Turricanoids

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T15:21:00.003+02:00

Peter Elson Science fiction Illustrator

2010-06-03T10:49:00.000+03:00

A web site dedicated to Peter Elson which includes 300 images of his work can be found here...

http://www.peterelson.co.uk

thanks martin lucas!

Avatar: Pandora Discovered

2009-12-14T22:35:00.000+02:00

Alpha Orionis

2009-08-05T15:25:00.001+03:00

AKA Betelgeuse is one of the largest and brightest supergiant stars known and it is visible in the Orion constellation. It spans thousands of times the volume of the sun but is less dense and is thinning considerably as it sheds mass nearing the end of its life. Observations indicate that the surface of Betelgeuse has noticeably shrunk, on the average, over the past decade. Since 1993 the star has shrunk 15% and it is a candidate to undergo a supernova explosion almost anytime in the next few thousand years.If this happens it will outshine the moon in the night sky. Assuming that humanity will still be in existence it will be a trully spectacular sight!

It is time for a new post!

2009-07-28T14:16:00.001+03:00

I must admit to some very slow updates on this blog! Although Picard and Riker are pessimistic there is always a new hope for updating soon!... Stay in touch!

Judge Dredd movie concept art

2009-04-22T12:11:00.000+03:00

This concept art has been on the net for quite some time now. Hopefully we will get a new Judge Dredd movie that is more faithful to the character of the comic than the Stalone one... For all things holy and right please keep Dredd's mask ON this time!

Happy new year 2009!

2009-01-22T22:22:00.001+02:00

Let the fun begin!!

Homeworld 2 Cutscenes montage

2008-10-30T00:04:00.000+02:00

Beautiful Spiral NGC 7331

2008-10-27T11:20:00.000+02:00

A picture from APOD of the galaxy NGC 7331. A Milky Way sized object of stunning beauty!

Pic of the day #10: Metallic Baroque

2008-10-19T19:54:00.000+03:00

Pic of the day #9: Ascendancy

2008-09-30T19:04:00.001+03:00

Pic of the day #8: The Scorching of Solast.

2008-09-28T15:25:00.000+03:00

Following the years of the rebellion a strong alliance was formed between two of the three major regional factors. The Imperialistic Hegemony and the Solast protectorate formed a unified front against the young Allied Worlds a faction of technological superiority and political stability. Solast had been a peaceful planet inhabited by early terran fugitives of the artist class. They built many splendid cities including Solast City located at the highest planetary peak, nearing the thin layers of the atmosphere. Trade and the arts flourished and the city's eloquent life soon became the envy of the Hegemon a petty man bred over many generations of incest and intrigue. In a fit of rage and jealousy he decided to withdraw his protection from his former allies and so lead their enemies to the peaceful defenceless colony. The bombardment was swift. Diplomacy had been ruled out by the Allied worlds as an unnecessary measure. Eager to score their first victory in over a standard century they levelled all major cities within a local day annihilating 95% of the population and throwing the rest into the stone age. The fires of Solast burned for two local weeks before everything turned to ashes.

Pic of the day #7: Tidal Instruments of Proxima IV

2008-09-22T23:02:00.000+03:00

One of the most extraordinary sounds in the universe comes from the tidal music instruments in the world of Proxima IV. The planet has no moons and so there is no gravitational pull to create a tidal effect. The great waves of Proxima oceans exist only because billions upon billions of microscopic organisms inhabit the warm sea waters. These organisms are believed to have a hive mind, they act as one being. In essence the sea is alive which makes waves and tides acts of intelligence. People have observed that the Proxima Ocean has a great capability towards music, rythm and harmony. Musicians over the years have tried to harness the harmony of the oceanic movements. Tidal instruments have been used for many generations as translators for this tidal symphony of the sea with great success. Through these instruments the continents of Proxima listen to the song of the sea.

THQ reacquires Homeworld licence from Sierra!

2007-11-10T11:12:00.000+02:00

Amidst a lot of hinting and speculation there is official word that the licence of the Homeworld game franchise has been transferred from Sierra to THQ. The original developers of Homeworld was Relic, also the creators of the War of Dawn Warhammer 40000 series. The first two homeworld games as well as Homeworld: Cataclysm were published by Sierra. Relic was later bought by THQ and the possibility of a new game set in the Homeworld universe was very slim since the license and the creators were split. Now THQ, owner of Relic, has acquired the license of the franchise and there will be a new title probably announced!! here is the news. Also here is a great site with homeworld art: Homeworld Shots

Scale study part 3: Atlas of the Universe

2007-11-02T09:28:00.000+02:00

Have you ever wondered how big the universe is? What are the suns that neighbour our own and how far they are? You have to visit... www.atlasoftheuniverse.com. Well this is a very good resource for the scale freak! Many suns, galaxies, clusters and stellar bodies combined over many different distances provide an accurate enough map of the known universe.

Pic of the day #6: Starship Orgone

2007-10-19T00:13:00.001+03:00

Encyclopaedia Galactica reference: Starship Orgone is a living organism, a new ship engineered with the incorporation of machine and organic parts. The ship has its own free will and intelligence. In the little time it has been allowed to evolve it has decided its own course in evolution. Initially designed as a militant entity the starship willingly chose to experiment on an open sourced philosophy with the incorporation of varied knowledge from all parts of the cosmos and not only warfare. It is continuously traveling the universe in search of new data. Orgone is still a small child trying to grow up.

Terraforming Mars: Ecopoiesis

2007-10-16T15:18:00.000+03:00

While we worry about the climate changes in our habitable planet and try to work on our ecology to cut down on gas emissions and global warming there are many scientists that actually visualize a similar process for the planet Mars. In this case there is no need for a restoration of an ecological balance but the whole process of creating conditions suitable for life and a stable ecosystem, in one word: ecopoiesis, the creation of a new earth.
There are many notable visionary scientists that dreamed of taming the red planet. Most notable of them was Carl Sagan. The late astronomer conceived a way of a biological factory of algae that will process carbon dioxide and generate oxygen and heat. In this way there will probably be a new more viable atmosphere created over time through the melting of the Martian polar caps, the vast expanses of iced water that are found to lie underneath the planet's poles. During a period of many hundred years the climate of the planet will gradually change to a more earth compatible one. The process also known as terraforming. In the picture shown there is a four step artistic illustration of the process of Mars' terraforming.(source wikipedia)
Also Martyn J. Fogg published in the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society his views on planetary engineering and presented that although mars used to be a biocompatible planet compared to Earth, a certain cataclysmic event, possibly an asteroid collision has turned it to an inhospitable place. The process of terraforming could be done anew but at immeasurable costs.
There are many issues ethical, political and financial in the way of a successful ecopoiesis. The political issues arise from the national divisions and the sovereignty of nations on the new planet. It is extremely possible that new conflicts will arise on this mater. The next thing is the economic impact of who and how will benefit from the time and resource consuming process. Will it be political nations, corporations, the settlers themselves? Finally if we come to nationality what will the future Martians be calling themselves? Americans, Russians, Greek or generally Terran? Probably none of these, a new revolution will surely start on the new motherland.

Pic of the day #5: The faithful departure of Viora SR-136

2007-10-14T18:06:00.000+03:00

The Viora SR - 136 experimental cruiser was based on technology recovered from an archeological dig in an ancient derelict structure from the 23rd spiral region. The ancient technology that GALAXIA ΤF-aRc corp had salvaged and utilised in many prototypes was thought to be buried for millions of years. The derelict had long since been turned into the corporation's primary shipyard. Thousands of ships were launched and Galaxia's profits skyrocketed. The relic was moddified accordingly with scaffolding, living facilities and working quarters. Ore was mined from the asteroid field and used for the ships' srtuctural alloys. It was during Viora's maiden voyage when a strange source of radiation emerged from the distant part of the asteroid field. Everyone was mobilised to find the source when the whole sector was shocked by a cataclysmic explosion. The scale of the blast was such that all objects in a radius of 0.4 AU vaporised instantly! Nothing survived the self-destruction mechanism. The Old Ones finally had their vengeance!

Bladerunner Final Cut!

2007-10-10T10:05:00.000+03:00

Bladerunner is my favourite movie ever, Period! I have enjoyed watching it so many times that I can recite all the dialogues from start to end. It is a timeless jewel that 25 years after its original release still amazes and gives thought about issues such as life, death, the social hierarchy, violence, love, racism, the decisions we make, our misconceptions and our regrets. Ridley Scott, the director, has remastered the original version with new vibrant colours and has edited again for one final cut. Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, Joanna Cassidy, Edward James Olmos are still giving monumental performances! The restored film relies on the 1992 director's cut and expands the question of being a "replicant", an artificial being, even more with the addition of new scenes. The theatrical screenings have begun in the States but here in Greece we are still waiting for a cinema to host this brilliant restoration. There will be a 5 disk boxed set by the end of the year including bluray and Hd dvd versions! The film is based on Phillip K Dick's classic novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". Watch it and you'll see things you wouldn't believe!

Bronko's Turrican Page!

2007-10-08T08:39:00.001+03:00

Bronko is a modder and a fan and this is his marvelous Turrican page! He is from Germany where there are a lot of fans of the classic Turrican games. He is an active member of the Turrican community and is currently modding for the T2002 engine! His current project is called Underneath and he was also involved in Morgul Returns! You can check out his page here! There is also a forum with news and answers on Turrican mostly in the german language. Way to go Bronko keep up the good work! For german speakers click here.

My Conquest is the Sea of Stars.

2007-10-07T22:09:00.001+03:00

My conquest is the sea of stars is the pilot movie to the series "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" probably one of the most complex and extraordinarily philosophical anime that have ever been created. The production is from 1988 but nevertheless it is a series of more than 110 episodes with a plot that is so thick with action that EVERY episode is compared with big budget action movies! Main characters are easily killed and there is a degree of realism that is disturbing with bombings, battles and political assassinations. The struggle to rule humanity is the theme and two nations battle over political and ethical supremacy. The scale of the conflict is massive and there is a very clear chain of command that is the backbone of the story. Literary hundreds of characters are introduced all of whom are voiced by different people! The fact that are completely massive space battles in the range of tens of thousands of spaceships has made this show an instant classic for me. The best thing though is that all the space battles are accompanied by classical music! Imagine 40 thousand spaceships blasting each other on the tune of Ravel's Bolero!!! It is beyond words! Just watch it!

Heroic Age!

2007-10-07T21:36:00.001+03:00

Age is one of the last of the Heroic tribe, a civilization so advanced that could destroy planets and stars during their rage. The Golden tribe the rightful rulers of the galaxy have left for another universe and the rest of the tribes are left to sweep up the mess in the chaos that has followed. The humans, called the iron tribe must survive the vengeful vendetta waged by the technologically advanced Silver tribe and their henchmen, the alien Bronze tribe. The odyssey of the human tribe is told beautifully in 26 episodes in what is one of the most visually stunning anime around! The designs are beautiful and the colouring... AWESOME! Tip: Watch the high definition version!

Pic of the day #4: The super-intelligent humanoid parrot

2007-09-28T09:25:00.000+03:00

There are many parrots in all the different regions of the cosmos but no other is nearly as intelligent as Hue Avinni the Genius. Raised by a family of human academics he was in the ideal environment for his overwhelming intelligence to flourish. At the age of 8 he finished highschool and by the age of 12 he had received his first Doctorate. Unfortunately even though his academic career was brilliant his mind was wandering on other methods for gaining power. He soon set up a network of criminally intent genetic scientists and started mysterious experiments on humans and animals alike. He created many chimeras, beings that were part human and part animal, trained them, and used them as assault troops in mob-like operations. His fortune rose to huge levels from arms and drugs dealing as well as technology and body part shipping and patenting. His gangster methods at industrial espionage were legendary as was his extravagant lifestyle and addiction to an exotic mind enhancing drug called mithral. He has had 23 children all of them genetically modified clones of himself. He is 45 years old although the race of parrots he originates from have a life expectancy of at least a hundred.

Pic of the day #3: The honoring of Baron Bren McGuire

2007-09-27T09:23:00.000+03:00

Baron Bren Mcguire had been the liberator of the border worlds and strategic consultant to the Emperor himself. He single handedly defeated Morgul the three-headed, destroyed the Machine and later hunt down the machine cult heretics. After the fall of the allied worlds of men and during the catastrophic civil wars that devastated many civilizations he helped to bring order and stability to the universe. He was appointed commander of the Praetorian Guard and regional governor of the eastern core sector. In his early nineties the old veteran presented his arms dressed in his full ceremonial Turrican suit, bearing the crest of his rank and was honored by the imperial hand for his overall contribution to galactic stability. The Baron stood firm and unmoving in the great coronation hall. He stoically received the blessings and hurriedly left to attend to his duties. Bren McGuire, a true hardened warrior, was never at ease with formalities.

Pic of the day #2: Demise of the space Pirate

2007-09-26T09:20:00.000+03:00

The infamous Var Lothe, the space pirate was the scourge of the west galactic stream. On countless occasions he had hijacked the unaware and the unprepared. His techniques were brutally efficient and he had accumulated great wealth and a large band of associates. It all changed the day that the imperial regional governor placed a bounty on his head so high that even his own colleagues could not ignore! A mutiny was quenched and on many occasions he barely survived capture and defeat. It was during one of his raids on a border world orbiting a gas giant that his second in command Johr Aile and his faithful group of Wolves, the elite ruffians betrayed him. The attack relied on surprise and Var Lothe was surely to be doomed or captured by the ferocious pack of ships. In the last possible moment before the inevitable the old pirate dived in the atmosphere of the gas giant. The pursuers followed hot in pursuit blasting large chunks of the ship to pieces. Then gravity had its way and his ship started to be crushed under the massive pulling forces. The dogs left the hunt and in his last moment Var Lothe disappeared flaming into the thick methane gases never to be seen again. Tales of his deeds and his demise spread around nearby system and rumor has it that his ship still haunts a certain secluded dark nebula.

Pic of the day #1: The Garbage world of Brokkan

2007-09-25T09:00:00.000+03:00

The Galactic empire had been in the climax of power for thousands of years. Countless worlds had been habitated and terraformed and a lot of resources were used in the process. Since times long past the Imperial system has fallen into decadence and corruption, the splendor of long ago lost forever. In their overconsumption the Emperors and their courts needed worlds that byproducts could be dumped. Ecologically destroyed these world were turned into massive junkyards where spaceships were left to die and decompose and all the trash of the colonies were brought to be left forever. One of these worlds is Brokkan on the outer spiral of the galaxy, once a beautiful green planet now a world covered in trash and broken metal. Scavengers have made a living here together with people with no home; space pirates, cultists, mutants, outcasts have all found their haven.

24 September 2007 - my 30th Birthday!

2007-09-24T15:05:00.000+03:00

Today I am turning 30 (or maybe 31)... Hurray!!! I am just wandering how time flies and how lucky I am to have survived for these 30 years in a very dangerous universe! The fact that in all those years not a single meteor has crashed on the earth and we haven't followed to dinosaurs to extinction brings tears to my eyes...! :) You can further contemplate on how lucky we are by watching the 96th lecture of Professor of Astrophysics Alex Fillipenko who has an extremely inspiring view on cosmology! He was professor of the year in the US in 2006. Find the torrent and download it. It's really worth it! To further celebrate this week I will be posting a picture every day starting tomorrow. All those pictures will be my works.

Extrasolar planet Gliese 581c

2007-09-21T15:34:00.000+03:00

On April 24, 2007 a significant discovery was made by the HARPS instrument of the European Southern observatory. The exoplanet of Gliese 581c is within the habitable zone where water -a necessary ingredient for life as we know it - could exist in liquid form. Gliese 581 c is the first extrasolar planet believed to possibly have a surface temperature similar to that of Earth although it is significantly bigger, possibly having a radius approximately 50% larger than that of Earth and approximately 2.24 times Earth's gravity. There is a lot of speculation on whether it really is habitable and if we have finally found the first alternative to a new earth.

Last Exile

2007-09-20T09:11:00.000+03:00

In the floating world of Prester a couple of young children are situated between the struggle of two rivaling nations Anatole and Dysis. In this victorian steampunk war setting floating warships are common and naval battles are waged above the clouds. Claus and Lavie, the two protagonists, pilot a vanship a small wingless aircraft and travel to many beautifully painted settings in the search for their father's whereabouts. The mysterious and technologically advanced guild is present to give them a difficult time and to set in motion events that will change their world forever! The language used for this world setting by the artists is ancient Greek although they use it with some poetic leave; It really doesn't make much sense for the Greek scholar. A wonderful anime nonetheless, well worth watching!

The world's first Spaceport

2007-09-14T15:40:00.000+03:00

Conceptual plans for the world’s first tourist spaceport, designed by Foster + Partners, were unveiled.
Known as Spaceport America, the terminal and hangar facility in Upham, New Mexico, will be home to Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic enterprise. It will operate a fleet of two transport airplanes and five spaceships designed by Burt Rutan. The design for Spaceport America includes a hangar for the spaceships, pre- and post-flight training facilities, mission control, viewing galleries, and passenger lounges.

Freespace Architecture

2007-09-14T15:28:00.000+03:00

Architect Steve Shaw conceived the idea of a space tourist facility for his masters’ thesis at the University of Manitoba in 2004. He called it Freespace.
Structurally, Freespace is based on NASA-developed technology for the Trans-Hab module. Essentially a large inflatable bladder of multi-layered fabric construction, the skin is nine times stronger than steel. An exoskeletal aluminum truss provides rigid anchor points for docking, solar arrays, and venting. Interior walls are inflatable and facilitate internal routing of electrical and ventilation services. Freespace is designed to be constructed on Earth, collapsed, and shipped where it would be inflated for use.
It looks like a very promising period of time for pioneers of all trades.

ΠΛΑΝΗΤΕΣ Wanderers プラネテス

2007-08-09T10:11:00.000+03:00

The Greek word ΠΛΑΝΗΤΕΣ, which forms the title of this anime, means "wanderers". It is the word applied by the ancient Greeks to the "stars" (or so they seemed) which weren't fixed in the night sky, but wandered. This is how the modern English word "planets" derived. The anime deals with the situations that a futuristic society faces in the ending of the 21st century when space flight is common but there are still many unsolved societal problems such as global conflict and capitalistic exploitation. It is really a very deeply philosophical work that goes beyond the obvious simplistic anime to become a rewarding adult experience. The main characters are company workers that spend their time getting rid of "space debris" or literary... garbage! A very resourceful parallel.

Look Fish! Relic's Viral campaign...

2007-07-13T14:54:00.001+03:00

Relic, the company that gave us such wonderful games as the Homeworld and Dawn of War series is about to announce a couple of new titles. It seems that it has launched a viral marketing campaign in the forums of Relicnews.com. They have been giving clues such as coordinates to google earth, html source comments and cryptic images with fish and stuff... It is about time they announced a new Homeworld title and spare us the torment! I can only hope... The picture is my representation of their imaginative clues...

Ulysses 31

2007-07-11T18:56:00.000+03:00

A long time ago there used to be this cartoon that aired on Greek TV called Ulysses 31. It was the story of a descendant of the Homeric Ulysses that travels the universe in his spaceship in search of a way back to Earth. It was great viewing and had very good designs for that time. I have seen it again a couple of years ago and it brought back memories! check out a fan site here.

Scale study Part 2: Jeff Russell's Starship Dimensions

2007-07-01T16:25:00.000+03:00

Have you ever wondered what is the scale relation of the star destroyer and the Eiffel Tower? Or better between the Death Star and the Moon or the Ringworld? Well, the ultimate resource of starship scale can be found here !

My name day presents! Part 3

2007-07-01T15:51:00.000+03:00

These are just some more spectacular drawings that Sophia found on the net! Thanks again!

Solar Sailing!

2007-07-01T15:30:00.000+03:00

Solar Sails are the lightest and most delicate of reflective films. They are enormous, for the way they propel the spacecraft is by actually catching the sun's rays. The light from a star such as the sun actually has a very very small force it can exert. In space there is enough solar light pressure to actually move objects. It is a gradual effect, but it builds up with time. Eventually a spacecraft can get moving pretty fast. There have already been designs of real solar sails that have been built by scientists around the world. In science fiction the Solar Sailer of Count Dooku is probalby the best known craft of this type, followed by the Bajoran Lightship. Solar Sailing is one of the most potent ways of transversing between solar systems! Who knows maybe during our lifetime the first star sailor will depart for the distant solar systems! I can only hope to see this!

My name day presents! Part 2

2007-07-01T15:13:00.000+03:00

These images have been discovered and are courtesy of the great explorer Sophia! They are vehicle designs mostly land and airospace crafts. They are a fine supplement to the last post!

Spacecrafts of the Metabarons

2007-07-01T15:06:00.000+03:00

The universe of the Metabarons - Incal has made a huge impression on me because of some excellent designs that have been utilised in combat armour and costumes, architecture and space faring vehicles. I believe there are many people that have contributed to the process of designing in this mythology that borrows many good elements from classic science fiction and fantasy. This time you can see a few samples of some of these spacecrafts designed by Gimenez and Moebius before him.

My name day presents! part 1

2007-07-01T13:41:00.000+03:00

A couple of day ago i had my nameday - St Peter and Paul's day - and it was an excellent opportunity to have a good time with friend sand family! The whole thing inolved lots of food and drink and presents! My very good friend and collegue, Sophia P., had this excellent idea for a present! She surfed the net in search of futuristic and fantasy pictures that i would enjoy! She made a huge bundle of hundreds of pics and handed it over to me. The idea was to just enjoy them at my free time but better still, i am going to make a series of posts based on this material!

And to begin with... Futuristic architecture by Feng Zhu design !

Many many thanks to you Sophia!

Scale Study No1: Stellar bodies scale comparison

2007-06-27T23:09:00.000+03:00

Have you ever wondered what is the scale relation between the planets of our solar system? Better still, have you ever wondered what is the scale relation of our sun with other distant stars? Well it's mindblowing! Check it out below!

Transformers - The Movie

2007-06-27T22:24:00.000+03:00

This is not the cult original animated movie released in 1988 but a remake of the transformers franchise by Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg. It is very stylish and strays quite a lot from the original cartoon which is a bit lame by today's standards. It is a wonderful thing that Hollywood is farming the 80s and all the comic super hero movies can't be bad. Lets hope they keep the standards high. In the case of transformers it seems ILM has done a spectacular job with the effects and the robot designs. They look very futuristic and not at all blocky and unimaginative!

Behold the Autobots!

Behold the Decepticons!

Hurrican

2007-06-24T22:20:00.001+03:00

Hurrican has been released by Poke 53280! The long awaited Turrican clone made by fans is absolutely awesome! It is an excellent, very balanced platform game with great graphics and sound. They have paid tribute to the original in the best possible way. It brings back some memories from the old Amiga 500!
Click on the banner and enjoy!

Juan Gimenez and the Metabarons

2007-06-24T19:20:00.000+03:00

The first appearance of the Metabarons was in 1981 in the Incal, a comic created by Alejandro Jodorowsky and illustrated by legendary Jean Giraud better known as Moebius. The figure of the last Metabaron, the Nameless, the greatest warrior the universe had ever known was a strong element of the epic story of the Incal. 20 years later Jodorowsky decided to narrate the Metabaron's background with Juan Gimenez illustrating the comic. Gimenez is an Argentinian illustrator that has also created the beautiful work known as The 4th Power. His visual style is stunningly beautiful with great attention to detail and facial expressions. It was decided to present the story of the last Metabaron by going back to the history of his family. We are given the lives and deaths of 7 generations of warriors and how the Metabarons came to be renowned in the universe before we encounter the Nameless. It is a violent trip full of passion, glory, death and unusual births. Jodorowsky weaves a universe that is stunningly complete but at the same time surreal and unexpected. Each generation of warriors becomes mightier than the last and the pinnacle of the family's power shows in Nameless. His story ends abruptly only to be continued in The Incal, where we find out about the fate of the metabaron and the whole universe. That is another story though, that of PI John Difool...

The Hyperion Cantos

2007-06-21T22:29:00.001+03:00

Hyperion is the 1990 Hugo award winning novel by writer Dan Simmons. It is the story of seven people and their experiences with the mysterious being called the Shrike. Each one of the seven, the priest, the soldier, the poet, the scholar, the Templar, the detective and the consul provide their tales that combine into an epic and surprisingly poetic storyline. Masterfully written, original and devoid of clichés Hyperion greatly influenced the science fiction genre in the early 90s. Simmons was awarded the Hugo, a prestigious award that legends such as Isaak Asimov, William Gibson, Arthur C. Clarke and Philip K. Dick had been awarded before him. His poetic vision was just beginning to shine.

Urbanism in Star Wars

2007-06-19T22:06:00.000+03:00

Science fiction has predicted the future of the city in many different ways. There are extremities such as the frequent utopias/distopias and more realistic - even cynical - version of what is to come. Star Wars had been a landmark in futuristic city design not as much as in inventing the concepts of the urban sprawl or the megacity but as combining these elements to a coherent vision. In 1977 we were introduced to the desert spaceport of Moss Eisley, the most wretched hive of scum and villainy... Its architecture is both primitive and technologically efficient, with mud houses, rusty constructs and fully automated launch bays containing state of the art vehicles.

Next we are transported to the beauty of the Cloud City, a clockwork society that is relying in many ways on a very delicate balance. It is a utopian society that cannot really function and so it is abandoned immediately after its corruption. The visuals are stunning although the concept had been used before in Flash Gordon and has been used again repeatedly. Still in all mythologies there should be a city in the clouds!

Lucas' vision of the perfect city continues in the city of Naboo where we are presented with an archetype of renaissance urbanism integrated in a scenic, watery environment. High technology is discreet and it is not used in the urban fabric that is both vernacular and grand. The domed architecture can be referenced in the Roman Pantheon or the Byzantine Hagia Sophia. It is city that chooses tradition and tries to overcome the consequences.

Alderaan is in many ways similar to Naboo in that it is a peaceful society that tries to incorporate its urban fabric to the mountainous expanses of the planet. In contrast though it is a highly stylized, technologically advanced city, organic in form with sleek curves that resemble natural patterns. Futuristic vehicles show no contrast in this setting, they are extensions of the architecture. People appear blissful in their perfect society completely unaware that they will eventually be blown up by the megacity called the Death Star...

Coruscant and the Death Stars are probably the prevailing models of urbanism in the Star Wars mythos. They are the megacities planets covered completely in artificial structures or mechanical planet constructs. Essentially they are the center of power and the greatly exaggerated function of the city in society. That is the industrial city of course where machine rules over nature. It is a dystopian oppressive vision that has not yet been verified as possible. Still the mechanical planet of Coruscant is impressive in scale, visual power and is more familiar to modern society than the other city models that George Lucas imagined. Its imagery are influenced by the American Metropolis and the illustrations of Hugh Ferris. So is the Megacity the shape of our future? Tendencies tend to change...

Lebbeus' post-apocalyptic structures

2007-06-18T19:40:00.000+03:00

Lebbeus Woods is trained as an architect and engineer. His forms of architecture derive from the deconstruction of forms and the shapes that occur out of natural disaster or war. He has published a lot of books on his experimental architecture. Anarchitecture is his best known work. It is a book describing his proposed social reforms that can be achieved through architecture. In any case Woods provides stunning visuals and is one of the messiahs of cyberspace and the new era.

Psygnosis Covers

2007-06-17T15:28:00.000+03:00

When there were no computers to draw on, artists used to draw on traditional media like paper, ink and so on... It was quite a thing to do an impressive drawing! Painters are quite the cult figure and maybe they should not be appreciated by the size of their wacom tablet... I remember a series of nostalgic airbrush covers for the Psygnosis computer games. Atmospheric!

Dedication to Peter Elson

2007-06-17T14:44:00.000+03:00

In the mid eighties I came across some of the illustrations by Peter Elson (1947-1998). He has become one of my heroes of sci-fi illustration. He contributed greatly to the golden age of space exploration in the 80's with his illustrations in the Terran Trade Authority books. His imagination transported a lot of explorers to magical and colourful worlds! He will live forever in our hearts!

http://www.innovari.it/peter%20elson%204.htm

Homeworld nostalgia

2007-06-17T14:07:00.000+03:00

There are no words to describe the feeling of Homeworld from relic. It's a visual torrent that is based on a mystical storyline of ancient races and exile. You can browse most of the concept art and ship designs here. http://shipyards.relicnews.com/

For all believers be it Kadeshi, Kushan, Taidanii, Vaygr, Bentushi, Turanic!

Sparth Construct

2007-06-17T13:50:00.001+03:00

Sparth is one of my favourite sci-fi artists. He draws on a grand scale although his influences probably come from the microcosm. His environments and technique are awesome. You can check out his blog here http://sparthconstruct.blogspot.com/.

Turricanoids unite!

2007-06-17T13:00:00.001+03:00

This blog is dedicated to all the people who still dream of mechanical splendors, of space flight, mystical cities, Turricans, Jedis, Mech Warriors and space cadets! Epic battles will take place and the universe will once again be saved from the evil hordes of Boredome and the Routeen. Turricanoids Unite!