15. The 100 Greatest Retro Videogames
There’s a magical allure to the history of retro video games that makes it an intriguing subject for a coffee table book.
The 100 Greatest Retro Videogames: The Inside Stories Behind the Best Games Ever Madeis a run back through the greatest vintage games, complete with developer interviews, behind-the-scenes tales, and fun trivia facts about each game.
Related:The Best Geeky Gift Ideas for Retro Gamers and Enthusiasts
14. Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years
Marvel Studios: The First Ten Yearsis a journey through the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first decade of films, starting withIron Manup toCaptain Marvel.
Each film comes with interesting facts and trivia, never-before-seen photos, exclusive interviews with stars and directors, and where they found inspiration for their stories.
Related:The Best Books on Norse Mythology (And Everything About It)
13. The LEGO Architect
It’s mind-blowing how people can make incredible structures and scenes using nothing more than LEGO blocks.
The LEGO Architectis an exploration of awesome architecture created with just plastic bricks. It’s more than just beautiful photographs—you’ll also learn about different architectural styles!
Related:The Most Impressive Nerdy LEGO Sets for Geeky Adults
12. Harry Potter: The Blueprints
Harry Potter: The Blueprintsis a behind-the-scenes look at all the locations featured in theHarry Potterfilms, including Hogsmeade, the Triwizard Tournament, and, of course, Hogwarts.
This book is a deep dive exploration of how each location was conceptualized, roughed out, and brought to life—complete with actual blueprints and photographs.
11. Star Wars: The Blueprints
One of the coolest things about theStar Warsfranchise is all the technology that goes into making the spacecraft and vehicles.
Star Wars: The Blueprintsis a compilation of technical drawings from the Lucasfilm Archives, consisting of over 250 blueprints and 500 photographs and illustrations. It’s a visual treat that allStar Warsfans—and even non-fans—can appreciate.
Related:The Best Star Wars Gifts (For Men, Women, and Kids)
10. Runescape: The First 20 Years
Runescape: The First 20 Yearsis an illustrated, behind-the-scenes dive into one of the most iconic MMORPGs of all time.
No other graphical MMORPG has survived as long as it has—over two full decades—and this book is a beautiful journey through all the ups and downs, fleshed out with never-before-seen artwork and exclusive developer interviews.
9. Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to the Comic Book Universe
If you love comics but aren’t loyal to either Marvel or DC, this wide-reaching coffee table book is exactly right for your living room.
Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to the Comic Book Universeis filled with all kinds of graphics, charts, photos, and trivia facts that will surprise any comic book nerd.
8. The Game Console 2.0: A Photographic History From Atari to Xbox
If you’re an avid console gamer, this beautiful book is perfect for your coffee table. It’s loaded with photos, histories, and trivia of over 100 different video game consoles from the last 50 years.
Even if you already have a strong grasp of gaming’s history, the visual nature of this book offers tons of appeal.
7. DC Comics Encyclopedia (New Edition)
For DC fans, theDC Comics Encyclopediais basically a holy text—just make sure you get theNew Editionthat came out in 2021.
It breaks down details for every major character in the DC Comics universe and does so in a way that’s visually appealing, making it one of the best ways to learn about DC.
6. Marvel Encyclopedia (New Edition)
For Marvel fans, theMarvel Encyclopediais a must-have book—just make sure you get theNew Editionthat came out in 2019.
It’s loaded with information on all of the most beloved characters from the Marvel universe, and there’s plenty of gorgeous artwork to go along with all that info.
5. The Photography of Game of Thrones
The world ofGame of Thronesis a dark and violent place filled with betrayal, dragons, white walkers, and all kinds of other stuff that want to kill you.
Even if you were disappointed by how it all wrapped up, you can’t deny that the world was visually stunning—and this book is full of gorgeous behind-the-scenes photos with insightful commentary.
4. Forging Worlds: Stories Behind the Art of Blizzard Entertainment
Say what you will about Blizzard as a company, but it’s impossible to deny that Blizzard games have some of the coolest artwork in gaming history.
Forging Worlds: Stories Behind the Art of Blizzard Entertainmentis a retrospective on how the company approached its art over the last three decades, from concept art to animation to final release—and that’s just scratching the surface.
3. Anime Architecture: Imagined Worlds and Endless Megacities
Anime films are some of the most beautiful animated films in the world, with an art style that gives more attention to detail than other animated films, particularly when it comes to cities and environments.
Anime Architecture: Imagined Worlds and Endless Megacitiescontains archived storyboards, concepts, and drafts of incredible anime film scenes that are simply stunning.
Related:The Best Geeky Cookbooks for Anime, Gaming, and Movie Fans
2. The Art and Soul of Dune
WhenDunereleased in 2021, it stunned the world with its visual effects and cinematography, with so much work going into every single frame of the film. It was simply astonishing.
The Art and Soul of Duneprovides insight into how it all came to be, complete with exclusive interviews, dazzling photos, and special commentary. This is one of the most visually striking coffee table books out there, period.
1. What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
What If?is a coffee table book that blends the absurd with the scientific. No question is too ridiculous to explore, and its attempts to answer ridiculous questions often lead to deeply meaningful insights.
What If?is more than just amusing. It’s evn more than just a conversation starter. This book will expand your mind and make you think things you never would’ve otherwise.
Read next:The Best Books About Computers and Computer History
