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Firebrands: The Heroines Of Science Fiction And Fantasy
Paintings show science fiction and erotic fantasy worlds inhabited by alien queens, Amazons, swordswomen, and other heroic women
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
1 person is currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Ron Miller
189 books21 followersRon Miller is an illustrator and author living in South Boston, Virginia. Before becoming a freelance illustrator in 1977, Miller was art director for the National Air & Space Museum's Albert Einstein Planetarium. Prior to this he was a commercial advertising illustrator. His primary work today entails the writing and illustration of books specializing in astronomical, astronautical and science fiction subjects. His special interest is in exciting young people about science, and in recent years has focused on writing books for young adults. To date he has more than 50 titles to his credit. His work has also appeared on scores of book jackets, book interiors and in magazines such as National Geographic, Reader's Digest, Scientific American, Smithsonian, Air & Space, Sky & Telescope, Newsweek, Natural History, Discover, Geo, etc.
Miller's books include the Hugo-nominated The Grand Tour, Cycles of Fire, In the Stream of Stars, and The History of Earth. All of have been Book-of-the-Month Club Feature Selections (as well as selections of the Science, Quality Paperback and Astronomy book clubs) and have seen numerous translations.
Considered an authority on Jules Verne, Miller translated and illustrated new, definitive editions of Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth as well as a major companion/atlas to Verne's works. He has worked as a consultant on Verne for Disney Imagineering and for A&E's Biography series.
Miller is also considered an authority on the early history of spaceflight. The Dream Machines, a comprehensive 744-page history of manned spacecraft, was nominated for the prestigious IAF Manuscript Award and won the Booklist Editor's Choice Award.
As an artist, Miller has designed a set of ten commemorative stamps for the U.S. Postal Service and has been a production illustrator for motion pictures, notably Dune and Total Recall. He has also done preproduction concepts, consultation and matte art for David Lynch, George Miller, John Ellis, UFO Films and James Cameron. He designed and co-directed the computer-generated show ride film, Impact! and has taken part in numerous international space art workshops and exhibitions, including seminal sessions held in Iceland and the Soviet Union (where he was invited by the Soviet government to take part in the 30th anniversary celebration of the launch of Sputnik). His original paintings are in numerous private and public collections, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Pushkin Museum (Moscow).
Miller's books include the Hugo-nominated The Grand Tour, Cycles of Fire, In the Stream of Stars, and The History of Earth. All of have been Book-of-the-Month Club Feature Selections (as well as selections of the Science, Quality Paperback and Astronomy book clubs) and have seen numerous translations.
Considered an authority on Jules Verne, Miller translated and illustrated new, definitive editions of Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth as well as a major companion/atlas to Verne's works. He has worked as a consultant on Verne for Disney Imagineering and for A&E's Biography series.
Miller is also considered an authority on the early history of spaceflight. The Dream Machines, a comprehensive 744-page history of manned spacecraft, was nominated for the prestigious IAF Manuscript Award and won the Booklist Editor's Choice Award.
As an artist, Miller has designed a set of ten commemorative stamps for the U.S. Postal Service and has been a production illustrator for motion pictures, notably Dune and Total Recall. He has also done preproduction concepts, consultation and matte art for David Lynch, George Miller, John Ellis, UFO Films and James Cameron. He designed and co-directed the computer-generated show ride film, Impact! and has taken part in numerous international space art workshops and exhibitions, including seminal sessions held in Iceland and the Soviet Union (where he was invited by the Soviet government to take part in the 30th anniversary celebration of the launch of Sputnik). His original paintings are in numerous private and public collections, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Pushkin Museum (Moscow).
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 3, 2022
Okay so my hunt for Paper Tiger books continues and every now and again I stumble across a real find - in this case a day trip to see my parents on the Norfolk coast wound up with me visiting a tiny second and book store - literally someones converted front room. Well apart from the usual variety of books the owner is obviously a fan of fine art and there was a HUGE selection of books there on every artist and aspect you could think of (okay what my limited knowledge could think of) and tucked away in the corner was a pile of Paper Tiger books.
So as you can imagine I went a little mad - including what would appear at first glance a duplication of a book I already have but more on that in a later entry.
But what of the book - well as Paper tiger started to publish more and more science fiction and fantasy artwork it obviously got a larger and larger range of artists and material - and so started to print both artist exposes and compilations. Now these compilations would cover everything from famous stories to locations but never (till now) specific characters.
And so was born firebrands - as the introduction says there are countless male heroes throughout the ages (more on that in a second) but where are the heroines or as this book calls them the firebrands the upstarts, the trouble makers, the "thorn in the side" of every villains plan.
And so we have here a collection of artists impressions of various female characters and leads. To help with the journey through these characters the book is divided in to eras so you have up to 1930 for example as one section through to the 80s and 90s as the last.
The book is an interesting mix of characters with short bios and explanations of the images. Now one thing I would say is that true some of the characters naturally would be seen as they have been painted while others it is obvious that liberties have been taken - usually in the cloths they are wearing or lack of them. Now I am no prude but I do love reading up on fictional characters bios as for me it gives me greater connection to the person I am reading of and this is something that is rather limited. Likewise I would want to see them as they are portrayed in the story not so much as someones imagination placed them.
That all aside the book is a great journey through female leads in science fiction and fantasy and I will be the first to admit there are a number there I will be going out and reading more about I can tell you.
So as you can imagine I went a little mad - including what would appear at first glance a duplication of a book I already have but more on that in a later entry.
But what of the book - well as Paper tiger started to publish more and more science fiction and fantasy artwork it obviously got a larger and larger range of artists and material - and so started to print both artist exposes and compilations. Now these compilations would cover everything from famous stories to locations but never (till now) specific characters.
And so was born firebrands - as the introduction says there are countless male heroes throughout the ages (more on that in a second) but where are the heroines or as this book calls them the firebrands the upstarts, the trouble makers, the "thorn in the side" of every villains plan.
And so we have here a collection of artists impressions of various female characters and leads. To help with the journey through these characters the book is divided in to eras so you have up to 1930 for example as one section through to the 80s and 90s as the last.
The book is an interesting mix of characters with short bios and explanations of the images. Now one thing I would say is that true some of the characters naturally would be seen as they have been painted while others it is obvious that liberties have been taken - usually in the cloths they are wearing or lack of them. Now I am no prude but I do love reading up on fictional characters bios as for me it gives me greater connection to the person I am reading of and this is something that is rather limited. Likewise I would want to see them as they are portrayed in the story not so much as someones imagination placed them.
That all aside the book is a great journey through female leads in science fiction and fantasy and I will be the first to admit there are a number there I will be going out and reading more about I can tell you.
April 24, 2020
The art was was reasonable, the text was half arsed and contradicts the art. You cannot write a book complaining that women are mere ciphers and sex objects and then fill the book with paintings of semi clad to completely naked, full on tits out paintings!
Every time I saw this book it was always on clearence from £14.99 down to £3.99.
Many of the books mentioned are worth checking out however it should be pointed out the authors interpretations of the contents are a bit on the revisioist side and should be ignored. Why? Olaf Stapledons classic, Sirius. There is nothing in book that indicates she had sex with the dog but apparently the woman that looked after Sirius took him as her lover.
Every time I saw this book it was always on clearence from £14.99 down to £3.99.
Many of the books mentioned are worth checking out however it should be pointed out the authors interpretations of the contents are a bit on the revisioist side and should be ignored. Why? Olaf Stapledons classic, Sirius. There is nothing in book that indicates she had sex with the dog but apparently the woman that looked after Sirius took him as her lover.
September 10, 2021
This book inspired me to finally read Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series, and has given me ideas for other potential new books to discover. The art is really cool and in some cases better than the stories themselves deserve being of an era where female characters are, while finally portrayed, not portrayed well. I wish there was another featuring more modern female characters.
August 25, 2013
An excellent compilation of well-made images of science fiction and fantasy heroines, painted by Ron Miller with text by Pamela Sargent.
I appreciate the fact that the artist chose such a wide range of characters, from Medieval warrior Jirel of Joiry to Buck Rogers' comrade Wilma Deering to Jane (as in "Tarzan and"). Or from another perspective, from the gigantic beauty Aurora to the microscopic Animula. I liked the inclusion of several obscure but interesting heroines, such as the 1920s astronaut Rhoda Gibbs.
Not all of the women depicted by Miller were the way I had always imagined them, of course. I thought his Susan Calvin was too saintly, not businesslike enough. And his Dejah Thoris has (for shame!) a navel that no oviparous Barsoomian ought to have. Still, Miller painted what he saw in the texts, just as we all do.
I'd love to see a sequel.
I appreciate the fact that the artist chose such a wide range of characters, from Medieval warrior Jirel of Joiry to Buck Rogers' comrade Wilma Deering to Jane (as in "Tarzan and"). Or from another perspective, from the gigantic beauty Aurora to the microscopic Animula. I liked the inclusion of several obscure but interesting heroines, such as the 1920s astronaut Rhoda Gibbs.
Not all of the women depicted by Miller were the way I had always imagined them, of course. I thought his Susan Calvin was too saintly, not businesslike enough. And his Dejah Thoris has (for shame!) a navel that no oviparous Barsoomian ought to have. Still, Miller painted what he saw in the texts, just as we all do.
I'd love to see a sequel.
March 27, 2012
Pretty good book. Lots of interesting history of science fiction writing and good illustrations. :-)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews