If your daily commute includes a stint on BART you’ve probably become pretty familiar with some of the advertisements that adorn the walls of the train cars and platforms.

Coming soon will be a visual relief from litigation squirrels, Internet meme job recruiting posters and promotions marketing grocery store thrillers as unputdownabable.

Artist Owen Smith, who grew up in Fremont and has created illustrations that have been featured on 18 covers of The New Yorker, brings his talent to BART for 60 posters spread throughout the transit system.

With a style that recalls pulp fiction novels and murals done as part of the Work Projects Administration during WWII, world-famous Smith brings to life the novels of writers Jack London, Amy Tan and Dashiell Hammett in a series titled Literary Journeys.

The series illustrates BART readers engaged with the works of these literary icons connected with the Bay Area and recreates scenes from the novels.

The posters have been designed with the idea that public transportation can transport readers to their destination and to far away places via the power of imagination–and they will be coming soon to beautify the BART system and bring culture to the morning commute.

• Tag: Amy Tan, BART, Dashiell Hammett, Jack London, Literary Journeys, Owen Smith