The Art of Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Steampunk
- 2018 INDIES Winner
- Gold, Art (Adult Nonfiction)
Modern culture has some ’splaining to do. Climbing out of the Renaissance/Elizabethan age through to the late eighteenth century, an increasingly enlightened society emerged into the industrial wonders of the nineteenth century and rode them fast and hard to our present period of quantum-leaping technological innovation. Artistically, these two-plus centuries of change coincided with a revived interest in Gothic styles reminiscent of the late Middle Ages on through the steam-engine Victorian age best referred to as steampunk. So, yes, goth and steampunk—two somewhat off-putting terms, yet instantly familiar to us present dayers—are quite capable of explaining a great deal about modern culture, according to Hiroshi Unno, author of The Art of Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Steampunk.
Heady stuff, this is a story meant to be told in pictures—hundreds of full-color reproductions of paintings, posters, storyboards, fairy-tale art, and more. Think Romanticism, realism, Jules Verne, Sweeney Todd, Arthur Conan Doyle, Frankenstein, Alice through the Looking Glass, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, fairies, art deco, and so much more. Bilingual (Japanese and English) introduction, chapter heads, and captions round out the story. An amazing accomplishment.
Reviewed by
Matt Sutherland
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
