Raising a Mountain of Black Glass
The making of the third Otherland cover for Tad Williams
The concept Tad Williams pitched for Otherland was different. Approaching science fiction like epic fantasy, he set out to tackle an ambitious story to follow his groundbreaking Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy.
Starting in 1996 with City of Golden Shadows, Williams spun out a complex tapestry with Virtual Reality as the backdrop. Remarkably, he threaded the needle and delivered four hefty tomes in five years.
Set in the late 21st century, the worldbuilding plays on stratification of wealth and technology to create a dystopic vision of the future that has resonated well in the decades after publication.
While the series will always stand in the shadow of his fantasy masterpiece, these are excellent books worth revisiting. Today we’ll take a look at Mountain of Black Glass, the third volume of Otherland, and examine the concepts that led to a truly stunning cover.
Michael Everett
A Tale Ahead of Its Time
What appealed to me in the Otherland manuscripts? Everything! The diversity of compelling characters, the brilliant evocation of the virtual universe Tad envisioned, and the excellent plotting that grabs you and won’t let go. What’s not to like?
It’s been a few decades since I read the books, but I still have a strong visual impression of Otherland. For years, I’ve said the story would have made an EPIC series on TV or in the movies. It’s a damn shame nobody in Hollywood has seen the potential. The story deserves a well-funded Hollywood screen treatment.
In the time elapsed since the books were published, I’m afraid that many of the unique ideas and SF aspects of his novels have been co-opted. After Ready Player One and other shows touching on Virtual Reality scenarios, it might be too late.
But in the right hands, the ideas presented in Otherland could still be ripe for development. From the ever-increasing inequality between the ultra-rich and the rest of the world to the allure of an alternate digital reality—as irresistibly attractive as any potent drug—we still struggle with the themes presented in Otherland.
Besides, a good story is always worth pursuing.
A Pause in Retirement from Illustration
Following my first one man art show in 1997, the plan was to step away from illustration to pursue fine art, but I held onto a few commitments with DAW. Otherland was one of them.
With the cover for River of Blue Fire completed, I felt like I was in it for the duration. I mean, Betsy Wollheim designed a consistent cover layout to accommodate my artwork. I couldn’t bail on the last couple of covers for the series.
But that’s all besides the point: I felt fully invested in the story and the characters. I would have done the cover art just for that reason alone.
I racked my brain for an appropriate image for the cover and found there were a lot of directions I could take. In total, I submitted a dozen concept renderings. On top of that, I contributed a handful of spot illustrations as well. The sheer volume of ideas reflected my inspiration as a cover artist.
The concept Betsy chose with the sphinxes framing the image was absolutely the best option. The Egyptian motif touched on an important part of the story, while the circle of children’s figures becoming birds reflected another aspect of the plot.
I may be wrong, but I seem to recall that Tad’s description of the Mountain of Black Glass was somewhat vague and open to interpretation. I decided to avoid making it look like an earthly mountain like the Matterhorn and kinda went psychedelic with an organic and abstract approach.
It all worked out well based on the concept, so I was really happy with the result.
Comment to Win an Otherland Print
This Wednesday (June 4), we’ll be giving away two prints of CITY OF GOLDEN SHADOWS, hand signed by Michael—and personalized if you’d like.
Paid subscribers will automatically be entered to win the first print. For the second, we’ll be drawing a name randomly from the comment left on this week’s post.
The print giveaways ship at no charge within the United States. International fans are welcome to enter but shipping fees may apply.
Weekly Art Recap
Showdown at End World - alternate concept for The Dark Tower by Stephen King
Sentinels - early personal work that provided a window into another world
Hobbit in a Pinch - Bilbo Baggins attempts to burgle a trio of trolls
Dawn Portal - seeking knowledge beyond cultural influence
Synthetic Men of Mars - a different kind of hero from Edgar Rice Burroughs
Renegade of Kregen - one of three Dray Prescot covers for Alan Burt Akers
Otherland Prelim Available Whelan Wednesday
Michael recently uncovered a concept for Mountain of Black Glass—and he made a few more stunning discoveries while searching for art that I’ll reveal soon! The Otherland concept will be featured first, coming this Whelan Wednesday.
Like always, an exclusive preview of the original art will be available for our paid subscribers on Substack before the art is released in our shop on Wednesday, June 4 at 11am ET.
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I've never read this series, but the cover artwork is making me want to!! So fantastic seeing all the different concepts as well.
Just like you I lament the fact that nobody seems interested in adapting these books, they would make a perfect TV series. But the budget would have to be colossal.