Frank R. Paul's Alien Invasion on Altair – Amazing Stories 1946
Giant crimson insectoid creatures are surging forward as squadrons of silver flying saucers darken an alien sky above a volcanic landscape bathed in hellish orange light — a full-scale invasion is underway on a planet orbiting Altair. Human figures flee in terror while the beetle-like aliens coordinate with their aerial fleet. Frank R. Paul's signature chromatic intensity and teeming alien ecology are on full display in this breathtaking vision of extraterrestrial civilization as both terrifying and scientifically plausible.
Oh my GOD — giant red beetles the size of trucks coordinating a flying saucer blitzkrieg on a planet around Altair?! Paul cranked every dial to eleven here and somehow the panel still holds together. This is the back cover that made kids in 1946 absolutely lose their minds.
“STORIES OF THE STARS .... ALTAIR Altair is a star in the constellation Aquila. It is a giant star, and most likely has a number of planets circling it, some of which are capable of supporting living things. Artist Paul has pictured one of those planets and imagined its inhabitants. (See page 177) Altair AQUILA”
