Ron Miller (born May 8, 1947) is an American illustrator and writer who lives and works in

South Boston, Virginia South Boston, formerly Boyd's Ferry, is a town in Halifax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,142 at the 2010 census, down from 8,491 at the 2000 census. It is the most populous town in Halifax County. History On December ...

. He now specializes in astronomical, astronautical and

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

books for adults and young adults. Miller was born in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. He holds a BFA from

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, College of Art and Design. He worked as a commercial artist and designer for six years, before taking a position as art director for the

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the Nat ...

's Albert Einstein Planetarium. He left there in 1977 to become a freelance illustrator and author; to date he has nearly sixty book titles to his credit, and his illustrations have appeared on hundreds of book jackets, book interiors and in magazines such as ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

'', ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wif ...

'', ''

Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...

'', '' Smithsonian'', ''

Analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...

'', '' Starlog'', ''Air & Space, Astronomy, Sky & Telescope, Science et Vie'', ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

'', '' Natural History'', ''

Discover Discover may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Discover'' (album), a Cactus Jack album * ''Discover'' (magazine), an American science magazine Businesses and brands * DISCover, the ''Digital Interactive Systems Corporation'' * D ...

'', ''

GEO Geo- is a prefix derived from the Greek word ''γη'' or ''γαια'', meaning "earth", usually in the sense of "ground or land”. GEO or Geo may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''GEO'' (magazine), a popular scientific magazine ...

'' and others. Miller has translated and illustrated new editions of

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

's ''

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' (french: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers) is a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne. The novel was originally serialized from March 1869 through June 1870 in Pierre-J ...

'', ''

From the Earth to the Moon ''From the Earth to the Moon: A Direct Route in 97 Hours, 20 Minutes'' (french: De la Terre à la Lune, trajet direct en 97 heures 20 minutes) is an 1865 novel by Jules Verne. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil W ...

'' and ''

Journey to the Center of the Earth ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (french: Voyage au centre de la Terre), also translated with the variant titles ''A Journey to the Centre of the Earth'' and ''A Journey into the Interior of the Earth'', is a classic science fiction novel ...

'' as well as a companion/atlas to Verne's works, ''

Extraordinary Voyages The ''Voyages extraordinaires'' (; ) is a collection or sequence of novels and short stories by the French writer Jules Verne. Fifty-four of these novels were originally published between 1863 and 1905, during the author's lifetime, and eig ...

''. He has acted as a consultant on Verne for

Walt Disney Imagineering Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc., commonly referred to as Imagineering, is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construction of Disney theme parks and attra ...

(for the

Paris Disneyland Disneyland Paris is an entertainment resort in Chessy, France, east of Paris. It encompasses two theme parks, resort hotels, Disney Nature Resorts, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex, and a golf course. Disneyland Park is the origin ...

) and A&E Television Network's ''

Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

'' series. Miller's book ''The Dream Machines'', a comprehensive 744-page history of

crewed spacecraft This is a list of all crewed spacecraft types that have flown into space, including sub-orbital flights above 80 km, Space Stations that have been visited by at least one crew, and spacecraft currently planned to operate with crew in the f ...

, was nominated for the International Astronautical Federation's Manuscript Award and won the Booklist Editor's Choice Award. His original paintings are in numerous private and public collections, including the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

and the Pushkin Museum (Moscow). He designed a set of ten commemorative

postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the fa ...

s for the

U.S. Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U. ...

. One of the stamps in the Space Exploration series (1991), is credited with helping inspire the New Horizons mission to that planet. The

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Sun. It is the largest ...

stamp was attached to the spacecraft before launch. The stamp is now in the Guinness Book of World Records as having traveled further than any other postage stamp in history. He has been a production illustrator for motion pictures, notably ''

Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

'' and an unproduced version of '' Total Recall''; and he designed and co-wrote the computer-generated show ride film, ''Comet Impact!'' for SimEx. He has provided concept and special effects art for numerous other films. Most recently he was a co-producer of the documentary film, "A Brush With the Future." Miller has taken part in international

space art "Space art" (also "astronomical art") is the term for a genre of modern artistic expression that strives to show the wonders of the Universe. Like other genres, space art has many facets and encompasses realism, impressionism, hardware art, scu ...

workshops and exhibitions, including seminal sessions held in

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

and the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. He was invited by the Soviet government to the 30th anniversary celebration of the launch of Sputnik, and has lectured on space art and space history in the United States, France, Japan, Italy and Great Britain. He was featured on

Hour 25 ''Hour 25'' was a radio program focusing on science fiction, fantasy, and science. It was broadcast weekly on Pacifica radio station KPFK in Southern California from 1972 to 2000. In its heyday, ''Hour 25'' featured numerous interviews with famou ...

Science Fiction Radio program in early 2003. An authority on the work of astronomical artist

Chesley Bonestell Chesley Knight Bonestell Jr. (January 1, 1888 – June 11, 1986) was an American painter, designer and illustrator. His paintings inspired the American space program, and they have been (and remain) influential in science fiction art and illustr ...

, his book ''The Art of Chesley Bonestell'' received a

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...

in 2002. A feature-length documentary based on this book, "A Brush With the Future," for which he was co-producer, won the Audience Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival and Best Documentary at the San Diego Comic Con. Other books have received awards, including a Silver Award for best fiction from

ForeWord magazine A foreword is a (usually short) piece of writing, sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Typically written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between the ...

for ''Palaces & Prisons'' and the Violet Crown Award from the Writers' League of Texas for ''Bradamant''. His ''Worlds Beyond'' series received the

American Institute of Physics The American Institute of Physics (AIP) promotes science and the profession of physics, publishes physics journals, and produces publications for scientific and engineering societies. The AIP is made up of various member societies. Its corpora ...

Award of Excellence. ''

The Grand Tour ''The Grand Tour'' is a British motoring television series, created by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May and Andy Wilman, made for Amazon exclusively for its online streaming service Amazon Prime Video, and premiered on 18 November ...

'' has gone through three editions, multiple printings, several translations, was a Hugo Award nominee and has sold over 250,000 copies. It was also twice a Book-of-the-Month feature selection. This and other books have been selections of the Science, Quality Paperback and Science Fiction Book Clubs. His book, ''Digital Art'', was listed on the VOYA (

Voice of Youth Advocates ''Voice of Youth Advocates'' (''VOYA'') is a bimonthly magazine that provides book reviews and information for librarians with a focus on young adult materials. History and profile ''VOYA'' was established in 1978. The founders are Dorothy Brode ...

) Nonfiction Honor List in 2009. In all, he has 75 works in 142 publications in 6 languages in 16,977 libraries world-wide. Miller has been on the faculty of the

International Space University The International Space University (ISU) is dedicated to the discovery, research, and development of outer space and its applications for peaceful purposes, through international and multidisciplinary education and research programs. ISU was f ...

. He is a contributing editor for '' Air & Space/Smithsonian magazine''; a member of the

International Academy of Astronautics The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) is an independent non-governmental organization established in Stockholm (Sweden) on August 16, 1960, by Dr. Theodore von Kármán, and recognized by the United Nations in 1996. The IAA has electe ...

; a member of the History Committee of the

American Astronautical Society Formed in 1954, the American Astronautical Society (AAS) is an independent scientific and technical group in the United States dedicated to the advancement of space science and space exploration. AAS supports NASA The National Aerona ...

; a Life Member, Fellow and past Trustee of the

International Association of Astronomical Artists The International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA), is a non-profit organization whose members implement and participate in astronomical and space art projects, promote education about space art and foster international cooperation in art ...

; an Honorary Member of the (Paris); a past member of the North American Jules Verne Society and a past Fellow of the

British Interplanetary Society The British Interplanetary Society (BIS), founded in Liverpool in 1933 by Philip E. Cleator, is the oldest existing space advocacy organisation in the world. Its aim is exclusively to support and promote astronautics and space exploration. Str ...

. A recent project has been Black Cat Press, which Miller has devoted to publishing new editions of rare and obscure science fiction, fantasy and science fact books. Among these are new, original translations of several

novels.

Published books

* ''The Space Art Poster Book'' (Stackpole, 1979) * ''Space Art'' (Starlog, 1979) * ''The Grand Tour'' (Workman, 1981; revised edition, 1993; revised edition, 2005) with

William K. Hartmann William Kenneth Hartmann (born June 6, 1939) is a noted planetary scientist, artist, author, and writer. He was the first to convince the scientific mainstream that the Earth had once been hit by a planet sized body (Theia), creating both the ...

* ''Worlds Beyond: The Art of Chesley Bonestell'' (Donning, 1983) with Frederick C. Durant, III * '' Out of the Cradle'' (Workman, 1984) with William K. Hartmann * ''Cycles of Fire'' (Workman, 1987) with William K. Hartmann * ''Stars and Planets'' (Doubleday, 1987) Illustrator * ''Mathematics'' (illustrator: Doubleday, 1989) Illustrator * ''20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' (Unicorn, 1988) Illustrator and translator * ''In the Stream of Stars'' (Workman, 1990) with William K. Hartmann; foreword by

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...

* ''The Bronwyn Trilogy: Palaces & Prisons, Silk & Steel, Hearts & Armor'' (Ace, 1991–1992) Novels; rewritten and published as ''A Company of Heroes'' (Baen Books, 2014) along with the additional fourth and fifth volumes, ''The Scientist'' and ''The Space Cadet'' * ''The History of Earth'' (Workman, 1992) with William K. Hartmann * ''The Dream Machines'' (Krieger, 1993) Foreword by Arthur C. Clarke * ''Extraordinary Voyages'' (Black Cat Press, 1994) Foreword by Forrest J. Ackerman * ''BrainQuest'' (Workman, 1994) * ''Firebrands'' (Paper Tiger, 1998) Illustrator * ''20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' (Dorling Kindersley, 1998) Adaptation * ''The History of Rockets'' (Grolier, 1999) * ''Bradamant'' (Timberwolf, 2000; revised edition issued as ''The Iron Tempest'', Baen Books, 2014) Novel * ''The History of Science Fiction'' (Grolier, 2001) * ''The Art of Chesley Bonestell'' (Paper Tiger, 2001) with Frederick C. Durant, III, foreword by Arthur C. Clarke * ''Mermaids & Meteors'' (Black Cat Press, 2005) Novel * ''Velda'' (Timberwolf Press, 2003) Novel * ''Worlds Beyond'' (twelve-book series, Millbrook Press, 2002–2005): ''Earth & Moon; Saturn; The Sun; Mars; Venus; Uranus & Neptune; Extrasolar Planets; Mercury & Pluto; Jupiter; Asteroids, Comets & Meteors; Stars & Galaxies'' * ''Special Effects in the Movies'' (Millbrook Press, 2006) * ''The Elements'' (Millbrook Press, 2004) * ''13 Steps to Velda'' (Black Cat Press, 2005) Short story collection * ''Captain Judikah'' (Black Cat Press, 2005) Novel (later, as ''The Space Cadet,'' made part of the ''Company of Heroes'' series published by Baen Books) * ''Pathetic Selections'' (Black Cat Press, 2005) Editor * ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (Barnes & Noble, 2009) Translator * ''Space Innovations'' (four-book series, Lerner, 2007–2008): ''Rockets, Satellites, Robot Explorers, Space Exploration'' * ''Extreme Aircraft'' (HarperCollins, 2007) * ''Digital Art'' (Lerner, 2007) * ''Cleopatra'' (Chelsea House, 2008) with Sommer Browning; foreword by

Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Arthur Meier Schlesinger Jr. (; born Arthur Bancroft Schlesinger; October 15, 1917 – February 28, 2007) was an American historian, social critic, and public intellectual. The son of the influential historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr. and a s ...

* ''The Seven Wonders of Engineering'' (Lerner, 2009) * ''The Seven Wonders of the Gas Giants'' (Lerner, 2010) * ''The Seven Wonders Beyond the Solar System'' (Lerner, 2010) * ''The Seven Wonders of the Rocky Planets'' (Lerner, 2010) * ''The Seven Wonders of Comets, Asteroids and Meteors'' (Lerner, 2010) * ''Is the End of the World Near?'' (Lerner, 2011) * ''Journey to the Exoplanets'' (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011) iPad book app; with Edward Bell * ''Recentering the Universe'' (Lerner, 2013) * ''Storm Chasers'' (Lerner, 2013) * ''Exploring Mars'' (Lerner, 2013) * ''The Art of Space'' (Zenith, 2014), forewords by Dan Durda and Caroline Porco * ''Return to Skull Island'' (Baen Books, 2014) with Darrell Funk * ''Velda: Girl Detective'' (Caliber Comics, 2015), 3-volume comic anthology * ''Spaceships'' (Smithsonian Books, 2016), forewords by Lance Bush and Tom Crouch * ''The Zoomable Universe'' (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017), illustrator * ''Aliens: Past, Present, Future'' (Watkins Publishing, 2017), Author and illustrator * ''Space Stations'' (Smithsonian Books, 2018), co-author, foreword by Nicole Stott * ''The Beauty of Space'' (Springer Nature, 2020), co-editor and contributor * ''Natural Satellites: The Book of Moons'' (Lerner, 2021) * ''Envisioning Exoplanets'' (Smithsonian, 2020), illustrator * ''Space Science and Public Engagement'' (Elsevier, 2021), contributor * ''Alien Invasions'' (IDW, 2021), contributor * ''The Big Backyard'' (Lerner, 2022)

Awards

*Lucien Rudaux Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement in Astronomical Art, IAAA, 2003 *Frank R. Paul Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science Fiction Art, Nashville, 1988 *Award of Merit, Art Director's Club of Washington, DC, 1981 *Hugo Award for Best Related Work, 2002: ''The Art of Chesley Bonestell'' *Award of Excellence in Science Writing from American Institute of Physics, 2003: Worlds Beyond series *Nominee for 1982 Hugo Award for best nonfiction for ''The Grand Tour'' *Ten Best Books of the Year, 1984—Astronomical Society of the Pacific: ''Out of the Cradle'' *Ten Best Books of the Year, 1987—Astronomical Society of the Pacific: ''Cycles of Fire'' *Outstanding Science Trade Book, National Science Teachers Assoc./Children's Book Council, 1987: ''Stars and Planets'' *New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, 1992: ''The History of Earth'' *IAF Manuscript Award. Booklist Editor's Award, 1994: ''The Dream Machines'' *New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, 2000: ''Rockets'' *Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year, 2005: ''Venus'' *National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) / Children's Book Council (CBC) Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12, 2005: ''The Elements'' *VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) Nonfiction Honor List, 2009: ''Digital Art'' *2001 Writer's League of Texas Violet Crown Award for best audiofiction: ''Bradamant'' *2012 SSLI (Society of School Librarians International) Book Award, Honor Book in the Science 7-12 category: ''Is the End of the World Near?'' *NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12: ''The Elements'' *Junior Library Guild Selection; nominee for Library of Virginia Literary Award for Non-Fiction: ''Recentering the Universe'' *Best Children's Books of the Year, 2015, Children’s Book Committee at the Bank Street College of Education: ''Curiosity's Mission on Mars'' *Finalist, Locus Award for Best Art Book, 2014: ''The Art of Space'' *Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History, 2018 *Audience Award, Newport Beach Film Festival, for "A Brush With the Future" (co-producer) *Best Documentary, San Diego Comic Con, for "A Brush With the Future" (co-producer) *Best Documentary, Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival, for "A Brush With the Future (co-producer) *Longlist for the 2019 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books, "Zoomable Universe" *2021 Joseph V. Canzani Alumni Award for Excellence (Columbus College of Art and Design)

Published books

Awards

References

External links