
Worlds Beyond Time
Sci-Fi Art of the 1970s
Adam Rowe(Author)
Abrams (Publisher)
Published on 31. August 2023
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-1-4197-4869-1 (ISBN)
Description
A visual history of the spaceships, alien landscapes, cryptozoology, and imagined industrial machinery of 1970s paperback sci-fi artIn the 1970s, mass-produced, cheaply printed science fiction novels were thriving. The paper was rough, the titles outrageous, and the cover art astounding. Over the course of the decade, a stable of talented painters, comic book artists, and designers produced thousands of the most eye-catching book covers to ever grace bookstore shelves (or spinner racks). Curiously, the pieces commissioned for these covers often had very little to do with the contents of the books they were selling, but by leaning heavily on psychedelic imagery, far-out landscapes, and trippy surrealism, the art was able to satisfy the same space-race fueled appetite for the big ideas and brave new worlds that sci-fi writers were boldly pushing forward.In Worlds Beyond Time: Sci-Fi Art of the 1970s, Adam Rowe-who has been curating, championing, and resurrecting the best and most obscure art that 1970s sci-fi has to offer for more than five years on his blog 70s Sci-Fi Art-introduces readers to the biggest names in the genre, including Chris Foss, Peter Elson, Tim White, Jack Gaughan, and Virgil Finlay, as well as their influences. With deep dives into the subject matter that commonly appeared on these covers-spaceships, alien landscapes, fantasy realms, cryptozoology, and heavy machinery-this book is a loving tribute to a unique and robust art form whose legacy lives on both in nostalgic appreciation as well as the retro-chic design of mainstream sci-fi films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Alien: Covenant, and Thor: Ragnarok.
Reviews / Votes
"[...] Rowe's obvious love for the form animates the volume, and makes a powerful case for how this period continues to influence the genre's aesthetic. Sci-fi fans of all stripes will be delighted." * Publishers Weekly *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Illustrations
400 color illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 280 mm
Width: 233 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
1228 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4197-4869-1 (9781419748691)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
07/2023
Abrams Books
€30.49
Available for download
Persons
Adam Rowe is a senior writer at Tech.co and a Forbes contributor on publishing and the business of storytelling. He has also written for iO9, Popular Mechanics, Tor.com, and the Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog. In 2018 he was a Digital Book World Award nominee for Publishing Commentator of the Year. Rowe curates the popular, multi-platform 70s Sci-Fi Art feed, bringing the best in retro sci-fi art to more than 100,000 Instagram followers @70sscifi. He lives in Seattle.