In addition to providing artwork for many magazine and book. They range from the nearly abstract to paintings that would be mistaken for photographs if they weren’t of places never visited or machines not yet built. Ron Miller is an illustrator/author specialising in science, astronomy, science fiction and fantasy. All beautifully reproduced, and there are many two-page spreads that will knock your eyes out.

But the real story here is in the art, and it is magnificent. More irritating is the lack of dates for many works. Some, like a reference to the famous science fiction author, David Niven (was the great actor Larry’s brother?) are entertaining. Several of the masters are honored with extended biographical essays, but I doubt that anyone of substance lacks at least a picture or two. From the all-too-human in form to work by those few artists who have conjured creatures that are truly not “life as we know it.” Each section traces the long history of the genre, beginning as far back as the seventeenth century. The Art of Space: The History of Space Art, from the Earliest Visions to the Graphics of the Modern Era is divided into five sections: Planets and Moons, Stars and Galaxies, Spaceships and Space Stations, and last but far from least, Aliens. Then they share these waking dreams with the rest of us. They capture them in ink and oils, watercolors and bytes. These artists don’t just imagine these worlds, beings and ships. Rational or not, these visions give me hope for the future-even the false futures imagined in days long past-as I admire their beauty. The Art of Space : The History of Space Art, from the Earliest Visions to the Graphics of the Modern Era by Ron Miller (2014, Hardcover) Pre-owned. As I turned the pages of this comprehensive new collection from author and superb space artist Ron Miller, I was struck by the optimism that is implied by nearly all of the images.

The Art of Space by Ron Miller