«Thanatopsis» (1962) - Ed Emshwiller/Танатопсис, ед Е (1963)

(Среди выживших) - As an sf artist, Emshwiller seemed equally at home in every sf illustrative mode, whether dramatic, symbolic or humorous, and he was adept in handling a wide variety of subject matter, from Spaceships and future Cities to whimsical Aliens and gruesome Monsters; he is described as “the great all-rounder of sf art“ in Brian W Aldiss’s Science Fiction Art (graph 1975). A Google Images search of his name will reveal the truly astonishing number and variety of his works. His style was vigorous but polished, though his actual lines (especially in interior artwork) tended to be rough, assured, and full of character. While there is no denying his talent, he may have worked too speedily: from today’s perspective, little of his sf artwork seems especially memorable, although some of his classic covers have been revived for recent book publications. For example, his cover for the December 1958 issue of If, effectively illustrating Rog Phillip’s “Rat in the Skull“ (December 1958 If) with a close-up of a man’s head cut away to reveal a controlling Rat inside, was used as the cover for the reprint anthology Science Fiction Gems, Volume 2 (anth 2011) edited by the Editors of Armchair Fiction. Even if his works are seen infrequently, however, Emshwiller will always be remembered for helping to shift sf Illustration away from the colourful crudeness of the Pulp magazines toward more sophisticated approaches. He was posthumously inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2007. [JG/PN/GW] ou