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Michael Whelan

2 weeks ago • •

Michael Whelan
2 weeks ago • •

Interior illustrations from NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PICTURE ATLAS OF OUR UNIVERSE by Roy A. Gallant. This particular section was a whimsical "what if" look at possible alien life in the solar system.

EUROPA
MARTIAN DAWN
PLUTONIAN ZISTLES

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#sciencefiction #scifi #scifiart #sff #illustration #nationalgeographic #ouruniverse

EUROPA - Skating on the surface of Europa with Jupiter looming behind, a green skinned Brinker-Roo slits bulbous eyes and focuses face tentacles forward as it tilts in an aggressive turn. It has no arms and finds balance in the arc of a long spotted neck and an aft heavy with meaty thighs and bony lower legs that end in skate blades. A spiral formation on its back stretches like a Slinky. Behind, its blunt tipped tail curls upward.

MARTIAN DAWN - Long-legged, a Martian Waterseeker walks across the iron-tinged soil. It has a thin winding neck like a flamingo but its skin is black. Long arms dangle down nearly touching the ground. From its head, two wide shells project like radar dishes. When closed, they form a protective egg around the whole of Waterseeker. A tail sweeps up and over its head, wide plumage that perhaps serves to block the sun.

PLUTONIAN ZISTLES - Clumps of blue crystal rocket off and crash down on pale regolith set against a black starscape.

in reply to Michael Whelan

Michael Whelan

in reply to Michael Whelan • 2 weeks ago • •

JOVIAN ATTACK
FISHES ON TITAN
VENUSIANS

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JOVIAN ATTACK - In the clouded skies of Jupiter, Swordtails attack Jellyblimps. The Swordtails resemble aquatic rays, forming broad triangles as they glide with wings wide. They drop tail down to dive bomb the black tentacled cephalopods dangling from green blimp-like air sacs on a series of black cords.

FISHIES ON TITAN - With fur bristling, a Stovebelly perches on a rock with maw open breathing a cone of flame. The rock around it is crowded with little lobster red creatures with dolphin-like faces. Another dog-like Stovebelly blasts up from the water below scattering the fishies of Titan. The underside of that Stovebelly looks like a rocket thruster.

VENUSIANS - A plump Oucher-Poucher sits on a rock surrounded by the wreckage of a downed space probe. In one hand, it grasps scrapped paneling while drawing a metal rod to its wide mouth. The background and creatures are volcanic orange. Bulbous, it has a scaled belly, big eyes and legs that fold under like a frog. In the background another Outcher-Poucher blasts off with a stream of propulsion coming from its underside. It hugs itself tight in cannonball position.

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