Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters


David S. Cohen - 2013
    Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' epic sci-fi action adventure Pacific Rim.When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are piloted by an international crew of soldiers in the Pan Pacific Defense Corps. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot and an untested trainee—team up to pilot a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger on a mission to halt the mounting apocalypse.Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters chronicles the production of the film with stunning concept art, captivating photography, and cast and crew descriptions of the shoot.

The Selby is in Your Place


Todd Selby - 2010
    Nosy by nature, he wanted to see how personal style was reflected in private spaces. Lucky for us, he found his answer in the color-rich and eclectic quarters of a diverse group of subjects, including Simon Doonan and Jonathan Adler, Faris Rotter, Andre Walker, and Olivier Zahm, in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, and London. Each profile is accompanied by Selby’s watercolor portraits of the subjects and objects from their homes, and illustrated questionnaires, which Selby asks each sitter to fill out. This book consists of over thirty profiles, many of which have never-before-seen, selected exclusively for the book. The result is a collection of unique spaces bursting with energy and personality that together create a colorful hodgepodge of inspirational interiors.

The Science of Star Wars: An Astrophysicist's Independent Examination of Space Travel, Aliens, Planets, and Robots as Portrayed in the Star Wars Films and Books


Jeanne Cavelos - 1999
    From Star Wars: A New Hope to The Phantom Menace, Cavelos leaves no stone unturned in her attempt to question the basicscientific principles underlying the technology of America's mostpopular science fiction series. Enlisting the aid of leading expertsfrom today's cutting-edge scientific disciplines, Cavelos writes in anaccessible, easy-to-read style that will appeal to both young scienceenthusiasts and the most wizened scholars.This is science at its best. Here you'll learn: the principles ofquantum physics as exemplified by the Millennium Falcon; thelatest technological advances in the field of robotics; how close w

Star Wars: The Magic of Myth


Mary Henderson - 1997
    For millions of viewers, the "Star Wars" epic presents a special vision that incorporates the wisdom and symbols of age-old myths in dynamic new ways that speak uniquely and unforgettably to our modern-day quest for meaning. Using hundreds of illustrations, "Star Wars: The Magic of Myth" presents the relationship between the creation of the movie trilogy and the mythic structure on which it is based. Here is a rich, detailed, and fascinating account of how characters, costumes, and settings were modeled on some of the most powerful imagery from the realms of history, myth, and the imagination. Incorporating elements from Greek mythology to Flash Gordon, "Star Wars" is not only entertainment in its grandest form but, like all great myths, a limitless source of imagery, insight, and universal emotion.

DC Comics Covergirls


Louise Simonson - 2007
    Written by renowned comic book writer Louise Simonson, the book examines the evolution of the comic book women of DC Comics: the 1942 introduction of the most famous DC heroine, Wonder Woman, and her various incarnations up to the present; the creation of comic book spin-offs based on characters such as Lois Lane; and the recent wealth of fierce, female character-driven comics such as Supergirl, Birds of Prey, Batgirl, and Catwoman, featuring women who have no trouble being both sexy and strong-willed. Famous featured DC Comics artists include Jim Lee, Alex Ross, Adam Hughes, J. Scott Campbell, Michael Turner, Tim Sale, and Jill Thompson. DC Comics Covergirls is a smart and in-depth look at the female comic book characters we've grown up with all these years, and is sure to appeal to new comic book fans and diehard collectors alike.

Death's Domain: A Discworld Mapp


Terry Pratchett - 1999
    So here is the place where the Grim Reaper can kick back and take the load off his scythe. Here's the golf course that's not so much crazy as insane, and the useless maze, and the dark gardens - all brought (incongruously) to life. And here, for the first time ever, you will find out the reason why Death can't understand rockeries, and what happens to garden gnomes.As Death rides Binky into the sunset (of other people's lives), you can at last see what he gets up to when he's not at work.

Finding Serenity: Anti-Heroes, Lost Shepherds and Space Hookers in Joss Whedon's Firefly


Jane EspensonMichelle Sagara West - 2005
    From what was wrong with the pilot to what was right with the Reavers, from the use of Chinese to how correspondence between Joss and network executives might have gone, from a philosopher’s perspective on “Objects in Space” to a sex therapist’s analysis of Inara, Finding Serenity is filled with writing as exciting, funny and enthralling as the show itself.

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead


Max Brooks - 2003
    Fully illustrated and exhaustively comprehensive, this book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie physiology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, ways to outfit your home for a long siege, and how to survive and adapt in any territory or terrain.Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack 1. Organize before they rise! 2. They feel no fear, why should you?3. Use your head: cut off theirs.4. Blades don’t need reloading.5. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it. 7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.8. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!9. No place is safe, only safer. 10. The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on. Don’t be carefree and foolish with your most precious asset—life. This book is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now without your even knowing it. The Zombie Survival Guide offers complete protection through trusted, proven tips for safeguarding yourself and your loved ones against the living dead. It is a book that can save your life.

Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: Tales of the Jedi, Vol. 1


John Ostrander - 2020
    When connections to the Force were strange and new. There, on a distant planet, a group of beings strive to balance the mysterious Force. Behold the Jee'dai! But a stranger is coming, one who has a connection to the Force all his own - and the doors to the galaxy are about to swing wide open!COLLECTING: STAR WARS: DAWN OF THE JEDI - FORCE STORM (2012) 1-5, STAR WARS: DAWN OF THE JEDI - PRISONER OF BOGAN (2012) 1-5, STAR WARS: DAWN OF THE JEDI - FORCE WAR (2013) 1-5, STAR WARS: DAWN OF THE JEDI (2012) 0

The People of Pern


Robin Wood - 1988
    A book illustrating various characters for the Anne McCaffrey crafted world of Pern

Geek Wisdom: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture


Stephen H. Segal - 2011
    Clearly, geeks know something about life in the 21st century that other folks don’t—something we all can learn from. Geek Wisdom takes as gospel some 200 of the most powerful and oft-cited quotes from movies (“Where we’re going, we don’t need roads”), television (“Now we know—and knowing is half the battle”), literature (“All that is gold does not glitter”), games, science, the Internet, and more. Now these beloved pearls of modern-day culture have been painstakingly interpreted by a diverse team of hardcore nerds with their imaginations turned up to 11. Yes, this collection of mini-essays is by, for, and about geeks—but it’s just so surprisingly profound, the rest of us would have to be dorks not to read it. So say we all.

Fairyopolis: A Flower Fairies Journal


Cicely Mary Barker - 2005
    Learn what really happened during that magical summer of 1920 when she discovered the secret world of the Flower Fairies.

The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black


E.B. Hudspeth - 2013
    A city of gas lamps, cobblestone streets, and horse-drawn carriages—and home to the controversial surgeon Dr. Spencer Black. The son of a grave robber, young Dr. Black studies at Philadelphia’s esteemed Academy of Medicine, where he develops an unconventional hypothesis: What if the world’s most celebrated mythological beasts—mermaids, minotaurs, and satyrs—were in fact the evolutionary ancestors of humankind?  The Resurrectionist offers two extraordinary books in one. The first is a fictional biography of Dr. Spencer Black, from a childhood spent exhuming corpses through his medical training, his travels with carnivals, and the mysterious disappearance at the end of his life. The second book is Black’s magnum opus: The Codex Extinct Animalia, a Gray’s Anatomy for mythological beasts—dragons, centaurs, Pegasus, Cerberus—all rendered in meticulously detailed anatomical illustrations. You need only look at these images to realize they are the work of a madman. The Resurrectionist tells his story.

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.

Eragon's Guide to Alagaësia


Christopher Paolini - 2009
    Alagaësia comes alive in a lush and detailed look at an unforgettable magical land. From elves, dwarves, Urgals, humans, and dragons, to the natural landscape and the magic it contains, Eragon himself offers the reader an unsurpassed tour. This oversized, full-color book provides 15 spreads chock full of spectacular artwork, engaging novelty elements, and fascinating insights into Eragon’s home. With gorgeous jewels adorning the cover and pages filled with envelopes, gatefolds, samples of dragon skin, and more, Eragon’s Guide to Alagaësia is sure to appeal to the legions of fans of Christopher Paolini’s bestselling Inheritance cycle.