# Why No More Illustrations in Novels? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 20, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412 "2011-03-20T23:37:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/1 "2011-03-20T23:37:19Z")
Why are there no more illustrations in novels except for those for children? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/2 "2011-03-21T00:21:25Z")
I’m going to guess it’s because illustrations suggest that … the novel is for children. Of course, many (most?) fantasy novels have maps, but those don’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/3 "2011-03-21T00:24:45Z")
Did adult novels used to commonly be commonly illustrated? None of the older books I have here have illustrations, except the ones that were first published as serials in magazines. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/4 "2011-03-21T00:26:55Z")
There are still some; Mercedes Lackey’s novels often have them, and Jim Butcher’s _Backup_ had them. But they no doubt cost extra - artists don’t work for free - and presumably illustrated ones don’t usually sell better. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/5 "2011-03-21T00:31:04Z")
Not a new question, in basics at least… > [@Lewis Carroll](#): > > …once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?” ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/6 "2011-03-21T00:31:19Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Did adult novels used to commonly be commonly illustrated? None of the older books I have here have illustrations, except the ones that were first published as serials in magazines. Roger Zelazny’s _Changeling_ and _Madwand_ were published in the 80s with illustrations, as were some of his other works. And I have a 1979 hardbound called _Forty-Two Tales_ (an Edgar Allan Poe collection) with some pretty cool illustrations. You probably just didn’t come across the right books. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/7 "2011-03-21T01:24:44Z")
I read mostly science fiction and fantasy. Occasionally there are maps or illustrations of the world or area, and that’s about it for any sort of interior illustrations. Hell, it’s hard enough to get good COVER illustrations for books, let alone interior illustrations. I’ve seen a lot of really bad illustrations, where it seems that whoever was in charge of getting the cover illustrated just wandered over to the stock art files, picked the one that had the most dust on it, and called it good. Sometimes the cover art seems to be done from a quick verbal description, without the artist reading the book before even doing a preliminary sketch. I’ve also seen some really great interior illustrations by Phil Foglio in the old Myth series by Robert Asprin, in the trade paperbacks by Starblaze. Each illustration was worthy of study. Artists have an annoying habit of wanting to be paid for their work, too. There’s a series of anthologies called L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future, which showcases amateur SF/fantasy short stories and artwork. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/8 "2011-03-21T01:25:53Z")
All of the above, especially cost, price, money, and dollars. But also. The feeling is that readers like to imagine their own faces, images, and settings. Imposing them hurts rather than helps the work. The younger the child the less likely they will be able to imagine the world for themselves. As audiences grow older, illustrations grow fewer. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/9 "2011-03-21T01:26:33Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Roger Zelazny’s _Changeling_ and _Madwand_ were published in the 80s with illustrations, as were some of his other works. And I have a 1979 hardbound called _Forty-Two Tales_ (an Edgar Allan Poe collection) with some pretty cool illustrations. You probably just didn’t come across the right books. Well, I’ve encountered adult books with illustrations, but I read the OP as meaning that these were much more common in the past. I haven’t really observed that (though that doesn’t mean its not true) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/10 "2011-03-21T01:38:11Z")
And time. It takes a long time to accrue the illustrations to fill a book - there may be 25-30 required, which would take months - and that time isn’t often spare between finished draft and publishing date. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/11 "2011-03-21T01:41:05Z")
19th Century and older novels often had a frontispiece illustration of an important moment in the book and a handful of illustrations in the text. But the practice faded out by the mid-20th century. A recent exception was **Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell** , which had a handful of illustrations, but the was because it was trying to create the mood of being a 19th Century book. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/12 "2011-03-21T05:36:04Z")
Just wanted to say Phil Foglio’s work MADE the Myth series by Robert Asprin, some of the most influential trade paperbacks ever. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/13 "2011-03-21T06:22:19Z")
I think if adults want to read books with pictures, there are now a huge library of comics and graphic novels aimed at adults; and this fills the niche for most readers. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/14 "2011-03-21T06:31:19Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Did adult novels used to commonly be commonly illustrated? None of the older books I have here have illustrations, except the ones that were first published as serials in magazines. As **RealityChuck** notes, 19th century novels often had illustrations in them, especially if the setting was “Exotic” or “Fantastic”- I’ve seen facsimile reprints of works like _The War Of The Worlds_, the various H. Rider Haggard/Alan Quatermain novels, some of the works of Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne stories, and _A Princess of Mars_ which had illustrations in them. Not a huge number, to be fair, but they were there, usually to illustrate a key or especially dramatic point in the story. Why that’s no longer done is a good question, though- as much as I like reading novels, sometimes I think a few illustrations would go a long way towards livening them up. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/15 "2011-03-21T12:11:44Z")
My copy of _Jane Eyre_ has illustrations, and I have several other old books that do, including a first-edition Twain. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/16 "2011-03-21T12:55:54Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > My copy of _Jane Eyre_ has illustrations, and I have several other old books that do, including a first-edition Twain. I have illustrated copies of _Jane Eyre_, _Pride & Prejudice_, and a nearly complete set of Dickens with 4-6 Victorian prints per volume. There’s something very charming about those images of heart-shape-faced heroines and curly-headed, frock-coated heroes with innocuous captions taken from the text of the novel. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/17 "2011-03-21T13:12:53Z")
I wondered whether novels were illustrated on their release or in later editions after they had proven their popularity. [This article](http://www.jasa.net.au/illo/index.htm) deals with Jane Austen’s novels, which were initially published without pictures. Her continuing popularity (& cheaper printing technology) resulted in many later illustrated editions. But we also hear about Charles Dickens: > [@](#): > > Hablot Knight Browne, who took the nickname ‘Phiz’ to complement Charles Dickens’ penname, ‘Boz’, was illustrator to ten of Dickens’ 15 novels and worked with him for over 20 years. Dickens (1812-1870) worked in close collaboration with his illustrators, supplying them with an overall summary of the work at the outset for the cover illustration for each of the monthly parts, and briefing them on plans for each month’s instalment so that work on the illustrations could begin before he wrote them. The works became famous almost as much for the illustrations as for the text, and at times Dickens wrote so that his material accorded with what had already been drawn! Was periodical printing cheaper than books? The Sherlock Holmes stories were also published in magazines & [Sidney Paget’s illustrations](http://www.arthes.com/holmes/) shaped The Great Detective’s image. (Darn, this is an interesting topic.) Even though printing technology has improved, artists still need to be paid. So most novels are published without pictures. As mentioned, graphic novels fill a niche. Some are original publications & others are based on existing works. Perhaps “serious” folks avoid them; I can be a serious reader but enjoyed the graphic Fafhrd & Greymouser stories as much as[this guy](http://flowingmind.com/flow/?p=219). > [@](#): > > While reading through some of the stories I was struck by how funny it might seem for a middle aged, gray haired, father of teenagers to be reading a comic, which of course made me think about why I was even still interested in such things. I don’t find myself yearning to dig out my old G.I. Joes (with the kung-fu grip) and save Barbie from some horrible fate. Spitwads, slingshots and BB guns don’t seem so wonderfully exciting and dangerous anymore, yet whenever I run across an old comic, I always pick it up and read it. Is it that comics always seemed to crank up the imagination? Is it because they still engage that part of the brain that is always looking for a quick, simple and safe temporary respite from the daily grind? Is it that the pictures are neat-o? Today, the most common way of “illustrating” a novel is making a movie. Or a mini-series… ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/18 "2011-03-21T13:27:23Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I think if adults want to read books with pictures, there are now a huge library of comics and graphic novels aimed at adults; and this fills the niche for most readers. But that reinforces the dichotomy of ‘feast or famine’ with regards to illustrations - in comics and graphic novels, the medium is primarily visual, with words being relegated to a secondary position. (This notion is fresh in my mind at the moment after a couple of panels I attended last weekend at Toronto Wizard World Comic Con.) Personally, I think that I’d be very interested in something in between - an ‘Illustrated novel’ with novella-length text, carrying the primary narrative, but at least 30 good graphic-novel quality illustrations for key moments… and ideally, as with graphic novels, the story could be written in such a way as to make the illustrations as strong a component as possible, instead of afterthoughts. Hmm… maybe I should try to find somebody who can actually draw and collaborate on a project like this. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/19 "2011-03-21T14:10:28Z")
I’ve been noticing _more_ illustrations in books for, well, children but much older children, on the cusp of the Young Adult section. Notably, there are amazing illustrations in the Edge Chronicles that really make the books, and also the Last Apprentice books have wonderful illustrated chapter fronts. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412/20 "2011-03-21T14:51:56Z")
Now that I’m thinking about it, another one I wish I still had was the illustrated version of Niven’s [The Patchwork Girl](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61e0oOJuo8L.jpg). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-more-illustrations-in-novels/575412.md?page=2)