Did you know there were Hugo Awards for collections of art? I didn't — and looking through them, the finalists this year are worth checking out.
Earlier this week, the World Science Fiction Society announced finalists for the 2019 Hugo Awards, the winners of which will be announced in Dublin, Ireland, during the group’s August Worldcon (the annual conference surrounding the awards). And the art book collections vying are worth checking out.
Every year since 1953, the World Science Fiction Society has awarded its famed Hugo awards to individual works, to people, and to serial publications (like fanzines). Among those are art books, which fall in the Best Related Work category of awards (which most famously includes categories like Best Novel and Best Short Story).
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These art books are gorgeous, each one a perfect complement to a well-read living room or workspace. We compiled the six art book finalists below to give you an idea of what’s competing for the venerable award in August, along with some information about them from Amazon.
The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition, $36 on Amazon: Illustrated by Charles Vess, Written by Ursula K. Le Guin. "Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the timeless and beloved A Wizard of Earthsea, this complete omnibus edition of the entire Earthsea chronicles includes over fifty illustrations illuminating Le Guin’s vision of her classic saga."
Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: A Visual History, $30 on Amazon: By Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson, Sam Witwer. "An illustrated guide to the history and evolution of the beloved role-playing game told through the paintings, sketches, illustrations, and visual ephemera behind its creation, growth, and continued popularity."
Spectrum 25: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, $29 on Amazon: Edited by John Fleskes. "Spectrum is the premier showcase for imaginative fantastic arts in the book, comic, film, horror, illustration, sculpture, conceptual art, fine art and video game genres. With exceptional images by extraordinary creators, this elegant, full-color collection showcases an international cadre of creators working in every style and medium―both traditional and digital."
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – The Art of the Movie, $36 on Amazon: By Ramin Zahed. "Unmasking the artistry behind the ... movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse — The Art of the Movie contains concept art, sketches, storyboards and will give you fascinating insights into the creative process. With exclusive commentary from the creators, plus a foreword written by Brian Michael Bendis, this extraordinary collection of art will take readers into the Spider-Verse."
Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth, $42 on Amazon: Edited by Catherine McIlwaine. "Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth explores the huge creative endeavor behind Tolkien’s enduring popularity. Lavishly illustrated with three hundred images of his manuscripts, drawings, maps, and letters, the book traces the creative process behind his most famous literary works—The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion—and reproduces personal photographs and private papers, many of which have never been seen before in print."
Daydreamer’s Journey: The Art of Julie Dillon (scroll through Dillon’s art here): By Julie Dillon. From Dillon’s Kickstarter for the book, which finalized in late 2018: "I've put together an art book that will let me share with you more of my art and ideas than I ever have before. I have assembled and curated over 200 pages of artwork that includes everything from my portfolio highlights, freelance work, sketches and studies, unfinished pieces, to old work from when I was first starting out."
If you’ve been looking for an art collection or coffee table book that fits your interests, any one of these finalists might fit the bill.
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