Science Fiction

DRAGON ABOARD

DRAGON ABOARD The cover art for DRAGONWRITER, A TRIBUTE TO ANNE MCCAFFREY AND PERN was originally conceived in 1991 for her novel ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN.Anne often reminded readers that her Pern series were science fiction novels and this was a scene that she wished could be on the...

WILDING

WILDING The story involves genetic manipulation so I had fun finding ways to incorporate symbols of genetic biology into the decorative jewelry around the figure. This painting represents a hybrid of techniques for me. I did the original sketch in acrylic, scanned it into the...

TANGLED UP IN BLUE

TANGLED UP IN BLUE Cover art for a novel by Joan Vinge that takes place on Tiamat, the same world as THE SNOW QUEEN & THE SUMMER QUEEN. Michael’s unusually simplified palette and great use of texture combined with the costuming should have made a great cover idea, but it was...

THIS ALIEN SHORE

THIS ALIEN SHORE A C.S. Friedman novel about an unusually talented outcast girl trying to make her way through a complex, hostile universe full of bizarre aliens and double-dealing humans. Michael played up the “everyone is out to get me” aspect of the story and enjoyed...

DREAMFALL

DREAMFALL Science fiction artists are often called upon to portray ideas and themes that have no basis in reality (i.e., time travel, mind control, hyperspace, etc.) in their paintings. When Michael decided to do this scene for the cover to Joan Vinge’s evocative...

OTHERLAND: CITY OF GOLDEN SHADOW

OTHERLAND: CITY OF GOLDEN SHADOW A sophisticated blend of science fiction and fantasy, Tad Williams’ Otherland virtual reality storyline offers a vast playground of the imagination – and who better to play there than Michael Whelan?

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