The Starlight SciFaiku Review, Spring 2023 (issue #3)

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70. SPECIAL FEATURE: Art by Bruce Pennington


The Migraine Monochromes [drawing #1] by Bruce Pennington



Editor’s Note: This magnificent drawing, which first appeared in the book Ultraterranium (Paper Tiger / Dragon’s World, 1991) by Bruce Pennington and Nigel Suckling, is part of a collection, The Migraine Monochromes. See the rest of the collection and read the story behind it, then explore more of the extraordinary SFF art of Bruce Pennington on his website and at The Bruce Pennington Archive.

It is a genuine honor to be able to once again present the work of Bruce Pennington to you. He is a living legend. A grandmaster of science fiction and fantasy art. I grew up seeing his art, I’m pretty sure we all did. It would be difficult to overstate Bruce’s artistic accomplishments and influence in the realm of SF&F. Here’s some context: Bruce created the iconic cover art for Dune, the best-selling science fiction novel in history, about fifty-five years ago. Think about that for a moment. Long before I knew his name, I knew his work. It electrified my science fiction circuitry. It helped to shape my view of science fiction and fantasy, further fueling my growing fascination with that realm of the human imagination. It announced itself boldly from the covers of books and magazines. Its beauty, a revelation, a proclamation of science fiction awe. Its power, the intrigue of possibility, of far distant and alien worlds made tangible by the human imagination. Bruce’s works of art are each one the visual equivalent of an ultra-high-powered magnet, our eyes and our minds, orbs of iron, attracted. Upon entering the magnetic field of Bruce’s artistic creations, one is drawn, pulled into the exquisite science-fiction worlds that perhaps you imagined might exist if only they could somehow be channeled from the luminiferous aether into this dimension of perception. Bruce achieves that. His work mesmerizes, its influence resounding.

Here are the Wikipedia and ISFDB pages about Bruce.

Bruce Pennington

Bruce Pennington is an internationally acclaimed artist working in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. He has created the cover art for over two-hundred books by the biggest names in the industry and countless magazine covers. Explore the many worlds of Bruce’s fantastical art on his website.