| The Conquest of Space | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Willy Ley |
| Illustrator | Chesley Bonestell |
| Genre(s) | Speculative science |
The Conquest of Space is a 1949 speculative science book illustrated by Chesley Bonestell and written by Willy Ley. The book contains a portfolio of paintings by Bonestell depicting the possible future exploration of the solar system with explanatory text by Ley.
Some of Bonestell's designs inspired the look of George Pal's 1955 science fiction movie Conquest of Space, which also takes its name from the book, but uses it as the framework on which to hang a melodramatic plot. Bonestell's illustrations of the Moon in The Conquest of Space were also used as a basis for Hergé when he illustrated the lunar surface in the Tintin comic, Explorers on the Moon.[1]
Of the 58 Bonestell illustrations in "Conquest", most were first published in color in magazines.[2]