Science fiction is an innovative genre, and the visual art that accompanies it is often equally imaginative. Broader artistic movements, the history of book publishing, and technological advancements have all contributed to trends in cover art. Science fiction has also been published in many different formats over the years, including magazine serials. Though science fiction is popular all around the world, this exploration of cover trends will focus mostly on sci-fi written in English.

1800-1850

Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein is often considered the first science fiction novel. Although it has had countless covers since, the first edition is typical for novels of its time, with no cover illustrations. Readers in 1818 likely had no idea it would begin a new genre.

1851-1900

From 1863 until 1905, Jules Verne published his Voyages Extraordinaires series. These were serialized by Verne’s publisher, Pierre-Jules Hetzel, and later published as novels, such as Journey to the Center of the Earth. Édouard Riou and other artists created the cover art and illustrations. Riou’s black-and-white drawings, with their intricate lines, influenced later adaptations and even cartoons. The cover displayed here is by Jean Engel. Most covers were not illustrated at this time.

1901-1950

Amazing Stories magazine was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1926.  Frank R. Paul painted many covers for Amazing Stories, often spaceships and buildings in bright colors. Decades later, they influenced sci-fi authors and other illustrators. Other iconic sci-fi magazines of this era included Astounding Stories, which published stories by Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein, and Weird Tales. These magazines were called “pulp” because of the quality of the paper they were printed on, not the writing.

In the 1930s, Penguin Books in the UK and Pocket Books in the US sold durable, inexpensive paperback books, making books affordable to many more people. Leslie Holland, who also worked in advertising, created both the cover and design for Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Critics still praise the cover for its Art Deco style. The 1927 German Expressionist film Metropolis, with its skyscrapers and robots, was also a huge influence on future sci-fi aesthetics.

1951-2000

Especially during the 1960s and 1970s, mass market SFF paperbacks were popular. They were sold in drugstores and grocery stores and were smaller and cheaper than trade books, which are designed for bookstores.

Art directors sometimes commissioned or chose art by famous artists for their SFF covers. A painting by Dadaist Max Ernst appeared on the 1963 Penguin edition of A Case of Conscience by James Blish.

It’s impossible to talk about the 1960s and ‘70s without mentioning psychedelia. You’ve probably seen the distorted bubble letters and bright but clashing colors of this style. This trend fits perfectly with Dune, which features Spice or Melange, a fictional, psychedelic drug. John Schoenherr’s original, painted cover, with its swirling typeface, looks almost like an acid rock album cover.

Many sci-fi covers from this era were bizarre and intriguing. They often either contained big plot hints or seemed only vaguely related to the book at first glance. For example, I love A Wrinkle in Time but am baffled by many of its covers. Even if they don’t directly represent the story, covers like these evoke the dreamlike, surreal tone of many SFF novels.

2000-present

Partly because of online shopping and ebooks, recent book covers often have simpler designs and larger text. Covers must be recognizable and legible at first glance, even in a thumbnail photo. Older covers often had intricate, small details on the front and back covers. Today, covers are often digitally illustrated, rather than painted. This is partly to save money, but it’s also fitting for sci-fi to embrace new technology and media.

It’s easy to say that book covers look the same nowadays, but I think that’s an over-generalization. I like the cover of N. K. Jemisin’s story collection How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? The cover design is by Lauren Panepinto, with a photo by CreativeSoul Photography. Photos of people on sci-fi covers are rare. Yet the lighting and the model’s hair accessories seem futuristic, making the cover instantly look sci-fi.

Sci-fi covers are artists’ unique interpretations of the books and their themes. They’re also fascinating pieces of art in themselves that influence later sci-fi authors. I’ll always feel nostalgic for the oil paintings on old covers, but covers with photographs and digital illustrations are equally striking. Just please never use GenAI.

Read more about great book covers with this collection of the best covers of 2025 so far.