Legos Make Everything More Awesome, Even Space
This article is more than 2 years old
Legos are easily one of the greatest inventions in human history. That may be bit much, a bit too hyperbolic, but they are certainly one of better toys we’ve managed to come up with across our time on this rock. Over the years, inventive folk have proven time and time again that you can make damn near anything out of those little plastic blocks if you put your mind to it, from replicas of iconic landmarks to fantastic creatures, and even Star Wars paraphernalia. Since they’re so awesome, it makes sense that a fair amount of Lego creations are devoted to celebrating one of the other coolest things humanity has ever done, going into space. A new collection of photos of stellar Lego space recreations shows just how fantastic this combination can be, though they maybe not be exactly what you expect.
When you first think of Lego renderings of space related objects you’re probably thinking giant space shuttles, or that big ass, almost life sized X-Wing Fighter someone made a while back. These, however, are a little different, a little smaller in scale, though just as intricate and interesting as their larger counterparts. Lego artists Peter Reid and Tim Goddard have taken everyone’s favorite tiny plastic building blocks, and used them to recreate some of the more iconic moments from the space race and beyond.
These images come from the upcoming book, Lego Space: Building the Future, and feature, among other noteworthy moments, Neil Armstrong stepping onto the moon for the first time, the launch of Sputnik, the Voyager probe and Curiosity rover, and that classic image of the footprint on the lunar surface. The way they stage these scenes, in simple, but evocative ways, is really quite striking. The staging is simple, yet lovely.
One thing you’ll appreciate as a science fiction fan, is that Reid and Goddard’s book, which comes out on November 11 (retail is $24, but you can pre-order on Amazon for a mere $14.97), is that it doesn’t stop with depicting Lego history, it also looks into our collective Lego future. A good amount of space in the volume is dedicated to the next phases of space exploration, like little Lego miners excavating asteroids (or maybe they’re preparing to blow them up so they don’t destroy Earth), and inch-high colonists building moon bases and habitable Martian dwellings. And how can you forget the robots, wormholes, and invading alien swarms? Practical concerns for further space exploration, to be sure.
And if you want to recreate some of these scenes for yourself, with your very own Lego collection, the book includes detailed instructions of how the created these miniature marvels. This book is instructive and functional.
