Expedition (book)
Encyclopedia
Expedition is the title of a science fiction
book by artist-author Wayne Douglas Barlowe. Subtitled "Being an Account in Words and Artwork of the 2358 A.D. Voyage to Darwin IV", it is written as though published in the year 2366, five years after Barlowe's participation in a voyage to an alien planet, dubbed Darwin IV
in honor of Charles Darwin
.
In the 24th century
the exploitation of the Earth's ecosystem has created an environment so toxic that mass extinctions have wiped out nearly half of its animal population. Most of the remaining fauna, save humans, have suffered horrible mutation. Aided by the benevolent and technologically superior alien race, the Yma, humanity begins to repair their ravaged world while simultaneously learning more about the universe around them. When an unmanned Yma probe discovers evidence of alien life on another planet, the "expedition" of the title is sent to investigate.
Barlowe writes as a sort of 24th century Audubon
, presenting his findings in a collection of paintings, sketches, field notes, and diary entries from his explorations of Darwin IV. He details a bewildering variety of alien lifeforms
including the gyrosprinter, butcher tree, flipstick, groveback, daggerwrist, and the immense emperor sea strider. Unlike the aliens presented in much of popular science fiction, which often seem to be variations of terrestrial lifeforms, Barlowe's creatures are truly alien: None of them possess eyes or true jaws; their body structures are often unlike any found on Earth; they have unique modes of locomotion, sensing, and eating. Very late in the expedition, the explorer encounters lifeforms which use tools, giving a very strong indication of being intelligent.
A conservationist theme is present throughout the book. The expedition is designed to have as minimal an impact as possible on the environment of Darwin IV. When two of the expedition's members suffer a fatal accident, Yma technology is used to remove all traces of the accident from Darwin IV's environment. At the conclusion of the expedition, Darwin IV is left in the same pristine state it was in prior to the expedition, with the exception of a metal obelisk placed in a remote area by the expedition.
produced a television special adapted from Barlowe's Expedition entitled Alien Planet
, which first aired on May 14, 2005. This program was faithful to the book in its presentation of the lifeforms found on Darwin IV. However, instead of being presented as the artist's own experiences, the program is presented as the findings of two autonomous robotic probes.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
book by artist-author Wayne Douglas Barlowe. Subtitled "Being an Account in Words and Artwork of the 2358 A.D. Voyage to Darwin IV", it is written as though published in the year 2366, five years after Barlowe's participation in a voyage to an alien planet, dubbed Darwin IV
Darwin IV
Darwin IV is a fictional planet that was the subject of Wayne Barlowe's book Expedition and the television special, Alien Planet, based on Expedition...
in honor of Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
.
In the 24th century
24th century
The 24th century of the anno Domini era will span from January 1, 2301–December 31, 2400 of the Gregorian calendar. Unlike most century years, the year 2400 is a leap year, and the first century leap year since 2000....
the exploitation of the Earth's ecosystem has created an environment so toxic that mass extinctions have wiped out nearly half of its animal population. Most of the remaining fauna, save humans, have suffered horrible mutation. Aided by the benevolent and technologically superior alien race, the Yma, humanity begins to repair their ravaged world while simultaneously learning more about the universe around them. When an unmanned Yma probe discovers evidence of alien life on another planet, the "expedition" of the title is sent to investigate.
Barlowe writes as a sort of 24th century Audubon
John James Audubon
John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats...
, presenting his findings in a collection of paintings, sketches, field notes, and diary entries from his explorations of Darwin IV. He details a bewildering variety of alien lifeforms
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
including the gyrosprinter, butcher tree, flipstick, groveback, daggerwrist, and the immense emperor sea strider. Unlike the aliens presented in much of popular science fiction, which often seem to be variations of terrestrial lifeforms, Barlowe's creatures are truly alien: None of them possess eyes or true jaws; their body structures are often unlike any found on Earth; they have unique modes of locomotion, sensing, and eating. Very late in the expedition, the explorer encounters lifeforms which use tools, giving a very strong indication of being intelligent.
A conservationist theme is present throughout the book. The expedition is designed to have as minimal an impact as possible on the environment of Darwin IV. When two of the expedition's members suffer a fatal accident, Yma technology is used to remove all traces of the accident from Darwin IV's environment. At the conclusion of the expedition, Darwin IV is left in the same pristine state it was in prior to the expedition, with the exception of a metal obelisk placed in a remote area by the expedition.
Television
The Discovery ChannelDiscovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
produced a television special adapted from Barlowe's Expedition entitled Alien Planet
Alien Planet
Alien Planet is a 94-minute docufiction, originally airing on the Discovery Channel, about two internationally built robot probes searching for alien life on the fictional planet Darwin IV. It was based on the book Expedition, by sci-fi/fantasy artist and writer Wayne Douglas Barlowe, who was also...
, which first aired on May 14, 2005. This program was faithful to the book in its presentation of the lifeforms found on Darwin IV. However, instead of being presented as the artist's own experiences, the program is presented as the findings of two autonomous robotic probes.
See also
- Darwin IVDarwin IVDarwin IV is a fictional planet that was the subject of Wayne Barlowe's book Expedition and the television special, Alien Planet, based on Expedition...
- Alien PlanetAlien PlanetAlien Planet is a 94-minute docufiction, originally airing on the Discovery Channel, about two internationally built robot probes searching for alien life on the fictional planet Darwin IV. It was based on the book Expedition, by sci-fi/fantasy artist and writer Wayne Douglas Barlowe, who was also...
- Alien Worlds or ExtraterrestrialAurelia and Blue MoonAurelia and Blue Moon are hypothetical examples of a planet and a moon on which extraterrestrial life could evolve. They are the outcome of a collaboration between television company Blue Wave Productions Ltd. and a group of American and British scientists who were collectively commissioned by...
, a similar program aired on Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
and the National Geographic ChannelNational Geographic ChannelNational Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual... - Snaiad (Another exobiological project)