This is the cover for Memories of the Future, Volume One

Memories_of_the_Future_by_Wil_Wheaton

This is the cover for Memories of the Future, Volume One.

I looked at a bunch of different designs (and at least one of them may be a variant cover at some point) but when I saw the comp that ended up leading to this cover, I knew that this was the one I'd want to use, because I just love 1950s and 1960s pulp Sci-Fi covers. For me, they evoke a unique sense of nostalgia that is strangely timeless, and that's something I hope to do with the text in these books.

I asked my friend Will Hindmarch, who did the interior and cover design, to talk about the process a little bit, and here's what he had to say:

We went through a few cover designs before settling on this one. I see it as a mix between classic, pulpy Penguin covers and a bit of modern texture-driven design. The decision not to do an actual fake distressed cover, here, with ragged edges and all that, was deliberate. So it has some of that distressed texture, but it's cleaner than a beat-up, hand-me-down copy pulled out of an attic somewhere. This is some remarkably clean copy you found in a second-hand shop somewhere.

The thing also needed to intuitively evoke Star Trek memories without being too on-the-nose. I immediately latched on to that familiar uniform shape and did two or three variations on that idea. This is the one that Wil grabbed out of my various sketches. We wanted something that sort of looked back but was also sort of about the future, but we needed something that we could riff on for a series of books. So it's got a formula that we can tweak and alter as we move forward. I think, once we have two or three of these covers sitting next to each other, they'll interact in fun ways.

I'm already looking ahead to the imagery for volume two. 

Memories of the Future, Volume One will be released next month. I will announce the exact date soon. A little more information about Memories of the Future, Volume One can be found here.

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82 thoughts on “This is the cover for Memories of the Future, Volume One”

  3. It looks good Wil. The 60’s did produce some pretty great images and designs. Some that still survive to this day. Will we still be able to buy copies off of your website?

  4. What a beautiful cover! I think this really was the best choice and can understand the nostalgia brought up by the classic 60s sci fi. I always become nostalgic whenever I read a copy of “The Crystal Caves” by Isaac Asimov. There was something about that time period that just brought forth such strong work in science fiction. I can’t wait for the book!

  10. Ahahahaha! It didn’t even occur to me that there’s a similarity to O’Reilly books until just now.
    That’s unintentionally hilarious.
    And yes, you may call it that if you like.

  11. I figured it was, what with it being the first book and starting with Farpoint and everything.
    I’m amused that they appear to be flying over a pyramid though. Will the next volume have a step pyramid, or the Great Wall, or maybe a big round “gate” with chevron’s along the edge? Wait, wrong show.
    Maybe just “a kid” throwing a snowball.

  13. Sweet! This is totally going to change my conversations about Trek from now on:
    “Hey, is this the episode where that really funny thing happened to Wil backstage?”
    “I dunno, check the Space Jellyfish Book!”

  14. Very cool. I really can’t wait to read this book. It will look great on the shelf next to my autographed copy of David Gerrold’s “The World of Star Trek” – which is the best classic Trek behind-the-scenes book written – ever!

  19. Absolutely. We’ll do a US version and a World version at Lulu. They’ll be identical in content and design, but international customers won’t have to pay outrageous shipping fees from the US.

  21. It looks like the kind of Sci-Fi short story anthology that you find sitting at the bottom of a rack in the Dollar General. Not saying that in a bad way, of course, because that’s how I weasel my way into some GREAT books like Far Horizons and Redshift on the cheap.
    Like it, I do! Order one, I will! Stop speaking Yodese, I must!

  22. Not what I expected for a cover on Star Trek TNG memories, but that is a good thing. The whole Star Trek canon is typically very branded (by that I mean the paintings with the characters on the covers). Rather this is more unique and a way to develop your own branding–which I think is strong. (The fact you get crazy response posts here testifies to that.) There is also a kind of elegant minimalsim to it that I like…sort of like Futurist art…and yeah, it does look like a Penguin cover in some respects. It is good you are making your own tangents–because the other Star Trek stuff has been done to death. In fact, I would be embarassed to be seen in public with any Star Trek book–but yours are the exceptions because you have your own independently created world that is ‘hipster geek’ or ‘geek hipster’. Put me down for a copy.

  26. Looking forward to the release of the Kindle edition. Though, with that cover, it might be worth buying the paperback too. Glad to see this is the first of, hopefully, many volumes.

  34. You have awakened the voracious book devouring beast inside me. Did I miss the RELEASE DATE? When and where might I purchase this delicious looking morsel?

  35. Love it! I also was first struck with memories of the Tripods series when I saw the cover. Good nostalgia hit there with the 50s/60s sci-fi book covers which were still rattling around the school libraries in their tattered forms when we were growing up. Can’t wait to order one of these!

  39. Great, I will watch for it. ::mashes the beast back into its cave::
    Great cover, btw, and I have enjoyed observing the book’s creation.

  40. Brilliant cover art! Probably also speaks to your love of the world’s most graceful and misunderstood oceanic creature, the octopus. :o)

  43. The Farpoint imagery for the front cover is an excellent choice.
    Since you end volume one with Datalore, it is too bad you do not have the crystaline entity on the back cover.
    Looking forward to the release – so, if I read correctly, both US and world versions at lulu?
    K.

  44. Gasp! Want!
    It’s gorgeous. Absolutely perfect design. I can’t wait to line all the volumes up all pretty on a shelf with a “kEpP YOU hANdS OFF OF It OR ELSE!!” sign.
    Also can’t wait to just read the thing.

  45. This is awesome! But what ever happened to the limited editions of Happiest Days? I thought it was going to be shipped in June, and I haven’t heard anything about it since I pre-paid… 🙁

  47. Ooh – The black shape at the bottom looks the same shape as the black / colour border near the bottom of the TNG uniforms.
    Squee! I want to read this book.

  48. Aww, the “jellyfish that fell in love.” That’s what I said the first time I saw the episode when I was 5 or 6. Now it’s a family joke, how the whole reason I love Star Trek is because of the happy jellyfish couple. :o)

  49. I posted about this a few months ago. It got held up due to a software compatibility issue between me and the copyeditor. Everything is turned in, though, and it’s in the final stages of proofing. I’m sure SubPress will announce when it goes to the printer, shortly.

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