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A history of our knowledge of the solar system – from the observations of Babylonian astronomers to the modern theories of Albert Einstein.

The Kingdom of the Sun is a non-fiction book by Isaac Asimov. First published by Abelard-Schuman in 1960, Collier brought out a paperback edition in 1962. Four years later, the publisher commissioned S. Neil Fujita with a new cover design, which is shown here. For the title and author name, Fujita used Inserat-Grotesk a.k.a. Neue Aurora VIII, in all-lowercase letters.

Robbie is a short story written by Isaac Asimov, and first published in 1940 under the title Strange Playfellow. Lucas Mosesson used the text as the starting point for creating a book with an experimental layout, set entirely in CoFo Sans Mono. The project was made as a student project at Lycée Camille Claude, a design school in Blois, France. Lucas comments:

The project ROBBIE: An Interactive Novel reimagines the structure of a conventional edition by opting for an interactive approach that renews the reading experience. It highlights the human dimension through design and interaction processes that involve the human hand. Scratching, cutting, tearing, pasting, unfolding… the interactions are numerous and serve to illustrate the story through gestures, actions, and movements rather than images. This reedition invites the reader to become an actor and shape the narrative through their manipulations. The project establishes connections with current issues related to technology and robotics through a science fiction narrative that encourages reflection. All of this is contained within an ephemeral book whose degradation is necessary to fully enjoy the experience.

The typeface selection is related to the main themes of this work: Isaac Asimov’s short story Robbie revolves around robots and technology! For me, CoFo Sans directly recalls the early digital fonts derived from more traditional typewriter typefaces. This allows for a blending of the human and digital dimensions, with a font that simultaneously exists in the past, nostalgia, present, and future!

Furthermore, it is particularly effective when applying rules and grids to achieve stricter compositions. At times, one might even have the impression of seeing lines of code or script. CoFo Sans is also useful when it comes to make patterns or typographic effects with repetitive characters.

From Wikipedia:

Space Mail is an anthology of science fiction short works edited by Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg, and Joseph Olander. It contains a series of short stories written in the form of letters, diary entries, or memoranda. The book is broken into three sections, each of which contains stories written in the type of documentation after which the section is named.

Title and Isaac Asimov's name are set in Limited (see Corporate). The subtle differences between Corporate and its copy, Limited, are documented here. Additional text is set in ITC Quorum.

Cover art by John Berkey. Designer/s currently unknown.

14 Great Tales of ESP is an anthology of stories edited by Idella Purnell Stone and first published in paperback format by Fawcett Gold Medal in 1969. The book features stories by Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Murray Leinster, Fredric Brown, and others.

The cover title pairs Papirtis Pulsate with Anzeigen-Grotesk, which is also used for author's names and heading on the back cover. Additional text on the back cover is set in Trade Gothic. Fawcett World Library mark looks to be set in Grotesque No. 9.

Here’s one for Briar, who recently mentioned she longed to see more Moulin Rouge in use, and who contributed a fine in-use example for this Art Nouveau-inspired face by Photo-Lettering herself.

Davison Moulin Rouge was specified with EndcapS for the cover of The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett. More specifically, it’s Signet’s paperback edition from 1985, with cover art by Vicente Segrelles. Smaller text including the blurb by Asimov is added in ITC Korinna, another design with roots in the 1900s that likewise was produced at Photo-Lettering around 1970.

[More info on ISFDB]

Huxley Vertical in alternating colors for the names of the eight authors whose short stories are included in Invasion of the Robots. The science fiction anthology was published by Paperback Library in 1969. Note the use of the two forms for K.

Released by ATF in 1935, Huxley Vertical is a condensed all-caps typeface with monolinear strokes, distinguished by the protruding bars that are so typical for the Art Deco period, see for instance Triennale, or later creations in this style, like Plaza, ITC Anna, Avenida, or Capitol Capitals. Huxley Vertical isn’t named after Aldous Huxley, of course, but after its designer, Walter Huxley (1890–1955). This didn’t stop Agfa/Monotype from naming their interpretation Aldous Vertical.

The other text including the title is set in Inserat-Grotesk. Cover art by Jack Gaughan.

[More info on ISFDB]

Psychedelic watercolor and collage cover for a collection of science fiction stories edited by Sam Moskowitz and published by Pyramid Books. Artwork by Gail Burwen, who was later the art director for National Lampoon magazine.

[More info on ISFDB]

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]

The Folio SF pocket collection – an imprint of Gallimard – offers stories and novels from all walks of life, open to all worlds: science fiction, fantasy, fantasy, but also unclassifiable works, at the crossroads of genres. ABF Linéaire, designed by Philippe Apeloig and published by Nouvelle Noire is used as a main typeface for titling on various Folio SF book covers. Author’s names are set in Univers Condensed, and the Folio logo seems to be based on Adobe Garamond.

Edited by D. R. Bensen. Illustrated by Edd Cartier. 1970 reprint of the 1963 original by Pyramid Books (later Jove Books).

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

Title page

“Isaac Asimov” is set in an engravers roman, commonly used for business cards in most of the 20th century. “Natural Resource” is in Trade Gothic Extended or metal knockoff thereof.

Dust jacket for the novel The Gods Themselves. Psychedelic Amelia getting even more psychic with the heavy overprint.