If you, like me, have been avidly fascinated by Chels (chels_ebooks) who talks about romance novel covers and their history, you might find the topic of science fiction book covers a whole other beast. But equally fascinating I think. While your run-of-the-mill contemporary paperback might showcase a happy couple in front of a sunset (yawn), sci-fi covers have the audacity to feature sandworms the size of skyscrapers, robots with more feelings than you, and dystopian landscapes that look like someone spilled neon paint all over a decaying city. Seriously, it’s like the genre’s motto is “Go big or go home,” with the big being some weird alien overlord and the home being a planet on the brink of destruction.

But here’s the kicker: While these covers were once crafted by actual artists (remember those?), now the shiny future of science fiction covers involves... AI. Yes, you heard that right. Instead of talented, living, breathing humans, AI tools are being handed the reigns to create cover art. And if you’ve ever wondered what happens when you give an algorithm access to the entirety of the internet, the answer is terrifying. But before I dive too deep into my existential rage about the dehumanization of creativity, let’s take a nostalgic stroll through the actual science fiction covers that made this genre legendary—because, let’s face it, those robots didn’t create themselves.

The Early Days: Frankenstein and the "What Even Is a Cover?" Era

Let’s kick things off with Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. First, Mary is the mother of sci-fi. Mansplainers begone. Now, we know the 1931 Boris Karloff film version of the monster had some serious visual impact, but the first edition of Frankenstein in 1818? Nah, no fancy illustrations for you. That first cover was about as exciting as a bag of stale chips—literally what does this cover even have to do with the story?! But as time went on, the covers slowly became as dramatic as the story itself—complete with ghastly depictions of a stitched-together monster. If you ever feel like your life is falling apart, just remember—at least you're not a misunderstood monster who can't catch a break, right?

Here's a sideline shot of my favorite Frankenstein cover btw, it's not even technically collectible, you can find it anywhere, but it's so bold and pulpy and can't you just feel his ANGST?! We've really come a loooong way since 1818!

The 1900s: The Golden Age of Sci-Fi Covers (Sort of)

Fast forward to the early 20th century, and suddenly, we’re really getting somewhere with sci-fi covers. H.G. Wells and other legends were cranking out some wild, futuristic adventures, and the artists were truly flexing their creative muscles. A lot of early science fiction was initially published in pulp magazines like Amazing Stories (launched in 1926), which featured colorful, eye-catching covers to capture the imagination of readers. Artists like Frank R. Paul were pioneers in illustrating futuristic cities, rocket ships, and alien creatures. These covers were often dramatic and otherworldly, capitalizing on fantastical elements.

The 1950s-1960s: Where Things Got REALLY Weird

Enter the pulp era, where covers started going all-out. No more “meh” art; now we had space ships the size of planets, aliens with tentacles, and robots with far too much personality. The covers didn’t just sell you a book—they entranced you into entering a completely new reality. Gone were the days of minimalism. Now it was all about that wow factor.

"The Stars My Destination" (1962) by Alfred Bester
Here, the cover was a glorious mess of sci-fi goodness, with space pirates, bold colors, and the sense that everything was about to explode—because it was. This cover set the tone for the space opera genre: gritty, dangerous, and so over-the-top, you couldn’t help but love it.

"Dune" (1965) by Frank Herbert
Oh, Dune—that verbose behemoth of science fiction. The first edition cover featured a terrifying sandworm emerging from the desert, giving readers the immediate “yep, I’m about to be blown away” vibe. The novel has since earned some of the most iconic covers in sci-fi history. If you don’t see a sandworm and think "I need this book"—are you even human? The content of the book is another story - but that's a post for another day!

The Present Day: AI Ruins Everything (Sort Of)

Now, here comes the 21st century, where things start to get... interesting. As if movie feature book covers weren't bad enough already, enter: AI. Yep, that’s right—artificial intelligence is now churning out science fiction covers, and honestly, it’s as terrifying as it sounds. AI doesn’t know how to capture the soul of a story or the uniqueness of an author’s voice. Instead, it grabs some random data from across the web, spits out something that looks vaguely like a scene from a fever dream, and calls it a day.

But because authors are desperate for some cool art without breaking the bank, and publishers are greedy and don't want to pay real artists, AI covers are becoming a thing. And let’s be real: when you see an AI-generated book cover, do you really think, “Ah yes, this is a masterpiece created with love and care,” or more like, “Hmm, this looks like it was designed by a malfunctioning vending machine.”

AI-generated covers often lean heavily on abstract landscapes, neon glows, and creepy visuals that are supposed to evoke the “alien” or “futuristic” elements of the genre, but they often miss the soul of what makes sci-fi so good. I mean, I get it—AI can spit out an image faster than you can say "cyberpunk dystopia," but come on, this is the genre that gave us *epic covers of giant space monsters and mind-blowing worlds—are we really going to settle for robot art that looks like it was created after too many cups of coffee?

*If you're wondering why I used this specific image in this post, source material here: https://gizmodo.com/tor-book-ai-art-cover-christopher-paolini-fractalverse-1849904058

Wrapping It Up: The Glory Days vs. The AI Takeover

As much as I love the idea of science fiction authors getting super creative with their covers, there's something deeply unsettling about letting an AI decide the fate of your book’s visual identity. With the new information coming out that not only does AI attempt (badly) to put real, creative humans out of creative jobs but also has an astoundingly bad impact on the environment, let's be reminded again—real, human artists gave us some of the most iconic and jaw-dropping covers in history. They captured the weirdness, the chaos, and the beauty of otherworldly concepts in ways that no machine ever could. HUMANS SHOULD BE MAKING ART, NOT AI, FULL STOP.

So, until AI learns to feel and think, let’s just agree that when it comes to book covers—especially sci-fi ones—nothing beats the human touch. Except maybe a few giant sandworms. Those are always a win.

What do you think? Have AI covers won you over, or are you side-eyeing them like I am? Let me know, and don’t forget to check out these covers that are way cooler than anything an algorithm can produce.