Editions of Spacepaw by Gordon R. Dickson have seen all sorts of wild cover art, and the one we’re showing today might not even be the strangest one. See, much of Dickson’s work features a race of bearlike creatures called Dilbians — Spacepaw is one such work. (This is actually a sequel to the previous Dilbia book, Spacial Delivery.)
This cover is great because the scale is so strange. The human looks very tall and very thin, yet the stein he’s holding seems abnormally large (as does the book he’s propping his foot upon). Presumably, this is because the stein (and the book) belong to the bear — er, Dilbian — who towers over the man. It looks like there’s another Dilbian in the background, but it’s sitting below a painting of yet another Dilbian, so it’s a little difficult to spot at first glance.
Yes, this is one of those covers that gets better the longer you stare at it.
This amazing cover is not credited inside the novel. Thankfully, there is a very prominent signature in the picture. This is the work of Thomas Kidd, who’s had a very impressive career as an illustrator. Kidd has been nominated for the Hugo Award four times, has racked up seven Chesley Awards, and won the 2003 World Fantasy Award for Best Artist.
Kidd is also a designer, having done work for Walt Disney Animation Studios.
That’s an impressive resume indeed! You can see more of Thomas Kidd’s amazing artwork at his personal website. His steampunk cityscapes are absolutely phenomenal.