The drip paintings of Jackson Pollock, trailblazing Abstract Expressionist, appear to be the polar opposite of Thomas Hart Benton’s highly figurative Americana. Yet the two men had a close and highly charged relationship dating from Pollock’s days as a student under Benton. Pollock’s first and only formal training came from Benton, and the older man soon became a surrogate father to Pollock. In true Oedipal fashion, Pollock even fell in love with Benton’s wife.Pollock later broke away from his mentor artistically, rocketing to superstardom with his stunning drip compositions. But he never lost touch with Benton or his ideas—in fact, his breakthrough abstractions reveal a strong debt to Benton’s teachings. In an epic story that ranges from the cafés and salons of Gertrude Stein’s Paris to the highways of the American West, Henry Adams, acclaimed author of Eakins Revealed, unfolds a poignant personal drama that provides new insights into two of the greatest artists of the twentieth century.

    On subjects as diverse as fiction, the future, film, famous personalities, and more, Ray Bradbury has much to say, as only he can say it.Collected between these covers are memories, ruminations, opinions, prophecies, and philosophies from one of the most influential and admired writers of our time. As unique, unabashed, and irrepressible as the artist himself, here is an intimate portrait, painted with the master's own words, of the one and only Ray Bradbury—far more revealing than any mere memoir, for it opens windows not only into his life and work but also into his mind and heart.

    

    and Legendary’s Godzilla, directed by Gareth Edwards, this visually stunning book presents an extraordinary new vision for the beloved character through a dynamic selection of concept illustrations, sketches, storyboards, and other pre-production materials. Godzilla: The Art of Destruction is the definitive book on one of the most anticipated films of 2014. Featuring interviews with the director and key crew and cast members, the book tells the complete story of the making of Godzilla from concept to final frames. Comprehensive and enthralling, Godzilla: The Art of Destruction is a book that no fan will want to be without.

    A comprehensive overview of all of Marvel's greatest heroes and villains furnishes profiles of more than one thousand characters that document their individual superpowers and their careers, in a reference that traces the history of Marvel Comics and encompasses stunning artwork by some of Marvel's greatest artists.

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    Presented in an arresting blend of incisive text, infographic timelines, and stunning photographs, each chronologically arranged entry features an entertaining overview written by a science fiction expert, plus:The lifespan of sci-fi creations, for example, from book to movie to television series Other key media, such as comics, graphic novels, video games, manga, where appropriate Film and television stills, book and comic covers, and other archive material. Larger franchises -- such as Doctor Who and The War of the Worlds -- feature lavish spreads of photographs illustrating how they have evolved from black-and-white beginnings to big-budget blockbusters. Seminal sagas like Star Wars and Star Trek enjoy not only a "real world" timeline of films and TV broadcasts, but also a fascinating spread detailing their role in the series' fictional universe.The book is divided into five distinct sections:Early Science Fiction: The Birth of a Genre, 1818-1940 including Frankenstein, Journey to the Center of the Earth, A Connecticut Yankee, The Time Machine, The Lost World, TarzanThe Golden Age: 1920-1950 including Karel Capek, Metropolis, Buck Rogers, Olaf Stapledon, King Kong, Flash Gordon, Frederick Pohl, The Thing, Batman, Stan Lee, Arthur C. Clarke, George OrwellThe Era of the Atom: The Marvels and Perils of Science, 1950- 1970 including Dan Dare, Quatermass, The Fly, The Twilight Zone, Solaris, The Jetsons, Barbarella, Dune, Soylent Green, Logan's Run, Land of the Giants, The Iron Man, A Boy and His DogDark Futures: Apocalypse and the War in Space, 1970-1990 including The Stepford Wives, Moebius, Star Wars, Judge Dredd, Mork and Mindy, V, Neuromancer, Back to the Future, Red DwarfThe Adventure Continues: Modern Science Fiction, 1990-Present including Jurassic Park, Men in Black, Doom, Babylon 5, Stargate, The Matrix, Halo, Jericho, The Hunger Games, Fringe, Wall-E, Avatar. Sci-Fi Chronicles is a truly international guide, with entries focusing on everything from Hollywood blockbusters to Russian cult classics, and from European literature to Australian franchises. It is perfect for dipping into, while its memory-jogging mentions and illustrations make it impossible to put down. It will delight long-standing sci-fi aficionados, yet with a scope that extends from vintage volumes to amazing anime, Sci-Fi Chronicles will also entrance a younger generation.

    It soon became known as the Ministry for the Future, and this is its story.From legendary science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson comes a vision of climate change unlike any ever imagined.Told entirely through fictional eye-witness accounts, The Ministry For The Future is a masterpiece of the imagination, the story of how climate change will affect us all over the decades to come.Its setting is not a desolate, post-apocalyptic world, but a future that is almost upon us - and in which we might just overcome the extraordinary challenges we face.It is a novel both immediate and impactful, desperate and hopeful in equal measure, and it is one of the most powerful and original books on climate change ever written.

    World-renowned visionary artist John Harris' unique concept paintings capture the Universe on a massive scale, featuring everything from epic landscapes and towering cities to out-of-this-world science fiction vistas. This collection focuses on his wide variety of futuristic art, as well as his striking covers for a variety of esteemed SF authors, including Arthur C Clarke, John Scalzi, Ben Bova, Hal Clement, Jack McDevitt, Frederik Pohl, Orson Scott Card's Enders books and many more.

    

    In the decades since, the Star Wars Saga has become a phenomenon impacting cultures across the globe. Just as George Lucas drew upon the work of N. C. Wyeth and Norman Rockwell for his own visual inspiration, he has now invited more than 100 well-known and promising artists to draw upon the entire Star Wars galaxy for inspiration. Star Wars: Visions collects these magnificent artworks for the first time. Featuring pieces by renowned artists such as Amano, Allan R. Banks, Harley Brown, Gary Carter, James Christensen, Michael Coleman, Kinuko Craft, Jim Dietz, Phillipe Druillet, Donato Giancola, Ann Hanson, H. R. Giger, Daniel Greene, Ron Kleeman, Arantzazu Martinez, Syd Mead, Moebius, Paul Oxborough, Alex Ross, Anthony J. Ryder, Dolfi Stoki, William Stout, Dan Thompson, Julie Bell and Boris Vallejo, Scott Waddell, and Jamie Wyeth, Star Wars: Visions is a breakthrough tribute to the worldwide inspiration that is Star Wars.Praise for Star Wars Art: Visions:"Star Wars Art: Visions . . . acknowledges what fans have felt all along. They don't want to be mere spectators, but involved in the storytelling too." -Los Angeles Times

    Paul Anderson has no memory of working for Stellar Research, except flashes from a secret-and terrifying-project that threatens to tear his sanity apart...

    Two young men, Troy Horan and Nik Kolherne, hoped to escape.

    Here, Mary Street Alinder--who collaborated with Adams on his memoir and was his assistant in later life--is not reticent about the major emotional episodes in Adams's life, including his marriage and extramarital affairs, and his not-altogether-successful fatherhood. She explores the major artistic influences on his work and gives in-depth profiles of the significant figures in his circle. She also explains the technique and style Adams developed to obtain his unique vision, as well as his uneasiness at becoming a commodity. Ansel Adams: A Biography is an intimate and provocative portrait of the world's most famous photographer.

    The novel describes the encounter between a visitor from the nineteenth century, William Guest, and a decentralized and humane socialist future. Set over a century after a revolutionary upheaval in 1952, these Chapters from a Utopian Romance recount his journey across London and up the Thames to Kelmscott Manor, Morris's own country house in Oxfordshire. Drawing on the work of John Ruskin and Karl Marx, Morris's book is not only an evocative statement of his egalitarian convictions but also a distinctive contribution to the utopian tradition. Morris's rejection of state socialism and his ambition to transform the relationship between humankind and the natural world, give News from Nowhere a particular resonance for modern readers. This text is based on the 1891 version, incorporating the extensive revisions made by Morris to the first edition.