Bruce Pennington (born 10 May 1944)''Eschatus'',

Paper Tiger Books Paper Tiger Books was a British publishing house which focused primarily on books of modern art, specifically the visionary, the fantastic, and science fiction, and an imprint of Dragons World Ltd. It was started in 1976 by Hubert Schaafsma and b ...

, 1976,

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...

, is a British

painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

, best known for his

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

cover art Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product, such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper ( tabloid), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album ar ...

. Pennington's works have largely featured on the covers of novels of

Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...

Clark Ashton Smith Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893 – August 14, 1961) was an influential American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction stories and poetry, and an artist. He achieved early recognition in California (largely through the enthusiasm ...

, and

Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein ( ; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific acc ...

, adopting both science fiction and fantastical themes. Pennington's works are largely characterised by bold, daring colours; rich pinks and blues sustaining his continuing motifs of speculation, as well as precise brush strokes, harmonious pigment blending. Pennington attended the Ravensbourne School of Art in

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...

during the early 1960s. He began working as a freelance illustrator in 1967. In 1976,

published an LP-sized graphic album, ''Eschatus'', featuring Pennington's paintings inspired by the prophecies of

Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinisation of names, Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French Astrology, astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed Oracle, seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéti ...

. They followed this, in 1991, with a graphic album, ''Ultraterranium'', collecting various private and commercial works.

Selected works

* '' The Defence'' by

Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov ( ; 2 July 1977), also known by the pen name Vladimir Sirin (), was a Russian and American novelist, poet, translator, and entomologist. Born in Imperial Russia in 1899, Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Rus ...

, Panther Books, 1967 * ''

Stranger in a Strange Land ''Stranger in a Strange Land'' is a 1961 science fiction novel by the American author Robert A. Heinlein. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human who comes to Earth in early adulthood after being born on the planet Mars and rais ...

'' by

Robert Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein ( ; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific acc ...

, New English Library. 1970 *''

Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

'' by

Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science-fiction author, best known for his 1965 novel Dune (novel), ''Dune'' and its five sequels. He also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, ...

*''

Dune Messiah ''Dune Messiah'' is a 1969 science fiction novel by American writer Frank Herbert, the second in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. A sequel to ''Dune'' (1965), it was originally serialized in ''Galaxy'' magazine in 1969, and then published by ...

'' by Frank Herbert *''

Children of Dune ''Children of Dune'' is a 1976 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the third in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. Originally serialized in ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' in 1976, it was the last ''Dune'' novel to be serialized before ...

'' by Frank Herbert *''

God Emperor of Dune ''God Emperor of Dune'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Frank Herbert, published in 1981. The fourth in his ''Dune'' series of six novels, it was ranked as the No. 11 hardcover fiction best seller of 1981 by ''Publishers Weekly''. ...

'' by Frank Herbert *''

Heretics of Dune ''Heretics of Dune'' is a 1984 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the fifth in his Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' series of six novels. Set 1,500 years after the events of ''God Emperor of Dune'' (1981), the novel finds humanity on the path se ...

'' by Frank Herbert *'' Chapterhouse: Dune'' by Frank Herbert *''

The Shadow of the Torturer ''The Shadow of the Torturer'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Gene Wolfe, published by Simon & Schuster in May 1980. It is the first of four volumes in ''The Book of the New Sun'' which Wolfe had completed in draft before ''The S ...

'' by

Gene Wolfe Gene Rodman Wolfe (May 7, 1931 – April 14, 2019) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He was noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith. He was a prolific short story writer and no ...

( 1981 BSFA Award)

References

External links

The Art of Bruce Pennington (official site)
*

1944 births Living people 20th-century British painters British male painters 21st-century British painters British illustrators British science fiction artists British fantasy artists Artists from Somerset BSFA Award for Best Artwork winner 20th-century British male artists 21st-century British male artists {{UK-painter-20thC-stub