I’m not sure if this is a popular opinion or not, but to me it seems obvious that old-school paperbacks have the best cover art. And the best design. I could probably write a 10,000-word piece to back up this claim, but I’d rather just show pictures of some of my favorite paperback book covers. And let them make the case for me.
After you’re done ogling these beautiful old-school covers, compare them to The New York Times list: Best Book Covers of 2020. Some recent book covers admittedly are pretty fantastic. But in general, the paperback covers from decades past—preferably slightly grimy and creased on the edges—are far superior, at least in my view.
I will also note that book design is generally an underrated art form. If you haven’t seen it already, I’d recommend checking out Chip Kidd’s 2012 Ted Talk, The Hilarious Art of Book Design. If you like books and have strong feelings about their covers, it’s worth watching.
And now, please enjoy these amazing old-school book covers, taken off my bookshelf and photographed just today, presented here in no particular order.
Peter Clarke is the editor-in-chief of Jokes Review. He’s the author of the comic novels Politicians Are Superheroes and The Singularity Survival Guide. Follow him on Twitter @HeyPeterClarke.