First edition of of Rhapsody in Black, a sci-fi novel written by Brian M. Stableford (1948–2024), published in 1973 by DAW Books.

The typeface used for the title of the book and its author is Hess Neobold, originally designed in the 1930s by Sol Hess for Lanston Monotype. It’s paired with an interesting, light-condensed version of Eurostile for the tagline.

The cover art is by Frank Kelly Freas. The typographer is unknown.

[More info on ISFDB]

First-edition cover of To Outrun Doomsday, a science fiction novel by English writer Kenneth Bulmer (1921–2005), published in by Ace Books in 1967.

Title and author’s name are set in slanted Millstein Orientale. Cover art by Frank Kelly Freas.

[More info on ISFDB]

The organic and at the same time squarish Jugendstil forms of Charleston are used to convey an extraterrestrial mood, echoing the creature in the cover art by Frank Kelly Freas. Originally published in German in 1961 as Das Gedankennetz, this is the first English paperback edition, issued by DAW Books in the translation by Christine Priest under the title The Mind Net (UQ1136). Austrian scientist and science fiction writer Herbert W. Franke passed away earlier this year at the age of 95.

From the back cover:

In The Mind Net we encounter a vast space fleet exploring the cosmos. They find some organic remnants in the lifeless soil of an ancient world. But when the space explorers test these mysterious objects they suddenly find their ship trapped in an alien mental web and face a menace never allowed for on their computers.

[More info on ISFDB]

They gave him an expendable ship, a screwball crew, and an enemy nobody could locate.

Science fiction novel by John T. Phillifent, written under his pen name John Rackham, and published in 1971 as Ace Double #05595. The font used for the title of this book is Davison Bolero, which includes numerous descending alternates for several characters. The smaller text appears to be set in Folio, with a short J in the author’s name. Cover art by Frank Kelly Freas.

[More info on ISFDB]

The more the aliens tampered, the more inexplicable the human reaction.

Robert Montgomery’s Pousse Cafe (Photo-Lettering, 1969) for the title of Recoil, a science fiction novel by South African couple Claude and Rhoda Nunes, published in 1971 as Ace Double together with Lallia by E.C. Tubb. The three layers of Pousse Cafe’s open shade were given different colors, adding further depth to the type. The cover art is by Frank Kelly Freas.

[More info on ISFDB]

A copy signed by Kelly Freas.

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1967 printing (73-662), with Pacella Decatur for the title. The secondary typefaces are Venus and News Gothic.

The Carnelian Cube is a fantasy novel by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt. First published in hardcover by Gnome Press in 1948, this is the paperback edition by Lancer Books. Their first printing from 1967 combined cover art by Frank Kelly Freas with a title set in caps from Vincent Pacella’s Decatur. Two years later, Lancer Books changed the typography and switched to another face by Photo-Lettering: Craig Mierop’s Ginger Snap, which had been added to their catalog shortly before. More specifically, it’s the “C” variant with open letterforms – here filled in green, yellow, and red – and a long shade.

Source: www.biblio.com License: All Rights Reserved.

1969 printing (74676-075) with Mierop Ginger Snap (and Helvetica or similar).

Source: www.pristineauction.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Front cover signed by Brian May and Roger Taylor.

Probably the most iconic use of Umbra? The shadow-only capitals designed by Robert Hunter Middleton grace the cover of News of the World. The sixth studio album by Queen was released on 28 October 1977 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States.

The album’s cover was a painting by American sci-fi artist Frank Kelly Freas. [Drummer Roger] Taylor had an issue of Astounding Science Fiction (October 1953) whose cover art depicted a giant intelligent robot holding the dead body of a man. The caption read: “Please... fix it, Daddy?” to illustrate the story “The Gulf Between” by Tom Godwin. The painting inspired the band to contact Freas, who agreed to alter the painting for their album cover, by replacing the single dead man with the four “dead” band members (with Taylor and Deacon falling to the ground, and Taylor only visible on the back cover).

The inner cover (gatefold) has the robot extending its hand to snatch up the petrified fleeing audience in the shattered auditorium where the corpses were removed. Freas said he was a classical music fan and did not know Queen, and only listened to the band after doing the cover “because I thought I might just hate them, and it would ruin my ideas”, but eventually liked their music.

The layout and sleeve coordination is credited to Cream.

[More info on Discogs]

Source: www.pristineauction.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Back cover (US pressing by Elektra).

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Gatefold.

Source: www.ebay.com auto69man. License: All Rights Reserved.

Inner sleeve with lyrics set in Gill Sans and titles in Umbra.

Source: www.ebay.com taminage. License: All Rights Reserved.

Record label ft. Gill Sans.

Source: www.discogs.com License: All Rights Reserved.

“We Are The Champions” / “We Will Rock You” (1977) single sleeve, with a detail from the album cover.

Source: www.discogs.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Back side of the German release on EMI Electrola.

Source: www.discogs.com License: All Rights Reserved.

“Spread Your Wings” / “Sheer Heart Attack” (1978) single sleeve, reusing a detail from the gatefold artwork.

Source: www.discogs.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Jacket of the hardback edition by Random House, November 1973, with cover art by John Sposato (@type_and_image). [More info on ISFDB]

Both the jacket for the original hardcover edition (above) as well as the paperback cover (below) of this science fiction anthology use a multiline face, set in all caps and on an angle.

In the case of the former, the letterforms are based on Prisma Graphic A, apparently redrawn with seven instead of eight lines. [see comments] The light slab serif is L&C Stymie Hairline, used with its alternate double-storey a. The latter features Aki Lines, paired with caps from Futura Extra Bold [or rather Twentieth Century Ultrabold, see comments].

A final salute to John W. Campbell, editor extraordinaire, by the writers he developed in Astounding Science Fiction.

Contents:
Introduction: The Father of Science Fiction by Isaac Asimov, Lodestar by Poul Anderson, Thiotimoline to the Stars by Isaac Asimov, Something Up There Likes Me by Alfred Bester, Lecture Demonstration by Hal Clement, Early Bird by Theodore R. Cogswell and Theodore L. Thomas, The Emperor's Fan by L. Sprague de Camp, Brothers by Gordon R. Dickson, The Mothballed Spaceship by Harry Harrison, Black Sheep Astray by Mack Reynolds, Epilog by Clifford D. Simak, Interlude by George O. Smith, Helix the Cat by Theodore Sturgeon, Probability Zero! The Population Implosion by Theodore R. Cogswell and Afterword by Harry Harrison.

Read more in Paula’s Reading Room.

Cover of the paperback edition by Ballantine, December 1974, with cover art by Frank Kelly Freas. Originally made in October 1953 as cover illustration for Tom Godwin’s “The Gulf Between” for Astounding Science Fiction magazine, this image was later reused for the cover of Queen’s album News of the World (1977).
[More info on ISFDB]

First German edition of The Outposter (1972) by Gordon R. Dickson (1923–2001), published as No. 228 in the Terra Taschenbuch series (from 1958 to 1965: Terra Sonderband). This pocketbook series was a spin-off of Terra Utopische Romane / Science Fiction, later renamed Terra SF, by Arthur Moewig Verlag. From 1971, it was continued with an Erich Pabel Verlag imprint. Cover art by Frank Kelly Freas (1922–2005), with tightly spaced Marvin (1969) by Mick Chave. The Terra logo uses Futura Display.

Astronauts & Androids (1977), edited by George H. Scithers. Cover art by Frank Kelly Freas [The Internet Speculative Fiction Database]

Asimov’s Choice is a series of science fiction anthologies edited by George H. Scithers and L. Sprague de Camp with Isaac Asimov and published by Dale Books, an imprint of Davis Publications.

The main typeface on the covers of the first three books from 1977 — Astronauts & Androids, Black Holes & Bug-Eyed-Monsters, The Queen of Zamba — is Benguiat Charisma Script Shaded. The heavy script is just one of over 600 typefaces designed by Ed Benguiat, who was born on this day in 1927. Happy 90th birthday, Ed!

The accompanying Clarendon is another face by Photo-Lettering, Inc. — Dave West’s Behemoth. Later volumes (Extraterrestrials & Eclipses, Comets & Computers, Dark Stars & Dragons, 1978) have less exciting covers featuring a condensed grotesque.

Black Holes & Bug-Eyed-Monsters (1977), edited by George H. Scithers. Cover art by Frank Kelly Freas

The Queen of Zamba (The Cosmic Manhunt) (1977), edited by L. Sprague de Camp. Cover art by Jack Gaughan

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