Rating: 
Summary: Breathtaking
Review: This book is a beautiful collection of some stunning science fiction art.Two things should be mentioned right away: first, that this is a book of science fiction art, not fantasy (there are no dragons, no unicorns, no elves), and second, that with the exception of a few science fiction movie posters, the art featured within are book covers and magazine covers. This book itself is a work of art. It's large, it's heavy (printed on thick glossy paper), it's very colorful and has very fancy graphic designs. The layout is easy to see, eye-catching, and well spaced. Some of the featured covers are full-page. Most pages have two or three covers, a few have four. In other words, the pictures are never crowded together, and remain large enough to show detail. Many of the covers are astounding. There are assorted rockets, saucers, aeroplanes, even a few flying globes. There are furry aliens, tentacled aliens, winged aliens, reptilian aliens, aquatic aliens, some tiny humanoid aliens. Heroes in skintight clothing, heroes in coverall jumpsuits, heroes in metallic spacemechs, heroes in Roman Centurion gear (go figure), heroes in clanky armorlike spacesuits. The women, especially in the earlier pulps and books, tend to be either scantily clad or in skintight clothing, and most are in various states of distress (being carried off by aliens). There are vistas of deserts, oceans, mountain ranges, desolate moonscapes, fantastic alien forests, fabulous spaceports. Many moons hang in the sky, and fantastic ringed planets. Among the magazines included are Analog, Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Argosy, Astounding, Amazing Stories, Planet Stories, Science Wonder Stories, Locus. And more. Book covers range from forgotten novellas to bestselling classics. Movie posters from B-movie creature features to contemporary blockbusters. There really is a lot of art in this book. The narrative, which is actually extensive, mostly follows the history of the sci-fi magazines and their circulation. The data is informative, but when the art is this beautiful, you won't be reading the small print except to see who did the drawing anyway. You'll lose yourself in this book! There is only one reason I took one star from the review: some of the art is not identified. The publishers really ought to be ashamed of themselves for overlooking this, in an art book of all things. The entries are identified (although some of the artists' names have been lost, the publisher or sources are named), but the graphics of the cover (of this book) and the chapter introductions are not identified. Shame, shame! The chapter introduction plates are breathtaking, as are the inside-cover and dustjacket art. This is a book of dreams and imagination. Normally I'd call this a "coffee table book" but not this time. HIDE this book and hoard it for yourself. It's a treasure.
Rating: 
Summary: A knockout! A science-fiction book-lover's book.
Review: This is a captivating book. It's got hundreds and hundreds of high-quality reproductions of science fiction magazine covers, book covers and movie posters. Over and over again, particular artwork will remind you of the pleasure of reading that book, or the delight of seeing an imaginative magazine cover. You'll probably "read" this one at least three times. First, you look at all the covers. Next, you go back and look at them more closely, this time reading the enligtening, well-written captions. Finally, you'll actually read the book. Sure, if you know nothing about science fiction, you could probably use this book as a reference to clue you into more than a century of the history of the genre. But, I think it's really for readers who are already fans. For anyone who loves science fiction (or fantasy), this book will fill many evenings with joy, and inspire you to go back to your bookshelf and reread some of your favorites.
Rating:
Summary: A real feast for the eyes!
Review: This is really a fun book to go through. Science-fiction illustration has gone through many changes in the 20th century, all of them interesting in their own ways. I particularly love the old pulp magazine covers and they are reproduced here in all their vivid glory. The many, many examples in this book look like they just came fresh off the presses. There's none of the dinginess or reflectivity you usually get from reproductions of older material. These illos look like the art as it was meant to be seen. The design of this book also deserves a lot of praise. Every page was laid out with great taste and creativity. I've been through the book several times already and I keep discovering new things. Bottom line: this is one great looking, entertaining book.
Rating: 
Summary: A REALLY FUN BOOK FROM START TO FINISH
Review: When I called Frank Robinson with the idea to write a book called "Science Fiction of the 20th Century" I recall a long pause of silence followed by "What?" Soon after that the team was selected. I went with a talented young graphic designer named Michael Graziolo of Drive Communications. He had done a number of excellent science-fiction covers for TOR (division of St. Martin's), but never a book. If you've ever seen his book covers you'll know why I didn't hesitate. The guy scanning the pictures was John Gunnison, who I consider a master at working electronically with old (and new) paper. The color house, H&S Graphics, was meticulous in meeting my picky demands for rich color, as was the printer C&C Offset. In fact, "Science Fiction" won the "Champion Award" for best book printing job of 1999. The combined effort got us reviews in Parade Magazine (one of the "Year's Best Gift Book's" Nov. 21st), US News & World Report (Nov. 15th), Playboy Magazine (Jan. 2000), San Francisco Examiner Magazine (December 5th), and a bunch of others. See for yourself if this isn't a book that reflects a team of true book lovers!
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