In this illustrated field guide to extraterrestrials-a 1980 nominee for the ABA and Hugo Awards and named one of the Best Books of Spring 1980 by School Library Journal-Wayne Douglas Barlowe paints 50 denizens of popular science fiction literature. 150 full-color paintings show each character not only in full figure but also in detail highlighting distinctive characteristics. Humanoids, insectoids, reptilians, and more are included. Field notes explain movement, diet, respiration, and reproduction habits. The book also features a pull-out chart showing comparative sizes, and a section devoted to Barlowe's own sketchbook of works in progress. Selection of the Science Fiction Book Club. 267,000 copies in print.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Any science fiction reader would enjoy receiving this as a gift." (Science Fiction Chronicle )
From the Back Cover
The extraterrestrials are here. One man has seen them.
In his classic guide, Wayne Douglas Barlow's brilliant portraits bring to life 50 aliens from science fiction literature: Larry Niven's Thrint and his Puppeteer, Arthur C. Clarke's Overlord, Frank Herbert's Steersman, Robert Silverberg's Sulidor and more. Humanoids, insectoids, reptillians-even protoplasmic, gaseous and crystalline life forms-are all faithfully and naturalistically depicted so that you can now visualize what could only before be imagined.
Plus a special section taken directly from the artist's personal sketchbook, featuring renderings, notes and locomotive studies.
"Barlowe awes me. It's a breathtaking job of extending the author's vision . . ."-from the foreword by Robert Silverberg
"The illustrated field guide to extraterrestrials that every lover of science fiction must have."-The Brothers Hildebrandt
"Any science fiction reader would enjoy receiving this as a gift.-Science Fiction Chronicle
"Remarkable . . . The artist's imagination proves fully equal to the reader's own mental picture of these varied denizens."-ALA Booklist
A Hugo Award Nominee
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The premise of this book is: The authors have taken various characters from various science fiction works and have visualy recreated them and write about some of their culture from what is in the books. This is one of the best Science Fiction art books I've ever read!!! and if you've read some of the books that these aliens are recreated from it's even better!!!! Colorful pictures, explanations, and even a couple of pages showing the comparative sizes of each of the aliens!!!!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
_Wayne Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials_ is my 12 year old son/fantasy/scfi fanatic's favorite book. It is dog-eared from so much love, reading, studying and attention. This is no kid's book, though--these are the wunderkind's Wayne Barlowe's illustrations that have appeared in many famous scfi books. Each alien has a full bio-ethnographic description, bring each to life.
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By "qwayla"
Format:Paperback
I do want to say starting off that (1) I got this because, being a Sci-Fi fan into artsy books, this was a hole in my collection; (2) I have been a fan of Barlowe's art since I found a used-but-impeccable copy of EXPEDITION a few years back; and (3) overall, this book did not dissapoint.
The book seems (at least on the surface) to be a well-researched compendium of aliens renedered in paint fit to augment the fertile imaginations of readers everywhere. The aliens are mainly from books and short stories that I'm not familiar with (not surprising since this was published originally when I was aproximately 5 years old), but there is enough info about them included to make it not just pictures of things I don't know what they are.
I personally felt that the best part was the sketchbook drawings in the back. I would adore to see the Thype project finally completed. And I think that some of the sketches of the aliens are superior to the finished paintings, an opinion that I realize many readers may not share.
But my big beef with the book is based on the Guild Steersman. If you read the Dune books with any care you can figure out that steersmen are mutated humans. They are not at all in this book like they are portrayed in the novels and some of the facts here are quite wrong. That the steersmen are not aliens of an unknown planet but humans who are mutated by spice overexposure is used as a plot point in one of the Dune prequels and the fact is presumably taken either from Herbert's notes or the inferences from the original novels.
Now this in itself would not usually lead me to give a book a mediocre review. It does worry me, however, that one of the other races in this book was in a story I was reading at the time (I think it was one of the Poul Anderson stories, neither book is close at hand as I write this) seemed to have a few minor oddnesses with it as well. It makes me wonder if some of the other aliens don't have the same kind of factual problems between what is in this volume and what they're like in the original story in a way that's not simply a difference of imagination.
Bottom line: get it for the art and the glosses of the alien races, but don't be that surprised if the description or portrait of your favorite alien doesn't quite match what you've seen in your head all these years.
The book seems (at least on the surface) to be a well-researched compendium of aliens renedered in paint fit to augment the fertile imaginations of readers everywhere. The aliens are mainly from books and short stories that I'm not familiar with (not surprising since this was published originally when I was aproximately 5 years old), but there is enough info about them included to make it not just pictures of things I don't know what they are.
I personally felt that the best part was the sketchbook drawings in the back. I would adore to see the Thype project finally completed. And I think that some of the sketches of the aliens are superior to the finished paintings, an opinion that I realize many readers may not share.
But my big beef with the book is based on the Guild Steersman. If you read the Dune books with any care you can figure out that steersmen are mutated humans. They are not at all in this book like they are portrayed in the novels and some of the facts here are quite wrong. That the steersmen are not aliens of an unknown planet but humans who are mutated by spice overexposure is used as a plot point in one of the Dune prequels and the fact is presumably taken either from Herbert's notes or the inferences from the original novels.
Now this in itself would not usually lead me to give a book a mediocre review. It does worry me, however, that one of the other races in this book was in a story I was reading at the time (I think it was one of the Poul Anderson stories, neither book is close at hand as I write this) seemed to have a few minor oddnesses with it as well. It makes me wonder if some of the other aliens don't have the same kind of factual problems between what is in this volume and what they're like in the original story in a way that's not simply a difference of imagination.
Bottom line: get it for the art and the glosses of the alien races, but don't be that surprised if the description or portrait of your favorite alien doesn't quite match what you've seen in your head all these years.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
AWESOME
This is a beautifully illustrated book that I love having in my collection. The art work is unique and fantastic and gives me ideas for my own writing. Read more
Published 8 days ago by M. C. Tee
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome!
I read this book when I was younger and have wanted it ever since. To see creatures that you can only imagine makes me so happy. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Lizabeth Dickson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestials
I had originally purchased this book by Wayne Douglas Barlowe in 1988 and thoroughly enjoyed the artwork and descriptions of the extraterrestrials. Read more
Published 13 months ago by C. Monster
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good and not forgotten
This is the second time I've bought this book. I loved the first time I bought it and I loved it this time too.
Published on November 2, 2010 by StarWizard
5.0 out of 5 stars
My son loves it
My 8-year-old son's art teacher has this book in her classroom. My son fell in love with it. It has great artwork of famous aliens, as well as quick facts on each one, including... Read more
Published on June 16, 2010 by YayBick
5.0 out of 5 stars
YOU SAY YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A GOWACHIN, IXTL OR DIRDIR LOOKS LIKE?...
Like a couple of other reviewers here, I have had this book in my possession for well over thirty years now; starting with the early 1979 paper back edition and graduating to the... Read more
Published on November 8, 2009 by D. Blankenship
5.0 out of 5 stars
One-of-a-kind book when published is still just as enjoyable today
I've had this book for 30 years, as of this month; my copy is the first paperback edition from October 1979. Read more
Published on October 6, 2009 by Muzzlehatch
5.0 out of 5 stars
Barlowe`s Guide is a classic! A Field Guide for the Sci-Fi Novel.
I remember getting this wonderful book when it first came out and being amazed at seeing such professional paintings of the creatures and beings from many of my favorite science... Read more
Published on November 21, 2008 by W. Hosford
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
It could be science fiction
myths...
unrealistic scenario,
but certainly it is amazing.
So much work went in the
preparation of this book. Read more
myths...
unrealistic scenario,
but certainly it is amazing.
So much work went in the
preparation of this book. Read more
Published on July 11, 2008 by Salim Mahdi
4.0 out of 5 stars
think of it as "Alien Centerfolds of Sci-Fi"
The artwork in this book is fabulous. It's a neat little companion book for sci-fi fans; it has wonderful illustrations of all the various organisms that have been portrayed in... Read more
Published on February 2, 2008 by R. Friesel Jr.
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