TIME AND AGAIN

Cover illustration for Clifford D. Simak

Dec 07, 2024

A man in tattered spacesuit stands at a dated computer console that looks like something out of 70s NASA. His helmet rests next to him with visor reflecting the colors of the control panel. Staring directly at the audience, his eyes are glowing blue cut through with white starburst patterns signaling some other presence in his mind. Behind him, through a broken viewport, we see a field of stars, points of white on milky blue over black. Several monitors are shattered. A desk light illuminates the pages of a book that he holds open with gloved fingers. A crumpled envelopeHis other sleeve is torn at the wrist to expose pale flesh. — TIME AND AGAIN (1975), Acrylic on Illustration Board - 22" x 18"

A great story, too complex to represent faithfully in a single narrative illustration. Instead a scene created to contain several key elements from the plot (the glowing eyes, torn spacesuit, book, envelope, broken window), in order to focus on the mood of the story and pique the interest of the potential reader.

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