Spacebloom: A Field Guide to Cosmic Xflora [Hardcover]

Awk Ro (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Etculli Publishing (February 29, 2004)
• ISBN-10: 0973022205
• ISBN-13: 978-0973022209
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,205,976 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tantalizing glimpse into a most amazing world, June 14, 2004

By 

Andrei Wong (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spacebloom: A Field Guide to Cosmic Xflora (Hardcover)

Spacebloom is a unique take on the modern saw "the best way to predict the future is to invent it." In a world where our collective imagination of the future of space is limited to mining and militarization, Spacebloom offers a vision for filling the space with flowers. Needles to say these are not flowers as we know them. Here is a short description of my favorite spacebloom. Orfzic (naiti jimeo) An orderly aggregate of taste-free cuboids ready to absorb any flavor you may have a craving for. This versatile bloom is also a speaker, bed spring and insomniac's best friend. Clearly we are not talking forgetmenots here.

This is not an easy book to understand (after all it is an imaginary field guide to imaginary objects), and perhaps that is not the goal. The editor's note states: "It is my hope that this guide will ultimately serve as a springboard to creating better and tastier spaceblooms. It would be foolish to demand more and sad to achieve less." My understanding after reading this book is this is an invitation to create a better future using imagination and technology that is so far reserved to making space-based weapons. This is of course a serious issue, however the book is often quite funny, especially the recipes and the trivia sections.

The whole book is an incredible visual feat. The images are just flat-out stunning. I am sure you have not seen anything like it. It is impeccably designed, elegant and modern without relying on tricks. The more I look at Spacebloom the surer I am this is a timeless masterpiece.

If you want an unorthodox look at the future, a work of beauty, a glimpse into an imagination unseen, a conversation starter, get this book. Better yet, buy two because somebody will steal your copy sooner or later.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't miss your chance to stop and smell the Spaceblooms!, July 27, 2004

By 

Cassis Maurel (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spacebloom: A Field Guide to Cosmic Xflora (Hardcover)

So frequently in life, we are encouraged to stop and smell the roses. In 2267, Awk Ro asks us to stop, smell and, indeed, taste the Spaceblooms - a unique collection of thirty-three cosmic flora of no natural garden variety. In this imaginary cosmic landscape, I found a wealth of beauty, humour and inspiration. These Spaceblooms are no ordinary flowers. And this is no ordinary book. Truly a testament to the limitless boundaries of the human imagination - Spacebloom is destined to become the blueprint for astronauts looking for floral life beyond Earth.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bursting with Creativity, August 8, 2004

By 

Capri - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spacebloom: A Field Guide to Cosmic Xflora (Hardcover)

I loved this book! The images are truly amazing and literally burst off the page. Koulekouli and Zippinia are two of my favourite blooms. I have never seen anything similar and would love to have the opportunity to speak with the illustrator / author to find out how he conceptualized the idea for this incredible project. The text is also very cleverly conceived and very witty in parts but cannot be easily digested in one sitting. I find that there is something new that appears each time I look at this book and I look forward to more publications from the talented creator.