Starliners by Stewart Cowley

Starliners Reviews

• 
  Michael Sypes

  Not up to the same level of the first two books (
  Spacecraft: 2000-2100 AD, and
  Great Space Battles), but still enjoyable.
  The artwork is generally inferior to that of the first two books in the series, and there are a few typos and inconsistencies in the text. The book's text was also not what I expected. I was expecting something similar to the first book, a compendium of spaceships, this time focusing on commercial craft, describing their technical specifications, passenger accommodations and typical uses. However, each page focuses on a commercial passenger service rather than a specific craft, and often read like endorsements of the various national spacelines, which is not something I think the TTA should be doing in its official capacity as an oversight body of these commercial concerns.
  I am glad to finally have the complete set of four books however. Time to go back and re-read the first two, and see if they hold up to my 53-year-old mind's recollection s of my 13-year-old self's admiration for them.
• 
  Mike

  Decades after discovering Stewart Cowley's TTA universe, I'm still delighted by the complex worldbuilding. This volume describes the vessels and companies that transport passengers and cargo around the galaxy. Art by prominent science fiction illustrators is re-purposed to illustrate the ships and planets he describes.
• 
  Brian Turner

  Found this buried in the attic when visiting parents, so brought it back home with me.
  Real blast from the past, I think between myself and my brothers we had all of the TTA (Terran Trade Authority) series of books as Christmas presents.
  
  Done as a guide to the various companies running charter/scheduled/freight starships, usually a page of text with a facing full page illustration (not sure if they were commissioned for the book, or just ones that the publisher had access to).
  
  The author has put a bit of thought into each company and what they cater for, along with a bit of history and the type of fleet they have.
• 
  Curtiss

  On of Stewart Cowley's clever incorporations of various science fiction artwork into a storyline.
• 
  Michael

  I loved these books as a youngster, I remember checking these out from the library over and over again.