Spectrum No. 1

From the lurid pulp covers of the 1920s to the high-tech digitized imagery of today, artrists have “made real” what others could barely imagine; they have – with the stroke of a pen or brush – frozen a moment, captured an emotion, or perceptively given us a glimpse of our brightest hopes. And darkest fears. Artists who regularly create works of fantasy and science fiction and horror – for books or comics or advertising or film – have had the difficult task of visualizing ideas and situations that aren’t based on reality. They’ve shown us life on other planets and heroes of mythological times; they’ve painted Utopian societies and grim city-hell tomorrows; they’ve made dragons fly, aliens invade, and the dead stalk our streets. They are the shamans of our imagination and our guides to the land of “what if?” <i>Spectrum: The First Annual Collection of the Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art</i> is a long-overdue attempt to honor those visionaries. Selected by a blue-ribbon jury of award-winning artists and art directors from nearly 500 entries, <i>Spectrum</i> features a full color collection of nearly 200 magical works by a who’s-who of the most exciting creators working today. Also included in a special section are the winners of the Chesley Awards as presented by the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. <i>Spectrum</i> is a wonderous book that is destined to become the cornerstone of any art enthusiast’s library. This landmark volume marks the first time artists of the fantastic have been honored with their own “best of the year” collection. It’s about time.