For those keeping count and a previous review last year, this is the second book of art from the Franks private art collection. This is the kind of book you can look on and only wish you had the finance to support such a collection yourself.

Still, there are always books such as this, albeit rare on the ground, and if you can’t buy your own fantasy art collection, you can buy this book instead.

This time, the art is divided, as the title suggests above, into themes. The Franks, like any art collector or gallery have particular themes running through particular rooms. Howard Frank is particular taken with the H. Rider Haggard books and specially commissioned pieces to match his tastes. In other words, you ain’t going to see these on book covers, only here.

Other chapters cover the range of aliens, female and male heroes, horror and even one on kinetic art - sculpture that really works based on a commissioned dark carnival theme. Again, with the latter, although they've been on display at various US SF art conventions isn’t likely to be seen on this side of the Atlantic.

In one respect with that particular chapter, the photos don’t really give much indication of their scale and it would have been interesting to have had at least one human in view to show how massive these sculptures are.

The art runs the gamut from artists like Virgil Finlay and other 50s artists to many of those you currently see who’ve painted book covers today. There’s far too many to mention individually. All jaw-dropping. If I had to be really critical, I wish the Franks wouldn’t discuss art they own but aren’t showing.

I don’t think a cunning plan to encourage another book by doing that really works. You just end up wishing they’d say more about the art at hand and keep the others back for another book. I still get the impression that this is only the tip of the iceberg of their collection, so can’t wait for the next book.

GF Willmetts