Described in Rian Hughes's introduction as an “industrial revolutionary”, Chris Foss is definitely a “master of machines” being a prolific artist of detailed and convincing spacecraft, robots, intricate machines and futuristic structures. Hardware is a thick, 240-page tome of fantastic science fiction artworks. As well as page after page of beautifully reproduced full-colour art, the beginning of the book also features plenty of sketches showing his creative process. Apparently, many of the images in the book have never been seen or printed before which gives this collection an exclusive and "complete" feel.

Foss studied architecture at Cambridge University and has worked in science-fiction illustration since 1970, primarily as a cover artist. In total, he has created over a thousand book cover artworks for top sci-fi authors including Isaac Asimov (Foundation Trilogy), Arthur C. Clarke (Earthlight), E. E. Doc Smith (Lensman and Skylark series), A. E. Van Vogt and Philip K. Dick. He also worked with Moebius on Alejandro Jodorowsky's unfinished version of Dune, with HR Giger on Alien, the first Superman film and more recently Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

Foss’s speciality is definitely the classic brush and airbrush spacecraft he paints which are always detailed and realistic. His designs are informed by sound studies of real machines, illustrations of which can be found at the front of the book and include wartime aircraft, helicopters, tanks, ships and submarines. His spacecraft can be bulky and battle-weary but are always liveried with bright and colourful graphical markings - there are no boring “grey” spaceships in this book! Ships and futuristic machines with strong striped and chequered patterns have come to represent an easily identifiable Foss trademark. His machines are frequently huge in scale, rearing up over alien landscapes and skyscapes where humans are either absent or tiny.

Hardware is a weighty hardback book typically showing 1-4 illustrations per page. There are numerous double-page spreads throughout showing favoured masterworks such as the cover for Asimov’s “The Stars Like Dust” (1981) and Jack Vance’s “Star King” (1988). There are so many pictures in this book it is easy for sci-fi fans to flick through and spot ones they recognise - I was surprised to find the picture for the cover of Edmund Cooper’s “Who Needs Men?” which I had not seen since the copy of the paperback I used to own, obtained from York market in the early 1980s!

Illustrating how popular and successful the works of Chris Foss have been, the back of the book features a visual index of his book covers arranged alphabetically by author and shown on an 11x9 grid. That works out at 99 thumbnail covers on every page!