Startling Stories Nov 1948 – Arthur C. Clarke's 'Against the Fall of Night'

Likely the work of Earle Bergey, whose signature voluptuous heroines in metallic bikinis and bold chromatic contrasts defined Thrilling Publications covers of the late 1940s, this illustration blazes with lurid yellows and reds. A square-jawed hero grapples with a multi-eyed robotic alien creature bristling with mechanical tentacles and gemstone-studded crowns, while a scantily clad woman in an exotic costume recoils dramatically — peak pulp theatrics illustrating Arthur C. Clarke's debut novel serialization.