Monday, December 15, 2008

Old German Covers





















Here's some pictures from XiXiDu (?) of all the original German covers, though many of them are not all that original. One there is from Arthur C Clarke's 2010 (spot the monolith) and another is from a John Meaney book. Perhaps someone can tell me what the others are from? Not that I'm complaining, Lubbe has bough books of mine before I've even written them and is always the first foreign publisher to publish new ones!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you get to choose the foreign language titles?

I don't speak German but I can tell that the titles are a lot different than the English.

Neal Asher said...

Der Drache Von Samarkand is The Dragon of Samarkand. Der Messingmann is The Brass Man. Cormac's Kreig is Cormac's War. But I can't get a translation of Das Erb Dschainas...

Nope, I don't get to choose them. Not knowing the language I might choose a straight translation of Gridlinked and have it turn out to mean: A Device Plugged into Mains Power!

Anonymous said...

Here is probably all the info you need:

http://www.xixidu.net/na/info.zip

(Titelbild/illustration = Cover
Umschlaggestaltung: Envelope design)

I also found higher resolution versions of some covers:

http://www.xixidu.net/na/covers.zip

-----

Quick Google:

Der Drache von Samarkand (Gridlinked) - Cover:
2061: ODYSSEY THREE
http://tinyurl.com/6d2fp2
by Michael Whelan

Skinner. Der blaue Tod (The Skinner) - Cover:
FOUR DAY PLANET
http://tinyurl.com/5rckt2
by Michael Whelan

Der Erbe Dschainas (The Line of Polity) - Cover:
http://www.alisoneldred.com/imageJimBurns-Commissions-0-253.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Burns
Die Zeitbestie (Cowl) - Cover:
? Couldn't find it on his homepage. But you can tell that it is also made by Jim Burns, if you compare the style.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Burns
by Jim Burns

Der Messingmann (Brass Man) - Cover,
Das Tor der Zeit (Polity Agent) - Cover,
Kinder der Drone (Hilldiggers) - Cover::
http://www.fredgambino.co.uk/
Again not to be found on his homepage, but the cover seems to be his style.
by Fred Gambino
(Interesting find: Check the cover of this http://tinyurl.com/5srl2c and this http://tinyurl.com/5gv3au book, both made by Fred Gambino. I own the first one too.)

Die große Fahrt der Sable Keech (The voyage of the Sable Keech) - Cover:
http://rainerkalwitz.deviantart.com/gallery/
Sailing Beyond
http://rainerkalwitz.deviantart.com/art/Sailing-Beyond-29313043
(Here it is, click on the image for high resolution)
http://www.kuenstlerderwelt.de/_art/k10021.html
by Rainer Kalwitz

Anonymous said...

Yeah Olaf you are right, I forgot the translations!

Chronological as they have been printed:

Original: Gridlinked
German: Der Drache von Samarkand
Translation: The Dragon of Samarkand

Original: The Skinner
German: Skinner. Der blaue Tod
Translation: Skinner. The Blue Death

Original: The Line of Polity
German: Der Erbe Dschainas
Translation: Devisee/inheritor of the Jain ("Heritage of the Jain" would have been a better choice I think, but then it would have to say "Das Erbe..." not "Der Erbe")

Original: Cowl
German: Die Zeitbestie
Translation: Time Beast

Original: Brass Man
German: Der Messingmann
Translation: Identical

Original: The voyage of Sable Keech
German: Die große Fahrt der Sable Keech
Translation: The journey of Sable Keech

Original: Polity Agent
German: Das Tor der Zeit
Translation: The Time Gate

Original: Hilldiggers
German: Kinder der Drohne
Translation: Children of the Drone

P.S.
As I get the newest book and the reprints arrive I'll check for the cover designer!

Anonymous said...

Cheers XiXiDu,

It's interesting to know the other titles for the books.

Swainson said...

Third from the left on the top row looks like Sten by Allen Cole.
The one under that looks like a Larry Niven book, the one next to it i recognise but can't for the life of me remember the title, Simon Hawke's Time Wars maybe?

Jonathan said...

Book number seven is Paradox, by John Meaney. Number six I've seen before but can't remember where.

Jebel Krong said...

Der Zeitbestie uses the cover for John Meaney's "Context" sci fi novel - i have the paperback. sadly he's gone over to fantasy these days... as has hamilton (at least 60% of his newest novel anyway). :-(

Anonymous said...

terrific, they really stole nearly everything... :-))

XiXiDu said...
Original: The Line of Polity
German: Der Erbe Dschainas
Translation: Devisee/inheritor of the Jain ("Heritage of the Jain" would have been a better choice I think, but then it would have to say "Das Erbe..." not "Der Erbe")


You seem to miss the fun part here: they just CHANGED that title with the new edition from der to das!! Like you I think that makes sense, so well done Lübbe.

Anonymous said...

You are right Martin! :-D

Original: The Line of Polity
German: Das Erbe Dschainas
Translation: Heritage of Jain

I think of Jain would also be valid, or do you think it is of the Jain? Since in the German title the proper name is used as singular? In the book itself the Polity thinks it is an alien species called the Jain but I think Dragon notes that the technology does not originate from a group of beings and the German title seems to correspond.