I’m collecting science fiction cover art that visualizes the future. It’s organized by date to show the evolution of science fiction in the eyes of artists. The emphasis here is not on the stories, but how artists imagined them. The works were selected to document how the past saw the future, so I give the date of the illustration, not the story.

Art for science fiction book and magazine covers and interior illustrations is very popular on the internet. I’ve linked the artist’s name to sites that display more of their work. There are many sites that specialize in SF cover art. Joachim Boaz blogs about artists and visual themes, see his index. The Facebook group, Space Opera Pulp, has thousands of members who share and discuss these old images. Pinterest has countless collections of SF art. Every few years new coffee table books are published on the history of science fiction art.

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Harry Grant Dart, The All-Story, October 1908

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Everett Shinn, Everybody’s Magazine, June 1917

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Howard V. Brown, Science and Invention, August 1923

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Frank R. Paul, Amazing Stories, November 1928

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Frank R. Paul, Wonder Stories Quarterly, Winter 1933

 

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Howard V. Brown, Astounding Stories, October 1934

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John Walter Scott, Future Fiction, July 1940

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Malcolm Smith, Other Worlds Science Stories, May 1950

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Ed Emshwiller, Galaxy Science Fiction, June 1951

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Alex Schomberg, Winston Science Fiction endpaper, 1952-1960

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Ed Emshwiller, The Black Galaxy by Murray Leinster, 1954

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Kelly Freas, Fantastic Universe, April 1955

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Richard Powers, Reach for Tomorrow, 1956

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Chesley Bonestell, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1956

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Ed Emshwiller, World Without Men by Charles Eric Maine, 1958

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Wallace Wood, Source unknown, 1958

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Ed Emshwiller, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, August 1958

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Unknown artist, City by Clifford Simak, 1985

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Kelly Freas, Astounding Science Fiction, February 1959

Ed Emshwiller, Galaxy Magazine, April 1960

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Neil Boyle, Stranger in a Strange Land, 1962

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John Schoenherr, Analog, September 1964

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Jack Gaughan, Empire Star by Samuel R. Delany, 1966

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Kelly Freas, Analog, July 1968

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Vaughn Bode, Worlds of If, November 1968

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Leo and Diane Dillon, Pavane by Keith Roberts, 1969

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Kelly Freas, Analog, September 1969

H. R. Van Dongen, The Best of James Blish, 1979

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Unknown artist, The Visitors by Clifford D. Simak, November 1980

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Tom Kidd, To the Resurrection Station by Eleanor Arnason, 1986