Dystopian Book Cover Design (Evoking suspense and violence)

Visuals: A dark, turbulent sky filled with thick, swirling clouds, dominated by a massive, looming clock face. The clock is cracked, with its hands frozen at one minute to midnight, suggesting imminent disaster. The clock’s numbers are slightly distorted, heightening the sense of foreboding. Beneath the clock, a desolate, apocalyptic landscape stretches out, partially obscured by the low-hanging clouds.

Typography: The title "Minute Fatale" uses a bold, distressed sans-serif typeface, giving it a rugged and worn look. The author's name, "Justin Mercier," is in a smaller, cleaner sans-serif font to stand in contrast, placed subtly at the bottom.

Layout: The large clock occupies the upper two-thirds of the cover, drawing the viewer's eye immediately. "Minute Fatale" is aligned centrally below the clock in a sizeable bold type. "Justin Mercier" is positioned at the bottom center, not to distract from the main imagery but to complete the cover harmoniously.

Explanation: The visual composition emphasizes a sense of impending doom through the dominant imagery of a cracked clock set against end-of-the-world clouds, embodying both suspense and violence. This unsettling atmosphere is anchored by large numerals hinting at a great disaster about to unfold. The typography was chosen to amplify the tense emotion; the distressed sans-serif for the title reflects both urgency and decay, crucial for a dystopian narrative. Contrastingly, the author's name is in a cleaner font, deliberately unassuming to maintain focus on the theme. The layout, with its hierarchy topped by the clock face, ensures immediate captivation, while the matte textured cardstock evokes a sense of age and erosion, reinforcing the apocalyptic mood.