What do you think?
Rate this book
The Art of John Harris: Beyond the Horizon
World-renowned visionary artist John Harris' unique concept paintings capture the Universe on a massive scale, featuring everything from epic landscapes and towering cities to out-of-this-world science fiction vistas.
This collection focuses on his wide variety of futuristic art, as well as his striking covers for a variety of esteemed SF authors, including Arthur C Clarke, John Scalzi, Ben Bova, Hal Clement, Jack McDevitt, Frederik Pohl, Orson Scott Card's Enders books and many more.
This collection focuses on his wide variety of futuristic art, as well as his striking covers for a variety of esteemed SF authors, including Arthur C Clarke, John Scalzi, Ben Bova, Hal Clement, Jack McDevitt, Frederik Pohl, Orson Scott Card's Enders books and many more.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published May 27, 2014
About the author
John Harris
6 books11 followersJohn Harris is a British artist and illustrator, known for working in the science fiction genre. His paintings have been used on book covers for many authors, including Orson Scott Card, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Frederik Pohl, Ben Bova, Wilbur Smith, Jack Vance, Ann Leckie, and John Scalzi. His work has covered many genres and although he made his name in the science-fiction genres, he is now exploring a new realm, the imaginative realism of aerial landscapes
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 17, 2014
I am not an artist. I’m an English teacher, and I love science fiction, and I love the art of John Harris - I could stare at his paintings for hours.
Imagine my delight then, when last fall, my students and I were given the opportunity to interview John Harris about his career as a science fiction artist. For an hour we picked his brain about his upbringing, his inspiration, his techniques, and his relationships with publishers and writers. Harris told us about growing up in an English countryside littered with the rotting and rusting artifacts of World War II; he told us about how he draws on nature to create images; and he talked at length with us about two pieces in particular, Quiet Night and Cleaning the Ducts (both of which receive full spreads in this book). The conversation was fascinating and insightful, and, of course, left us all wanting more. Would you like more? Then I give you The Art of John Harris: Beyond the Horizon.
While it’s true that a lot of Harris’s artwork can be seen on the internet, or indeed by walking up and down the SF/F aisles at Barnes and Noble, this beautiful and sturdy book provides a wealth of both his most popular artwork, and paintings that I have never seen before. In addition to the finished paintings, Harris has also included numerous pastels and sketches. These were my favorites, as, to my brain, the small colored sketches crackle with life and energy.
But what this book provides, most importantly, is context. Harris explains over several pages that much of the work in this book is of a single world and culture, created in his head, just so he could paint it. As he explains, he imagines himself on a donkey, traveling into a world that humans have not seen before, and, rather than having the luxury of something as mundane as a camera, he paints what he sees as though he were going to return to humanity to show us for the first time exotic peoples, locations, architecture, cultures, and myths that inhabit the dark ares on the map. I’m having a hard time doing this concept justice - it seems corny when I read my explanation, but trust me, the depth of knowledge that Harris has created to pull from rivals the imagination of any science fiction writer.
Almost every reader of science fiction knows Harris’s art and style, but, tragically, few readers know his name. Hopefully, this book will start to change that.
The Art of John Harris: Beyond the Horizon is 150 pages of stunning paintings, sketches, and reflections pulled from over 40 years of work. Each vision that comes from the brain of John Harris is a masterpiece, and each image in this book personifies the awe, the grandeur and the mystery that made us all fall in love with science fiction in the first place.
Imagine my delight then, when last fall, my students and I were given the opportunity to interview John Harris about his career as a science fiction artist. For an hour we picked his brain about his upbringing, his inspiration, his techniques, and his relationships with publishers and writers. Harris told us about growing up in an English countryside littered with the rotting and rusting artifacts of World War II; he told us about how he draws on nature to create images; and he talked at length with us about two pieces in particular, Quiet Night and Cleaning the Ducts (both of which receive full spreads in this book). The conversation was fascinating and insightful, and, of course, left us all wanting more. Would you like more? Then I give you The Art of John Harris: Beyond the Horizon.
While it’s true that a lot of Harris’s artwork can be seen on the internet, or indeed by walking up and down the SF/F aisles at Barnes and Noble, this beautiful and sturdy book provides a wealth of both his most popular artwork, and paintings that I have never seen before. In addition to the finished paintings, Harris has also included numerous pastels and sketches. These were my favorites, as, to my brain, the small colored sketches crackle with life and energy.
But what this book provides, most importantly, is context. Harris explains over several pages that much of the work in this book is of a single world and culture, created in his head, just so he could paint it. As he explains, he imagines himself on a donkey, traveling into a world that humans have not seen before, and, rather than having the luxury of something as mundane as a camera, he paints what he sees as though he were going to return to humanity to show us for the first time exotic peoples, locations, architecture, cultures, and myths that inhabit the dark ares on the map. I’m having a hard time doing this concept justice - it seems corny when I read my explanation, but trust me, the depth of knowledge that Harris has created to pull from rivals the imagination of any science fiction writer.
Almost every reader of science fiction knows Harris’s art and style, but, tragically, few readers know his name. Hopefully, this book will start to change that.
The Art of John Harris: Beyond the Horizon is 150 pages of stunning paintings, sketches, and reflections pulled from over 40 years of work. Each vision that comes from the brain of John Harris is a masterpiece, and each image in this book personifies the awe, the grandeur and the mystery that made us all fall in love with science fiction in the first place.
July 29, 2023
Its been a while since I have treated myself to any artwork books and this was the first I picked up (rather apt since it is the first volume of two)
I guess for me the success of a science fiction and fantasy artist is how quickly I recognise a style and this one was pretty might right out of the gate (the cover is a John Scalzi book for starters) and as I read on I realised how many more titles I recognised.
Now Harris does not just do book but rather his style lends itself perfectly to them - the book contains a number of other works some of which are purely for personal projects.
The thing I think (which is also picked up in the book) is that the works imply so much - when viewed close up they are rather vague and indistinct but as a whole they have to me at least a massive impact - this is the stuff of space operas and high adventure and I love it
I guess for me the success of a science fiction and fantasy artist is how quickly I recognise a style and this one was pretty might right out of the gate (the cover is a John Scalzi book for starters) and as I read on I realised how many more titles I recognised.
Now Harris does not just do book but rather his style lends itself perfectly to them - the book contains a number of other works some of which are purely for personal projects.
The thing I think (which is also picked up in the book) is that the works imply so much - when viewed close up they are rather vague and indistinct but as a whole they have to me at least a massive impact - this is the stuff of space operas and high adventure and I love it
December 27, 2022
Fantastic images which you need to spend time gazing at ... Harris has a great imagination. He’s up there with the great science fiction and fantasy illustrators.
October 17, 2023
This wonderful collection of John Harris' work spans several decades. His celebrated impressionistic visions of spaceships, space stations, ruins, cosmic vistas are all on show here, many of which were book covers for the likes of Ben Bova, Orson Scott Card and others. There are also his abstract pieces for NASA which were rather, well, abstract but colourful.
The last section has his personal paintings for a project and a narrative that stretched over thirty years, some of which were fabulous while others were akin to abstract work that were just textual impressions.
The last section has his personal paintings for a project and a narrative that stretched over thirty years, some of which were fabulous while others were akin to abstract work that were just textual impressions.
December 30, 2025
It started from standing back and appreciating canvas painting of Ancillary Justice that was posted online. And it was then I realized that I was a fan of Harris's art even before I realized it was him. There is a beauty in the background chaos, bold colors becoming either prominent (like the cover) or brightening the spots amidst space vacuum of desolate black and grey.
I loved it, every page was a treat.
I loved it, every page was a treat.
June 9, 2019
I envy every visual artist who finds unique expression without loss of commercial appeal. John Harris is among those radiant few.
June 27, 2022
I can lose myself indefinitely in Harris' images. They bring about a real sense of wonder for me.
October 28, 2020
In the late 70s, I worked in a print and design company when John Harris was, for a short time, the graphic designer. When we moved into bigger premises John had ventured full time into paining and we were lucky to have a big wall space where he hung his amazing representations of vast objects in space. This is the second book about his work, thirty years after the first collection, Mass, and is a continuation of the spiritual quest and civilisation themes. Beyond The Horizon is pushing the vision of what it could be like a few thousand years along the road. After a career in science fiction illustration which saw him become the first artist commissioned by NASA, John Harris's literary commissions took him into landscape-themed jacket covers for many famous authors. Nowadays he's still on a philosophical journey into the future and is one of its most distinctive and imaginative representational artists.
December 30, 2022
5 Stars/
95%
A truly wonderful refreshing look at some unique and inspiring pieces of science fiction artwork. Introduced to me through the books of John Scalzi's high concept science fiction works, this book is a lesson in colour, in perception, in space travel itself. It is a wonderful piece to browse though, get book recommendations, as well as understand Harris' thinkin and his process as a creator of science fiction worlds.
I should mention something on John Harris' art itself. His art has an almost illusionary complexity to them. The images seem complex upon first looking, and then you see the supposed simplicity. The brush strokes, the use of specific brushes to evoke complexity of megastructures and scaffolds through texture, with usually a single colour palette nebula behind the main subject. Everything suggests you have worked out the little tricks and ways he has included complexity into a subject without actually going into vast amounts of detail. But then looking further into the image, you see the level of skill, inspired forethought, and open imagination that makes Harris' work so complex yet looking so effortless. There is an amazing eye for perspective, as well as texture of material within the piece. His makes it seem so convincingly realistic while making the scene outlandishly science fiction. There is more detail that you see on first looking, and the way Harris has painted it will encourage your brain to build up more around it. My only explanation is that he has either seen these scenes himself, or he is an art wizard.
However one of the best parts of his art, whether it is his ongoing multiyear project, or a single one off piece, is his ability to include a narrative. You might not be able to pin point characters but you absolutely know how this civilisation portrayed works, or what emergency is befalling a space station, or the tense negotiations that might be happening in a megastructure on a forgotten planet under a forgotten sky. His is a master at weaving in narrative to his art.
In short this is a great book by one of my favourite artists of all time.
95%
A truly wonderful refreshing look at some unique and inspiring pieces of science fiction artwork. Introduced to me through the books of John Scalzi's high concept science fiction works, this book is a lesson in colour, in perception, in space travel itself. It is a wonderful piece to browse though, get book recommendations, as well as understand Harris' thinkin and his process as a creator of science fiction worlds.
I should mention something on John Harris' art itself. His art has an almost illusionary complexity to them. The images seem complex upon first looking, and then you see the supposed simplicity. The brush strokes, the use of specific brushes to evoke complexity of megastructures and scaffolds through texture, with usually a single colour palette nebula behind the main subject. Everything suggests you have worked out the little tricks and ways he has included complexity into a subject without actually going into vast amounts of detail. But then looking further into the image, you see the level of skill, inspired forethought, and open imagination that makes Harris' work so complex yet looking so effortless. There is an amazing eye for perspective, as well as texture of material within the piece. His makes it seem so convincingly realistic while making the scene outlandishly science fiction. There is more detail that you see on first looking, and the way Harris has painted it will encourage your brain to build up more around it. My only explanation is that he has either seen these scenes himself, or he is an art wizard.
However one of the best parts of his art, whether it is his ongoing multiyear project, or a single one off piece, is his ability to include a narrative. You might not be able to pin point characters but you absolutely know how this civilisation portrayed works, or what emergency is befalling a space station, or the tense negotiations that might be happening in a megastructure on a forgotten planet under a forgotten sky. His is a master at weaving in narrative to his art.
In short this is a great book by one of my favourite artists of all time.
September 30, 2025
Gorgeous spreads and single page pictures. From amazing starships set against wondrous space backgrounds, to beautiful planetary panoramas (Mass series with one picture showing shepherds with their flocks grazing on a now completely reclaimed by nature edge piece of .... something, long forgotten, some surface from the industry period is just amazing) - everything is so dynamic and captivating.
I like this style where not everything is crystal clear, everything is in motion. Just look at that beautiful piece of, I think is the name, "a minor incident", large starship on weirdly looking landing gear (or is it due to the exhaust heat) and fire somewhere behind it - it is amazing, almost like a photograph from the future.
Even when you look at the wall series of pictures, it seems like wall is beyond some misty screen, and people, almost invisible besides the structure but still visible like small pinheads, mirage-likes off the super heated surface, give the entire set that feeling of movement, that I remember from those old-time postcards.
Beautiful book, highly recommended.
I like this style where not everything is crystal clear, everything is in motion. Just look at that beautiful piece of, I think is the name, "a minor incident", large starship on weirdly looking landing gear (or is it due to the exhaust heat) and fire somewhere behind it - it is amazing, almost like a photograph from the future.
Even when you look at the wall series of pictures, it seems like wall is beyond some misty screen, and people, almost invisible besides the structure but still visible like small pinheads, mirage-likes off the super heated surface, give the entire set that feeling of movement, that I remember from those old-time postcards.
Beautiful book, highly recommended.
October 11, 2021
Even at their most technological, or when daunting in scale or purpose, the images that John Harris creates still retain a human perspective, arising a deep connection due to immense curiosity, wonder and unknown events. Their vast scale, contrast, edges and minimal details all impress, capturing something beyond mere form and colour, with a storyteller’s eye for suggestion and a masterful ability to generate rich atmosphere without fuss.
I’ve been beguiled by Harris’s art since purchasing a copy of MASS many years ago – his structures and scenarios in that book immediately grabbed my attention as something to be experienced; a feeling that is yet to wane. Beyond the Horizon features many paintings from that earlier collection, with additional comments about their conception and substance: I would have welcomed more of these creator contributions – and further sketches – but the book mirrors the art in providing just enough content to capture your interest and leave you wanting more.
I’ve been beguiled by Harris’s art since purchasing a copy of MASS many years ago – his structures and scenarios in that book immediately grabbed my attention as something to be experienced; a feeling that is yet to wane. Beyond the Horizon features many paintings from that earlier collection, with additional comments about their conception and substance: I would have welcomed more of these creator contributions – and further sketches – but the book mirrors the art in providing just enough content to capture your interest and leave you wanting more.
June 22, 2021
John Harris has been painting since the mid-1970s and uses a traditional method of oil on canvas. This 2014 book gives a broad sample of his work, as used for a variety of avenues, from book covers to commissions for NASA. He has provided covers for books by Asimov, Clarke, Bova, Scalzi and Scott Card, amongst others and his style tends towards bright colours, the impressionistic but technical, and expansive vistas that hint towards whole other worlds. What I liked most about this book was how you are drawn into Harris's mind, and how he appears to genuinely be seeing what he is painting, as though these fantastic sights actually exist. This is for me how good science fiction works, by not suggesting what we can imagine, but what we can envision as though it is real. I would have liked more text, and more insight into his process, but this book is a delight nonetheless.
June 22, 2020
Got this for Father's day. A perfect gift for me.
John Harris is one of the greats of science fiction art. There is a sense of vastness and longing in his works. A quality that I've occasionally experienced in epic dreams about space. I admit that I have bought books just because I recognized his art on the cover. Fortunately, it is never a letdown to do so. John Harris' artwork is on the cover of the Ender's Game series, John Scalzi's Old Man's War, and Anne Leckie's Ancillary series just to name a few big hits. Harris has illustrated more than one Hugo and Nebula award winner. He has also done covers for newer printings of Isaac Asimov and Ben Bova's books.
There are also several pages of Harris' own art projects you won't find elsewhere. This is much more than just book covers.
John Harris is one of the greats of science fiction art. There is a sense of vastness and longing in his works. A quality that I've occasionally experienced in epic dreams about space. I admit that I have bought books just because I recognized his art on the cover. Fortunately, it is never a letdown to do so. John Harris' artwork is on the cover of the Ender's Game series, John Scalzi's Old Man's War, and Anne Leckie's Ancillary series just to name a few big hits. Harris has illustrated more than one Hugo and Nebula award winner. He has also done covers for newer printings of Isaac Asimov and Ben Bova's books.
There are also several pages of Harris' own art projects you won't find elsewhere. This is much more than just book covers.
December 1, 2024
This rating should really be more like 4.5 stars. Reading a book like this with all the amazing images accompanying the work is a genuine pleasure.
I hadn't realized how deep these images had settled into my mind until I read this book. The works are definitely "bookstore iconic" as Mr. Scalzi says in his foreward. Seeing the scale and scope of what the artist created and then recognizing any number of these works from books currently residing on my shelf really brought home how good this art is.
Another aspect is the opportunity to read what the artist was thinking while creating these works. His story that went along with various images was great to read.
IF you're a fan of science fiction art, this is a worth addition to your collection.
I hadn't realized how deep these images had settled into my mind until I read this book. The works are definitely "bookstore iconic" as Mr. Scalzi says in his foreward. Seeing the scale and scope of what the artist created and then recognizing any number of these works from books currently residing on my shelf really brought home how good this art is.
Another aspect is the opportunity to read what the artist was thinking while creating these works. His story that went along with various images was great to read.
IF you're a fan of science fiction art, this is a worth addition to your collection.
October 7, 2020
A pretty large hardcover with a dustjacket, this is a collection of paintings by the famous Science Fiction artist, reproducing a plethora of the cover illustrations he painted in his forty years career. Also, like most creative people Harris appears to be working on a personal magnus opus, which this book provides a pretty good look into.
Also features a number of texts and annotations by the artist, providing insight into a number of his works.
The only reason I'm not giving this five stars is personal taste; a number of the paintings just do not vibe with me.
Also features a number of texts and annotations by the artist, providing insight into a number of his works.
The only reason I'm not giving this five stars is personal taste; a number of the paintings just do not vibe with me.
January 5, 2021
The art work in this book is beyond phenomenal, the pieces he has created for authors such as Arthur C. Clarke and Ben Bova stand out contrary to the masterpieces of the books themselves and I'm blown away by the level of detail put in to every corner of his work.
January 8, 2025
Not only is this an awesome coffee table book, but I actually read it too!
Really cool dive through the work of one of the most legendary sci-fi artists ever. The little snippets about the eras of his work are cool, and the artwork is obviously gorgeous. I’ll pick up the second one at some point.
Really cool dive through the work of one of the most legendary sci-fi artists ever. The little snippets about the eras of his work are cool, and the artwork is obviously gorgeous. I’ll pick up the second one at some point.
November 11, 2017
Incredibly good!
Read
July 18, 2020Limited edition of 300 copies issued in illustrated slipcase with signed print in envelope and variant jacket from trade edition.
March 23, 2021
Чудово. Занурився, політав, повертаюся у життя і трохи сумую.
May 16, 2023
Amazing visuals accompanied with insights... loved his work. Very inspiring.
Want to Read
April 16, 2026I love the cover image on this book, and I need to check on Amazon to see if it says where the image is from. It looks so familiar to me....
August 11, 2014
John Harris is the artist behind the cover painting of dozens of science fiction books. His style is recognizable at a glance - vivid but indistinct, the line work blurred and yet the whole is understood at once.
This coffee table sized book is a treasure. Although ably introduced by John Scalzi and with commentary by Harris himself, the real joy of the book is the massive spreads, in full color, that allow the reader to examine in minute detail, sans text or markings, the images that have graced so many iconic covers.
Of particular note is the 'Works by Author' appendix, which displays several illustrations side by side, all the better to see how they work as a whole over the course of a given series. For myself, who came to Harris' artwork through Scalzi's 'Old Man's War' series, to see several illustrations from the books laid out together was both a chance to re-examine the paintings together, as well as an opportunity to reflect on a series of books I thoroughly enjoyed.
This is the kind of over-sized book I like to have out where I can leaf through it again and again, letting new details and revelations catch me where they may. I also hope that this volume paves the way for a standalone Art of Old Man's War book at some point in the future.
Highly recommended.
This coffee table sized book is a treasure. Although ably introduced by John Scalzi and with commentary by Harris himself, the real joy of the book is the massive spreads, in full color, that allow the reader to examine in minute detail, sans text or markings, the images that have graced so many iconic covers.
Of particular note is the 'Works by Author' appendix, which displays several illustrations side by side, all the better to see how they work as a whole over the course of a given series. For myself, who came to Harris' artwork through Scalzi's 'Old Man's War' series, to see several illustrations from the books laid out together was both a chance to re-examine the paintings together, as well as an opportunity to reflect on a series of books I thoroughly enjoyed.
This is the kind of over-sized book I like to have out where I can leaf through it again and again, letting new details and revelations catch me where they may. I also hope that this volume paves the way for a standalone Art of Old Man's War book at some point in the future.
Highly recommended.
July 23, 2014
While browsing on Amazon I was drawn to this book by it's cover. The name John Harris meant nothing to me but the art on the cover was from "The Human Division" by John Scalzi, part of series I very much enjoyed. Looking closer I saw the words "Foreward by John Scalzi" on the cover and decided to pick it up. I'm glad I did.
From reading the book I found out John Harris has been painting since the 1970's and his art has been on the covers of books by authors such as Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Orson Scott Card, and Ben Bova. In 1984 he was invited to Cape Kennedy to witness a Space Shuttle launch and record it in a painting. That painting hangs in Kennedy Space Centre and is part of the Smithsonian Collection.
The works in this book are fantastic and would be a delight for any fan of science fiction. Nearly every work instills you with a feeling of awe and wonder and would look amazing framed on your wall.
Now I know who John Harris is.
From reading the book I found out John Harris has been painting since the 1970's and his art has been on the covers of books by authors such as Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Orson Scott Card, and Ben Bova. In 1984 he was invited to Cape Kennedy to witness a Space Shuttle launch and record it in a painting. That painting hangs in Kennedy Space Centre and is part of the Smithsonian Collection.
The works in this book are fantastic and would be a delight for any fan of science fiction. Nearly every work instills you with a feeling of awe and wonder and would look amazing framed on your wall.
Now I know who John Harris is.
May 27, 2014
John Harris and his iconic paintings have been a part of the science fiction community for nearly four decades. He brings an impressionistic sensibility to his bold, massive space landscapes that make each piece stand out as a distinct work of art. Generations of readers have discovered his work because of the science fiction novels graced with his creations. Harris continues to be a prolific creator whose work resides on the covers of some of the biggest names in SF literature. This new retrospective is a welcome body of work and should be added to your collection the moment it is released.
For a full review with many examples of the gorgeous images found within this book, please visit SF Signal here:
http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2014...
For a full review with many examples of the gorgeous images found within this book, please visit SF Signal here:
http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2014...
January 5, 2015
I first encountered the art of John Harris as a child, when my family bought a ZX Spectrum. His paintings adorned the cover of the manuals that came with the computer, and spoke of a hazy, complex, monolithic future.
Years later I started looking for who had made those paintings, and was delighted to discover all of his other works.
This book is great, with fabulous full colour prints of some wonderful art.
Years later I started looking for who had made those paintings, and was delighted to discover all of his other works.
This book is great, with fabulous full colour prints of some wonderful art.
January 12, 2021
Tons of gorgeous art, of course. I just love his style so much. The only critique of this book is that I had really hoped to see more of his process, maybe walk through a few of his more 'famous' pieces, but the book was mostly just a gallery. A beautiful, inspiring gallery of color and texture and space and imagination. I would definitely like to own this book as a great part of my art collection.
June 25, 2014
Just great stuff. His style really suits the sci-fi subject matter. There's a dream-like fuzziness to it, like looking through the lens of what could be. Coupled with the visual stories he tells with vistas and equipment alike, this really emphasizes the mystery, excitement, and sheer size of the effort of exploring and living in space and on other planets.
February 3, 2017
Impressionistic as Science Fiction at it's best. John Harris artwork immediately hits you with an immense sense of scale. The spaceships are humongous, and the planets these crafts are set against manage to dwarf them! A great accomplishment in sci-fi concept art and highly recommended for everyone even remotely interested in the subject. I enjoyed this art book on a tremendous level :)
November 24, 2014
If you've read the major sci-fi novels of the past twenty years the chances are at least one had a cover by John Harris. A visual feast demonstrating a remarkable talent to make the unreal real.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews