Here's an article on LitHub about pulp-style covers for some very not-pulp novels. I even remember seeing some of these back in the 1970s. Some are silly, but a few are hilariously wrong.
Still, I kind of wish publishers still did covers like these. I think my own novels could really benefit.
A Darkling Sea: scantily clad Alicia menaced by giant lobster, beefy Rob Freeman wrestling it, knife in hand. Tagline: "An Ocean of Danger — and Passion!"
Corsair: bare-chested beefy David Schwartz, bikini-clad Elizabeth Santiago trading pistol shots with bad guys as a rocket lifts off in the background. Tagline: "A Fortune From Space — Big Enough to Kill For!"
Arkad's World: Arkad, sans shirt, punches tentacled pirates while Baichi in just the shreds of her torn cloak fights off a clawed flying monster. Tagline: "Across a World of Danger Lies the Ultimate Treasure!"
The Initiate: Pretty much the cover and tagline of the actual book, really. Maybe replace creepy horror-novel Isabella with Taika Feng in a femme-fatale pose.
The Godel Operation: Shirtless Zee and Adya in torn skintight spacesuit battling a big boxy robot with eye-beams. Tagline: "Save the Fabric of Existence Itself!"
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