Opinions wanted: The Dream Machines by Ron Miller

[starviking]

Does anyone on the forum have an opinion on "The Dream Machines: An Illustrated History of the Spaceship in Art, Science and Literature" by Ron Miller?

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1271-full.html#199354

Thinking of spoiling myself for Christmas, but I don't want any nasty surprises.

I am a Science Fiction nut, but I also want a good bit of Technical goodness mixed in ;D

 

[flateric]

I am a Science Fiction nut, but I also want a good bit of Technical goodness mixed in ;D

Then its must-have book for you for sure in spite of the *price*.

 

[starviking]

I am a Science Fiction nut, but I also want a good bit of Technical goodness mixed in ;D

Then its must-have book for you for sure in spite of the *price*.

Then it must be mine!

Cheers for the advice!

 

[Orionblamblam]

Does anyone on the forum have an opinion on "The Dream Machines: An Illustrated History of the Spaceship in Art, Science and Literature" by Ron Miller?

I bought my copy before it even came out, way back when I was in college and didn't have any money. Now that I'm long since out of college and still don;t have any money, I consider it one of my better investments. The book is *very* dog-earred.

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1271-full.html#199354

Ark Royal action???

I am a Science Fiction nut, but I also want a good bit of Technical goodness mixed in ;D

Then DM and the "Spaceship Handbook" by ARA Press should be on your bookshelf.
http://www.arapress.com/ssh.html

 

[starviking]

Does anyone on the forum have an opinion on "The Dream Machines: An Illustrated History of the Spaceship in Art, Science and Literature" by Ron Miller?

I bought my copy before it even came out, way back when I was in college and didn't have any money. Now that I'm long since out of college and still don;t have any money, I consider it one of my better investments. The book is *very* dog-earred.

I'm going to have to control my expectations, 'cos if I can't get this book I don't know what I'd do.

[quote author=starviking]I am a Science Fiction nut, but I also want a good bit of Technical goodness mixed in ;D

Then DM and the "Spaceship Handbook" by ARA Press should be on your bookshelf.
http://www.arapress.com/ssh.html

That is on my list too - but it may have to wait until next year

Cheers!

EDIT: Removed superfluous closing tag

 

[Michel Van]

Thinking of spoiling myself for Christmas, but I don't want any nasty surprises.

I have "The Dream Machines" by Ron Miller
is a good mix of Dreams, Sci-Fi, proposals and real projects

of 714 pages are 258 page goes from 360 b.c. to 1942
like classic Jules Vernes Mood gun
the next 421 page goes from 1942 to 1992

with rare stuff, but also with little errors (like on Europan space flight)
or other are missing info and "#+!@ on which page is the Info to that Illustration ?!"

for my part BUY it, and combine with this "Spaceship Handbook" ! ! !

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dream-Machines-Pictorial-Spaceship-Literature/dp/0894640399/ref=sr_1_26?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228829029&sr=1-26

http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Machines-Illustrated-Spaceship-Literature/dp/0894640399/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228829121&sr=1-1

see the price i was lucky, had buy it for 42€ 5 year ago ;D

 

[archipeppe]

It is, in principle, an excellent book to sum almost everything was conceived, by since, to travel in Space.
It have a chronological approach and it is full of illustrations, it represents the Space Travel mostly by a configurative point of view.

In any case it worth the price.

 

[Orionblamblam]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dream-Machines-Pictorial-Spaceship-Literature/dp/0894640399/ref=sr_1_26?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228829029&sr=1-26

http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Machines-Illustrated-Spaceship-Literature/dp/0894640399/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228829121&sr=1-1

Weird. Englandlander Amazon price: £82.95.
US price: $65.75.

Buy American!

And then there's: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=ron+miller&sts=t&tn=the+dream+machines&x=0&y=0

Price from $59.00 to $134.56... again with the Englandlander price being the highest.

 

[Skybolt]

Buy buy buy !

 

[Justo Miranda]

excelent stuff !

 

[Barrington Bond]

Yes , only one small criticism as Michel has stated is that it is not always easy to figure out which bit of text is referring to what illustration - that and Dan Dare doesn't get much of a mention - and it's Captain "Space" Kingley not Kingsley...

Regards,
Barry

 

[Orionblamblam]

Dan Dare doesn't get much of a mention

Dan Who?

and it's Captain "Space" Kingley not Kingsley...

Is he the feller what who played "Gandhi?"

 

[Michel Van]

Dan Dare doesn't get much of a mention

Dan Who?

and it's Captain "Space" Kingley not Kingsley...

Is he the feller what who played "Gandhi?"

Dan Dare is one THE Cult classic Comic from UK 1950s and 1960s
(the made not only Judge Dredd over there ;D )

http://www.dandare.org/daresite.htm

Captain "Space" Kingley
http://uk.geocities.com/lordymike/space_kingley.htm

Chris Weston ist british Comic artis his blog show wat happen in UK Comic books Scene
http://chrisweston.blogspot.com/

 

[starviking]

It arrived today...and it looks phenomenal!

Thanks for all the good advice folks (And thanks for the buy American advice Scott ;D)

 

[Orionblamblam]

And now that people have spent large sums of money... you, yes, YOU, can own "The Dream Machines" for ten bucks:
http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=196137

Ron Miller has his own Lulu store, and sells DM on CD-ROM.

"DM" is at the top of the page, but he has a *lot* of other books available. Mostly some truly old-school sci-fi (19th and earl 20th century "space operas" and the like, some rare Verne works, etc.), of which I bought a number a few years back. He didn't have DM available then, though.

My recommendation for anyone who doesn't own a copy of "DM" is this: First, spend all but your last ten dollars buying aerospace drawings, documents and Aerospace Projects Review issues here http://www.up-ship.com/drawndoc/drawndoc.htm , and then spend your last ten bucks on the CD of "DM."

 

[Orionblamblam]

Dan Dare is one THE Cult classic Comic from UK 1950s and 1960s

Dude looks like he got punched in the face a few hundred times too many.

 

[Michel Van]

Dude looks like he got punched in the face a few hundred times too many.

which Dude ?
Dan Dare or this one ? ;D

http://simonbisleygallery.com/art/biz0053.jpg

 

[Orionblamblam]

Dude looks like he got punched in the face a few hundred times too many.

which Dude ?
Dan Dare or this one ? [/url]

Dan Dare. The artist seems to have taken the "massive jawline" hero-stereotype a bit too far. The rest of his face seems mashed in comparatively.

Dare's not far from being Ünderbheit.

And for being a national pseudo-hero, I was able to find surprisingly little online about his ship. Odd, that. You'd imagine that diagrams and photos of toys and models would be all over the place.

 

[Michel Van]

Dan Dare. The artist seems to have taken the "massive jawline" hero-stereotype a bit too far. The rest of his face seems mashed in comparatively.

that to DD first artis Frank Hampson, lets say he used him self as Model for DD :
later artis like Desmond Walduck's give Dan the needed plastic surgery
http://www.dandare.org/dan/faces/faces.htm
but new Dare looks also ugly

http://www.dandare.co.uk/

Dare's not far from being Ünderbheit.
PICTURE

wooh ugly ! from Wat tv-serie is this escape from ?!

And for being a national pseudo-hero, I was able to find surprisingly little online about his ship. Odd, that. You'd imagine that diagrams and photos of toys and models would be all over the place.

DD is let say polite, now a forgotten Hero of UK golden comic age,
were today guy like Judge Dredd, Blue Blade...

for Models of DD here

http://www.martinbowersmodelworld.com/html/dan_dare.html

for those who don't know Martin j. Bower
he started his career under Derek Meddings and made Models & SFX for :
SPACE 1999, Moonraker, Alien, Outland and more
they say he save the Modelkits company Airfix from bankrupts
by buying all there modelkits to build the Nostromo form Alien
http://www.martinbowersmodelworld.com/

 

[Barrington Bond]

I wouldn't believe everything that Martin Bower says - he's a self publicist. He was only one of a team on Alien and I was told he was last in the door and first out on the model unit - the Unit manager couldn't stand the guy.

You may want to read this Michel.

http://www.eagletransporter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6146&highlight=bower&page=8

Regards,
Barry

 

[Michel Van]

I wouldn't believe everything that Martin Bower says - he's a self publicist. He was only one of a team on Alien and I was told he was last in the door and first out on the model unit - the Unit manager couldn't stand the guy.

You may want to read this Michel.

http://www.eagletransporter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6146&highlight=bower&page=8

Regards,
Barry

OH MY GOD wat for pictures !

Thanks Barrington Bond

 

[Justo Miranda]

Crypt spaceship and Phant fighters
from Dan Dare "The man from nowhere" episode 1955

 

[Orionblamblam]

wooh ugly ! from Wat tv-serie is this escape from ?!

"The Venture Brothers." Which is a freakin' hilarious parody of, among others, "Jonny Quest." And to bring the topics sorta back in line with the purpose of this forum, here's a quote from one of the creators of "The Venture Brothers:"

"This show... If you'll permit me to get 'big picture,' This show is actually all about failure. Even in the design, everything is supposed to be kinda the death of the space-age dream world. The death of the jet-age promises."

"TVB" *looks* a lot like "Jonny Quest" and other 1950's/1960's "vision of the future" animated shows. Except here, the space program has been abandoned, the robots are breaking down, the super-cool VTOL SSTs are falling apart and nobody really knows how to fix 'em. Even the Super Villains have lost ambition, and all the truly great Heroes are old, and either dead or converted to Jehovah's Witnesses.