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Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss Hardcover – Illustrated, 22 July 2011

by Chris Foss (Illustrator), Rian Hughes (Designer)

610 ratings

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Foss's groundbreaking and distinctive science fiction art revolutionized paperback covers in the 1970s and 80s. Dramatically raising the bar for realism and invention, his trademark battle-weary spacecraft, dramatic alien landscapes and crumbling brutalist architecture irrevocably changed the aesthetic of science fiction art and cinema. Featuring work for books by Isaac Asimov, E. E. Doc Smith, Arthur C. Clarke, A. E. Van Vogt and Philip K. Dick, and film design for Ridley Scott and Stanley Kubrick, this volume brings together many rare and classic images that have never been seen or reprinted before. The first comprehensive retrospective of Chris Foss sci-fi career.

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"For people familiar with Foss work this is a fine retrospective of his work, and more than deserving of a place on your shelf. For fans of science fiction works in general this book will turn you into a fan." --We Love Cult

"This book is the first comprehensive retrospective of Foss's work to date, which is one in a long list of reasons why every sci-fi lover should go out and buy it. Now." --Imagine FX

"It's a beautiful - and huge - book, which would go well on the coffee table of any science fiction fan. I know it will be sitting on mine for a while." --TG Daily

"There's a real sense of wonder all over this book and personally, I still find it all very inspiring. Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss truly is a terrific book and certainly highly, highly recommended." --The Trades

"An indispensable collection of out-there space art. 9/10" --Sci-Fi Bulletin

"If you're a fan of sci-fi art that tells a story all it's own, I would highly recommend Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss." --Sci-Fi Mafia

"For people familiar with Foss work this is a fine retrospectiveof his work, and more than deserving of a place on your shelf. For fans of science fiction works in general this book will turn you into a fan." --We Love Cult

About the Author

Chris Foss's evocative science fiction book covers pioneered a much-imitated style featuring vast, colourful spaceships, machines and cities. He also illustrated the original black and white edition of The Joy of Sex. He produced the UK pb covers for Asimov s Foundation Trilogy, worked with H.R. Geiger on concepts for the unrealised Jodorowsky Dune movie and on Alien, as well as on Superman. Rian Hughes is a graphic designer and artist particularly noted for his work on 2000AD titles in the 1990s, including Robo Hunter and Dan Dare, and his logo and font designs. His design work is bold and highly distinctive.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Titan Books
Publication date ‏ : ‎ 22 July 2011
Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1848566980
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1848566989
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 kg
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 24.64 x 2.54 x 31.75 cm
Best Sellers Rank: 159,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 134 in Individual Artist Books
- 148 in Science Fiction & Fantasy Art History & Criticism
- 382 in Graphic Arts in Illustration
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610 ratings

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Rian Hughes
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“One of the most successful and prolific designer/illustrators of the past 20 years” – Roger Sabin, Eye magazine.
Rian Hughes is a graphic designer, illustrator, comic artist, author, and typographer. From his studio, Device, he has produced watches for Swatch, Hawaiian shirts, logo designs for Batman and Spiderman, an iconoclastic revamp of British comic hero Dan Dare, and collaborated on a set of six children’s books with Geri Halliwell. A retrospective monograph, “Art, Commercial” was published in 2001. Recent books include “Cult-ure: Ideas can be Dangerous”, “Custom Lettering of the 20s and 30s”, and the groundbreaking, “Logo-a-gogo". His comic strips have been collected in “Yesterdays Tomorrows”, which was launched at the ICA, London. He has an extensive collection of Thunderbirds memorabilia, a fridge full of vodka, and a stack of easy listening albums which he plays very quietly.
A portfolio of recent work and more information can be found at rianhughes.com
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Chris Foss
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610 global ratings

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Customers love the book's full-page illustrations and wonderful artwork, with one noting the well-chosen multi-image pages. Moreover, the book serves as a useful reference with plenty of information, and customers praise the artist's work, with one highlighting the sketches from his film work. Additionally, the color reproduction is eye-catching, and customers find it well worth the price. One customer mentions it brings back lots of memories.

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Picture quality Inspiration Artist Value for money Collection Colour reproduction Memories

27 customers mention ‘Picture quality’27 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the artwork in the book, particularly noting the full-page illustrations and large-scale pictures.

"...Candy for the eye. Big desktop book, big glossy pages, lots of pictures, bit of a bargain." Read more

"...Thrilled by the superb artwork upon the cover of various books I would buy titles only to find that the stories themselves were often horribly..." Read more

"...one of my favourite books - the sense of scale, the detail, the wonderful designs...." Read more

"...This book is basically an art gallery of his work, absolutely gorgeous...." Read more

16 customers mention ‘Inspiration’16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly detailed and useful as a reference, with one customer noting its well-organized structure.

"Buy while you can. Great for inspiration." Read more

"...The intricate detail, eye catching colours & ground breaking design all play second fiddle to the sheer size and fearsome power he imbues into..." Read more

"...It was one of my favourite books - the sense of scale, the detail, the wonderful designs...." Read more

"Inspiration at its most highest." Read more

15 customers mention ‘Artist’15 positive0 negative

Customers praise Chris Foss as a wonderful sci-fi artist, with one customer highlighting his fantastic book jacket art and another noting his sketches from film work.

"...seen the imperious spacecraft that are the trademark of this superbly talented artist...." Read more

"...It also has sketches from Foss' work on films, and plenty of text up front with details of his career and artistic development...." Read more

"This is the definitive work on Chris Foss and his tantalising skills, about which superlatives seem inadequate...." Read more

"Great artist with a wonderful imagination. Nice back story to his life included." Read more

13 customers mention ‘Value for money’13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well worth its price.

"...Titan, have a well deserved reputation for quality at very reasonable prices for their publications & this title keeps that reputation in tact...." Read more

"The item is just as described, it arrived on time, was well worth the price and communication with the seller was great. Top marks from me." Read more

"Foss is a legend in space art. This book is ridiculously good for the price, superb quality and a really good range of his work...." Read more

"...Big desktop book, big glossy pages, lots of pictures, bit of a bargain." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Collection’7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate this collection of Chris Foss's work, describing it as wonderful and rich, with one customer noting it includes timeless classics.

"...A collection of timeless classics from a true master of the genre." Read more

"A great catalogue of Chris' work over the years. A heavy book, not good for bed-time viewing!..." Read more

"...' reminiscent of the original `Eagle' annual have a majestic, deep, rich and vivid quality that gives life to the artwork of arguably the best SF..." Read more

"...It will take a while to go through this wonderful collection. Highly recommended if you're into sci-fi art...." Read more

6 customers mention ‘Colour reproduction’6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the color reproduction in the book, describing it as eye-catching and absolutely gorgeous.

"...The intricate detail, eye catching colours & ground breaking design all play second fiddle to the sheer size and fearsome power he imbues into..." Read more

"...This book is basically an art gallery of his work, absolutely gorgeous...." Read more

"...Lots of associated information and background to go with the artwork...." Read more

"...All are fully coloured and there are some line sketches as well...." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Memories’4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's nostalgic value, with one mentioning it brought back lots of memories, while another describes it as a wonderful trip down memory lane.

"Great artist with a wonderful imagination. Nice back story to his life included." Read more

"Brilliant book. Highly detailed and brought back lots of memories childhood looking at various science fiction book covers in local library...." Read more

"Been looking for this for years. Such good childhood memories I thought I would never recapture. Thank you Chris Foss!" Read more

"Wonderful trip down memory lane..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

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Friarofdoom
The Sci-fi Artists Artist
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 July 2011
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My first encounters with the work of Chris Foss were filled with mixed emotions. Thrilled by the superb artwork upon the cover of various books I would buy titles only to find that the stories themselves were often horribly outdated & released with amazing artwork that hid the dull contents within.
Older & wiser I may avoid many of those titles of dubious content but I remain thrilled by Foss's work.
The true greats in sci-fi & fantasy art have always managed to balance a peek into the future with a timeless quality that means their work remains fresh forever.
There can surely be few people who haven't seen the imperious spacecraft that are the trademark of this superbly talented artist. For me what keeps me glued to the images is the sense that these are vehicles fit for gods to arrive in. The intricate detail, eye catching colours & ground breaking design all play second fiddle to the sheer size and fearsome power he imbues into them.
The publishers, Titan, have a well deserved reputation for quality at very reasonable prices for their publications & this title keeps that reputation in tact. The glossy hardcovers are eye catching & help keep costs down by making the need for a dust jacket redundant. The paper is heavy & the colours bright & deep. The font is called 'range' & is suitably sci-fi but easily read. The 2 page intro by Rian Hughes is well worth a read but the real pleasures are the interview by Imogene Foss which gives a fine insight & mini biography. For the artists then surely the Jean Giraud intro. is the high point with an artists view. The Alejandro Jodorowsky page, (Foss did some prelim. artwork for a failed 'Dune' movie project), is brief but a welcome addition.
Then it's on to the artwork in earnest. 220 pages of eye blistering, mind expanding & imagination pumping brilliance. The commentary is limited to a bold type title/project with brief content description & date printed on the pages outer edge & not interfering with the work. The only small downside of the whole book is that it can be a bit baffling matching the description with the right work on a busy page.. It really is all about the art & the variety & quality on show here is staggering. Full page illustrations abound & there are a fair few double page spreads too. The multi-image pages are well chosen & I really feel that there is just about as little quality v quantity compromise as you could possible hope for.
The robots, the seascapes, aliens & most of all spacecraft of Chris Foss are ageless & objects of terrible beauty. A quick flick of this book nearly always seems to be turned into yet another hour gone by in the company of a true genius.
I find myself swept back to those days of my early teens when I first really fell in love with all things sci-fi & yet, unlike so much else I once felt cutting edge, this huge collection retains a sharp & edgy quality that refuses to age.
This is not just for those into sci-fi but rather anyone with a love of art will be thrilled by this stunning work.
A collection of timeless classics from a true master of the genre.

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Philip Storry
If Chris Foss excites you, you need this book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 September 2011
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As a boy I had the "21st Century Foss" book. I don't recall how or where I got it, but I do recall the book quite vividly.

It was one of my favourite books - the sense of scale, the detail, the wonderful designs. Or, in some cases, non-designs - things built from scavenged parts, cobbled together yet somehow working.

That book, sadly, was not treated as well as it could have been. Filled with larger versions of book covers we thrilled to, I shared it with friends - it went to and from school in various bags, and it didn't really survive that well.

I've always wanted to replace that book. But luckily, this book is here now. And it's bigger, it's better printed, and well bound.

The book is well organised and fairly comprehensive, with all the famous works that you expect. It also has sketches from Foss' work on films, and plenty of text up front with details of his career and artistic development.

So it's a good book.

But if, like everyone else commenting here, you first saw Chris Foss' works on the cover of a novel and were electrified by them - immediately attracted and intrigued by them - then this is a great book.

This is the book you want.

And that is all you need to know.

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12 people found this helpful

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Tambeau
Gorgeous book, love it.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 June 2024
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If your a fan of classic sci-fi novels, you'll definitely have seen cover artwork by Chris Foss. This book is basically an art gallery of his work, absolutely gorgeous.
Despite having been impressed by his work for years, I didn't even know this book existed until I read a magazine article. That was it, I then nagged my wife into buying it for my birthday, best present I've ever chosen for myself.

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Amazon Customer
Hardware
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 November 2024
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The item is just as described, it arrived on time, was well worth the price and communication with the seller was great. Top marks from me.

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M. G. Taylor
A Big Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 October 2024
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A great catalogue of Chris' work over the years. A heavy book, not good for bed-time viewing!
Many smaller, earlier images and only a few of the later panoramic ones shown in greater detail.
Format really should be larger (may be landscape) and more dramatic and paper weight heavier to give real impact.

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Duncurin
Gods Themselves
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 December 2012
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This is the definitive work on Chris Foss and his tantalising skills, about which superlatives seem inadequate. I bought it for my nephew's Christmas present, but in truth, I am wondering about getting another! It's larger and thicker than the previous work "Dragon's Dream" and surpasses it on every level: the colour `plates' reminiscent of the original `Eagle' annual have a majestic, deep, rich and vivid quality that gives life to the artwork of arguably the best SF artist. It contains more Foss artwork than one's mind can compass and some breathtaking double pages of some of his finest work including my all time favourite SF image on page 130/131.

Given our somewhat overcrowded world that is supporting, I wonder, just about as many humans as it can: I suspect that mankind's continued existence will depend on spaceships with faster than light drive. Though I cannot see this breakthrough occurring in my lifetime I wonder if when men do journey beyond Saturn's rings to distant colonies in far flung planets, orbiting unimagined stars, whether any of those men will know of Chris Foss whose inventive mind has seen and given life to some of those things they will view and the technology they'll have used to get there! Wonderful.

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4 people found this helpful

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Mr N L BUCHANAN
FANTATIC ARTIST AND A FANTASTIC BOOK.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 October 2024
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Inspiration at its most highest.

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Awful product
Great
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 March 2025
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Good

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Fabrice G
Absolument fabuleux
Reviewed in France on 10 June 2024
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Très beau livre, excellente qualité pour un prix qui parait ridicule quand on l'a dans les mains. Les photos sont renversantes et rendent justice a cet artiste pas assez connu. Souvenir d'enfance quand tout gosse dans les années 80 j'étais tombé en extase sur un magazine publiant quelques unes de ses oeuvres, depuis je reconnaissais du Chris Foss automatiquement quand une de ses peintures illustrait la couverture d'un roman de science fiction. Pourquoi pas avoir un bouquin complet avec ses réalisations ? et bien je suis très satisfait.

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Steven Riley
Superb
Reviewed in Australia on 21 March 2020
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Superb illustrations.

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Dione Machado
Maravilhoso!
Reviewed in Brazil on 27 January 2025
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O desenhista fez inúmeras gravuras em livros de ficção e não-ficção. Vale a pena conhecê-lo.

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Parsec
Unglaublich beeindruckend!
Reviewed in Germany on 17 February 2024
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Nur wenige Künstler haben mit ihren Bildern ein ganzes Genre derart beeinflusst, wie es Chris Foss für die Science Fiction getan hat. Die Werke von Foss gehören seit Jahrzehnten zum festen Kanon der SF-Kunst, und obwohl sie enorm weit verbreitet sind und viele andere Künstler massgeblich inspiriert haben zeichnen sie sich auch heute noch durch eine absolute Einzigartigkeit aus.

Der Stil von Foss ist dabei heute so faszinierend wie eh und je: gerade seine Raumschiffe sehen schlichtweg unfassbar beeindruckend aus - gewaltige Leviathane, bedeckt mit exotischen Farbmustern und einer völlig einzigartigen Symbiose aus technischem Realismus und dem berühmten "Sense of wonder", welcher bei dieser Kunst ganz einfach dazu gehört. Foss schafft es wie kein anderer, vollkommen irrwitzige, titanische Konstrukte mit einer Aura der Glaubwürdigkeit zu malen. Kein Wunder, das Foss und seine Werke weit über die SF hinaus populär sind.

Das hier rezensierte HARDWARE ist eine sehr wertiger, grandios aufgemachter Überblick über das Schaffen von Foss. Auf rund 250 Seiten finden sich die wichtigsten Bilder von Foss, zusammen mit eher unbekannten Werken und Skizzen. Sprich: HARDWARE ist meines Erachtens nach DER Foss-Bildband, welcher für Fans essentiell sein dürfte.

Ferner sei ausdrücklich der faire Preis erwähnt - für 30 € wird hier definitiv Maximales geboten!

Alles in allem: Fans von Foss und Fans von SF-Kunst allgemein kommen eigentlich um HARDWARE nicht herum.

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Chris Lautenbach
Beautiful book
Reviewed in Canada on 1 September 2024
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Incredibly high quality book containing a large amount of Foss' best work. A must-have for sci-fi art fans.

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Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss Hardcover – Illustrated, 22 July 2011

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5.0 out of 5 stars Absolument fabuleux

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb

5.0 out of 5 stars Maravilhoso!

5.0 out of 5 stars Unglaublich beeindruckend!

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book

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Absolument fabuleux

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Unglaublich beeindruckend!

Beautiful book