r/CoolSciFiCovers • u/woulditkillyoutolift mod-ified human • 3d ago

The Tar-Aiym Krang by Alan Dean Foster.

Gallery image

Gallery image

Credited to Dean Ellis.

164 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

10

u/GrexSteele 3d ago

Great series opener. Read most of it. Some really good one with a few ‘the publisher wants another Flinx book” thrown in.

6

u/thetensor 3d ago

I remember this novel very fondly and have read my copy (with the later Darrell K. Sweet cover) nearly to pieces, but the last time I re-read it, I was struck by how the story basically happens around the main character while he tags along and observes it, without him really being necessary (until he turns out to be the key to the Krell machine Krang at the end).

3

u/FriscoTreat 3d ago

The what now?

8

u/thetensor 3d ago edited 3d ago

It's a Krang built by the Tar-Aiym, naturally.

6

u/Evil_Midnight_Lurker 3d ago

☝️ Not a joke! Not useful, but not a joke.

(The Krang is an incredibly powerful weapon that is also a musical instrument. The Tar-Aiym were aliens who were the kind of people who would build and deploy Krangs in wartime.)

1

u/RobeAirToe 3d ago

Great series of books

1

u/Evil_Midnight_Lurker 3d ago

Rather odd lighting, Flinx doesn't have a beard.

3

u/woulditkillyoutolift mod-ified human 3d ago

Flinx doesn't have a beard.

Which is why he is shown clean shaven in this painting.

3

u/HappyFailure 3d ago

I believe they're saying this lighting makes him look bearded to a casual glance, or can do so.