A Word on the Art Direction

by Stephen Hickman

Stephen Hickman has been illustrating science fiction and fantasy for four decades. His work is inspired by the masters of fantasy and science fiction writing—J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, A. Merritt, Edgar Rice Burroughs and Clark Ashton Smith.

His illustrations have been used as cover work for many contemporary writers: Harlan Ellison, Robert Heinlein, Steven Brust, Hal Colbatch, Tom Cool, Gordon Dickson, David Drake, Neil Gaiman, Mark Van Name, Anne McCaffrey, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, Andre Norton and Steve Stirling, among others.

Stephen’s work has earned him critical acclaim, including a World Science Fiction Convention Hugo Award and six Chesley Awards from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists.

Stephen has been a judge for the Illustrators of the Future Contest since 2005, and this year he art directed each of the winning illustrators on their pieces appearing in this volume.