The Pulp Fiction Cover Art of Bruce Pennington

The Abominations of Yondo

Bruce Pennington has been in the business a long time. His first sci-fi cover commission came in 1967, for the New English Library 1970 paperback edition of Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. Not a bad start! The book became the sacred text of The Church of All Worlds, a religious group officially recognized by the U.S. government in 1967.

Nordius

This commission led to many such cover art projects under New English Press, and Pennington's career was off with a bang — he painted artwork for sci-fi, fantasy and horror novels like the Dune series by Frank Herbert, as well as for works by Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith and Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Pennington's long career has produced a number of classic covers, but he also works on personal projects. Monster Brains has a great starter collection, and you can see even more of Pennington's 50-year canon on his site. Link

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L. Ron Hubbard did say, "I'd like to start a religion. That's where the money is!" and went ahead and founded a religion, but Stranger in a Strange Land is actually by Robert A. Heinlein, who did not. But at least he got a crater on Mars named after him!

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TY! Not sticky so much as less sensitive than the one it just replaced. I bought a new keyboard. We're still getting to know each other. :)

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I haven't read it in so long that I barely remember it, but I find it fascinating that the fake religion in the book became a real religion that's legit, (Er, you know. Technically, for tax purposes and such.) Just craziness.

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Fantastic find, Adrienne - The mention of Stranger in a Strange Land brings me back to my sci-fi reading days!