I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of seeing LEGO models of the Xenomorph from Alien. For one, it’s a design that’s as iconic as it is innovative. And when you get builders like Łukasz Alagierski flexing their creative muscles, the result is truly epic! It’s actually not his first time building this extraterrestrial, but it’s undoubtedly the one that captures its skeletal, bio-mechanical nature the best. Even the stand has a touch of HR Giger about it!
Construction vehicles come in many shapes and sizes in the real world, but I’ve never seen one, LEGO or otherwise, in the shape of a cube until now. This boxy mech by SweStar looks like a cross between Ghost in the Shell and Super Mario. I love how the piston legs feel like they could hold the weight, although the sidewalk and street may not survive intact. Hopefully there is enough room inside for a mini-fridge.
Wasps are something of a bête noire when it comes to animals – they’re probably the least liked of all the insects. Having been stung by a fair few in my time, I’d have to agree; but if anything is going to change my mind, it’s Shamisenfred‘s innovative LEGO interceptor. Christened the GUÊPE (French for wasp, or more literally, WASP), it’s said to be a craft with “erratic, unpredictable movements”. Yep, sounds very on brand. And speaking of which, I love the use of the chevron-shaped wedge pieces to create the ship’s body, as it mimics the hexagonal nature of wasp or bees’ nests. I bet it still packs a sting, though…
The future is bright in Bart De Deobbelaer‘s LEGO world, even as the world turns to rust and ruin. And when the time comes to venture into darkness, you needn’t go alone. In his latest epic sci-fi scene, Into the Sunset, Bart reminds us why he’s the LEGO master of sci-fi worldbuilding. Character, composition, color and incredible building technique combine for the perfect shot that suggests a story that extends far beyond the borders of the image. The tunnel itself is a wonder, an almost perfectly circular icositetragon of grey bricks interspersed with orange rust and sand green patina. The smooth surface is pocked with tube stubble and stubborn weeds. Bulbous trans blue minifig heads sprout from the floor as part of the post-apocalyptic ecology. Most striking of all is the lighting, with a backdrop so bright it blows out the edge of the model, creating an illusion of parts floating against a white sky.
Let’s give a special callout to our wasteland wanderer’s unwavering robot friend. Here, in studio lighting, we can better apprecaite the greebles and tubes that keep him scuttling. Even though there’s technically no mouth on this friendly bot, I can’t help but see a big smile. The future is bright indeed.
In the distant cyberpunk future, you might run into this LEGO android by Joey Klusnick! This build is a great example of using a highly unique LEGO piece to create something new. That camera that makes up the android’s head is the old USB camera sold in 1349-1 Steven Spielberg Moviemaker Set from the year 2000. The body of this robot is a wonderfully organic series of wrapped rubber. But here’s the thing: that’s still part of the camera! The USB cable of the camera is (apparently) ridiculously long, so Joey has used it to create all the muscle-y bits this android needs to run around. I also want to point out that the USB plug on the droid’s left arm fits perfectly into a pair of fences. One thing I know for certain is that this droid will always get its shot!
Gareth Edwards’ sci-fi epic The Creator recieved a mixed reception when it released last year. But whatever your thoughts about the film’s take on foreign wars and AI sentience, one thing’s certain: it features some of the most striking sci-fi imagery in recent cinema, from many of the same artists who contributed to Rogue One. I’m actually surpised we haven’t seen more LEGO models based on the film. Builder Tom Studs and friends have been correcting this with an Instagram Creator collaboration series, and Tom’s latest addition is a stunningly-recreated police transport. The insect-like vehicle has such an distinctive silhouette, with its bulbous helm and those menacing probe arms, here tipped with LEGO katanas. I love Tom’s mix of dark and medium azure to give the vehicle a weathered look.
Believe it or not, this is Tom’s first spaceship build, a change from his inspiring fantasy works (like this library vignette that floored us last year). We certainly hope it’s not his last dip into the future!
The Stinger Mantis is the iconic hero ship and base of Cal Kestis and his NPC companions during his adventures in the Jedi: Survivor and Fallen Order games. This fantastic piece of Star Wars design is recreated in high LEGO detail in this model by Tim Goddard. Tim has spared no expense, and pushed LEGO’s clutch power to achieve the outstanding greebling (or scientific texturing, if you will) on the ship’s vertical fin. I love the details on the outboard engine; the front of the engine is a white life preserver, while the rear nozzle features a ring of clip-and-tube-holders.
Check out more views of this cool LEGO Star Wars model
“Carcinisation”; a very fancy word that means “some animals tend to look more like crabs over time”. This build by Djokson demonstrates what might happen if even our tanks turn into crabs! Djokson has tone a fantastic job of creating a round rolling shape for the tank using unusual parts. The Crab-Tank’s forehead is made from a handful of rubber handles from the short-lived Vidiyo line, the yellow disks on either side of the body come from the old X-Pod line (oh the nostalgia!), and the little warrior in the cockpit is sporting a old technic helmet for protection. I don’t know about you, but I’d feel crabby if I had to square up against that thing!
Vertical farming isn’t exactly a new thing, but even seeing examples of it in the present day, there’s something quite futuristic about it. Throw in some cool architecture, add in a few greebley bits, maybe some drone workers, and boom, you’re transported to a distant planet. Oh hey, that’s exactly what Bart de Dobbelaer has done! Although there are no immediate clues as far as scale goes, you get the sense this is some enormous monolith built just off the shore. Bart is quite the prolific off-world builder, you know.
It’s always a treat when Vince Toulouse graces us with another LEGO build. He has developed a very unique style, and we’re big fans of his insect-inspired retro-futuristic sci-fi builds! That may be a mouthful, but it gets the point across. What should we call this, Insectpunk? Anyway, we featured something called a Myriapod way back in March 2020, and Vince has revisited the concept with this gorgeous red and gold consist! It’s only fitting that an insect-inspired train would use a bunch of legs from the Insectoids line. There is surely no more stylish way for bugs to get around!
While it may not look like it at first, this microscale LEGO city by Casey McCoy owes its roots to the Aquazone theme, in a very literal way. Using a baseplate from 6195 Neptune Discovery Lab as the starting point, Casey assembled quite the futuristic metropolis. I love the multi-layered approach, with different levels of buildings built into the cliffside contrasting the towering skyscrapers above. The one stud-wide monorail track helps break up the levels, and appears to run through the baseplate at one point. And that pop of color from the trans-neon orange “river” running through the canyon just sets the whole build off!
Everyone needs to recharge every now and again; especially robots. And builder Rubblemaker has just the thing for a drowsy droid. This marvelous robot req. room comes equipped with plenty of charging devices and even a serving of a delicious Blue Alcobot to take the edge off. And you can’t beat that view!
