Ooh!

@chaosderek said:
"Will it include a new color spaceman? I guy can only dream…"

Make it sand blue and scalpers will make a profit off the book...

@Robin84 said:
"On the cover of the book it appears that the classic space logo on the torsos of the spacemen is mirrored.
Why they didnt include 1993? So Ice planet 2002 is not part of this book...
Still this book looks like is going to be pretty awesome..."

I was going to ask how on earth these sets from 198x are still that good a condition to photograph but the answer might be as its all digitally manipulated and its not real Lego. Unless of course there are some very rare wrong way round figures........

I guess that logo mistake can be fixed quite easily. Just flip the image the correct way round.

In any case, sounds interesting. Might consider purchasing it.

First day purchase as it becomes available for me in Germany. And a nice addition to my Grey Era Train book (which No Starch Press is not interested to translate and publish in English)

Man, I have to be THAT guy and say that Blacktron II was released in 1991 :P I would personally be more interested if it covered more of the 90's themes.

@Lego34s said:
" @Robin84 said:
"On the cover of the book it appears that the classic space logo on the torsos of the spacemen is mirrored.
Why they didnt include 1993? So Ice planet 2002 is not part of this book...
Still this book looks like is going to be pretty awesome..."

I was going to ask how on earth these sets from 198x are still that good a condition to photograph but the answer might be as its all digitally manipulated and its not real Lego. Unless of course there are some very rare wrong way round figures........"

The image is simply mirrored. The models appear to be real. Too many imperfections and too much detail in how the light interacts with textures for it to be rendered.

Sets can be at least partially built with new pieces, too. And digital models; Photoshop if necessary...

I mean, I'd prefer vintage parts in the models (except if called out, like as a comparison), but there are ways.

I would like a little "this model has faded/yellowed, but here's the official catalog image and here brand new pieces have been swapped in," but the effects of time (or manufacturing history) may be beyond the scope of this book.

Regardless, it looks SPACESHIP! SPACESHIP! SPACESHIP! good.

Meh. Ice planet deserves to be there.

No minifig or build included? That surprising.

@jkb said:
"The question is: Is there any incentive to buy this if you already have most of the sets? Any behind-the-scenes info that you won't find on the web already?

At least a making-of of the promo- and catalog sceneries?"

I’ll simply wait until the release and reviews, and buy only after

Heh. Launch.

@Robin84 said:
"On the cover of the book it appears that the classic space logo on the torsos of the spacemen is mirrored.
Why they didnt include 1993? So Ice planet 2002 is not part of this book...
Still this book looks like is going to be pretty awesome..."

Vol. II?

As further evidence that the cover photo is a mirror image: the words "LEGO" on the studs that make up the droids eyes are also backwards.

@Robin84 said:
"On the cover of the book it appears that the classic space logo on the torsos of the spacemen is mirrored."

Tangentially, AFAICT no one else noticed it at the time, but the same thing happened with the key art of Benny used for LEGO Dimensions; take a close look at the “More Images” section for his Fun Pack 71214. The character art has his age-worn CS emblem flipped (and from the looks of it, it really is just the emblem flipped, as opposed to the whole image being flipped, since the picture otherwise shows the slightly asymmetrical break in his helmet chinstrap correctly, and also has his megaphone blaster in his right hand, which appears to be his intended default, dominant hand). Hardly anyone seems to have noticed at the time, possibly because the artwork also shows him floating upside down, but there it is.

If there isn't a Minifigure included, I don't have much of an incentive to buy the book.

@Ridgeheart said:
" @curtydc said:
"If there isn't a Minifigure included, I don't have much of an incentive to buy the book. "

If there is a new spaceperson and it's in that accursed highlighter neon-yellow, I will be furious. I mean, I'll still get it, but I'll furiously get it.

Highlighter Spaceperson will forever be stuck on telemarketing-duties."

Like singing "Yvan Ecaps Eht Nioj" ?

IMO the more natural dividing line is between Blacktron 2 and Space Police 2... because that's when Space moved beyond the classic smiley faces.

This book is very tempting! I hope it’s not too dear in the UK. An included Classic Spaceman in a new colour would be a bonus.

Spaaaaaaaaaaaaace!

@TheOtherMike said:
"As a lifelong fan of Lego Space, I'll have to get this one. Shame that, as @Robin84 says, Ice Planet 2002 won't be covered, but there'll still be plenty of nostalgia. Wonder if post-1992 Space stuff will even get a mention...

@gaiathedj said:
"Man, I have to be THAT guy and say that Blacktron II was released in 1991 :P I would personally be more interested if it covered more of the 90's themes."

The article said the last of the Blacktron II sets were released in 1992, not that all of them were.

"

It didn't say that when I wrote the comment. Neither did it mention Space Police II...

Yeah, I think this should have included Ice Planet, and probably Spyrius and Unitron. They didn't stray *that* much farther from the original aesthetics than Blacktron or M-Tron did.

Exploriens felt like it was the big transition since it had a different helmet/harness piece and they were "exploring" for evidence/remnants of alien life. Roboforce and UFO were when it really felt (to me, anyway) like the line of continuity from the original sets ended.

As they claim to have gotten insight I expect to see the other prototypes for the classic space logo and pictures of the foto stand and backdrop for all the box art.

I have to say, I’ve recently purchased several retro gaming books like this (NES, SNES, Game Boy), and there is nothing in them that isn’t readily available in greater detail online, and of course they are missing some of my favorite games. However, they are really cool books and I’m glad I got them.

I would say the only thing that would ruin this book would be including a minifigure with it. But before you scream blasphemy, let me explain. I absolutely hate those extra thick covers with the plastic case, it makes the book look like a cheap toy. Yes, my son loves those Star Wars books, and for kids books it’s perfectly fine. But for a premium, collectible book like this, it would cheapen the whole experience.

Of course if a minifigure came in a separate box, like a GWP, I’d be all for it.

Article say "This collection includes statistics and trivia for each set from across nearly two decades"

If the book really includes sales figures for each sets, and precise date of availability in the different markets, it would be really awesome... but it sound a bit utopian.

It is also now available for pre-order on Amazon.ca.

As a LEGO Space fan since the first sets were released (when I was only 7 years old), this book shouts 'nostalgia' to me, so I will most certainly buy at least one copy! I don't mind if it comes with a bonus Space Minifigure or not. To me personally it will be like flipping through the old LEGO catalogs and relive some of the good vibes I had as a child in those days. I do hope though that an (old) interview with the late Jens Nygaard Knudsen will be included as he did not only design most of the Classic Space sets, but was also the godfather of the LEGO Minifigure! (Yes, I know about the interview Mark Stafford once had with Jens about Classic Space, but hopefully there are older interviews I'd like to read about.)

And then there is also the elusive, never released 1986 Classic Space set 1526-1 of which Huw once posted an article (or sub paragraph) of his visit to the Vault in Billund in which he encountered a complete but empty set box of said set 1526-1 but we never got the full story about why that set was never officially released while it obviously came very far in the production process if they're keeping this empty box in the vault!? I really hope to find more about things like this in this upcoming LEGO Space book. Same goes for the stories behind certain promo sets like 1593-1 and for specials like set 1968-1 . Or why certain sets that were only released in certain markets contained exclusive parts that were never released in other markets like set 6901-1 Mobile Lab from 1980 which was the only Space set ever to include the classic 6 x 3 x 1 33º 'sloped window' piece part 3939 in Trans-Green (until that specific part in that specific color got only one re-use in the widely available Town set 6433-1 which came out 19(!) years later.)
I won't get my hopes up too high, but articles like that would really interest me personally!

Thanks for announcing the book, looking forward to buy and read it!

P.S. I know how to link to set detail pages, but is there also a way to link to part detail pages from the comments? (I was trying to link to part 3939 in the same way I was referring to certain sets, but if I use 3939 it links to a friends set instead....)

Now available for pre-order on Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lego-Space-1978-1992/dp/150672518X/