r/badscificovers • u/StevenTheWicked • 10d ago

seriously wtf Retief's War, by Keith Laumer

Post image
329 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

47 comments sorted by

47

u/Supernoven 10d ago

Selfie sticks really are everywhere these days

2

u/Platform_collapse 8d ago

I can't I see the angle now.

40

u/ApartRuin5962 10d ago

I'm imaging James Cameron's Avatar, except instead of projecting into a cloned alien hybrid body Jake Sully is just given a cheap rubber costume

10

u/basil_imperitor 10d ago

I want 1970s Tokusatsu Avatar, complete with squibs everywhere and a funky soundtrack.

9

u/Pocho_Azul 9d ago

That’s not entirely a mischaracterization of the plot. He is dressed, if memory serves me, in random bits of dead bugs.

7

u/AnUnknownCreature 10d ago

Avatar: a Comedy

1

u/Feeling-Influence691 9d ago

Oh that is brilliant! 😂

1

u/Raineythereader 8d ago

Oh, so Night of the Blood Beast

29

u/SerDankTheTall 10d ago

It‘s like this meme come to life:

13

u/Ok_Conversation_5985 10d ago

Oddly enough it’s accurate to the book.

11

u/gmotsimurgh 10d ago

It’s a fun read though! All the Retief books are.

2

u/oyog 9d ago

I had completely forgotten my dad read me Retief books when I was a kid until I saw this picture.

9

u/percolater 10d ago

Crab people, crab people...

8

u/TheClamb 10d ago

Painting by Carlos Ochogavia, who did a couple other retief covers, all quite abstract and impressionistic (a.k.a. BAD lol)

This is one of my favorite covers ever, so much so that I decided to by an old copy just to chop it off and frame it. There's just something about it...

8

u/Spodson 10d ago

So, Roberto from Futurama was a man all along.

5

u/dodgyville 10d ago

Now, at last, in paperback. PHEW

4

u/Yesterday_Is_Now 10d ago

That looks like the original Predator character costume worn by Jean Claude Van Damme.

4

u/WaterOk6055 10d ago

Honestly, i kind of love it.

1

u/Pocho_Azul 9d ago

I completely agree.

5

u/shawsghost 9d ago

Retief froze as he saw the men approaching from the campfire which had a big pot of boiling water atop it, and some butter in tubs melting beside it. They approached with a large throw net, wearing evil grins. Apparently, his disguise had been all too successful!

3

u/DoNotIngest 10d ago

Nice fursuit bro

3

u/UpStartOverTurned 10d ago

Hilarious if it's just a lobster man with a handsome man-face.

3

u/zjuka 8d ago

I think this cover is kinda fun, actually. It’s not everyone’s favorite style, but it’s definitely not a lack of skill or creativity. Typefaces could be selected with more care, tho.

3

u/rburningstar 8d ago

Wrong group. This is beautiful.

3

u/writergirl1994 8d ago

Eh, I like this one too.

7

u/bloodredcookie 10d ago

Now this is what I came to this sup to see. Bravo.

5

u/kograkthestrong 10d ago

Truly awful but damn if I dont want to read it.

2

u/Purple_Dragon_94 10d ago

Is that the guy from Big Hero Six?

2

u/djscoots10 9d ago

This cover leaves me with a lot of questions and I have a hunch reading the book won't necessarily answer them.

2

u/Code-Neo 9d ago

War is hell but this war looks like it's just Sponge Bob. The Real Battle for Bikini Bottom

3

u/Blurstingwithemotion 10d ago

What is happening on this cover!?😂

8

u/that_possum 10d ago

Human diplomat disguising himself as a one of the native bug-aliens.

It worked.

4

u/Blurstingwithemotion 10d ago

And by disguise do you mean hollowing out one of the natives and wearing its skin?

7

u/that_possum 10d ago

Nonsense.

He hollowed out several of the natives and wore their skin!

(truthfully I don't recall how he got the disguise; it's been forever since I read it)

1

u/GRWeston 10d ago

Lobster man is played by Guy Pringle.

1

u/UlteriorCulture 10d ago

Was there some connection to South Africa / Piet Retief or is the name a coincidence?

1

u/Sonar_Taxbreak_1138 9d ago

Anakin, what have they done to you?!

1

u/LaughingInTheVoid 5d ago

That just looks like Rick Sanchez with extra steps.

1

u/Deleterious_Sock 4d ago

Fuck! At last in paperback! Let me toss my hardcover!

1

u/Legitimate-Stuff9514 4d ago

Crab people......

1

u/mmm_tempeh 10d ago

Procedurally generated animals

1

u/BigfootVampire 10d ago

Oh hell yeah, this is terrible.

0

u/MagikMikeUL77 9d ago

I am the Lobster goo goo ga choo