20 Amazing Book Cover Designs

Though most people are taught not to “judge a book by its cover” when it comes to others, sometimes an actual book cover can make a great first impression upon first glance. These covers offer a unique insight to the story in between either cover, and they are notorious for catching someone’s eye, drawing otherwise wouldn’t-be readers into a beguiling experience unlike any other. With millions of books available on the market, this article will showcase 20 of the most interesting covers.

1. The Abomination [Paul Golding, 2000]

This cover, an upside down bunny, accurately describes the life of innocent protagonist Santiago Zamora, whose life has been turned upside down with his blind groping for gay love.

2. A General Theory of Love [Thomas Lewis, Fari Amini & Richard Lannon, 2001]

This cover portrays a common physical language for love: an innocent lean onto a significant other, resting a head on their shoulder in a kind of trusting intimacy. It is displayed by one chair leaning onto another.

3. The Egg Code [Mike Heppner, 2002]

This shows a picture of an infant and an outline of America. In a clever satire about mid-Western America, this cover displays the suggestion of the links between evolution and the Internet as it is known today.

4. The Smartest Kid on Earth [Jimmy Corrigan, 2003]

The cover displays full color and hidden meaning, just as the pages inside show colorful comic images with a hidden, underlying story beneath it all.

5. A Shortcut Through Time [George Johnson, 2004]

Nominated for several awards, this book talks about the time continuum and quantum theory. This cover shows an example of sending an object through the portal of time, with the output elsewhere from the input.

6. Murder [John Steinbeck, 2005]

This cover portrays an example of how precise a murder can be, and this hits home for this old-time 19th century-based rural American novel.

7. The Prisoner of Guantanamo [Dan Fesperman, 2006]

This cover accurately depicts the narrow point of view held by FBI Agent Falk, not showing much other than a thin strip of vision.

8. Exile and the Kingdom [Albert Camus, 2007]

This cover shows improperly rendered lines as a play on the improper perspectives of the folks mentioned in this book.

9. The Work of Art in The Age of Mechanical Reproduction [Walter Benjamin, 2008]

This book is required reading for various establishments, and the wealth of information offered is displayed on the cover, which displays several book spines adjacent to one another.

10. The Way Through Doors [Jesse Ball, 2009]

Both the narrative situation and the cover of this book constantly fold within itself over and over again.

11. A Clockwork Orange [Anthony Burgess, 1986]

This cover is more of a play on its title, displaying an orange background and a clock for an eye.

12. A Perfect Mess [Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman, 2007]

Another play on the title, this cover shows a lamp that has its shade tilted. Though it is still a perfect lamp, it looks like a mess.

13. The Dirty Job [Christopher Moore, 2007]

This cover attempts to display the seemingly innocent actions of a man whose acquaintances all seem to drop dead around him.

14. Disorders of Memory and Learning [George A. Talland, 1968]

Here, it is shown how nice and smooth memory can be until it becomes distorted.

15. The End of Inequality? [David Lane, 1971]

A play on the title. The cover depicts unequal lines going through broken curves.

16. 1984 [George Orwell, 1949]

This book offers an insight on the upcoming year of 1984, where the world is divided.

17. The Language of Graphics [Edward Booth-Clibborn, 1980]

The cover plays on the title, coloring the text of the title in with simple graphics.

18. Sex in Society [Alex Comfort, 1964]

The cover shows colorful lines across the cover, with a portion differing from the rest. This shows the way that sex is buried in society, though it continues to stand out among it.

19. War Gaming [Andrew Wilson, 1970]

This cover displays a die with several unnatural disasters painted onto each side, suggesting the “game” that war has become, and it suggests that all wars have the same parts to it.

20. We Can Build You [Phillip K. Dick, 1994]

The book discusses how many of the greats known in the world today are built, and the cover depicts one great, Abraham Lincoln, being built as a robot.

These are just some of the many different covers that are both effective at catching eyes and are creative endeavors to play on the words in the book or its title.