Sci-Fi Worlds Inspiration

[Mike Blake]

Where do you get yours? I am looking for some ideas to stimulate the juices, but other than the obvious SW/ST/Firefly/GW stuff. We do 40K-Kingsize (95mm size figures) and it's a lot of fun, but now there is a growing interest in the group for 54mm SF which is not specific to an existing Alternate Universe.  I know it's out there...

Especially looking for visuals but also stories/graphic novels.

[Jase]

Can't really help you there, but you've made me very curious about 40K Kingsize.

Do you have any pictures of the models you use? It sounds intriguing.

Cheers
Jase

[Gary Mitchell]

Well, if you want attractive mini inspiration try my 'verse www.spacevixensfrommars.com

Gary M.

[Mike Blake]

Jase - some photos on Photobucket http://s654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/MikeBlake/Sci%20Fi/

[OSHIROmodels]

Concept Starships is a good place to go as a lot of the pictures there have surroundings to give a feel of the world that the ship is set in.

cheers

James

[tnjrp]

Concept ships is here, of course:
http://conceptships.blogspot.com/

Here's a few more:
http://astrona.blogspot.com/
http://space-art.co.uk/
http://www.art.eonworks.com/index.html
http://www.edwardmiller.co.uk/
http://www.fengzhudesign.com/
http://www.gatetonowhere.de/
http://www.kevindaviesspaceart.com/Gallery.html
http://www.lesedwards.com/index.php
http://www.martiniere.com/
http://www.mcgibs.iseenothing.com/home.html
http://www.rogerdean.com/
http://www.sparth.com/

[No Such Agency]

Where do you get yours? I am looking for some ideas to stimulate the juices, but other than the obvious SW/ST/Firefly/GW stuff.

You won't get the best inspiration from movies, TV and games.  Hit the books, my friend.  

David Brin - the Uplift Trilogies
Iain M. Banks - Culture novels
Peter Watts - "Blindsight", "Starfish"
Larry Niven - esp. the Known Space stories, eg. "Ringworld"
C.J. Cherryh - Alliance-Union universe books, eg "Heavy Time", "Downbelow Station"
Joe Haldeman - "The Forever War"
David Drake - buncha military SF ("Hammer's Slammers")
Ursula LeGuin - various
Frederick Pohl - "Gateway" and sequels

... and that's just a quick start, for some outer-space type SF.

[Parriah]

Jerry Pournell: The Mercenary series :The Mercenary,Prince of Mercenaries, Go Tell the Helots, Prince of Sparta, West of Eden. And the War World Series.

David Weber: The Honor Herrington Series. Too many titles to mention here
Steve Perry: Crusade, et. al.
Robert A Heinlein: Starship Troopers
Mike Blake had several good ones too.
Kieth Laumer Bolo series
Larry Niven Man-Kzin wars titled I, II, III, IV, etc.
Niven and Pournell The Mote in Gods Eye and Ther Gripping Claw. Both are set several hundred years in the future of Pournell's series
H. Beam Piper, Space Viking, Little Fuzzy, 4 Day Planet,Lone Star Planet,  The Cosmic Computer, The Uller Uprising, (That one's free on project Gutenberg)  All of these are set in what he called the Terro-Human Future. This is predicated on 2 main inventions, besides FTL that is, Contra Gravity, and an electric generator that makes electricity directly from the radioactive decay process.
 Also see his Time Patrol series, Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen, etc.
Can't remember the author right now, but The Bug Wars. RECOMMENDED!! set in the Milky Way, but Aeons before we have arisen. There was a galaxy spanning empire, but it was overrun by a space traveling composite society of GIANT bugs, waspers, ants, caterpillars, etc. They are sublight, so they take a LOOOOOng time to travel, but they do.
Now, a sentient saurian (think like the Gorn in ST) beings arise, they become FTL and wage a war of extinction (forced on them by the bugs) It is Great! I think it might be C S Asprin, but don't quote me on it.
Check it out!

[Mike Blake]

I read all the classic SF books many years ago, and only one calls me back - Tiger, Tiger, by Alfred Bester. Modern ones I've tried too - most of the ones listed but none have really grabbed me, sorry. I was very disappointed with The Forever War, for example, - expected so much more space opera.

Thanks to all for the ideas - but from your choices, pick one that is guaranteed to grab me (you believe, no retribution) please, 'cause I can't possibly do them all!

[No Such Agency]

Fair enough - of the ones I listed, Niven's Ringworld books are JAMMED with hard SF inspiration.  And they're an easy read, good pace and definitely "high adventure".  Banks' Culture novels (eg. "Consider Phlebas", "Use of Weapons") are meaty, but also replete with interesting ideas.  The Uplift books are a good source of ideas about alien cultures and galactic political interactions.

[Bergil]

I'll second the ringworld books.

Totally packed with adventure, although somewhat (utterly) barmy.

[Mike Blake]

Thanks guys. I'll look for some Ringworld ones then. I have tried banks and I'm afraid it didn't do it for me - lots of great ideas though, as you say.

[Parriah]

Bug Wars is by Robert L Asprin. IDK where the other came from. Just finished re-reading it. Inspired myself with that post!

[fastolfrus]

How about Dan Dare or the Trigan Empire?

We also went for Stargate as a source of ideas, although not so SF.

[Mike Blake]

Ah yes - Stargate I loved, well worth a look.

Am going into my local 2nd hand bookshop and charity shops with a short list of names - let's see what I can find!