&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Expedition_cover.jpg) First edition cover | |
| Author | Wayne Barlowe |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Wayne Barlowe |
| Cover artist | Wayne Barlowe |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Speculative evolution Science fiction |
| Published | 1990 |
| Publisher | Workman Publishing Company |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 192 |
| ISBN | 978-0894809828 |
Expedition: Being an Account in Words and Artwork of the 2358 A.D. Voyage to Darwin IV is a 1990 speculative evolution and science fiction book written and illustrated by the American artist and writer Wayne Barlowe. Written as a first-person account of a 24th-century crewed expedition to the fictional exoplanet of Darwin IV, Expedition describes and discusses an imaginary extraterrestrial ecosystem as if it were real.
The extraterrestrial or alien organisms of Darwin IV were designed to be "truly alien", with Barlowe having grown dissatisfied with the common science fiction trope of alien life being similar to life on Earth, especially the notion of intelligent alien humanoids. None of Darwin IV's wildlife have eyes, external ears, hair, or jaws, and they bear little resemblance to terrestrial organisms. Various sources of inspiration were used for the creature designs, including dinosaurs, modern beasts and different types of vehicles.
Expedition garnered very favorable reviews, being praised particularly for its many illustrations and for the level of detail in the text, which serves to maintain the illusion of realism. Several reviewers also criticized the life forms, finding some of them to be implausible or doubting that Darwin IV could actually function as an ecosystem. In 2005, Expedition was adapted into a TV special for the Discovery Channel titled Alien Planet. Barlowe served as the design consultant and one of the executive producers of the adaptation.