Christopher Hodder-Williams — Book Jackets

Some book jackets, and the artists who created them

The author Christopher Hodder-Williams was published in over 50 book editions, in 5 countries, and over almost 30 years. Each edition needing a new book jacket, and each new jacket needed an illustrator. Unsung heroes often uncredited. Fashions, time and geography had a huge effect, so I thought I’d share a few.

This is Chain Reaction from 1959, artwork by Richard Powers.

The jacket for Final Approach from 1960 by Tom Dunn carries distinct echoes from the Second World War, though the book is an aviation thriller.

For The Main Experiment 1964, Hodder-Williams turned to his friend Shirli Scott James for the artwork.

Chain Reaction in 1966 and a jacket by the fantastic artist Josh Kirby.

The Egg Shaped Thing 1967 and another jacket by Shirli Scott James.

Fistful of Digits 1968, the artist Colin Andrews.

Germany this time, and always a very different style. Der Grosse Summende Gott (A Fistful of Digits) 1969 by Heinz Edelmann and Klaus Kammerichs.

Panic O’Clock 1973, a dramatic paperback cover by Lucinda Cowell.

98.4, the 1974 paperback edition. One of my favourites, possibly by John Holmes.

Cowards’ Paradise 1974, Shirli Scott James’ 3rd jacket for him.

The Silent Voice 1977 and the space age makes an appearance. Illustration by Tina Murray and jacket design by Grant Bedford.

The Prayer Machine in 1976, and a jacket James Campus using an illustration by MC Escher. Unusual, but not unique, for one of Hodder-Williams’ books to use existing artwork.

The Chromosome Game from 1984 was Hodder-Williams’ final published novel. The illustration by Randa.

Finally a German edition of Cowards’ Paradise, Das Paradies Der Feiglinge 1986, used a cropped version of Tito Salomini’s ‘Always On’ for the cover.

There were many other book jackets; changing according to time and geography. Some much more interesting and original than others. The artist wasn’t always credited, and some appear to have worked, unacknowledged, for the publisher’s design department. Others, like his friend Shirli Scott James, were clearly chosen by the author.

Whatever the design, and whoever the artist, they remain an important part of each book.

Simon Hodder-Williams (November 2022)