Battlefield Earth 

Frank Frazetta created this image for the cover of L. Ron Hubbard's pulp science fiction novel, *Battlefield Earth*. Made during an era grappling with Cold War anxieties and burgeoning counter-cultural movements, this painting reflects a preoccupation with dystopian futures. Here, Frazetta visualizes Hubbard’s narrative of an Earth dominated by alien invaders, the Psychlos. With their advanced technology, the Psychlos are juxtaposed against the subjugated, primitive humans, echoing colonial power dynamics. Yet Frazetta's rendering also leans into a hyper-masculine aesthetic. The muscular alien and scantily clad woman, in particular, evoke traditional tropes of power and vulnerability. The cover thus embodies a moment where science fiction served as a stage for anxieties around gender, race, and imperial power. Frazetta’s vivid depiction asks us to consider not only the imagined future but also the present-day power structures that shape our perceptions and fears.