skyandtelescope.com • SEPTEMBER 2019 65
the spirit was there. One must assume that Bonestell felt
tremendous pride in the fact that his art played a signifi cant
role in our ongoing reach for the stars.
During his life, Bonestell — who Miller estimates created
thousands of illustrations and paintings over his career — was
awarded a bronze medal by the British Interplanetary Society
and inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame. In
1951, his collaboration with Ley, The Conquest of Space, won
the International Fantasy Award for Nonfi ction at the annual
International Science-Fiction Festival Convention, or Festi-
vention, in London. After his death, the accolades continued
with Bonestell’s induction into the Science Fiction Hall of
Fame in 2005. He also has a crater on Mars and an asteroid
named after him.
“There is something uniquely American about Chesley
Bonestell,” says Stewart. “He is a testament to the human
spirit, not only in terms of creativity and inspiration, but also
because he went out and did it. He just kept going, painting
in his studio even to his last day. That’s a wonderful legacy of
an extraordinary life.Ӣ DONALD VAUGHAN is a lifelong sci-fi fan who has appreci-
ated Chesley Bonestell since childhood. His writing has ap-
peared in Military Offi cer Magazine, Boys’ Life, Writer’s Digest,
and Artists Magazine. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.FURTHER READING: To learn more about Chesley Bonestell: A
Brush with the Future, visit chesleybonestell.com.pSTAGGERING VIEW Bonestell’s imagination marked his artistic endeavors from the beginning of his career to the end. His 1944 solar system
series for Life magazine included this memorable view of Saturn’s rings as viewed from the planet’s cloud deck.