Books Covers--UK vs. USA (Richard Laymon)

I'm a sucker for book covers--the more interesting the better. Over the last few decades I've been an interested spectator of the changing artwork on different editions of the same novel. As a teenager I loved the work of Alistair MacLean (still do), and every time I chanced into a thrift shop I would look for a title or two. I wasn't looking for any new titles because I already had them all, but rather I was looking for new or different artwork from the titles I already had. I loved the Fawcett Gold Medal editions from the 1970s with their colorful covers and bold, lusty artwork.

It got me thinking. How are the US and British versions of the same titles different? I don't see many British books around here, but alas thanks to the Internet I can at least see their electronic images. So here we are. A comparison of a few Richard Laymon titles--both their US and UK cover artwork.

The first stop, Into the Fire, published in the UK as Glory Bus. I do like the UK title better because it fits the story better. I'll let you decide which cover is the best. The UK version is on the left and the US version is on the right.

The Lake

Mmm. Tough call, but I'm leaning--ever so slightly--towards the UK versions. They have more standard artwork--something you would see hanging on a wall--and less Photoshop photography. Although the US artwork is kind of cool in its surreal and seemingly haunted way.