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''Expedition -- Being an Account in Words and Artwork of the 2358 A.D. Voyage to Darwin IV'' by Creator/WayneBarlowe in 1990, is a illustrated SpeculativeDocumentary about an expedition to the [[ScienceFiction fictitious]] planet "Darwin IV" and it's life forms. It was adapted into a [[MadeForTVMovie TV movie]] called ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_Planet Alien Planet]]'' by the Creator/DiscoveryChannel in 2005, featuring [[SpecialGuest guest appearances]] by StephenHawking, Creator/GeorgeLucas, Michio Kaku and Jack Horner.

[[https://waynebarlowe.wordpress.com/artwork/expedition/ The author's website for the book can be found here.]] And the Discovery Channel's [[http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/alienplanet/ website for the movie here.]]

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!!The book and film provide examples of:
* BenevolentAlienInvasion: By [[HumansAdvanceSwiftly humanity]] or in ''Alien Planet'' human-built AI drones.
** Even moreso by the Yma who, you know, prevented [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIT the end of the world]] via over-pollution on Earth.
* BinarySuns: An aspect of the Darwin system.
* BioluminescenceIsCool: many species have this.
* BizarreAlienBiology: plenty bizarre, but [[MostWritersAreHuman recognizable]].
* BizarreAlienLocomotion: All sorts.
* BizarreAlienSenses: Sonar seems to be the primary sensory input for Darwin IV species.
* CoolStarship: The ''Von Braun'' from ''Alien Planet.''
* CrapsackWorld: Earth, but the [[BenevolentAlienInvasion Y]][[HumansNeedAliens ma]] are helping to fix it.
* LivingGasbag: Eosapiens
* {{Planimal}}: Grovebacks
* ShoutOut: ''Alien Planet''
** A lot of the names: The ''Von Braun'', Issac Newton "Ike", & LeonardoDaVinci "Leo", even the planet is "[[CharlesDarwin Darwin]] IV"
** One of the two-pronged "trees" [[VideoGame/{{Half-Life}} looks familiar to anyone who's been to Xen]].
* SpeculativeDocumentary
* StarfishAliens: Most of the species presented.
* SurveillanceDrone: in ''Alien Planet,'' three named after famous people.
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