Chris Achilleos is, I think, one of the key artists for Fighting Fantasy, but had a long career of illustration work, though I have a feeling his pin-up calendars were more lucrative than the fantasy work. I don’t think the pin-ups are very interesting, but I do love it when the two branches collide, as in his cover for M. John Harrison’s A Storm of Wings. I’ve not read it yet, but based on the action of The Pastel City, I kind of doubt there is much going on that involves giant bees and naked women. I could be wrong, though.

Anyways, highlights include “Who Dies First,” which was a White Dwarf cover, and that dragon attacking the castle, which fronted Titan. “Miss America” is one of the only pin-ups that I think works as non-pin-up art, maybe because there’s no nudity, but probably really because of the pose and all the detail in the leather coat. The Doctor Who stuff is pretty fun too. All in all, though, this feels like an artist’s first book. If I see later collections, I’d pick them up — I’d be keen to see how Achilleos grew over time. His babes are just full of gob-smacking detail, but underwhelm my imagination while his fantasy art is light on technique but fully inspiring. I’d like to see how those two polarities grew closer over time.