Wednesday, February 10, 2010

The Technician

Here's the cover for The Technician:

20 comments:

Unknown said...

looks awesome cant wait to get my grubby hands on a copy :)

Mark T Croucher said...

I agree, the new art is very eye catching. Does this not remind me of a more aggressive sandworm from Dune though?

Mark T Croucher said...

I wish to retract that last observation as I now see it has legs.

Xanares said...

Holy shit.. I want that. Really cool cover.

Owen Roberts said...

Wow. That _is_ pretty.
Complete with trendy mugshot on the back :_)

Anonymous said...

Well thats not pants crappingly horrific.

I had thought The Technician was an Owner book. Whatever, more Polty is fantastic too.

Neal Asher said...

Mr Maigo, my last two books were swapped round by the publisher, which is why I'm still working on The Technician while the cover and other bits are being done. I have done the Owner book (The Departure) but that won't be published until next year.

vaudeviewgalor raandisisraisins said...

we're in a competition for creature art, and that guy whips the judge whips this out. jeezus.
i should feel inspiration, but that thing is just so goddam daunting and perfect.

Grim's Reality said...

Very subtle the lamp and the horse shoe crab a few updates ago. I looked at this picture and wondered... chicken egg, egg chicken?

In any event a super picture for detail. But the Hooder just looks a little tall and a little long without enough legs... if one may be so bold.

Variant13 said...

Thats a Hooder, definately a Hooder. And a big bloody scary one at that! Nice!!

Pavlov's Cat said...

just reading the cover blurb has got me excited.
Everythings there Masada, Amistad, Black AI's and Hooders

Unknown said...

Now THATS a GREAT COVER! =D

Michael Stone said...

That is a truly terrifying beastie!

Anonymous said...

I love it...

But what is the humanoid creatures on the back cover?

Anonymous said...

Ah no... I get it, it's one of the sculptures the Technician makes...

Neal Asher said...

Mark, the moth certainly is a bit sandwormish.

Graeme, yup, certainly a bit of that chicken and egg stuff going on.

David, since the sculptures incorporate something of a gabbleduck's mind, you may be right.

As I said on Facebook: not quite a hooder as I visualize, but with enough of a wow factor for that not to matter.

Grim's Reality said...

Questions: Do the cover artists use just the descriptions in the books, with referrence to your wishes?

Or do they work primarily for the publisher, with a keen eye on the commercial punch of the image and mostly from their own minds eye?

You don't have to give away trade secrets but it's always interesting to know the background stuff.

Also why don't you get that there artist to do a piece like the readers piece's?

Neal Asher said...

You've got Neil Lang, the cover designer, and John Sullivan the artist. Neil asks for some descriptions from the book concerned, sometimes being quite specific because he's read them himself. I supply these, then later on get to look at the rough sketch John has produced and have my chance to make suggestions (hence horseshoe crabs etc). Julie Crisp and others will also have their input. For example, this is a great picture, but I've noted that the title isn't clear, Julie agrees, and so that may be altered.

Jebel Krong said...

awesome cover, very close to how a hooder looks in my imagination (though i envisioned something a little more millipede-esque), this certainly has a more horrific mouth, though!

so thi sone is coming out first, before the owner book? cool i love the polity books! :-D

Unknown said...

If it's due out in September that gives me an easy Christmas prezzy request to the kids! IanF