FAHRENHEIT 451

Michael Whelan takes on Ray Bradbury’s dystopian classic in a stunning new cover painting.

This was a challenging commission for Michael as there have been dozens of memorable illustrations for such a literary touchstone. After weeks of sketches and preliminaries, his aha moment came when he remembered that the Fireman didn’t fight fires, he set them. So he ditched the big uniform in favor of a more menacing gestapo-styled coat.

Also note the signature Whelan symbolism featured on the sleeves and lapel.