SERVER, THE METAMORPHOSIS, AND ART
A core influence on me and especially my story collection, The Terrorist of Providence Street, are the writings of Franz Kafka. I don't know if calling this story collection Kafkaesque would be appropriate, but there is a heavy flavor of Kafka's shorter works in the pages of this book.
When it came time to depicting the book through cover art - I wanted somehow to capture the feel of the original cover of Kafka's Metamorphosis. The sense of dread, horror, and a character on the border of madness spoke to me and I wanted those feelings represented in my own cover.
When it came time to depicting the book through cover art - I wanted somehow to capture the feel of the original cover of Kafka's Metamorphosis. The sense of dread, horror, and a character on the border of madness spoke to me and I wanted those feelings represented in my own cover.
The painting for the original version of the book was done by Marielle (also the artist of the Ella painting). I enjoy this painting and thought it fit the book well. From the start I intended to release a special edition of this book with a different name. The meta fiction aspects of the book and the influence of Kafka informed the inspiration for this painting and the cover for The Terrorist of Providence Street.
For the special edition, which will be named Server, I wanted a cover that more closely captured the feeling of a servant losing his mind. Originally I wanted a single Monkey on the cover, a sinister look upon the face and perhaps holding a book, a bomb, or a server notebook to take orders. This is the current version of the cover.
I ask - does this cover speak to you? If you didn't know anything about the book, what would you think? I must admit to being 'stuck' here and something feels not quite right to me, but I can't put my finger on what this illustration for the book is missing. Hopefully feedback from readers and friends can help me make the jump and figure it out.
Now that you see the original cover with the image of Kafka's Metamorphosis I was trying to capture, what do you think of this new illustration?
Thank you in advance for any input you can give.
I ask - does this cover speak to you? If you didn't know anything about the book, what would you think? I must admit to being 'stuck' here and something feels not quite right to me, but I can't put my finger on what this illustration for the book is missing. Hopefully feedback from readers and friends can help me make the jump and figure it out.
Now that you see the original cover with the image of Kafka's Metamorphosis I was trying to capture, what do you think of this new illustration?
Thank you in advance for any input you can give.
