Ed Valigursky

Edward Ignatius Valigursky (October 16, 1926 in Arnold, Pennsylvania – September 7, 2009 in Cape Coral, Florida) was an American illustrator known for his portrayals of technology, and for his work in science fiction.

Biography Valigursky joined the United States Navy in 1943 or 1945, He also provided over 100 cover images for Ace Books; however, this number is uncertain, because he did not always sign his work, and because in that era, Ace did not credit its cover artists.

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction found Valigursky's work to be "perfectly suited for the space operas and futuristic melodramas [of Ace Books]" and praised his depictions of robots and "his characteristic needle-nosed spaceships", but faulted those of his images that "focus on human figures" as "less interesting", concluding that although "Valigursky cannot be regarded as a great sf artist, (...) his distinctive style will always be fondly associated with the simple pleasure of reading unambitious, unpretentious space adventures."

In 1989, Popular Mechanics stated that he was "one of [America's] best-known illustrators of aircraft, ships, spacecraft, and other machines", and that his works were "on permanent display [at] the Pentagon [and] numerous naval and air force installations."