marvel and Magic: The Gathering, died on Thursday at 85. He and his twin brother Tim, who died in 2006, were a powerhouse duo — the Brothers Hildebrandt — until they decided to pursue solo careers in 1981. The duo was perhaps best known for their “Style B” poster (above) for the original Star Wars in 1977. Released in the UK (Tom Jung’s “Style A” was the original US poster), the art shows Luke Skywalker heroically hoisting his lightsaber high above his head like King Arthur wielded Excalibur. He’s flanked by a blaster-toting Princess Leia, with C-3PO and R2-D2 looking on from behind. Darth Vader’s imposing mask peers down on them in the background among a sea of stars, the Death Star and starfighters. As for Luke and Leia’s noteworthy lack of resemblance to Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, neither the Brothers Hildebrandt nor Jung had access to the actors’ photos. So, they made do with generic hero images that could have been ripped from 1970s fantasy book covers. (Still rad, if not screen-accurate.) The Hildebrandt poster was used in the UK until January 1978, when it was replaced by Tom Chantrell’s “Style C” poster, which depicted the actual cast. Greg Hildebrandt / X The brothers were also strongly associated with a series of The Lord of the Rings calendars. Decades before Peter Jackson brought the films to live action (and... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-11-01 19:30:27 UTC ]
Book Reviews Photo by Chris Wood / Flickr Houston’s Second Poet Laureate (2015–2017) and a member of the Texas Institute of Letters since 2019, Robin Davidson is the author of three books of poetry: Kneeling in the Dojo (2013), City That Ripens... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2022-02-22 21:17:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this
As he releases the latest fruits of his new megabucks deal with Netflix – an interactive cartoon about a cat – the Black Mirror creator discusses gaming, nuclear war, and why his generation has wrecked the UKCharlie Brooker is sitting at a desk, a big cardboard box in the background, miscellany... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-02-21 06:00:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this
With help from machine learning software, computer scientists may have unmasked the identity of Q, the founder of the QAnon movement. In a sprawling report published on Saturday, The New York Times shared the findings of two independent teams of forensic linguists who claim they’ve identified... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-02-19 20:56:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A few months back, Blade Runner director Ridley Scott said a live-action series set in that universe is in the works. The project looks to be a step closer to reality, as Amazon Studios has reportedly put it in development. Amazon's TV and film production arm is said to be fast tracking scripts... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-02-11 18:28:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this
An anthology of erotic short fiction keeps the award-winning writers a dirty secret. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-02-09 20:55:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this
An anthology of erotic short fiction keeps the award-winning writers a dirty secret. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-02-09 14:43:51 UTC ]
More news stories like this
While 2022 may have started with a whimper when it comes to the things that really matter—voting rights, filibuster reform, vaccines for children under 5, a robust and timely government pandemic response—it also started with some pretty nice-looking books. This month, my favorite book covers are... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-01-28 09:51:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Comma Press is to publish The Cuckoo Cage, the latest anthology in its History-into-Fiction series, featuring stories by British authors including Courttia Newland, Luan Goldie and Irfan Master. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-25 11:00:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Gina Miller and Theresa May are happy to be in Bloody Difficult Women, but the Mail man wanted his lawyers to vet the scriptThe Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday have been banging on a lot lately about freedom of expression. An editorial declared it to be a “dark day” when the newspaper group... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-01-25 08:00:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A narrator can make or break the listening experience. Over several related novels, they can become friend (or foe). Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-01-16 13:00:49 UTC ]
More news stories like this
On January 14, 1963, poet Sylvia Plath published her first novel in England under the pseudonym “Victoria Lucas.” The book had a positive but relatively quiet reception; only a few weeks after its publication, on February 11, Plath would die by suicide. It wasn’t published in the US until 1971,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-01-14 09:50:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this
In a scenario worthy of the influential magazine’s dystopian science fiction, 'Heavy Metal' announced a big relaunch just in time for a global pandemic that paralyzed retail and distribution. But it's ready to rock again. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Filippo Bernardini is accused of stealing manuscripts. For money or just a good read?The theft of books occupies a complex place in our moral judgment, depending on motive. In Markus Zusak’s 2005 novel The Book Thief, the actions of the title character are heroic – she steals books to save them... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-01-09 09:30:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Norman Mailer's long-term US publisher Random House has declined to publish an anthology of his writing, with indie Skyhorse Publishing picking up the book instead, though the late author's son stressed his father has not been "cancelled". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-06 02:12:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Over the course of her more than 20 years as a literary agent, Tanya McKinnon, founder of McKinnon Literary, has fought the good fight for the books and words of a long list of talented Black authors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Peepal Tree Press has commissioned a speculative fiction anthology authored by Black British writers and edited by author Leone Ross. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-15 06:54:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this
It was a chance to finally get around to Tolstoy or Proust, but the charts tell a different story. Which books did we actually turn to in the lockdowns? • Let us know in the comments what you were reading Back in spring 2020, when it became clear that coronavirus wasn’t going away, book lovers... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-12-11 09:00:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Apparently, J.K. Rowling’s bruised reputation has not lowered the value of her books. Yesterday, a rare first edition of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone sold at auction for $471,000, which Heritage Auctions says is “the highest price ever paid for the boy wizard’s debut... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-12-10 18:27:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The London Library is releasing its second anthology featuring work from its Emerging Writers programme. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-01 01:29:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Independent poetry-focused press flipped eye publishing is releasing a new poetry anthology featuring contributions from UK-based Black poets including Inua Ellams, Yomi Sode, Dzifa Benson and Nick Makoha. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-25 04:56:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this