Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece


Michael Benson - 2018
    Clarke created this cinematic masterpiece.Regarded as a masterpiece today, 2001: A Space Odyssey received mixed reviews on its 1968 release. Despite the success of Dr. Strangelove, director Stanley Kubrick wasn’t yet recognized as a great filmmaker, and 2001 was radically innovative, with little dialogue and no strong central character. Although some leading critics slammed the film as incomprehensible and self-indulgent, the public lined up to see it. 2001’s resounding commercial success launched the genre of big-budget science fiction spectaculars. Such directors as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, and James Cameron have acknowledged its profound influence.Author Michael Benson explains how 2001 was made, telling the story primarily through the two people most responsible for the film, Kubrick and science fiction legend Arthur C. Clarke. Benson interviewed Clarke many times, and has also spoken at length with Kubrick’s widow, Christiane; with visual effects supervisor Doug Trumbull; with Dan Richter, who played 2001’s leading man-ape; and many others.A colorful nonfiction narrative packed with memorable characters and remarkable incidents, Space Odyssey provides a 360-degree view of this extraordinary work, tracking the film from Kubrick and Clarke’s first meeting in New York in 1964 through its UK production from 1965-1968, during which some of the most complex sets ever made were merged with visual effects so innovative that they scarcely seem dated today. A concluding chapter examines the film’s legacy as it grew into it current justifiably exalted status.

The Hunger Games Tribute Guide


Emily Seife - 2012
    Follow the tributes' journey from the reaping to the Games, with an exclusive look at all the highlights along the way—the trip to the Capitol, the Tribute Parade, the stations of the Training Center, and the interviews with Caesar Flickerman. Plus you'll find profiles of President Snow and Seneca Crane, portraits of each tribute, and detailed information on each district's industry. This unique guide to the tributes contains never-before-seen photos and quotes from the film, and is a must-have for any Hunger Games fan.

Star Wars Psychology: Dark Side of the Mind


Travis LangleyJenna Busch - 2015
    A group of expert contributors examines such topics as family ties, Jedi qualities, masculinity, girl power, and the values embodied in both the "dark" and "light" sides of this psychologically spellbinding world.

The Art of Captain America: Civil War


Jacob Johnston - 2016
    After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability: A governing body will now determine when to enlist the team's services. The new status quo fractures the Avengers -leaving the world exposed to a nefarious plot from a new, shadowy player. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. return as Captain America and Iron Man, two heroes with the same goal -to protect the world -but with very different methods. Get the inside details in this new collectible volume! Filled with exclusive concept art, production stills, and commentary from cast and crew -including returning directors Anthony and Joe Russo, and producer Kevin Feige -this collection is a prize for any fan. Go behind the scenes as Marvel Studios once again revolutionizes the silver-screen Super Hero!

Der Mond: The Art of Neon Genesis Evangelion


Yoshiyuki Sadamoto - 1999
    The book includes 74 pages of paintings and designs devoted to Neon Genesis Evangelion, plus another 50 pages from The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia--The Secret of Blue Water, Blue Uru, and other works--including Sadamoto's cover to Eric Clapton's 1998 album, Pilgrim.

Well-Read Women: Portraits of Fiction's Most Beloved Heroines


Samantha Hahn - 2013
    Anna Karenina, Clarissa Dalloway, Daisy Buchanan...each seems to live on the page through celebrated artist Samantha Hahn's evocative portraits and hand-lettered quotations, with the pairing of art and text capturing all the spirit of the character as she was originally written. The book itself evokes vintage grace re-imagined for contemporary taste, with a cloth spine silk-screened in a graphic pattern, debossed cover, and pages that turn with the tactile satisfaction of watercolour paper. In the hand and in the reading, here is a new classic for the book lover's library.

Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game


Greg Costikyan - 1987
    Experience the drama and epic scope of the greatest space fantasy of all time! Adventure in a universe of epic heroes, fearsome villains, amazing technology and strange aliens. Pilot an X-wing against the Empire's devastating TIE fighters! Trade blaster fire with vicious bounty hunters! Smuggle contraband cargos through Imperial blockades! Learn the ways of the lightsaber-wielding Jedi Knights, and master the powers of the Force!This 176-page rulebook features:• Sophisticated yet simple rules covering all aspects of the Star Wars universe. Completely revised, with a conversion system for first edition materials.• Extensive information on the Star Wars universe, with guidelines on designing your own adventures set during the time of the movies or after the Battle of Endor!• Includes a beginning adventure.• Detailed skill descriptions, with many new skills and special abilities for aliens! • New movement, chase and combat rules covering everything from landspeeders to Imperial Star Destroyers!• 16 full-color pages, with never before published material.

Cinemaps: An Atlas of 35 Great Movies


Andrew DeGraff - 2017
    Follow Marty McFly through the Hill Valley of 1985, 1955, and 1985 once again as he races Back to the Future. Trail Jack Torrance as he navigates the corridors of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining. And join Indiana Jones on a globe-spanning journey from Nepal to Cairo to London on his quest for the famed Lost Ark. Each map is presented in an 11-by-14-inch format, with key details enlarged for closer inspection, and is accompanied by illuminating essays by film critic A. D. Jameson, who speaks to the unique geographies of each film. This beautifully designed atlas is an essential reference for anyone who loves great art and great films.

The Art and Flair of Mary Blair: An Appreciation


John Canemaker - 2003
    The stylishness and vibrant color of Disney films in the early 1940s through mid-1950s came primarily from artist Mary Blair. In her prime, she was an amazingly prolific American artist who enlivened and influenced the not-so-small worlds of film, print, theme parks, architectural decor, and advertising. At its core, her art represented joyful creativity and communicated pure pleasure to the viewer. Her exuberant fantasies brimmed with beauty, charm, and wit, melding a child's fresh eye with adult experience. Blair's personal flair comprised the imagery that flowed effortlessly and continually for more than a half a century from her brush. Emulated by many, she remains inimitable: a dazzling sorceress of design and color.

Tales from the Loop


Simon Stålenhag - 2014
    The facility was complete in 1969, located deep below the pastoral countryside of Mälaröarna. The local population called this marvel of technology The Loop. These are its strange tales.Simon Stålenhag’s paintings of Swedish 1980s suburbia, populated by fantastic machines and strange beasts, have spread like wildfire on the Internet. The 2015 Kickstarter for the English version of the book raised over $320,000. Stålenhag’s portrayal of a childhood against a backdrop of old Volvo cars and coveralls, combined with strange and mystical machines, creates a unique atmosphere that is both instantly recognizable and utterly alien.In this top-quality artbook, Simon Stålenhag’s first set of paintings are collected in book form—together with texts that tell the stories of the youth who lived in the shadows of the machines. In addition, three separate prints (format 260×230 mm) as well as a full-color map (format 520x340mm) of the land of The Loop are included in the book.

Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words


Randall Munroe - 2015
    Explore computer buildings (datacenters), the flat rocks we live on (tectonic plates), the things you use to steer a plane (airliner cockpit controls), and the little bags of water you're made of (cells).

Star Wars: Complete Vehicles - Incredible Cross-Sections of the Spaceships and Craft from the Star Wars Galaxy


Kerrie DoughertyJohn Mullaney - 2013
    Full-color cross-section artwork presents in-depth examinations of each craft's weapon systems, engines, hyperdrives, cockpits, and construction secrets, providing a never-before-seen glimpse at the vehicles that drive the Star Wars universe. Star Wars®: Complete Cross-Sections now features new and never-before-seen cross-sections!

The Art of Star Trek


Judith Reeves-Stevens - 1995
    Bizarre alien beings, breathtaking extraterrestrial landscapes, exotic costumes, state-of-the-art special effects, and remarkably convincing futuristic sets and props and equipment have brought Gene Roddenberry's inspiring vision to life before the public's awestruck eyes."The Art of Star Trek" is a one-of-a-kind gallery of Star Trek artwork, as well as tribute to the many artists, designers, and technicians whose diverse talents and imagination created the distinctive look of the Star Trek universe. Every incarnation of Star Trek is explored: The Original Series, The ANimated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager, and the films -- with the complete behind-the-scenes story of Star Trek's design history.With hundreds of full-color illustrations and photographs, many from private collections, readers will at last be able to linger on Star Trek's rich visual legacy and trace the evolution of and images from their initial conceptions to their final form on television and film screens.Like all great works of art, the many sights and visual surprises of Star Trek have been built from scratch through a combination of inspiration and painstaking effort. "The Art of Star Trek" covers the entire universe of Star Trek artwork and production design to reveal how, in all of its various forms, Star Trek has allowed us to look boldly into the future and see what no one has seen before."The Art of Star Trek" is the art of pure imagination, the art of a bright, hopeful future, and the art of three remarkable decades on nonstop action and adventure. Lavishly illustrated, it is a book to be read and referred to time after time, as well as one that will become a cherished chronicle fo Star Trek's first thirty years.

The Dynamite Art of Alex Ross


Alex Ross - 2011
    Having produced many other illustrations for Dynamite comic books like Green Hornet and Vampirella, and having reunited with his Marvels collaborator, Kurt Busiek, with Kirby: Genesis, there can be no argument that Alex Ross is as popular and dynamite as ever Collecting all of Alex''s Dynamite cover and interior art in one complete hardcover volume, along with commentary and special bonus material, this is a package not to be missed

Age of Rebellion Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook


Jay Little - 2014
    Wage guerilla warfare across the Star Wars galaxy as a solider, or provide crucial intelligence to the Rebels as a cunning spy. Face down legions of stormtroopers, steal secret plans and restricted codes, and stay on target in the fight against the ultimate power in the universe. No matter what role in the Rebellion you take, the fate of the galaxy rests in your hands.The 464-page Star Wars®: Age of Rebellion™ Core Rulebook provides everything players and GMs need to begin their adventures in the Star Wars universe, including:Concise rules for character generation and advancementClear descriptions of the game’s skills and talentsConvenient charts of weapons, gear, devices, starships, and vehiclesRules for conflict, combat, and Force Sensitive Emergents in an Age of Rebellion campaignExtensive background information on the Star Wars universe, including a history of the Rebel Alliance and its tactics, as well as pertinent information on the powerful EmpireA wealth of advice for GMs on how to create and run an Age of Rebellion campaignA complete, introductory adventure to launch players into action!