looking for old scifi art book

November 17, 2005 11:59 AM

I'm looking for a book of spaceship art I used to look at in Waldenbooks as a kid..

This book had color pictures of various alien ships and I think information about them. It was in the scifi section of the store. It was probably around '79-82 that I would see it. Does anyone remember this book?

posted by jockc to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

Hi JockC,

I may know the book. Was it full of color paintings (from different artists, possibly recycled from book covers) of giant, hulking spaceships...divided into Terra, Alpha Centauri, and Proxima Centauri sections?

Because I had that book in 1982 and may still have it at home somewhere. What I recall is a focus on mammoth ships with tiny people against them...a floating white city on a Martian desert...sleek, fish-like ships flying over an ocean.

As you might imagine it was one of my favorites.
posted by johngoren at 12:02 PM on November 17, 2005

AskMe question, probably about the about the book johngoren mentioned: Spacecraft 2000-2100, A.D.
posted by zsazsa at 12:09 PM on November 17, 2005

Oh, snap.
posted by johngoren at 12:11 PM on November 17, 2005

I still have that book from when I was a kid. It is indeed awesome. I must've paged through that thing a zillion times back in the day. I always wished there had been more of those books.
posted by unreason at 1:05 PM on November 17, 2005

Response by poster: Yes that's it!! thanks
posted by jockc at 1:19 PM on November 17, 2005

Oh. My. Gosh. I still have the book. I've just had to tear myself away from the links in the original post, which I had somehow missed. (Thanks zsazsa.) Wow, does this take me back. And I had no idea there were other books in the series! I love the internet.
posted by Tubes at 1:38 PM on November 17, 2005

I didn't know anyone else was into those books. But now that I think about it, I believe they were prominently sold at Waldenbooks -- it was definitely a hot time for spaceship books. Anyone remember the space shuttle operator's manual, or the mars mission sequel? I recall these being on display next to "The Art of Return of the Jedi."
posted by johngoren at 1:49 PM on November 17, 2005

I've got dibs on asking this question next. I bloody loved those books when I was a kid.

I'll post my question sometime next month, okay?
posted by The Monkey at 3:11 PM on November 17, 2005

Zen Koan:

Q: Why was this book so awesome?
A: Answer
posted by johngoren at 3:26 PM on November 17, 2005