Black background spans the entirety of the vertical rectangular frame. At the top edge, white uppercase sans-serif text reads SCIENCE FICTION. Center-aligned at the top, three lines of white text state THE BREATHTAKING NOVEL OF TOMORROW'S MOST DESPERATE ADVENTURE! Below this, a quote in white sans-serif reads "A TOWERING SUCCESS!"—WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD. The author's name, Gregory Benford, appears in bold orange sans-serif font. The title TIMESCAPE occupies the middle third of the cover in large, white, blocky uppercase letters. A horizontal black arc bisects the word SCAPE, causing the lower halves of the letters to shift slightly downward. In the top right corner, a red stylized kangaroo logo sits above the word POCKET in white, followed by the numbers 83389-8 and the price $2.95 in orange. The bottom half of the cover features a circular view of Earth centered within concentric black rings. The planet shows the North American continent in green and tan, the Atlantic Ocean in blue and black, and parts of South America and Africa. A bright white light reflects off the upper right quadrant of the globe. The concentric rings surrounding the Earth are rendered with grey highlights, creating a three-dimensional, recessed tunnel effect. These rings exhibit a grainy, matte texture. Lighting originates from the top center, casting subtle shadows toward the bottom edges of the circular elements. Small white specks are scattered across the black background surface.

Black background spans the entirety of the vertical rectangular frame. At the top edge, white uppercase sans-serif text reads SCIENCE FICTION. Center-aligned at the top, three lines of white text state THE BREATHTAKING NOVEL OF TOMORROW'S MOST DESPERATE ADVENTURE! Below this, a quote in white sans-serif reads "A TOWERING SUCCESS!"—WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD. The author's name, Gregory Benford, appears in bold orange sans-serif font. The title TIMESCAPE occupies the middle third of the cover in large, white, blocky uppercase letters. A horizontal black arc bisects the word SCAPE, causing the lower halves of the letters to shift slightly downward. In the top right corner, a red stylized kangaroo logo sits above the word POCKET in white, followed by the numbers 83389-8 and the price $2.95 in orange. The bottom half of the cover features a circular view of Earth centered within concentric black rings. The planet shows the North American continent in green and tan, the Atlantic Ocean in blue and black, and parts of South America and Africa. A bright white light reflects off the upper right quadrant of the globe. The concentric rings surrounding the Earth are rendered with grey highlights, creating a three-dimensional, recessed tunnel effect. These rings exhibit a grainy, matte texture. Lighting originates from the top center, casting subtle shadows toward the bottom edges of the circular elements. Small white specks are scattered across the black background surface.