Scary Dystopian Book Cover Design (Featuring silhouette, sky, and stars)

Visuals: The cover features a stylized, red-tinted illustration of the main character, Billy, cast in a bold, silhouette-like manner against a backdrop that resembles towering, monolithic buildings. The sky is an ominous shade of grey, filled with dark clouds, and scattered with propaganda-like symbols such as stars and gears. The ground beneath Billy is cracked and desolate, evoking a dystopian landscape. In the sky, oversized, comical, but slightly threatening, caricatured faces of authority figures watch over Billy, adding a humorous yet eerie feel to the cover.

Typography: The title "BILLY 9F" is set in a bold, sans-serif font that mimics the style of Soviet-era posters, with geometric shapes and sharp edges. The author's name, "DAVID FINLEY," is placed at the bottom in a smaller, yet similar font, ensuring cohesiveness.

Layout: The title occupies the top half of the cover, prominently displayed. Billy’s figure is centered, with the dystopian cityscape in the background spread across the middle. The caricatured faces and symbols are positioned around Billy. The author's name is aligned at the bottom.

Explanation: The visual composition of the cover aims to evoke a classic dystopian propaganda feel, using bold and iconic imagery characteristic of authoritarian regimes. The choice of using a silhouette and imposing cityscape captures a sense of oppression that often accompanies dystopian narratives. The inclusion of humor through caricatured faces serves to mildly satirize the foreboding mood, adding layers to the narrative without diminishing the underlying theme. The bold, geometric sans-serif typography complements this, invoking a sense of urgency and history. Utilizing textured, matte cardstock enhances the tactile experience, making the cover not only visually, but also physically engaging. This choice simulates the texture of older, possibly forbidden literature, enticing readers with its rebel allure.