FULL LIST: The Top 10 Spaceships
It was less than a week ago that I finally saw “Avatar,” and what I enjoyed most about James Cameron's epic was navigating through his fictional universe, learning about it all as I went along: New species, ecosystems, worlds and futuristic technologies used by the humans who are invading Pandora. Included in Cameron's vision are also a bunch of new attack vehicles used by the marines to wage war against the Na'vi: Chief among them are the Samson, a massive new transport vehicle that can also haul some serious bombs, and the Scorpion, a smaller attack chopper that can go dense into the brush to target the natives.
(More from Techland: James Cameron Almost Died Making The Abyss)
These are fun new ships – but then again Cameron has always been good about thinking about new hardware when it comes to designing futuristic sci-fi visions. Come to think of it, all great sci-fi films take technology to a new plateau. And so “Avatar” got us thinking: What are the very best spaceships that have ever been dreamt up and designed to star at the center a sci-fi spectacle?
This list is our answer. Let the debate commence. (And for the record we limited the list to two “Star Wars” spacecrafts because you could easily create an entire top 10 list out of only “Star Wars” designs)
FULL LIST: The Top 10 Spaceships
You brilliant bastard.
Peter Ha
Dec. 16, 2009 09:52:am
at 09:52:am
For your consideration: SERENITY.
Lev Grossman
Dec. 16, 2009 09:54:am
at 09:54:am
Yes, Serenity was close. So close. I should have had a 15-way tie for 10th place, and I could have fit all the others in. The Borg cube too.
Steven James Snyder
Dec. 16, 2009 10:30:am
at 10:30:am
And for the record we limited the list to two “Star Wars” spacecrafts because you could easily create an entire top 10 list out of only “Star Wars” designs
Ohgodyawn...Toys designed to look like spaceships, with the exception of the Millenium Falcon.
How 'bout the spaceship from District 9, the presence of which permeated almost every part of that movie? The craggy, gun-shaped cruiser from Aliens? The classic Martian war machines from War of the Worlds? And so on...
grape_crush
Dec. 16, 2009 10:42:am
at 10:42:am
interesting - you DON'T like the Star Destroyer?
That said: Yes, District 9 was quite close on my list. Not just for how it looks but the way it establishes a most original sense of atmosphere. As was War of the Worlds.
I think I should post my 10 runners-up, becaues this was a hard list to narrow down.
That Aliens model almost seems too simple for me, if I'm thinking of the same one. But I guess that's part of the fun, right? That it feels like something people have actually used, rather than something that just got out of the model shop.
Steven James Snyder
Dec. 16, 2009 10:46:am
at 10:46:am
Let's be honest, if we were trapped on a spacecraft, we'd want to be on the Mystery Science Theater 3000 craft, although I think technically its a space station.
yogi
Dec. 16, 2009 11:12:am
at 11:12:am
I almost put that!! But yes, it's a station. I was also tempted by a few of the one-man shuttles that have popped up in various franchises. Okay, I think I'll put my list of the next 15 right here in the comments area....watch for it later today....
Steven James Snyder
Dec. 16, 2009 11:21:am
at 11:21:am
...if I'm thinking of the same one.
For reference.
It's not that I don't like the Star Destroyer, it's that the only purpose they serve in the movie is to be menacing and big, which was parodied in Spaceballs.
grape_crush
Dec. 16, 2009 11:35:am
at 11:35:am
Romulan ship > Bird of Prey. Just saying.
Also, to argue against the 'Aliens' ship mentioned in an above comment and then use the exact same argument in favor of the moon lander from 2001 only shows your bias toward 2001! Why not just put the Monolith at #1!
Awesome Flight of the navigator pick. Totally agree with pick and placement on list.
Finally, what are you trying to tell the readers with 3 phallic ships? This is a family site, Steve.
jsnyde
Dec. 16, 2009 11:42:am
at 11:42:am
grape_crush - yep, Spaceballs almost made the list too.
Steven James Snyder
Dec. 16, 2009 12:29:pm
at 12:29:pm
jsnyde, i don't know what your family's like, but mine would appreciate the sexual innuendo.
FOR THE RECORD: I seriously thought of listing the Monolith as a ship. I really did.
And bias towards 2001? That's like saying a bias towards Mozart. Or Picasso. Brilliant art is brilliant art, there's no denying it.
Steven James Snyder
Dec. 16, 2009 12:30:pm
at 12:30:pm
Not sure if it should make the top 10 but is a good honorable mention in my opinion. The Event Horizon. Sure it messed with your mind but it was pretty cool.
hobbcore
Dec. 16, 2009 13:19:pm
at 13:19:pm
Serenity should have been in there,
Event Horizon,
Battle star Galactica (either original or new, but I think the new one kicked ass)
Moya from farscape.
froggy
Dec. 16, 2009 13:20:pm
at 13:20:pm
I lobbied for Eagle V and Serenity.
Peter Ha
Dec. 16, 2009 13:30:pm
at 13:30:pm
what about the "Eagle" from space 1999. those cargo lunar ships they used.
froggy
Dec. 16, 2009 13:36:pm
at 13:36:pm
oooh... the ships from close encounters!
froggy
Dec. 16, 2009 14:01:pm
at 14:01:pm
I'll take a Gunstar with Death Blossom, anyday.
Hey-hey! Look at what I found! A spaceship for everyone...
grape_crush
Dec. 16, 2009 14:31:pm
at 14:31:pm
If they count, the "Batteries Not Included" robot spaceship things should definitely be on here.
alaskanturkey
Dec. 16, 2009 14:35:pm
at 14:35:pm
I had mulled over the gunstar as well, but thought I had made enough suggestions already, lol.
froggy
Dec. 16, 2009 15:36:pm
at 15:36:pm
No love for Space:1999 with regards to the Eagles?
Considering the visuals and designs for the show were kin to 2001:A Space Odyssey.
And on another note, loved the JJ Abrams "remade" Enterprise in "Star Trek" as well.
Oh and lets not forget Ron D. Moore and David Eick's rebooted Battlestar Galactica.
thecrankyfuturist
Dec. 16, 2009 16:45:pm
at 16:45:pm
Froggy is on point! Everyone knows the most feared ship in a galaxy far far away is Slave I.
shobiz29
Dec. 16, 2009 19:23:pm
at 19:23:pm
As I promised – here were the runners-up
25. Alien Spaceship, The Day the Earth Stood Still
24. Pod, Planet of the Apes (2001)
23. Event Horizon, Event Horizon
22. Colonial Viper, Battlestar Galactica (1978)
21. U.S.S. Enterprise, Star Trek (the original series)
20. Slave 1, Empire Strikes Back
19. Spaceball One, Spaceballs
18. Nostromo, Alien
17. Eagle Transporter, Space: 1999
16. Serenity, Firefly
15. Monolith, 2001
14. UD4L Cheyenne Dropship, Aliens
13. Nebulon-B Frigate, Empire Strikes Back/Return of the Jedi
12. Tie Fighter, Star Wars
11. Borg Cube, Star Trek the Next Generation
Steven James Snyder
Dec. 16, 2009 22:27:pm
at 22:27:pm
I think that TARDIS was a well-deserved first, and the Falcon an extremely well-deserved second.
Borg Cube at 11, very nice. Is the Nebulon B the mon-cal cruiser? I'm too lazy to go on wookiepedia right now. Anyway, the Slave 1 is cooler than the mon-cal cruiser.
tereglith
Dec. 16, 2009 22:34:pm
at 22:34:pm
C'mon, no mothership from Close Encounters of the Third Kind?! Tsk tsk...
Villafranca
Dec. 16, 2009 23:12:pm
at 23:12:pm
Finally some gets the nuance of what the Tardis is. The simplicity of the design still allows it to be anything at anytime. It's the only spacecraft (time craft?) that has not had to be re-imagined because it was all imagination.
It will show my age, but to me the Thunderbird vehicles and the original series Colonial Vipers from Battlestar defined spacecraft for all time. I'm still waiting for NASA to build them.
dpullen17
Dec. 17, 2009 12:41:pm
at 12:41:pm