I remember this large (as in format, sort of "coffee-table-book"-sized) book I read when I was a preteen that totally fascinated me. I must have checked it out of the library a dozen times but alas, I cannot remember the title anymore. I'd love to be able to find it again.

The book was sort of like an encyclopedia of derelict alien spacecraft, as if the book had been written in an era when humans had explored deep space and had come across the ocassional floating junkyard of strange and fascinating alien ships. (They may not have all been wrecks, but those are the ones I remember prominently.) The artwork was very technical and detailed. There were descriptions and backstory given on each type of ship, I think, but the primary point of the book was the artwork.

Does this ring a bell for anyone?

I knot
:)

A few minutes with Amazon and Google is all it took. The book I'm remembering isn't just one book, but a series: <i>Terran Trade Authority Handbooks,</i> by Stewart Cowley.

The "book" I was remembering was actually two; these two:

<img src="http://www.geocities.com/~banksp/Rec/TTABooks/2000fifth.jpg">

<img src="http://www.geocities.com/~banksp/Rec/TTABooks/Wreckfifth.jpg">

I found <a href="http://www.geocities.com/~banksp/Rec/TTABooks/TTABooks.html">this page</a> which has great detail on the series. They are, of course, long out of print. Second-hand bookstores may be the only way to get a hold of them.

Man, I'm glad I wasn't crazy. I knew these books were out there somewhere! Oh, and GregW was right; the TTA books' designs were used as a basis for the PC game <i>Homeworld</i>.

I have _Aliens_In_Space_ which isn't the one you describe, but I remember seeing the one you describe. I imagine they're all out of print now...

FWIW, my copy (copyright 1979) lists the following titles:
_Aliens_In_Space_
_Star_Quest_
_The_Fantastic_Planet_
_Worlds_At_War_
_Settlers_In_Space_
_Space_Patrol_

Sigh. I must *really* be old...

<ul><li><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=522210053">ebay auction</a></li></ul>

I had a similar type book when I was a kid and lost when I went to college. I have been wanting to get another copy for a long time but could never remember the title or author. I was looking at the books in this thread on the web and one page mentioned a title which sounded very familiar. I looked for it on ebay, one copy for sale and the cover was what I remembered! I won the auction last night and should be here soon :)

The book is Space Wars, Worlds & Weapons by Steven Eisler, and has some damn cool pictures.

I remember that book, too. There's <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=526154219">another</a> copy on eBay, auction ending on the 20th. No bids as of this writing.

swees