Spacecraft 2000-2100AD - 1978 Sci-Fi Art Book

[@ObsidianAnt]

A lot of modern sci-fi really has lost that sense of wonder, awe and majesty! This is fantastic stuff. :)

[@TheFewzz]

Oh man I loved that book and the art. Glad to see someone else remembers it.

[@drksideofthewal]

TheFewzz I picked up this book at a thrift store, a year or two ago. Didn't realize many people had it lol.

[@ecyor0]

(*grabs copy off bookshelf and cuddles it*) Found this and the companion book Spacewreck in an antiques shop back when I was about 14. To this day, I still consider it one of the best purchases I ever made.

[@callumybob]

My dad had this book as a kid, when I was 9 or 10 (25 now) I found this in my grandparents basement and it sparked my love of sci fi. Watching your video is like a home movie from a summer of my childhood trying to draw the scenes from this book.

[@jamesmurray8558]

I founded that book in Seattle in1980.Still have it. Had both book.

[@dmheinecke]

I had these on permanent cjeck-out from our local library when I was kid. I eventually "forgot" to return them and ended up having to pay the library for them. I feel bad now that I was preventing other folks from appreciating them at that time. Now they sit on my son's bookshelf and get pulled out and poured over fairly often.

[@SpaceKingDinosaur]

Wow! It's so awesome to see someone else who appreciates that book like I do. I can't imagine how many hours were spent pouring over those paintings as a youth. Like you describe they had an impact on my future, although I went into art insted. Thanks for sharing and rekindeling cool memories. Oh, and I'm lucky enough that my copy is still in my library. : )

[@Charnel42]

This has to be one of the most bizarre coincidences that has ever happened in my life. I was recently speaking to some friends about this book and another I used to have in the same series. This weekend, I was visiting my Brother for an annual cookout / lan party when he presents me with one of these books he had found while cleaning out my uncles garage. That book was titled, "Great Space Battles". I log onto KZbin tonight and here this post is in my recommended viewing list. I hadn't searched for the book or posted anything about it, it was just there.

[@Ostsol]

I would have loved this book as a kid! I swear I went through every "space" book in my elementary school library. :)

[@AltereggoLol1]

Ostsol And then started on the anime, heh. Do you take tea with your brandy? :D

[@Ostsol]

Alter Eggo Haven't actually tried brandy in tea, yet! ;) I didn't get into anime until the mid-to-late 90s, starting with Gall Force. Elementary school for me was mostly the latter half of the 80s. At that point I was big into Star Trek.

[@1wwtom]

Thanks for using the word "Ancient" and making me feel Old! Bought the whole series long ago at bookstores back when I was reading all the SF could get my hands on and could afford. I thank Larry Niven for starting me down that road. Sorry, I'm not selling anything from my bookshelves. Fly Safe!

[@Logrowlf]

THANK YOU! I have been trying to remember for years the title of the book i had a a youngster with all the beautiful spacecraft images. This is it.

[@calebbrothers4085]

I just had a couple friends show up at my place. One of them picks this book up from my coffee table and I was explaining how I had inherited it from my dad. Just as I opened up KZbin and saw this in my feed, awesome!

[@Erc112]

OMG, I read this in the library when I was a kid and thought it was awesome. As an adult, I forgot its title and have since tried to track it down, with no luck... until now! Thanks Scott!

[@GlanderBrondurg]

I remember that book! I have no idea where my copy ended up, as I think my little sister threw it into the garbage on one of her cleaning fits (but made my mother happy because the house got cleaned). I lost quite a few things that way, but I don't mind so much. Still, this video is a great trip down memory lane. Thank you so much for introducing this book to a new audience!

[@chumprock]

Touching on a piece of my childhood. That book was a foundation of my imagination, and each page had some great stories and explanations just based on a painting.

[@TheBelrick]

Had that book as a kid, loved it. Thank you for the trip back in time!

[@21Walls]

"I would spend a lot of time as a kid drawing spaceships," and now as an adult, Scott Manley, for all intents and purposes, does the same thing in KSP for the Internet.

[@jamilskannal]

Man these paintings are fricking beautiful! Awesome designs.

[@J0krswy1d]

I remember seeing and taking that book out multiple times from the local public library as a kid in primary school! Amazing artwork!

[@HeadHunterSix]

I LOVED those books! I used to borrow them from the school library and I wish I'd have bought them for myself. I found them very exciting and inspirational.

[@MikeDeLue]

Absolutely have a copy of this stateside. Loved reading it as a kid and just marveling at the photos. Such good stuff.

[@keybeardist]

Massive fan of Foss' work. Nice to see some here. Growing up, I had a few books like these that used to belong to my dad!

[@divisions11]

Thank you for making this video. This book was also in our house when I was a small child and it really excited my imagination as well. I could never remember the name of the book, though. Now, thanks to you, Scott, I was able to remember and order a copy for my kids!

[@CineGobs]

I have a book called "21st Century Foss" with tons of amazing illustrations by Cristopher Foss. It's from 1979 and I've looked though it hundreds of times. It has lots of fantastic spaceships and also his movie illustrations from Alien, Superman and Dune.

[@TheSacquesuit]

I had this book as a kid. wore it out I read it so much. awesome to see it again!

[@martinbriere1]

OMG!! I think I have all four books of the series in storage somewhere! Spent my childhood geeking out on the images. Gotta go empty the shed so I can find them and geek out again.

[@leakycheese]

Great trip down memory lane, all the TTA books were brilliant for the art, and the universe was fun too. Spacewreck did some goood extended storylines as well.

[@1wwtom]

Thanks for calling them Ancient! Make me feel even Older than I already am! Bought the whole series at a bookstore years ago when I got heavily into SF. Larry Niven started me on it all. No, I'm not selling anything off my bookshelves. Fly Safe!

[@NeilVickers]

My goodness, that's a blast from my past! 46 years old, and still remember this book clearly :)

[@AndrewTGreen]

I had that book! Loved it! Thanks for this very much. A good memory.

[@FarseerOfCearath]

I remember finding this book in the local library as a kid. Sci-fi nostalgia at it's finest!

[@mwmp1]

Lol omg! My aunt had these books and I used to cruise through them as a child 20 years ago. I was literally sitting on my couch yesterday trying to remember the names of them or who made them. I'd listen to music with my Walkman and dive into these and live in the beautifully scarey world's I saw in them wow thanks Scott

[@kse3]

I had this book as a kid. It was one of my favorites.

[@carslayer]

I had this growing up! Every page seemed right off a Yes or Rush album cover, and the designs and little blurbs occupied my imagination for hours.

[@MrMartGonzo]

Beautiful book, it makes me sad that all the books from my childhood are long gone.

[@bryanc1975]

MrMartGonzo I feel ya, me too. I had a big hardcover Cosmos that was my grandfather's, it's the first book I remember having. This is like 30 years ago. I owe my fascination about the world to that book, I remember the sense of wonder I had even from just the pictures, and the chapter names. "The Backbone of Night" and such. The hypothetical Jovian floating creatures in the atmosphere, etc. I keep hoping it's packed away at my mom's house somewhere and that it will turn up one day, but I doubt it.Even if I never find that same copy, the profound effect it had on me will always be there.

[@MrMartGonzo]

Bryan Carter You summed it up perfectly, these books help form how we see the world as we grow up and instill in us a curiosity about the world and beyond. Cosmos was an important book for me too, along with many science fiction books, many of which I've forgotten the titles of. Perhaps, I'm overly pessimistic but it worries me that kids don't seem to read many books anymore, they spend their time on the internet. It would be hypocritical of me to say they shouldn't but it can be such a toxic environment and rarely instills wonder and curiosity.

[@AlphonseZukor]

Bryan Carter That "Cosmos" book you describe sounds like one I read in elementary school, and have been wondering what its title was. Do you know who the author was? (It wasn't the Carl Sagan "Cosmos" was it?)

[@bryanc1975]

Alphonse Zukor Yes this was the Carl Saga "Cosmos" But this one wasn't like any copy of cosmos I see around today, or have seen since to be honest. The ones I see around today are either paperback or a smaller (but still nice) hardcover. This was a big, beautiful hardcover maybe about 12x14 inches and about 2 inches thick, with all that stunning artwork. I remember sitting on the living room floor, me quite small, with this huge book, flipping through the pages and becoming captivated.

[@bryanc1975]

MrMartGonzo I hope that is not the case, or I hope that young people are still getting that sense of wonder from at least something. For many it comes from books, but these days, who knows. I try to be a glass half full type guy, and I think there are still some kids out there being fascinated and inspired through exposure to one thing or another. If I had kids, they would be reading books long before they were going on the internet.

[@trevormcwilliams7578]

The Sentinels!! They slowed the Proximans!! Thanks for posting my man!!! So awesome to see and feel the excitement of youth even for just a few minutes again.

[@xmotex]

I loved these books as a kid and still have them, somehow it's not any shock that you're a fan as well 👍

[@matthew6466]

Thank you for sharing with us Scott! I'm sure i speak for everyone when i say, I hope everything is going as well as possible.

[@alaingloster4405]

I remember that book, it was part of a trilogy with space wreck and great space battles :) I loved the way they took the pictures and weaved a story around it

[@soejrd24978]

It's interesting to hear the same birds that I hear right now in the Netherlands.

[@rafaelalandrade]

OMG, I had this book when I was a kid!

[@alicsurn]

I remember this one well, I took this one out lot from the library in grade school! Good find Scott

[@hal1152]

My dad gave that book a few years ago, still love it today

[@Cdscottie]

I can definity see the influence that Relic must have got from this book/artists when making Homeworld. Thank you for sharing this as now I need to go searching for this and the companion books.

[@MrROTD]

This is part of a 4 book series called the Terran Traade Authority, I pored over these books when I was a kid they are very nostalgic books for me the images you showed bring me back.

[@thumb-ugly7518]

I love spacecraft artwork from the second golden age of scifi. Very inspiring.

[@Saloron2]

I can practically smell the old paper! Love that smell!

[@DarrenPoulson]

Chris Foss is one of my favourite artists, and I have a large number of books (including a lot of Perry Rhodan) with his artwork. Love these random videos.

[@jazaysurfclub2568]

All what you say dude, is just like you read in my heart open. Childhood basement of Sci-Fi. thanks !

[@whatever1618]

I remember checking out books like these when I was a kid. I remember these pictures and the lore. I think 4:05 was the shark or something. I also remember the hornet that was supposed to have 3 different angles of attack with its weapons. Thanks for the memories. I must have borrowed them a dozen times.

[@yadaorche]

Scott, this book was in my mother's library when I was growing up and I loved it. It inspired me to "try" to draw many a spacecraft. :)..

[@stile8686]

I have that book! Great fun. I have spent many hours looking through it. Also have a couple of the others (in poor condition with some pages missing) and even a few of the novels with the artwork on the cover. Thanks for the memories Scott.

[@Iceman7711]

time for a series building these in KSP

[@ecyor0]

***** You probably could as well, it gives the engines' thrust output and everything XD

[@jamilskannal]

YES! XD

[@Iceman7711]

Wandering Bishop the best part about it will be betting on which ones actually work and the fun of being right or wrong

[@Bram06]

Scott Manley THIS

[@Ethan_and_Astra]

Yes please!

[@doxielain2231]

Oh, gosh, I had that as a kid (or my big brother had it, and I dreamed with it). What a shock of recognition!

[@FRISKY_MANDINGO]

I have that same water dish for my cats. Glad I know we share that in common. I'll never look at that water dish the same way again.

[@ajfiory5124]

Had this also since childhood - wonderful book!

[@felineguile]

OMG! I had this book in my elementary school library, I used to look through it quite often as a small child.

[@almahdi20]

I still have that book tucked away somewhere!

[@ahrimanic7]

This was a treasure, hugely inspirational to me in my early teens.

[@eddiegaltek]

So many kindred spirits. My personal favourite is the Shark, I especially loved the transcript from the the flight recorder of a Terren fighter squadron's first contact with these ships. I also have the Starliner book.

[@Lt_Col.Henry_Blake]

Still have my copy, and glad to say it's still in pretty good shape!

[@thehiddenpaw7939]

I love this book. My uncle had it back when I was a kid, and probably still does. I keep meaning to ask if it's still around. I'd like to have it. The pictures are fascinating, and mysterious, especially the one of the derelict ship that is half phased out of view, and the ones that dwarf sky scrapers. Even to this day everything in this book peaks the interest, and intellect and inspires hope for an advanced space bound future.

[@Roymac01]

Wow! I've searched online for this very book a few times over the last two years. It belonged to my older brother but I spent hour after hour pouring over the art letting my imagination run rampant with spaceships and battles. I was 12 or 13 at the time. I could never remember the name of the book so all my recent searches were done using vague search terms with which I was never successful. What are the odds my favourite KSPer had that exact book? Obviously pretty good! Thanks Scott.

[@Wazoox]

Boy I had this book. It was really beautiful.

[@TheBostonDangler]

the coloring of the ships reminds me of the acropolis and greek statues - they weren't white as we see them today, but painted in the most vivid colors they had. the martian queen certainly looks like the serenity, and the plagiarized ship reminds me of hr giger's fusion of mechanical and organic shapes. i'm pretty sure i've seen that concorde/origami bird-looking ship elsewhere, too. thanks for sharing your dad's cool book! cheers

[@spacehooliganzack7429]

OMG!!! I KNOW THAT BOOK!!! I found it on my grandma's bookshelf as a little kid and it was basically the best thing ever! :D

[@CuzicanAerospace]

I am shocked--scandalized even--that Scott Manley would be showing porn on his channel like this.

[@TheTechBite]

*kek*

[@Timberwolf581]

I have that book too! I love the SSF 21D Cutlass. It's my favorite out of all of them.

[@freekeefox]

I'm so lucky I found Spacewrecks in a used book sale my library was doing when I was just 10. I had no idea how much of a gem that book was and I still have it sitting on my shelf.

[@TheKodiak72]

Ive got this book! My dad gave it too me. He also had another book called space wrecks which showed similiar paintings but obvouisly just space wrecks. Really neat books! Loved reading them as a kid.

[@jasongiles7897]

I used to have this book, wow! thanks for the memories, wish I still had it, that did bring back memories of when I was a kid, thanks. It might also suggest why I am so nerdy into Star Citizen.

[@phillipkenewell2225]

I still have my copy! Love this book!

[@IRoss-mc6ps]

One of my all time favorite books from child-hood! EPIC

[@IronSalamander8]

I read this book often from my local library. I actually have this with the space battles combined in a later reprint floating around here somewhere!

[@samanthamccabe2518]

Man, I loved that book. I think my mum might still have it.

[@bryanc1975]

Thanks, Scott! This seems like such a cool book, I just ordered a used copy on Amazon. I noticed that some of the brand new copies are $200+ but there are a few used copies around, the one I got was 29 bucks, in "Acceptable" condition. I'm not a huge trekkie, but I own an original Starfleet Technical Manual first edition (from 1975, the year I was born) which this reminds me of. It's a really cool book too, having technical specs and drawings for science fiction ships and devices.

[@countertony]

I had a copy (probably from a charity shop or school jumble sale) and loved the whole 'future history' aspect of it - wish I knew what I did with my copy.

[@IGameChangerI]

I have this book too! It inspired me a lot in my own art. Chris Moore and Peter Elson are my favorites.

[@IGameChangerI]

IGameChangerI Chris Foss I like too, but I was never a fan of his abundant use of primary colors.

[@EthanNin0]

My brother inherited this book from my dad, I think I'll pick up a copy myself! One of my favorite sci-fi artists has to be Rob Cunningham though, his work is phenomenal.

[@gogeek203]

I have this book and I too was enthralled by it. I came across it and Spacewreks years ago. In my childhood I wished so hard for technology to catch up this wondrous illustration. In a lazy afternoon I would lose myself in its' pages. There are a couple of book series that were based on cover art in the day ("Space Wars: Worlds & Weapons", and others), probability cashing in on Spacecraft 2000-2100 success.

[@JamesAnderson-dp1dt]

I loved these books, and I must’ve read them only a couple years after they were published.

[@andywilson3839]

Man I had the same book when I was a lad. Think I cut it up for my bedroom wall... Nice one Scott. I'm a big fan.

[@ptonpc]

Ah memories. I think I may still have this book.

[@2006Whippet]

I remember checking that book out from my library a lot when I was a kid.

[@FreezerKing]

Egads, my elementary school had that book in my grade 6 classroom! I LOVED that book! I read it five million times, at least. Considering I was in grade six in 2000/2001, I guess my school wasn't really up to date on reading material. Man, this takes me back...

[@MykDowling]

I had that book! The artwork is excellent.

[@MarcoPolo-xu9te]

Hi. I live in Brazil and I had this book here, as a kid. I guess it was published here in 1985, in Portuguese. The cover was a jacket, the cover was printed with 2 of the pictures. This guy Stewart Cowley published other series of books, under the alias of Steven Caldwell, which were published here too. I had all of them, they were amazing!

[@Senor0Droolcup]

I loved this book: my dad bought it for me when I was a little boy. Still have it.

[@enjadalven5751]

Holy shiet that's amazing, I just got back from my grandfather's house, and,he owns that book and I read it. That's so cool. I don't even need to watch the video. That's how cool....(still will watch)

[@IVIaskerade]

The Oxfam in Chester had a copy of Star Liners with a dust cover on it that went for somewhere around £80. I had the privilege of flicking through it when it came into the shop and it was just fantastic.

[@stegwise]

Foss and his art were also featured recently in 2014's _Jodorowsky's Dune_, a documentary about the original film version of _Dune_ that was never made. it was through Jodo that Foss and Giger met Dan O'Bannon, and then the three were eventually picked up for _Alien_.

[@littletopo1]

I loved this book when I was young.

[@MrDefenzive]

I had this as a young child and recently purchased a mint copy of it at a book fair. Awesome book and well worth the £10 It cost me. :)

[@WilliamTripp]

I loved this book as a kid!

[@NomadSpork]

I remember finding this book at one of my friends' place. It belonged to his dad and we spent a while looking through it. I really like it and the beginning of the timeline could have been realistic, with the introduction of nuclear-powered ion and plasma systems.

[@LordWhatsHisName]

Omg, I had that book when I was younger! I completely forgot about it!

[@svenmartin840]

hey Scott I have read this book many times when I was younger. It's a big influence on one of my sci-fi books that I have just written. And if you have noticed in the Fifth Element interstella Queen is the starship that's leaving New York. Luc Besson drew his inspiration from this book

[@alexgehl8691]

I have this great book here that I dug up at the library when they were giving away books for free. It's Our Universe published by national geographic and written by Roy A. Gallant and taught me pretty much all I knew about space when I was younger. Not necessarily as old as that and centered less around spaceships, but still full of wonderful drawings of artist renderings of what could be living on other planets. Circa 1980.

[@Sneemaster]

Oh my favorite book from my childhood!!

[@Tyberes]

Man, I love a good art book, especially a sci-fi one!