The Art of Michael Whelan

The Art of Michael Whelan

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The Art of Michael Whelan
The Art of Michael Whelan
THE RIDER
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THE RIDER

Cover illustration for The Singers of Time by Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson

Michael Whelan
Feb 22, 2025
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The Art of Michael Whelan
The Art of Michael Whelan
THE RIDER
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A young woman rides piggyback on a bipedal bull-like creature with russet fur and milky blue eyes. Her arms wrap around its horns settling casually on the top of its head. Behind them in colorful relief on concrete, the story of a conquering race of aliens features a central turtle-like figure spreading wings as an egg floats over it. The figure is bordered by an Art Deco star burst of yellow and white backed by an outer oval of yellow stars on blue. Other turtle-aliens line up among simple clouds, each presenting an egg as they stand in profile in a sort of worship. Beside the concrete facade that dominates the foreground, a human male stands atop a wrecked school bus, shielding his eyes as he stares up into the sky. A turtle-alien stands next to him dwarfing him in stature.
THE RIDER (1990), Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 27" x 35"

A race of turtle-like creatures conquers Earth, imposing a gentler set of values on humankind, outlawing destructive technology, and denying the validity of human scientific theories. When their home planet disappears into a black hole, however, the aliens' only hope for the future hinges on the possibility that humanity's flawed sciences might contain a glimmer of truth.

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Additional images from THE RIDER

LEFT: Figure detail from THE RIDER featuring a young woman with straight blonde hair riding piggyback on the shoulders of a bull-like creature with russet fur and milky blue eyes. RIGHT: Background detail from THE RIDER featuring a human male with dark hair, wearing an orange shirt with red beneath and brown pants, stands atop a wrecked yellow school bus. The man shields his eyes as he stares up into the sky. A turtle-like alien stands next to the man dwarfing him in stature but apparently engaging him in conversation. A trio of turtles casually stroll by stroll past as a wide wing spaceships glide by.LEFT: Figure detail from THE RIDER featuring a young woman with straight blonde hair riding piggyback on the shoulders of a bull-like creature with russet fur and milky blue eyes. RIGHT: Background detail from THE RIDER featuring a human male with dark hair, wearing an orange shirt with red beneath and brown pants, stands atop a wrecked yellow school bus. The man shields his eyes as he stares up into the sky. A turtle-like alien stands next to the man dwarfing him in stature but apparently engaging him in conversation. A trio of turtles casually stroll by stroll past as a wide wing spaceships glide by.
Details from THE RIDER
Book cover for THE SINGERS OF TIME by Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson, published by Bantam Spectra
The Singers of Time by Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson (Bantam Spectra)

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The Art of Michael Whelan
The Art of Michael Whelan
THE RIDER
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