The Ultimate SciFi/Horror Novel Needs Ultimate Cover

Existential

Ryan W. Aslesen

Ryan Aslesen is an author and security executive living in Las Vegas, NV. Ryan is a former Marine officer and veteran of the war on terror. When he isn't out saving the world, he enjoys spending time with his family.

Blurb

It was supposed to be just another mission...

Buried deep in the rugged Alaskan wilderness lies a secret that could alter the future of mankind - a secret that billionaire Elizabeth Grey has invested millions in solving. When the dig goes silent and all attempts at making contact fail, an elite team of battle hardened military contractors is brought in led by former Marine Max Ahlgren, a warrior haunted by his past. The mission: to make contact and rescue a team of scientists and engineers who were working on a secretive “archeological" project.

Once on the ground, the team discovers the grizzly truth that this is no ordinary rescue mission. In what was supposed to be an easy pay day, Max and his men find themselves in the fight of their lives against a nightmarish enemy like nothing they have ever seen. The mission becomes one of mere survival as the world's greatest soldiers encounter the universe's ultimate terror in a battle that puts all of humanity at stake.

Male or Female 21-65

I trend towards colors like black, silver, red, white, and gray. Horror novels tend to be dark; however, I want to avoid having cover so dark or washed out it is difficult to see, especially in a thumbnail.

Design needs

I am looking for a very original, eye catching book cover (paperback and e-book) for my debut novel. I would most likely want to work on a 1-1 basis with the winning designer to create similar/cohesive covers for future books in the series.

The size of the book would be around 6x9 and 400 pages long.

I am looking for a cover that is at first eye catching and upon further viewing is meaningful and pertinent to the themes of the book. To me that means not a cluttered design. Simple is good. I really like minimalist type designs. Something that is bold enough to be noticed in a small thumbnail on Amazon. I would like the design to have some military, science fiction / horror vibe to it (through combination of font, colors, or image).

I tend to like covers that have visual depth and symbolism to them. I am open to using stock images, but I do not like covers that are just several images laid on top of each other and then the book title. Include stock images if you are going to use them creatively or add your own effects to them or perhaps manipulate them to be more abstract or minimalistic.

The book deals with brotherhood, redemption, and revenge. The main character is a former Special Operations Marine who has survivors guilt and has sacrificed greatly for his country, both in his personal relationships, and the toll of war on his mind and soul. He is part of a team of elite private commandos sent by a corporation to investigate a dig that has gone dark. The book also has an alien creature that is amorphous in its natural state but can alter its cells to take almost any shape. Think of the alien from the movie The Thing or recent movie Life. However, this creature doesn't look to hide, more to adapt and evolve and basically be any monster it needs to be to survive. A creature or aspect of it could be incorporated but it would need to be an impressive and original design.

The story takes place in present time and is set in rugged Alaskan wilderness and some action also takes place in an alien spaceship buried within a glacier in those mountains.

The subject matter is dark and intense and visceral, as it is a military SciFi/horror thriller, but the colors do not necessarily need to be dark.

I have attached covers of some posters, games, and books that I like. I would like to continue working with the winning designer for the other books, and I want the series to have a cohesive look, so keep that in the back of your mind when designing it.

If using stock photos avoid showing the face. I don't want to tell the reader "this is what the characters look like." A silhouette of a person MAY work, but it would need to be a really good cover for me to go with using an image of a person.