Bloodland by Alan Glynn

Source: http://us.macmillan.com.License: All Rights Reserved.

The New York Times asked people in and around the world of graphic design to name one of their favorite book covers from 2012. Bloodland was selected by designer David Pearson.

Imagine typing out the title of this book and staring at it on screen. Imagine then — through three simple steps — trying to make said type plummet through the air with us straight after it. Animating type is no easy feat, but Keith Hayes has made it look so while creating one of the most dramatic and engaging covers of the year.

The large type is set in a condensed style of Akzidenz-Grotesk. Rather than using the proper italic, the font is skewed, which is certainly appropriate for the overall effect.

This design was a winner in the 2012 50 Books/50 Covers competition.