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Friday, July 13, 2012

Friday Face Off: Across the Universe series x3

So, if you haven't seen it already by now, Beth Revis' Across the Universe series got a facelift. Um, another facelift. This is the second re-design for this series, which either means the books are doing really good (and they're repackaging them with each successive reprint), or really not so good (so they're repackaging them in the hopes of bringing in new readers...). Either way, this series has been due for a Face Off, and now that there are even more covers to choose from... Frankly, for me, the difference is kind of jarring. And kind of really frustrating to those of us anal readers who like our books to match, dammit! I think I would have quite liked the final (?) repackage if it had been the first I'd ever seen, as it's got a sort of timelessness to it. But after those gloriously detailed originals.... It's a toss-up.
But let me know what you think of the redesign, AND which set you'd pick overall. Which would you reach for?
Which one did it better?
Version One: The glossy, galactic hardbacks

Version Two: the prosaic and short-lived paperbacks.

Version Three: The new, simplified repackage
(which, while interesting, reminds me of Artemis Fowl...)


Last Week on FFO: Jay Kristoff's upcoming Stormdancer went US version vs. UK version, with the US version coming out the winner - but not without a fight. The only thing we all seemed to agree on was that we all can't wait to get our hands on this book!
Winnah ----->

28 comments:

  1. I defiantly liked the first ones the best. I think the other two are boring and honestly I wouldn't pay much attention to them if I saw it in a store.

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  2. I like the first ones best - the expansive stars and big shapes.

    The newest redesign is just kind of boring. I like the idea of it, but think it could've been done better.

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  3. Definitely prefer the first set. The colours are beautiful, they're eye-catching, and they immediately make you think "this must be set in space". The second set is booorriinngg, and the third-set looks all right, but I find them a lot less memorable.

    And yes, I absolutely HATE IT when books get their covers re-designed so that the hardcovers editions (or whatever editions) don't match. Very frustrating. ):<

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  4. The first set of covers was the most beautiful. The second is what I would expect to find as the cover at Walmart. The third I would expect a self-pub author to put out a cover like this. That is not knocking self-pub authors, they don't have the money to spend on fancy covers, so sometimes their covers look less than polished. And that is what the third set looks like to me...less than polished.

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  5. Version One covers are the most polished and beautiful, definitely. Large pictures, great colors, stylish, light fonts. (I still wouldn't pick them up personally as they look like the focus on romance, though.)

    The second set looks cheap and quickly made.

    In the third set, I actually like the second book (A Million Suns) since it looks like letters imprinted on the side of a space ship (these books take place in space, right?). But that is the only book of that set that I'd reach for in a shop to see what it was about.

    But yeah, version one is the best.

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  6. I love the covers for Version One. They're beautiful and sparkly. Version Two looks very bland to me. Version Three... Ugh. What were they thinking?

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  7. The new ones are horrible! The change makes me glad I'm reading this series on my Kindle - and I hardly ever say that! Definitely the original hardback covers for me!

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  8. I love shiny books so I go for hardbacks! :)

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  9. Version one and version two. Version 3 I suppose would appeal to boys (that's their aim right?) but urgh.

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  10. I like the first covers the best! They match the theme of the book and don't look generic. I live in Australia, so we got the first covers in paperback, although recently I've seen the second set in paperback here as well.

    I like the IDEA of the third set: the outside of a ship, 1. In space, 2. near a hot star, 3. on the destination planet? (I'm guessing here because I read the first book, couldn't handle the monumental science fail in them -- I'm an astronomer -- and couldn't bring myself to read #2).

    But the third set hasn't been executed well, and the cover of Shades of Earth looks really bad.

    Shaheen @ Speculating on SpecFic.

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  11. The originals are the best ones and I'm so pissed off that publishers continue to change the style of a series MID SERIES despite constant negative feedback. I feel like they don't care sometimes, that they're not listening to the reader who ultimately buys the books. I hate when my books don't match :(

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  12. I think the first one will win with no contest. They are stunning. I kind of like the new re-design because there's a flow (frozen, melting, and then lush growth) but they aren't remarkable. They will appeal to a broader audience (namely boys) but I doubt many boys will be interested in the story.

    I've read Across the Universe and basically the only good thing about it was the cover, so yeah I'm kind of over this series.

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  13. Oh, I think I hate the third set!

    I really enjoyed book one in the series and I do like the first set of of covers. I liked the second cover for ACROSS THE UNIVERSE but that second for A MILLION SUNS not quite as much.

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  14. I like the starry galaxy background on the first set, but I don't like the facial profiles on the first book. I'll still cast my vote for the first set.

    You're right. The third set is to reminiscent of Artemis Fowl to set itself apart

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  15. I prefer the first version, much better in my opinion!

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  16. The first set was definitely the most gorgeous, although I'm guessing the new covers would appeal more to boys? They look ok together, but they're a bit boring. And I am mad for the publisher changing the look mid-series. I don't mind different covers between hardbacks and paperbacks, because readers will often collect a series in a same format, but this is just sad. :(

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  17. I am all about the first set - the glossy, galactic hardbacks. They LOOK cosmic. They're gorgeous. They're different.

    The new repackaging just...blends in to me. It makes me think of old Nickelodeon gameshows, actually, haha... But really: They blend in. They don't make me stop and take a second look to figure out "huh?" The cover is what caught my attention for ATU, and then I fell IN LOVE with the story ... these new covers aren't inviting.

    And now Shades of Earth won't match, haha ;o)

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  18. I actually like the newest ones the best. They are pretty timeless, and I love how there are no people on the covers. I do like the original ones though.

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  20. I just need them to pick a damn cover. I have the "glossy galactic hardbacks" which look pretty dang awesome, but I don't think that they reach a wide audience compared to the paperbacks. The paperbacks look more sci-fi without making it seem like a romance novel. I'm still not sure what to think of the repackaged ones (the third "editions" or whatever.) I'm just kind of mad that I have AtU and AMS in glossy hardcover and now they're deciding to go with covers with a more broad appeal. HUMPH.

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  21. I hate version three.
    I like version two.
    But honestly I looove version one. It's got an old Star Trek feel that resonates with me for some reason.

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  22. The paperbacks!! The old ones are good, and the new ones are ugly...LOL I just can't stand them. And yah, they remind me of Artemis Fowl, but I like AF waaaay better. I don't mean to be hatin'...I just...I can't describe it. LOL

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  23. I have never read the books but I like the first set much better. I feel the first set looks like it matches the story more than the others covers too. I am like you and I hate it when my covers don't match!

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  24. First set for sure.

    I also really like the Across the Universe cover with space ship blueprints on it.

    The second set is still preferable to the new one. I like the Across the Universe one better in that group, actually, but I'd never seen the one for A Million Suns, and it looks kind of stupid. So yeah.

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  25. I definitely like the first one for the first two books.. then I don't like any of them for the third book.

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  26. Wow- I hadn't heard anything about the whitewashing of the cover. In fact, I didn't even know that race was a factor in the story. Thanks for enlightening me!

    I still need to read Across the Universe... you just got me a little more excited to do so :)

    Marlene Detierro (SEO in San Antonio)

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