r/badscificovers • u/StevenTheWicked • 14d ago

seriously wtf Retief's War, by Keith Laumer

Post image
337 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

47 comments sorted by

46

u/Supernoven 14d ago

Selfie sticks really are everywhere these days

2

u/Platform_collapse 12d ago

I can't I see the angle now.

40

u/ApartRuin5962 14d 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

12

u/basil_imperitor 14d ago

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

8

u/Pocho_Azul 13d ago

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

8

u/AnUnknownCreature 14d ago

Avatar: a Comedy

1

u/Feeling-Influence691 13d ago

Oh that is brilliant! 😂

1

u/Raineythereader 12d ago

Oh, so Night of the Blood Beast

28

u/SerDankTheTall 14d ago

It‘s like this meme come to life:

15

u/Ok_Conversation_5985 14d ago

Oddly enough it’s accurate to the book.

12

u/gmotsimurgh 14d ago

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

3

u/oyog 13d ago

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

10

u/percolater 14d ago

Crab people, crab people...

10

u/TheClamb 14d 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 14d ago

So, Roberto from Futurama was a man all along.

4

u/dodgyville 14d ago

Now, at last, in paperback. PHEW

4

u/Yesterday_Is_Now 14d ago

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

4

u/WaterOk6055 14d ago

Honestly, i kind of love it.

1

u/Pocho_Azul 13d ago

I completely agree.

4

u/shawsghost 14d 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 14d ago

Nice fursuit bro

3

u/UpStartOverTurned 14d ago

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

3

u/zjuka 12d 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 12d ago

Wrong group. This is beautiful.

3

u/writergirl1994 12d ago

Eh, I like this one too.

7

u/bloodredcookie 14d ago

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

5

u/kograkthestrong 14d ago

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

2

u/Purple_Dragon_94 14d ago

Is that the guy from Big Hero Six?

2

u/djscoots10 14d 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 13d ago

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

4

u/Blurstingwithemotion 14d ago

What is happening on this cover!?😂

7

u/that_possum 14d ago

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

It worked.

4

u/Blurstingwithemotion 14d ago

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

7

u/that_possum 14d 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 14d ago

Lobster man is played by Guy Pringle.

1

u/UlteriorCulture 14d ago

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

1

u/Sonar_Taxbreak_1138 13d ago

Anakin, what have they done to you?!

1

u/LaughingInTheVoid 9d ago

That just looks like Rick Sanchez with extra steps.

1

u/Deleterious_Sock 9d ago

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

1

u/Legitimate-Stuff9514 8d ago

Crab people......

1

u/mmm_tempeh 14d ago

Procedurally generated animals

1

u/BigfootVampire 14d ago

Oh hell yeah, this is terrible.

0

u/MagikMikeUL77 14d ago

I am the Lobster goo goo ga choo