Every year, the art world chooses the best science fiction and fantasy illustrations — providing a visual feast for the rest of us. The Chesley Awards just chose its 2014 finalists, and there's an astonishing wealth of beautiful artworks to spend your afternoon admiring. See for yourself, below.


Top image: The Scroll of Years, artwork by Kerem Beyit.

Note: We're skipping over a few of the categories in the selection below. To see all of the glorious images of the finalists, head over to the Chesley Awards site.


Best Hardcover Covers

Jason Chan - Lost Covenant: A Widdershins Adventure by Ari Marmell; Pyr, Dec. 2013

Kekai Kotaki - Quintessence by David Walton; Tor, March 2013


Maurizio Manzieri - Book of Iron by Elizabeth Bear; Subterranean Press, Sept. 2013


Todd Lockwood - A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan; Tor, Feb. 2013


Michael Whelan - A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson; Tor, Jan. 2013


Allen Williams - Light Reading, Queen Victoria's Book of Spells, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling; Tor, March 2013


Best Paperback Covers

Kerem Beyit - The Scroll of Years by Chris Willrich; Pyr, Sept. 2013


Jason Chan - Harbinger by Philippa Ballentine


Julie Dillon - Crossed Genres Magazine 2 Book One - Crossed Genres Publications, April 2013


Justin Gerard - Power Under Pressure by Andrew P. Mayer; Pyr, Jan. 2013


DeHong He - Shield of Sea and Space by Erin Hoffman; Pyr, May 2013


Best Magazine Covers

Julie Dillon - Elliptic, Clarkesworld, December 2013


Dan Dos Santos - Fables 136


Maurizio Manzieri - The Magazine of Fantasy and SF March April 2013


Cynthis Sheppard - Bull Spec Spring 2013


Best Unpublished Illustrations (Color)

Rhea Ewing - Ancestor Neanderthal


Donato Giancola - Huor and Hurin Approaching Gondolin


Stephanie Pui-Mun Law - Ships Passing in the Night (Detail)


Dave Leri - Death Squealer




Annie Stegg - Lilaia the Naiad


Best Product Illustrations

Julie Bell and Boris Vallejo - Jeannie's Kitten, IlluXCon 6 promotional art


Mitchell Bentley - 2014 Space Art Calendar, Atomic Fly Studios and Alban Lake Publishing, December 2013


Julie Dillon - 2014 Llewellyn Astrology Calendar, June 2013


Justin Gerard - Morzog! Lord of Destruction poster


Iain McCaig - Call of the Muse, Spectrum 20 Call for Entries poster


John Picacio - El Arpa (Loteria Card Illustration from Lone Boy)


Best Gaming Illustrations

Lucas Graciano - The Last Stand of Thorin Oakenshield for The Battle of Five Armies Board Game Ares Games (Detail)


Tyler Jacobson - Ruric: Thar the Unbowed (2014 Core Set Magic card) WotC, July 2013


Todd Lockwood - Observant Alseid ("Theros" Magic card) WotC, Sept. 2013


David Palumbo - Serene Rememberance ("Gatecrash" Magic card) WotC, Feb. 2013


Steve Prescott - Prognostic Sphinx ("Theros" Magic card) WotC, Sept. 2013


Chris Rahn - Ashen Rider ("Theros" Magic card) WotC, Sept. 2013


And here are the categories not depicted above:

Best Interior Illustration

Robert Hunt - "Fire Above, Fire Below" by Garth Nix; Tor.com, May 2013

- "Fire Above, Fire Below" by Garth Nix; Tor.com, May 2013 Brian Kesinger - Walking Your Octopus, July 2013; Baby Tattoo Books

Walking Your Octopus, July 2013; Baby Tattoo Books John Jude Palencar - "A Terror" by Jeffrey Ford; Tor.com, July 2013

"A Terror" by Jeffrey Ford; Tor.com, July 2013 John Picacio - "The Button Man and the Murder Tree" by Cherie Priest; Tor.com, May 2013)

"The Button Man and the Murder Tree" by Cherie Priest; Tor.com, May 2013) John Picacio - The Good Life; Popular Science Magazine, June 2013

The Good Life; Popular Science Magazine, June 2013 Greg Ruth - "Dragonkin" by Lavie Tidhar; Tor.com, July 2013

"Dragonkin" by Lavie Tidhar; Tor.com, July 2013 Greg Ruth - The Running of the Bulls, The Running of the Bulls by Harry Turtledove; Tor.com, March 2013


Best Three-Dimensional Art

Devon Dorrity - Cecaelia, Queen of the Ocean, clay

Cecaelia, Queen of the Ocean, clay Thomas Kuebler - Krampus the Yule Lord, mixed

Krampus the Yule Lord, mixed David Meng - Leatherback, resin

Leatherback, resin Michael Parkes - Goddess of the Hunt, 1/2 life-size bronze

Goddess of the Hunt, 1/2 life-size bronze Forest Rogers - Goblin Spider, Kato polyclay

- Goblin Spider, Kato polyclay Vincent Villafranca - Star Smith, bronze

Best Unpublished: Monochrome Work

Justin Gerard - The Fox Princess, pencil

- The Fox Princess, pencil Rebecca Guay - Tender Morsels, graphite

Tender Morsels, graphite John Picacio - La Luna

La Luna Travis Lewis - Bone Collector, graphite

- Bone Collector, graphite Ruth Sanderson - The Descent or Persephone, scratchboard

Best Art Director

Lou Anders - Pyr

Pyr Irene Gallo - Tor & Tor.com

Tor & Tor.com Lauren Panepinto - Orbit Books

- Orbit Books William Schafer - Subterranean Press

Subterranean Press Jon Schindehette - Wizards of the Coast

Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award

Jim Burns

Kinukyo Craft

Diane Dillon

Drew Struzan

To see all of the fantastic artwork, and celebrate the achievements of the art director and lifetime-achievement nominees, head over to the Chesley Awards site.