• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Titan Books (September 6, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1848566980
• ISBN-13: 978-1848566989

Synopsis: Foss’s groundbreaking and distinctive science fiction art revolutionized paperback covers in the 1970s and 80s. Dramatically raising the bar for realism and invention, his trademark battle-weary spacecraft, dramatic alien landscapes and crumbling brutalist architecture irrevocably changed the aesthetic of science fiction art and cinema. Featuring work for books by Isaac Asimov, E. E. ‘Doc’ Smith, Arthur C. Clarke, A. E. Van Vogt and Philip K. Dick, and film design for Ridley Scott and Stanley Kubrick, this volume brings together many rare and classic images that have never been seen or reprinted before, making it the first comprehensive retrospective of Chris Foss’s SF career.

Growing up nerd, I had access to all kinds of paraphernalia that is essential to the growth of a budding sci-fi/fantasy fan’s imagination. Art books were a healthy part of my balanced diet of media consumption, and by a young age I had was intimately familiar with the styles of Boris Vallejo, Larry Elmore, and Ralph McQuarrie. I would spend hours poring of the images of these minds that captured scenes in such detail they could tell stories all by themselves. When Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss showed up on my doorstep, it was like bright blue police box taking me back to my younger days.

Even if you don’t know who he is, you’ve likely seen Chris Foss‘ work on the covers of books by Phillip K. Dick, Arthur C. Clarke and Issacc Asimov. And if those names don’t make you stop and take note of the caliber of his talent, then you’re a lost cause. When artists imagine the world of tomorrow, the vision of that far off time can vary greatly. Some artists go the neo-classical route in which the future looks strikingly similar to the past. Some imagine a far-off age of sleek lines and shiny surfaces that is too George Jetson to take seriously.  Then there’s the mastery of Foss who takes the gritty, industrial approach that almost breathes with life (or exhaust) right off the page.

Foss’ work is not an experience to be rushed, and this book left me positively giddy with its beauty, scope, and attention to detail. His illustrations are fantastic works of fiction, but they are grounded in a realism that makes them feel possible. The title of the book is Hardware, and that speaks volumes about Foss’ understanding as an artist whose job is to envision the future of technology. He translates mechanical wear and tear in such a way that he can take dilapidated buckets of rust and make them beautiful, almost romantic. His influence has been responsible for some of the most iconic images in modern science fiction like the Millennium Falcon and Serenity.

If you’re a fan of sci-fi art that tells a story all it’s own, I would highly recommend Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss.

I give Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss Four out of Five Stars.

Pick up your copy of Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss from Amazon today!

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