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Get up close to classic sci-fi props, art and costumes

Movie props, models and concept art are among the artefacts displayed at the fascinating "Into the Unknown" exhibition.

Richard Trenholm
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Richard Trenholm
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Into the Unknown

A range of fascinating artefacts from the history of science fiction are on display at "Into the Unknown", an exhibition currently running in London's Barbican Centre. We went along to check out the cool movie props, imaginative concept art and original sci-fi classics imagining infinity and beyond.

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Star Trek and "Moon"

The exhibition is suited and booted with a selection of natty duds from space, including these spacesuits from Star Trek and "Moon".

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"Interstellar" and "Sunshine"

Striking spacesuits from recent astronaut adventures "Interstellar" and "Sunshine".

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"Alien"

The unusually-designed spacesuit worn by John Hurt's ill-fated character Kane in the film "Alien".

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"2001: A Space Odyssey"

A script by Arthur C Clarke with the title crossed out and a new name handwritten in: "2001: A Space Odyssey".

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Science fiction novels

Sci-fi fans will recognise many of these iconic books.

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Niels Klim's Underground Travels

A copy of the sci-fi forerunner "Niels Klim's Underground Travels" by Ludvig Holberg, first published in 1741.

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"L'Île mystérieuse"

An early edition of Jules Verne's "The Mysterious Island", one of the many classic science fiction tomes on display.

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Wells and Verne

The exhibition includes models of fantastical craft like Captain Nemo's submarine Nautilus 1 and Robur's flying machine the Terror from the stories of HG Wells and Jules Verne. 

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Startling stories

Fantastic and startling stories of wonder fill these vintage pulp sci-fi magazines.

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Sci-fi novels

Many of these sci-fi classics have been turned into movies, but not always faithfully.

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"Alien 3"

Original artwork by HR Giger for "Alien 3".

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"Star Wars"

Concept art from "The Empire Strikes Back" showing Luke Skywalker meeting an early version of Yoda.

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"Aliens"

They mostly come at night ... mostly: a fearsome model alien head.

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"Stargate"

Striking helmets from "Stargate".

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Star Wars

Prop helmets worn by actors in the original Star Wars movies.

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"Species"

The lusty life-form Sil from "Species", an example of sexy sci-fi movies.

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"One Million Years BC"

Model dinosaurs built by legendary effects wizard Ray Harryhausen for this much-loved 1966 classic.

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"One Million Years BC"

The models, built for stop motion animation, are surprisingly small but richly detailed.

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Space station

Much of the joy of science fiction comes from imagining how these fantastical creations might work. Here's a cutaway illustration of a fictional space station.

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"Silent Running" and "Battlestar Galactica"

This agridome model pulled double duty in both "Silent Running" and "Battlestar Galactica".

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"Independence Day"

Welcome to Earth!

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"Red Dwarf"

The dimensional portal prop from "Red Dwarf".

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Godzilla!

A range of Godzilla models from the classic Japanese monster movie series.

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"Blade Runner"

Transparencies from Ridley Scott's 1982 classic "Blade Runner".

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"Lost in Space"

A Class B-9-M-3 General Utility Non-Theorizing Environmental Control Robot -- otherwise known as Robot.

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"Buck Rogers in the 25th Century"

Bidi-bidi-bidi -- it's the costume worn by loveable sidekick Twiki in "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century".

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Robots!

This is just a picture of some cool robots.

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Into the Unknown

"Into the Unknown" runs at the Barbican centre in London until 1 September.

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