BURNS, Jim

(1948-)

   Welsh illustrator, primarily of sf, born in Cardiff, with a diploma from St Martin's School of Art, London. During 1973-9 his work was exclusively for UK publishers, notably Sphere Books, and he was not really known in the USA until publication of his illustrated book Planet Story (1979), with story by Harry HARRISON. Since 1980 much of his book-cover work has been for US publishers, including BANTAM BOOKS, ACE BOOKS, Berkley and Byron PREISS, including the interior black-and-white illustrations for the latter's Eye (coll 1985) by Frank HERBERT. JB's work (in many media, but mostly acrylics) is realistic, subtly textured, well known for its attractive women (sometimes attacked as sexist) and constantly inventive, and gives ample evidence in its detail that JB - somewhat unusually in this field - actually reads the books that he illustrates. His work is spectacularly commercial (but not merely so) and, along with that of Don MAITZ and Michael WHELAN, perhaps the most proficient currently (1992) being produced in the field. More than 100 of his covers may be seen in Lightship (coll 1985), with text by Christopher EVANS. In 1987 JB became the first and so far only non-US winner of a HUGO for Best Professional Artist.

   PN

   See also: BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION AWARD; ILLUSTRATION; TECHNOLOGY.