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Conference noted::sf

Title:Arcana Caelestia
Notice:Directory listings are in topic 2
Moderator:NETRIX::thomas
Created:Thu Dec 08 1983
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1300
Total number of notes:18728

791.0. "Starship art books" by MCIS2::TKELLEHER (For moral fiber, try Zen Flakes.) Tue May 16 1989 14:56

    
    A while back (5 - 10 years) I had a pair or GREAT books 
    of future space craft.  The books were fanciful, and as they
    discussed the various craft (one or two pages per, with
    a drawing of each), they slowly built up a future history
    of space exploration.
    
    For instance, one discussed a particular high velocity,
    low armor model produced by the Alpha Centaurans, which
    turned the tide in the Proxima Centauri Wars.  Then the
    next page would talk about another craft, its strengths
    and drawbacks, and how it contributed to the War, then
    the next, and the next...  So while discussing each model of
    ship, a future history of the next 200 - 300 years was
    layed out.
    
    I'm sure the books were intended as a showcase of futuristic
    artwork (many of the pictures have been on SF covers) --
    but they brought them all together with a fine weaving of
    fiction.
    
    (And some of the "craft" were alien and mysterious.  Huge,
    silent plate-like craft about a kilometer across, in the
    deserts of a planet around Alpha Centauri...which from time
    to time rise up and land again without a sound, or reason...)
    
    
    There were many artists.  I don't recall the name of the
    author(s), the editors, the publishers, ANYTHING.
    
    
    Any clues as to the names of these books?  Anyone know
    where a person could buy 'em?
    
    Tom
    
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791.1Got 'em!TUNER::FLISLet's put this technology to work...Tue May 16 1989 16:336
    Tom,
    
    I got 'em.  I will bring them in in the morning and enter the
    information.  True, they are quite neat!
    
    jim
791.2Future Art.HOMARD::LEDWITHANTIMATTERSun Jun 18 1989 18:1636
	The books in question wouldn't include;

	Space Wars Worlds & Weapons
	Starliners
	
	These books I once had, and contained art from YOUNG ARTISTS.
	They covered the early work by Angus Mackay, Tim White & Jim Burns.

	Other collections of science fiction artwork are;

	Robotech - Picture gallery, Flights of Icarus, In Search of forever,
	Art from Star Wars, Metropolis, Science fiction Ideas and dreams,
	Guide to Science Fiction Hardware, Art from Star Trek, Frank McQuarrie
	production artwork, etc, AD INFINITUM.

	Several sets of technical blueprints are available for starships
	from this genre, including;

	Constitution class [enterprise], Millenium Falcon, Ingram class
	[excelsior], Avenger class [reliant], k22 Bird of Prey, 
	C-57D [forbidden planet], Jupiter II [lost in space], Hooded Swan, 
	Dora [from Time enough for love], Federation Dreadnought [star trek],
	SDF-1 [robotech].

	There are probably many more on the market but I've only listed the
	stuff I've got.

	If you want copies of any of the above then if I've got time I could
	probably produce EPSF versions of them.

	Dave Ledwith 

	ESD&P [Reading, England]

 
	
791.3Dream MachinesVERGA::KLAESLife, the Universe, and EverythingWed Apr 28 1993 17:48140
Article: 61712
From: higgins@fnalf.fnal.gov (Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey)
Newsgroups: sci.space,rec.arts.books,rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: The Dream Machines: book on vaporware spacecraft
Date: 28 Apr 93 10:56:59 -0600
Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
 
Ron Miller is a space artist with a long and distinguished career.
I've admired both his paintings (remember the USPS Solar System
Exploration Stamps last year?) and his writings on the history of
spaceflight.  For several years he's been working on a *big* project
which is almost ready to hit the streets.  A brochure from his
publisher has landed in my mailbox, and I thought it was cool enough
to type in part of it (it's rather long).  Especially given the Net's
strong interest in vaporware spacecraft... 
 
                 ==================================
 
                         The Dream Machines:
An Illustrated History of the Spaceship in Art, Science, and Literature
 
                            By Ron Miller
                  with Foreword by Arthur C. Clarke
 
Krieger Publishing Company
Melbourne, Florida, USA
Orig. Ed. 1993
Pre-publication $84.50
ISBN 0-89464-039-9
 
This text is a history of the spaceship as both a cultural and a
technological phenomenon.  The idea of a vehicle for traversing the
space betwen worlds did not spring full-blown into existence in the
tlatter half of theis century.  The need preceded the ability ot make
such a device by several hundred years.  As soon as it was realized
that there were other worlds than this one, human beings wanted to
reach them.   
 
Tracing the history of the many imaginative, and often prescient,
attempts to solve this problem also reflects the history of
technology, science, astronomy, and engineering.  Once space travel
became feasible, there were many more spacecraft concepts developed
than ever got off the drawing board-- or off the ground, for that
matter.  These also are described in theis book, for the same reason
as the pre-space-age and pre-flight ideas are:  they are all accurate
reflections of their particular era's dreams, abilities, and
knowledge.  Virtually every spaceship concept invented since 1500, as
well as selected events important in developing the idea of
extraterrestrial travel, is listed chronologically.  The chronological
entries allow comparisons between actual astronautical events and
speculative ventures.  They also allow comparisons between
simultaneous events taking place in different countries.  They reveal
connections, influences, and evolutions hitherto unsuspected.  Every
entry is accompanied by at least one illustration.  Nearly every
spacecraft concept is illustrated with a schematic drawing.  This
allows accurate comparisons to be made between designss, to visualize
differences, similarities, and influences.
 
This text will be of interest to students of astronautical history,
and also to model builders who would be interested in the schematic
diagrams.   Science fiction fans as well as aviation history buffs and
historians of science will also find this book to be fascinating.  The
unique collection of illustrations makes it a visually attractive and
very interesting history of the spaceship.
 
SPECIAL FEATURES
 
Includes scale drawings of several hundred spacecraft, both real and
fictional
 
Contains scores of illustrations: artwork, drawings, and photos
contemporary with the subject.  This includes extremely rare
illustrations from scarce books and novels, exclusive photos and
drawings fromSoviet spacecraft; rare stills from both famous and
obscure science fiction films, and unpublished photographs from NASA
archives
 
An index, bibliography, and appendices are included.
 
CONTENTS
 
Part I  The Archaeology of the Spaceship (360 B.C. to 1783 A.D.)
Part II The invention of the Spaceship (1784-1899)
Part III The Experimenters (1900-1938)
Part IV The World War (1939-1945)
Part V  The Golden Age of the Spaceship (1946-1960)
Part VI The Dawn of the Space Age (1961 to the present)
 
ABOUT RON MILLER
 
[The brochure has a page of stuff here; I'll try to hit the high spots.]
 
Former art director for Albert Einstein Planetarium  at Smithsonian's
National Air and Space Museum
 
Member of International Association for Astronomical Arts, member of
International Astronautical Association, Fellow of the British
Interplanetary Society,  consulting editor for *Air & Space
Smithsonian* magazine
 
Author, co-author, editor, or sole illustrator on many books since
1979, including *Space Art*, *Cycles of Fire*, *The Grand Tour*, and
many others, as well as many articles and papers
 
Book jackets and interior art for over a dozen publishers 
 
Contributor to IBM traveling exhibition and book *Blueprint for Space*
 
Production illustrator for movies *Dune* and *Total Recall*
 
Designer of ten-stamp set of commemorative space postage stamps for
U.S. Postal Service in 1991 (Solar System Exploration)
 
ORDERING INFORMATION
 
Pre-publication price $84.50 before 1 May 1993
Afterwards, price will be $112.50
 
Krieger Publishing Company
PO Box 9542
Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
USA

Direct order line (407)727-7270
Fax (407)951-3671
 
Add $5.00 for shipping by UPS within USA for first book, $1.50 for each
additional book.  
 
For foreign orders, add $6.00 for first book, $2.00 for each
additional.  Additional charges for airmail shipments.
 
     O~~*         /_) ' / /   /_/ '  ,   ,  ' ,_  _           \|/
   - ~ -~~~~~~~~~/_) / / /   / / / (_) (_) / / / _\~~~~~~~~~~~zap!
 /       \                        (_) (_)                    / | \
 |       |   Bill Higgins   Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
 \       /   Bitnet:                          HIGGINS@FNAL.BITNET
   -   -     Internet:                      HIGGINS@FNAL.FNAL.GOV
     ~       SPAN/Hepnet/Physnet:                  43011::HIGGINS