Never judge a book by its cover – except for these especially terrible examples you’ll want to make an exception (won’t you?)
10.
Not Harry Potter. Nope… The Philosopher’s Stone, by Colin Wilson. Panther Books, 1974. Cover by Bob Fowke. pic.twitter.com/wKfzcu1cP8
— Pulp Librarian (@PulpLibrarian) June 15, 2025
11.
From the writer who brought you Slugs comes… Spawn, by Shaun Hutson. Leisure Books, 1983. pic.twitter.com/sPG9rHp3FI
— Pulp Librarian (@PulpLibrarian) June 15, 2025
12.
Skeppsbruten På Tschai (“City of the Chasch”) by Jack Vance. Lindqvist Pocket, 1970. pic.twitter.com/05d05aPBBi
— Pulp Librarian (@PulpLibrarian) June 15, 2025
13.
More bad book covers another timer. You can’t judge… pic.twitter.com/i3w5ItnodZ
— Pulp Librarian (@PulpLibrarian) June 15, 2025
To be fair, there are some good books there! And not everyone agreed that the covers were bad…
Most of these aren’t bad book covers. They are awesome book covers!
— Daniel Morgan (@DanielM51664716) June 16, 2025
Bad? These are amazing.
— Charlotte Dune (@charlotte_dune) June 16, 2025
Others chipped in with their own suggestions.
This cover for the german version of what I believe is James’ white “Major operation”.
The book seems to be an abridged version of the collection of short stories, but it’s mainly about the continent-sized organisms that look nothing like that. i always found this cover ugly. pic.twitter.com/Fto07eJpRa— Quillways (@quillways) June 16, 2025
Ah, Jack Vance! pic.twitter.com/a4fXGNC0vv
— KaiserSauzee (@_clishmaclaver_) June 15, 2025
I was disappointed this scene doesn’t exist in the book. pic.twitter.com/Gm0pMfqROS
— K.O. (@_KO_panda) June 16, 2025
Oh, I forgot one:
Great book, horrid cover. pic.twitter.com/xSnVxXBeNl— Quillways (@quillways) June 16, 2025
A music textbook pic.twitter.com/vrAZOqBpo3
— Nekochan (@Nekochan_______) June 17, 2025
One person’s awful is another person’s classic, obviously. We wouldn’t mind a few of those up on the wall.
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