Description

Infinite Worlds: The Fantastic Visions of Science Fiction Art                       Over-sized Hardcover w/ Dust Jacket
Dust Jacket Cover by: Paul Lehr

Let your imagination soar along an astonishing timeline of ages past and future, to far worlds and remote dimensions, and to the very limits of the human mind through the genius of science fiction’s greatest artists.

At the instant our prehistoric ancestors picked up a stick to use for leverage or cast a stone to fell an animal in the hunt, human technology began. From the invention of the wheel and the harnessing of fire through the development of weapons of mass destruction and supersonic flight, to voyages to the far reaches of the solar system and heady forays into the only – recently conceived worlds of artificial intelligence and virtual reality – the question of where our technology might lead us has titillated and frightened us for a long time. It has been the subject of myths, parables, and legends that we have told ourselves for centuries by the flickering light of a fire, inspiring chilling novels and hair-raising movies, and of late reemerging with a vengeance in a witty, imaginative, and disturbing television presence.

As the new millennium approaches and a period of extraordinary technological achievement is at full throttle, the vision and reality of science and technology fill our thoughts, rankle our nerves, and drive the global culture and economy. Science fiction, the fantasy and wisdom literature of the technological age, anticipated many of the advances – and setbacks – we are just now confronting: robotics, deep space exploration, modern plagues, cloning, computer technology, the internet, virtual reality, and the infiltration of all-knowing eyes and ears into every aspect of our lives. Science fiction is not about aliens; it is about us – who we are now, what we fear most, and how we see ourselves in the future.

Art has played a central role in science fiction literature, defining the icons of the genre and bringing the vision of science fiction into the consciousness of the world at large: There is perhaps no archive of images that is more dazzling, influential, and prophetic than the art of science fiction. Its rich pictorialism has yielded some of the greatest visionary art ever conceived. In magazines and books, film and television, advertising and video, the artist/illustrator’s vision has transformed words into compelling images, and these images are proving more compelling than ever. Infinite Worlds: The Fantastic Visions of Science Fiction Art brings to those with an avid interest in the future, in art, and in science fiction, a lush, colorful, dynamic record of the development of science fiction art and of the great diversity of styles and approaches that this art form encompasses. Presented in nearly seven hundred carefully selected plates, Infinite Worlds assembles many of the finest examples of fantastic art ever created and incorporates these in a text that details the history and evolution of this fascinating subject.

Among the artists included: Frank Frazetta, John Berkey, Michael Whelan, Leo & Diane Dillion, James Bama, Jim Gurney, Marshal Arisman, Boris Vallejo, Richard M. Powers, Wayne Barlowe, Alex Schomburg, Chesley Bonestell, Jim Burns, Paul Lehr, Elliot Dold, Dean Ellis, Virgil Finlay, Frank Kelly Freas, Greg & Tim Hildebrandt, Frank R. Paul, Alex Raymond, J. Allen St. John, Stanley Meltzoff, John Schoenherr, Herb Tauss, and many others.

Infinite Worlds: The Fantastic Visions of Science Fiction Art Hardcover contains:

“Foreword by Ray Bradbury”
“Introduction”
“Doorways to the Future”
“The Influence of Greatness”
“Masters of the Infinite”
“Index”
“Credits”
“Dedication and Acknowledgements”

Hardcover w/ Dust Jacket is bagged and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly. 

First Printing
Publisher: Penguin Studio
Publication Date: 1997
Format: FC, 320 pages, HC/DJ, 9.25″ x 6.75″
ISBN-10: 0670872520
ISBN-13: 9780670872527

Collectible Entertainment note: Hardcover w/ Dust Jacket is in Very Fine condition.  Beautiful!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Science Fiction Art collector and/or enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Very Highly Recommended. 

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