Expedition

Expedition: Being An Account in Words and Artwork of the 2358 A.D. Voyage to Darwin IV; Wayne Barlowe (Workman Publishing, 1990, ISBN 0-89480-629-7, cover by Wayne Barlowe).

More than an artbook, less than a novel, Expedition revolves around a hypothetical expedition to a planet orbiting a nearby star. Barlowe has proven himself able at imaging the aliens created by other SF authors, here he gets to let his imagination run wild.

Barlowe's website has a portfolio of artwork from the project, and the book eventually spawned an excellent production that appeared on The Discovery Channel. The expedition is changed from being manned to robotic, but it was wonderful to see Barlowe's creations come to "life". The DVD is recommended!

The only shortfall in the book is that the binding (in the trade paperback) is coming loose, a common problem in these "coffee table"-style artbooks. I'll have to hunt up the hardcover.