Two Complete Science-Adventure Books No.1 Winter 1950 — Asimov & Hubbard
Before you is the debut cover of 'Two Complete Science-Adventure Books,' Winter 1950 — a split-composition cover boldly bisected by a lightning-bolt diagonal showcasing two stories in one striking image. The upper half pulses with classic space-opera tension: a square-jawed hero brandishes a ray gun beside a platinum-blonde woman, illustrating Asimov's 'Pebble in the Sky.' Below, a near-naked warrior confronts alien creatures on a barren world with Earth looming in the background, visualizing L. Ron Hubbard's 'The Kingslayer.'
The bold lightning-bolt split layout is an inspired compositional gambit cramming two full pulp narratives into one cover with maximum bravado. The heroic figures are competently rendered but the anatomy on the lower warrior strains credulity, which only amplifies the gloriously overwrought energy.
“Two Complete Science-Adventure Books No. 1 WINTER $5.00 Value for 25¢ PEBBLE in the SKY by Isaac Asimov Published in book form by Doubleday & Co. Inc. $2.50 The KINGSLAYER by L. Ron Hubbard Published in book form by Fantasy Pub. Co. Inc. $3.00 A.N.C.”
