Worlds of Tomorrow Oct 1963 – Astronauts Discover Alien Colossus
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Worlds of Tomorrow Oct 1963 – Astronauts Discover Alien Colossus

Painted to accompany Judith Merril's story 'The Lonely,' this cover depicts two spacesuited explorers dwarfed by a massive humanoid alien statue seated on a rocky alien world, its eroded stone form suggesting a civilization long dead. Sleek silver rockets stand nearby beneath an orange sky, while distant mountains loom in the haze. The composition masterfully blends archaeological wonder with cosmic isolation — a signature theme of Golden Age science fiction cover art at its most evocative.

Category: Magazine Cover
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Artist: Ed Valigursky
Era: Atomic Age (1945-1963)
Decade: 1960s
Country: United States
Coolness: 7/10

They crossed the stars to find a god made of stone — and realized they were the small ones. Ancient mystery meets rocket-age wonder in one unforgettable image.

Text in image:

WORLDS OF TOMORROW OCTOBER 1963 50¢ THE GOOD FRIENDS Cordwainer Smith ALL WE MARSMEN Philip K. Dick THE NIGHT OF THE TROLLS Keith Laumer THE MASKED WORLD Jack Williamson THE LONELY by JUDITH MERRIL

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