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Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials: Great Aliens from Science Fiction Literature (Paperback)

~ (Author), Ian Summers (Author), Beth Meacham (Author) "The Abyormenite is a genderless entity about 1.2 meters tall, with a bulbous body supported on six muscular tentacles..." (more)
Key Phrases: Physical Characteristics, Old Ones, Fire Time (more...)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

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  Hardcover, December 31, 1986 -- $6.61 $0.01
  Paperback, December 31, 1978 -- $4.01 $0.01
  Paperback, January 11, 1987 -- $22.45 $1.77

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Any science fiction reader would enjoy receiving this as a gift." (Science Fiction Chronicle )


Product Description

Introduction by Robert Silverberg. In this illustrated field guide to extraterrestrials, 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. A 1980 nominee for the ABA (Art/Illustrated paperback category) and Hugo Awards, the guide was named one of the Best Books of Spring 1980 by School Library Journal. Selection of the Science Fiction Book Club. 267,000 copies in print.
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; 2 edition (January 11, 1987)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0894803247
  • ISBN-13: 978-0894803246
  • Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #251,059 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #2 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Barlowe, Wayne, Douglas

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More About the Authors

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Jeffrey Sussman
Jeffrey Sussman
Ian Summer
Ian Summer
Wayne Douglas Barlowe
Wayne Douglas Barlowe
Suzy Prudden
Suzy Prudden

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The Abyormenite is a genderless entity about 1.2 meters tall, with a bulbous body supported on six muscular tentacles. Read the first page
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Physical Characteristics, Old Ones, Fire Time, The Guild Steersmen, The Ixtl, The Soft Ones, The Triped
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Customer Reviews

27 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (27 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Very good, but seems to contain some errors, March 19, 2003
By "qwayla" (Yardley, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Cool !!!!!!!, August 18, 2000
By L. Troy Beals (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
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!!!!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Just what the title says..., April 3, 2004
A book on great alien races from science fiction. Classic fiction to boot. Most of us know about the Overlords from 'Childhood's End', the Puppeteers from 'Ringworld', the Guild Steersman from 'Dune' and even the Old Ones from 'At the Mountains of Madness'. But do you remember the Thrint from 'World of Ptavvs', the Cinruss from 'Hospital Station', or the Cygnan from 'The Jupiter Theft'?
A great source of information on alien races with full color pictures, lots of data on history, culture and habitat BUT also a great source for finding classic stories you never heard of!
Do you know the Pnume, Salaman, Triped or Merseian? Well, get this book and found out who they are!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars YOU SAY YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A GOWACHIN, IXTL OR DIRDIR LOOKS LIKE? WELL SEACH NO FURTHER!
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 4 days ago 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 1 month ago 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 11 months ago by W. Hosford

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
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unrealistic scenario,
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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
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4.0 out of 5 stars Graphic SF Reader
Once I saw that there was a Velantian in this, from E. E. Doc Smith's Lensman series, I was sold, and had to get it. Read more
Published on September 3, 2007 by Blue Tyson

5.0 out of 5 stars Xenophanes
Good book. I have owned this since I was a child. It was a great portal into many of these classic Sci Fi books as I would have never heard about them otherwise. Read more
Published on April 1, 2007 by Xenophanes

5.0 out of 5 stars From the author of Tales of Ancient Xenar
I enjoy art books, mainly books of fantasy art. But this book is more a sci-fi art book, and a very good one at that. Mr. Read more
Published on November 8, 2005 by J. Price

5.0 out of 5 stars High five
I love, love, love this book. I got this book about 10 years ago, and it brought my imagination to life, and what an imagination. Read more
Published on April 20, 2004 by TM WHITE

5.0 out of 5 stars Gives new meaning to loving a book to death
_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. Read more
Published on June 10, 2002 by Cynthia J. Mahaffey

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