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There is such a plethora of images of this type out there that I had to set a restriction; the restriction is that the images must include a planet – either a surface or from space. So, here they are – the top 15 stunning images from Science Fiction – in no particular order (click for a larger image):
15. The Monorail
14. Spike City
13. Cyclone
12. Eclipse
11. Icarus
10. Lunar Collision
9. Too close for comfort
Just paying the bills...
8. Galactic Parliament
7. Desolation
6. Ancestors
5. Toxic Planet
4. Dying Sun
3. Future City
2. Future Entertainment
1. Ghost City
Bonus: Future Transport
Technorati Tags: sci-fi, science fiction
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October 19th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Sweet these will make some nice desktop backgrounds
October 19th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
This is one of those lists that could go on forever, there seems to be no shortage of Sci Fi Images floating around the net. Still, great list.
October 19th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
ooh..pretty. these are worthy images for me to replicate and sharpen my rendering skills. thanks!
October 19th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Guh, those are gorgeous. I’m more of a fantasy fan, myself, but I love the artwork associated with sci-fi.
October 19th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
These are absolutly beautiful. I agree with Jugga as for the desktop backgrounds…
Fe: I am more of a fantasy fan myself…specially if it is fairies….
October 19th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Are these copyrighted?
October 19th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
YIPPIE FOR REN AND STIMPY!
October 19th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Hahaha! Ren and Stimpy are awesome!
October 20th, 2007 at 6:32 am
Any chance of sources or attribution for any of these? I’d like to know who made the works of art, but more importantly, I’d say most of the artists who worked hard on these images wouldn’t be too happy to know that you’ve reproduced their copyrighted work (ann: Copyright is automatic. They’re all copyrighted.), and especially without any mention whatsoever of the original artists.
October 20th, 2007 at 6:50 am
Daniel: unfortunately they all came from searches through google images and they were on various blogs and sites that were not the original authors. I would (of course) be happy to put an attribution in front of any image if the artist comes forward to tell me who he is. I will also happily include links to his website. I have done this on a photographic list I did a while ago.
October 20th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Check out digitalblasphemy.com! You might have gotten some of these from there? Anyway, they’re amazing.
October 20th, 2007 at 9:44 am
i was just looking at digitalblasphemy.com last night….HA…my fiance found a real nice one for his puter desktop.
October 20th, 2007 at 9:47 am
Kindof makes you wonder if any of these will resemble the real future. Especially number 3.
October 20th, 2007 at 10:31 am
Kelsi: that is a great site – before going to the Mac I used to use a lot of images from there as desktop wallpaper. On the Mac I prefer more natural stuff.
Ravyn: I didn’t know you had a fiance! Congratulations!
zombiejorge: I would love to live in number 3 – but I think number 2 is most likely to be what we will see in the future.
October 20th, 2007 at 10:58 am
i love dying sun because its beautiful but sorta eerie, what will happen when that comes true. Ancestors is another really cool one
October 20th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Thank you jfrater.
October 21st, 2007 at 12:16 am
I’ve seen many of those at renderosity.com.
October 21st, 2007 at 11:10 am
jfrater wrote: “I would (of course) be happy to put an attribution in front of any image if the artist comes forward to tell me who he is.”
In all due respect you are currently in violation of Copyright Law. The law REQUIRES that you obtain permission from the artist BEFORE you publish their work. Artists are not responsible for 24/7 policing of the internet for violations of their rights. It is the reason that copyright protections were enacted in the first place. I appreciate the site that you have put together here, but you need to at least provide attribution or links for images of art and photography that you post without permissions. I know a couple of these artists personally and can assure you that this sort of thing is not looked upon with amusement. However a simple credit would, for most of these artists, satisfy their dissatisfaction and protect you from litigation.
October 21st, 2007 at 11:24 am
Master Blaster: None of these images have come from the Artists websites – I do not know who made them and it is virtually impossible to track them down. As a person who has recorded music, I would prefer people appreciate my [musical] art than it be hidden away for fear of breach of law. Surely it is better for these beautiful images to be seen than to lock them up in a box for no one to see because I can’t track down the sources.
October 21st, 2007 at 1:42 pm
I understand your argument and agree that exposure is important. However these images are already being seen in the context of the artist’s portfolio, their web galleries and showcased on other sites that have properly credited and compensated them for their efforts.
I do not mean to rant or be adversarial, only to emphasize the importance of properly crediting an artist for his/her work. Many of these artists sell prints, posters, how-to dvds about their art techniques, and books containing this imagery. I am one of them. It is their livelihood, their job – how they feed their families – a service/product created in large part to pay the bills.
You have done a fantasic job of crediting other artists on this site (i.e. the urinal entry, etc.) If you cannot locate their identity, then choose one that you can. Some of these artists would enjoy income from those who pass by this site and see an image they love, go to the artist’s site, and buy a print or book of their work. Much in the same way that you enjoy income generated from the various advertisers on this site because of those stoppying by to see the great sci-fi art.
Respectfully,
MB
October 21st, 2007 at 10:56 pm
master blaster, whats up your ass?
October 22nd, 2007 at 6:39 pm
I can tell you who did #1… Industrial Light and Magic.
October 23rd, 2007 at 8:58 am
Number 7 was especially breathtaking
October 24th, 2007 at 1:07 am
I don’t know if any of these are from there but http://www.mikebonnell.com has tons of desktop backgrounds like these. I found the website quite a few years ago, and ever since my desktop backgrounds have been my favs from his site.
October 24th, 2007 at 6:15 am
Just for the record, #3 does not include a planet; it’s a Stanford Torus, a type of space colony.
November 28th, 2007 at 1:49 am
oh! oh!
*raises hand*
i know what number one is!
that ghost city is actually a shot of the planet coruscant from the new star wars trilogy (and the 1997 special edition version of return of the jedi)
November 30th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
amazing images, great work, if you’re into fantasy artwork on alien worlds you should check out works by michael whelan and boris vallejo all of which though, are painted , not computer art
December 14th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
some of these are really beautiful.
December 17th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Wow! Those are really great pieces of art, going to make some great wallpapers.
January 24th, 2008 at 4:54 am
kann ich deutsch schreiben?
habe für unsere seite in o-game 2 bilder runtergeladen und nun sind sie weg!
brauchen wir eine freigabe – wenn j bitte ich um diese.
mfg klaus
January 24th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
These would make for some awesome posters.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Those are really beautiful!
February 2nd, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Wow, amazing!
And I think someone pissed in master blasters cornflakes….
February 6th, 2008 at 4:33 am
Hadn’t seen this one before.Beautiful
February 11th, 2008 at 12:22 am
These photos inspire me!
That make me think we can create a new world!
February 17th, 2008 at 10:23 am
More like this at http://www.digitalblasphemy.com
February 20th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
OHH i love number 9… being placed on my desktop now.. my hubby can just kiss my behind if he dont like it!
February 21st, 2008 at 3:26 pm
none of them is beautiful. sci-fi “art” is ugly when it comes to aesthetics. beautiful more in the technical sense.
in idealistic and aesthetic – gross!
March 27th, 2008 at 4:09 am
wow!
I have fallen in love with images.
i wish they were athousand more.
i am crazy about this kind of artwork!
because it resembles the kind of future we are gonna create.
or only the positive side of it{be an optimist}
March 30th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
#’s 15, 8 and 1 (and Asimov’s city-planet Terminus and city in The 5th Element) are examples George Lucas ripped off for Coruscant.
April 18th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Yar: Perhaps…but still beautiful.
May 15th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
dying sun…well put.
June 10th, 2008 at 5:35 am
gotta be honest, i think future city is taken from a mass effect image
still awesome, just not an independant work
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Galactic Parliament looks like a terrible place
July 7th, 2008 at 6:29 am
#10 Lunar Collision is the Re Dreadnought from the Angels Fall First Universe
There are actually 2 versions of that, this is the old one. And it is not called ‘Lunar Collision’ but ‘Survivor Sweep’.
This is the better version
Concept art by Daemoria
Ship model by FailureCrusade
Texture and Render by Strangelet
July 7th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
hey. i’m the original artist for number 10. were you planning on asking permission or giving any credit for these before allowing everyone to download them?
thanks a bunch.
July 7th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
#46 strangelet I cannot wait for the Hadron particle accelerator to fire up this summer.
“We are now in a domain of energy that no one has ever explored.”
“We don’t even know what to expect”
Best quote ever. They’re looking for the truth about strangelets.
July 8th, 2008 at 4:53 am
yeh i heard they can destroy the universe. me – im just a bit grumpy.
July 26th, 2008 at 2:32 am
The last picture on the list (nos 1 ghost city) is actually a picture of Coruscant from Star Wars (balcony view from Padme’s apartment in episode 3)
Check out the movie…its after Anakin has his dream and wakes up
Stuningly Beautifull though
August 7th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Number 9 isn’t a planet, Its a sun O_o.
Just sayin’.
August 7th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Sorry i meant star.
September 15th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
great pictures!
September 19th, 2008 at 9:26 am
OMG! These are oddly beautiful. I’m usually not into this kind of stuff, but it’s great.
October 8th, 2008 at 1:14 am
I want to buy the picture.
However, the method for purchase is not described clearly.
Is there a person who knows how to buy?
November 8th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Great view!!! I’ve purchased art work similar to #12 Eclipse in Florida from a street artist.
November 26th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Where did you get those? just AMAZING! All of them! I need to find more…
November 26th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Of course, Crouscant is the #1, I could sense it!
P.S.: I’m a starwars fan
November 27th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
number 5 could be made by anyone with about 15 minutes training in metacreations (formerly) bryce 4.
most of these are 3d studio max, lightwave, rhinocerous or maya/power animator (for the better ones). check out the contest section below for some really spectacular stuff.
http://www.3dluvr.com/content/
December 1st, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Dang! I want buy posters of these and put them in my room!
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:25 am
I really like this one:
http://horvi.deviantart.com/art/Beyond-Infinity-36841790
January 29th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Ah, space. It is the most amazing thing my eyes have ever beheld, and these pictures do wonders to demonstrate it’s beauty.
January 30th, 2009 at 8:41 am
hey the no. 1 pic looks like something from starwars…the domed building and the skyscraper with a curved top in particular…heheheh…amazing pix..
February 13th, 2009 at 8:46 am
Loving the bonus one!:P
It’s so PURTY!!!:L
March 7th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Just wanted to comment that this particular list is what got me stared on LV. I don’t like to be normal and at work I need to make changes every few weeks. I can’t stand the same thing day in and day out…so I change my desk around, the colors on my computer, the fonts…and the background. I was looking for a sci fi world to put on there and came across this list. I read it and moved on…but it kept nagging at me to the point that I started to explore some of the other lists. I am not addicted to this site…its like crack! So thank for you for this list and others you and other LVers (new word) have written.
March 14th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
i like them, and they would be good for wallpapers, but cos iv got a damned virus, (on my pc that is XD) it wont let me have a background, it leaves it as a black screen, but il save the pics i like anyhoo (Y).
March 19th, 2009 at 2:36 am
Wow these are gorgeous…
Especially the Ren & Stimpy one
April 26th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Yes. Ren & Stimpy truly rock.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:47 am
Some of the paintings of the dark tower from Stephen King’s Dark Tower series are great.
May 30th, 2009 at 11:20 am
awww…ren and stimpy!!! 14-11 are really cool
June 27th, 2009 at 5:42 am
What?! no 2001?!
July 21st, 2009 at 9:12 pm
#3. Future City
I caught a violation! Number three is not a planet! It’s a depiction of the inside of a wheel shaped space colony like the ones in 2001! The idea is that they would have artificial gravity due to the spinning of the outer rim generating centrifugal force.
July 21st, 2009 at 9:29 pm
@Shaul Talmeed (71):
“A planet, is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.”
I’m pretty sure that most (if not all) wheel shaped objects in science fiction are :
a) Big to create their own gravity
b) Not big enough to creat thermonuclear fusion – i.e. What the Sun does
c) Aren’t surrounding by little planet looking things
If I’m wrong with any of my assumptions, please correct me, but I think that No.3 does qualify for the list
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:40 am
Hope no. 4 won’t ever happen, Ever!
September 13th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
BEAUTIFUL.
September 30th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
No list of great sci-fi/fantasy painings would be complete without a couple from Michael Whelan (Welan?) and John Pitre. Check them out, they both have websites.
September 30th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
PS. It would have been great to include the artist’s name with the painting title…
October 12th, 2009 at 8:14 am
#2, “Future Entertainment”, is actually a future Sydney, Australia. I know, I’ve lived most of my life there. Some of the buildings in the foreground, the octagonal one in front of the tower, the cylindrical one to its left, and the one with “AAPT” to the left again, are real buildings, as are some others (not the main tower though, obviously, and the taller buildings) and if you look carefully you can just see part of Sydney Harbour Bridge near the centre of the picture. I got a real blast from this image!
All the pictures in this list are stunning.
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:40 pm
the galactic parliament is in paris? closer than i tought.