Here’s my final cover illustration for the forthcoming Pyr edition of Mark Chadbourn’s THE DARK AGE: BOOK 2 / THE QUEEN OF SINISTER. It’s the second book of the trilogy that follows Chadbourn’s AGE OF MISRULE. Folks with long memories will [Read it all...]]]>

Final cover illustration for Mark Chadbourn's THE QUEEN OF SINISTER by John Picacio.

Here’s my final cover illustration for the forthcoming Pyr edition of Mark Chadbourn’s THE DARK AGE: BOOK 2 / THE QUEEN OF SINISTER. It’s the second book of the trilogy that follows Chadbourn’s AGE OF MISRULE. Folks with long memories will likely notice that this cover is radically improved and modified from the catalog version.

I believe the book releases in June. Pyr unveiled the cover yesterday via their blog, and I was encouraged to see the instant comments across Twitter and social media. The world really is a smaller place these days.

Here’s how the finished cover will look when it hits US shelves later this summer.

The science fiction/fantasy literary publisher Pyr (an imprint of Prometheus Books) is celebrating their fifth anniversary this year in style. They are sponsoring a contest that incorporates things they hold dear: creative and powerful writing, a passion for reading genre fiction, and this year’s [Read it all...]]]>

Four Pyr covers featuring cover art by San Antonio's John Picacio.

The science fiction/fantasy literary publisher Pyr (an imprint of Prometheus Books) is celebrating their fifth anniversary this year in style. They are sponsoring a contest that incorporates things they hold dear: creative and powerful writing, a passion for reading genre fiction, and this year’s special number, five.

For their Pyr and Dragons Adventure 5th Anniversary Contest, Pyr invites readers and fans to submit a short essay on the theme: Five reasons why science fiction and fantasy is important to you.

Eligibility requirements follow. Any essay submissions that do not meet these guidelines will be disqualified:

1. Entrants must reside in the Continental United States and be at least 21 years of age.
2. Essays must be no longer than 1500 words.
3. Essays must be emailed to publicity@prometheusbooks.com as a Word document attachment, with the subject line “Pyr and Dragons Adventure Essay Submission.”
4. The body of the submission email must clearly identify the entrant’s full name, address (within the Continental United States), phone number and email address.
5. All submissions must be received between April 1, 2010 and June 1, 2010.

The Grand Prize Winner will embark on a ’Pyr and Dragons Adventure’ that includes:

* A round-trip flight to Atlanta, GA during Dragon*Con, one of the largest multi-media, popular culture conventions focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the US. Dragon*Con 2010 will be held September 3–6, 2010 (Labor Day weekend).

* Two nights hotel accommodation in Atlanta, GA, Sept. 3 and 4, 2010.

* Dragon*Con membership/entry badge.

Read the complete rules, including more prizes from Pyr!

Here’s my final cover illustration for the forthcoming Pyr edition of Mark Chadbourn’s THE DARK AGE: BOOK 1 / THE DEVIL IN GREEN. It’s the first book of the trilogy that follows Chadbourn’s AGE OF MISRULE. The nice thing about THE [Read it all...]]]>

Final cover art for Mark Chadbourn's THE DEVIL IN GREEN by John Picacio

Here’s my final cover illustration for the forthcoming Pyr edition of Mark Chadbourn’s THE DARK AGE: BOOK 1 / THE DEVIL IN GREEN. It’s the first book of the trilogy that follows Chadbourn’s AGE OF MISRULE. The nice thing about THE DARK AGE is that the trilogy can be read as a standalone and doesn’t require reading AGE OF MISRULE in order to follow the story. However, reading MISRULE certainly enhances the experience. I’m glad I was able to improve the cover art from its initial catalog version. Here’s how the finished cover will look when it hits US shelves later this summer.