For a while now, amongst people who I actually have face-to-face communication with (and who know I write these books), a debate has been raging. (OK, not really raging. Breathing?) It's about the cover of KING OF THE ROAD. Go ahead, have a look at it and see how many people you think are in the car:
One, right? The driver. But what about a back seat passenger? Is there a woman sitting behind him or not? Every time I look at it I have a different opinion on this. Either there's a woman there (quite an attractive one, I must say), or just a bunch of random reflections and glints that create that impression. Or...
Look, I've told them. 'Ghosts don't exist,' I say. 'This ain't Scooby Doo, mate, this is KING OF THE ROAD, hailed in The Times as "a great mystery", lauded in The Grauniad as "gloriously funny stuff", proclaimed in The... Hey, wake up!'
But then I look again at that cover, and I wonder...
11 comments:
I don't know who she is, but she's BEHIND YOU RIGHT NOW.
I'd say there were two in the car because that dude's on the passenger side and someone has to be driving. But, then again, I'm American. ;)
What's REALLY worrying is that she's wearing one of those gags that you can buy on those ...errrrr... special websites. At least, I believe you can buy them. So they tell me. Not that I've ever seen one...the gag, OR the website for that matter. And it's a vicious lie that the domain Dominatrices'R'Us(AndDon'tYouForgetItSlave).com is registered to me.
Miss Spank...errrr...Donna
Sorry to disappoint you, Donna, but I don't think it's a gag. It's one of those hands-free mouth organs, like Bob Dylan uses.
Kim, it is possible to drive a car from the passenger seat. You do need very long legs.
Iain, I looked behind me and all I saw was an open-plan sea of IT monkeys.
You know what I think, Charlie.
Tavin
Tavin - I never noticed it before you spotted it. In fact, no one I knew did. Now it's the only thing I see. I think "This is a book about a woman on a back seat. But is she there?" My wife thinks along the same lines as you.
If there was no one sitting on a bench or at a table al fresco on the sidewalk near where the photo was taken, I'd say you got a ghost there.
Its a clear image of someone or ... something.
If its not deliberate, you got a heck of a story idea for a sequel!
Seriously, what I think it ACTUALLY is is a reflection from a car by the side of it. Because you can also see the reflection of the front headrest of the other car just in front of her face.
Donna
I'm trying to find out from the photographer what is going on in the pic. Will post the details here. But go on and just look at that face - is it really a reflection? Perfectly placed, isn't it?
I should get a prize! hehe.
Tavin
It's symbolic of Royston Blake's feminine side - or 'anima'. No, sorry, forget that. Stupid idea.
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