Tibor Csernus - The Man In The Maze

It's actually the first time that I saw a piece by Hungarian painter Tibor Csernus on the market and it was clear for me that I could not let it pass me by...

While not very famous, I think, this artist strikes a particular chord for me, as he was, during the 60's and 70's, one of the main cover artists for Science-Fiction pocket editions, with a large output of classics and moderns being offered in rapid succession at cheap prices. This translated as a wide range of universes and realities, mor than enough to open up the mind of this teenage boy...

Tibor Csernus' covers could hardly qualify as spectacular, but, in every case, whatever the topic (sometimes very light, sometimes heavier), he always conveyed a sense of otherness, a surreal, sometimes blurred view that made it clear to the reader that there was always a level of understanding that was beyond reach. That warning sign at the begining of the book, often quiet, subtle, but uneasy, was, for me, the ideal introduction to the story, in that it never interfered with the text by bringing in a too-obvious graphic interpretation.

Case in point, this cover for The Man In The Maze, the first novel by Robert Siverberg that I ever read. The pitch in itself was enticing enough, but this cover really sold the book to me, with this straight-standing figure whose half-obscured face remains emotionless while he seems to manipulate some artefact. In the background, various architectures seem to collide, forming an ensemble that looks almost impossible to rationalize...

This is the quintessential Tibor Csernus!