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Penguin SF series, 1972–73

Contributed by Matthijs Sluiter on Nov 14th, 2019. Artwork published in
circa 1972
.
Apeman, Spaceman: An Anthology of Anthropological Science Fiction, edited by Leon H. Stover and Harry Harrison, 1972.
Source: www.amazon.co.uk License: All Rights Reserved.

Apeman, Spaceman: An Anthology of Anthropological Science Fiction, edited by Leon H. Stover and Harry Harrison, 1972.

One of the most iconic uses of Amelia is arguably Penguin’s Science Fiction series from the early 1970s. David Pelham, who served as Penguin’s art director from 1968 to 1979, “continued the use of strongly colored illustrations introduced by Alan Aldridge” (Phil Baines: Penguin By Design, 2005). The thirteen paperback covers from this series feature dystopian illustrations (all by Pelham himself) in various styles, using strong and bright colors. They are united by the use of all-caps Amelia for the author’s name (or the title, for compilations), sandwiched between lines in News Gothic for the series name and the title, against a black background.

In his role of art director at Penguin, Pelham would often connect certain typefaces with a genre or a specific author. Under his direction, the science fiction covers would continue to use News Gothic in combination with other typefaces and illustrators until a radical change of style in 1979. Pelham left Penguin Publishers in 1980: “When, from time to time I overheard people in the marketing department referring to books as ‘the product’, I knew it was time to jump.”

Amelia was designed by Stan Davis (b. 1938), a Cooper Union graduate. In 1966, it was chosen as one of 15 award winning type face designs in a competition sponsored by the Visual Graphics Corporation (VGC) in Tamarac, Florida. With its MICR-inspired aesthetic featuring an unconventional distribution of thicks and thins, it soon became associated with all things computer, futuristic, or paranormal, and was a popular choice at the peak of the Space Age. One influential example is S. Neil Fujita’s jacket for Future Shock (1970).

For additional info on this series (and beyond), see also chapter 18 of James Pardey’s Art of Penguin Science Fiction, Josh MacPhee’s expansive blog post on the Penguin Science Fiction
covers
, and the Unsubscribed Blog.

Science Fiction Omnibus, edited by Brian Aldiss, 1972.
Source: www.flickr.com The Unsubscriber (edited). License: All Rights Reserved.

Science Fiction Omnibus, edited by Brian Aldiss, 1972.

Philip K. Dick: The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch.
Source: www.flickr.com The Unsubscriber (edited). License: All Rights Reserved.

Philip K. Dick: The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch.

Kurt Vonnegut: Cat’s Cradle, 2nd edition, 1973.
Source: www.flickr.com Uploaded to Flickr by exaquint and tagged with “amelia” and “newsgothic”. License: All Rights Reserved.

Kurt Vonnegut: Cat’s Cradle, 2nd edition, 1973.

Olaf Stapledon: Star Maker.
Source: www.abebooks.com Bytown Bookery. License: All Rights Reserved.

Olaf Stapledon: Star Maker.

Olaf Stapledon: Last and First Men / Last Men In London, 1972.
Source: justseeds.org Josh MacPhee. License: All Rights Reserved.

Olaf Stapledon: Last and First Men / Last Men In London, 1972.

Olaf Stapledon: Sirius: A Fantasy Of Love And Discord, 1973.
Source: www.flickr.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Olaf Stapledon: Sirius: A Fantasy Of Love And Discord, 1973.

Zenna Henderson: The People: No Different Flesh.
Source: justseeds.org Josh MacPhee. License: All Rights Reserved.

Zenna Henderson: The People: No Different Flesh.

Frederik Pohl & C.M. Kornbluth: The Space Merchants, 1973.
Source: www.abebooks.com Plane Tree Books. License: All Rights Reserved.

Frederik Pohl & C.M. Kornbluth: The Space Merchants, 1973.

Frederik Pohl: A Plague of Pythons, 1973.
Source: flic.kr License: All Rights Reserved.

Frederik Pohl: A Plague of Pythons, 1973.

Michael Moorcock: A Cure for Cancer, 1973.
Source: www.flickr.com Birmingham Phil. License: All Rights Reserved.

Michael Moorcock: A Cure for Cancer, 1973.

Philip José Farmer: Night of Light.
Source: www.flickr.com The Unsubscriber (edited). License: All Rights Reserved.

Philip José Farmer: Night of Light.

James Blish: Black Easter or Faust Aleph-Null, 1972.
Source: www.flickr.com The Unsubscriber (edited). License: All Rights Reserved.

James Blish: Black Easter or Faust Aleph-Null, 1972.

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