A portfolio and retrospective of the work of the space artist David Hardy, covering the range of his work from astronomical art to science fiction cover work and some of his commercial illustrations (including his time as an illustrator for Cadburys' chocolate boxes!). Chris Morgan (a fellow member of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group) contributes an informative text which links the pictures effortlessly.

I was shocked to see that this book dates from 2001, which means that some of the astronomical information is now out of date; for example, we now have images of Pluto directly taken from the New Horizons probe, whilst the progress of crewed spaceflight took a rather different course than anyone expected twenty years ago. Other changes to our world were perhaps even less anticipated; there is the odd celebrity namechecked in passing whose name is now unspeakable, though no blame can be attached to DH.

With that proviso, this book is worth picking up if you find a copy. ( )