Tag Archives: sci-fi

Spacehog

This is the Neo-Classic Space ‘Hedgehog’, so called because it looks almost exactly nothing like a hedgehog. But it is so cool. Built to “search for any form of life on an alien planet”, the ‘Hedgehog’ features “an array of antennas, radars, and sensors”, the most interesting of which is the enormous rear-mounted floppy-eared thingumy that rises to attention courtesy of inbuilt pneumatics.

That pneumatic system also allows the entire behemoth to rise on its suspension, much like a Citroen DS, enabling it to clear whatever the alien surface is littered with, before slinking back down when an elevated ride height is no longer required. A superbly detailed mini-figure cabin, some sort of mega propulsion system at the back, and knock-out detailing throughout make this one of our favourite Neo-Classic Space creations so far, and you can head to an alien planet in search of life courtesy of legomess of Flickr, where loads more images and video of the model in action can be found.

Land Speed(er) Champions

It’s been days without a car and… um, that doesn’t change today. But today’s model is inspired by LEGO’s car-iest of themes. And it’s really good. Tim Goddard has channeled the Speed Champions line (and windshield) for his Land Speeder Champion, and you can enjoy the mash-up on Flickr via the link.

Make-a-Mecha

Italian concept artist Marco Marozzi has appeared here (and better sites) numerous times with his incredible mecha creations.

Complex mechanical characters “that belong to plausible industrial, military and science-fiction worlds”, Marco’s models blend all manner of styles, themes and LEGO pieces into remarkably cohesive builds that look unnervingly real, if only such contraptions existed in full size.

Now after several years gracing the pages of sites such as this one, Marco has released design dossiers for some of his stunning concept models.

These are not instructional books (although as many of the models’ components are photographed individually they will undoubtedly give a helping hand to builders looking to recreate Marco’s works), rather they explore “the design thinking, evolution, construction choices and visual identity behind an original brick-built mecha”.

At the time of writing three are available (or will soon be), with TLCB having been given early access to the first, and you can find each – and discover more about the artist behind them – via the link below.

Click here to view the Marco Marozzi Design Dossiers

Space Saturday

It’s been ages since we’ve featured something sci-fi related, and there’s a very good reason for that; we’re crap at it. But no matter, because today we have no fewer than four spacey builds, and each will be as poorly explained as the last!

So here’s the first (above), this Neo-Classic Space fighter thingumy from Flickr’s bradk918. Pictured dashing over a lunar landscape there’s some clever SNOTery going on in its creation, and there’s more to see at Brad’s photostream.

Next we’re going all asymmetrical, like a first generation Mini Clubman or Nissan Cube, with this  Star Wars-adjacent fighter. A single aircraft tail forms the one-sided wing and there’s more to see of this unusually-shaped ship courtesy of Paul Nicholson on Flickr.

Next we’re swapping fighters for freighters, as the mini-figures of space need their Amazon deliveries too. This neat modular cargo ship comes from previous bloggee David Roberts, and there’s also a matching ground-based drone for loading purposes. Order your space goods with next-day-delivery via the link.

And finally, we stick with sci-fi but change thrusters for legs, thanks to this mad ‘Type-R Monkey Mech’ by Flickr’s Marco Marozzi. We assume when VTEC kick it runs like a mechanical Usain Bolt.

There’s more to see of all four space-based creations on Flickr, and you can head to each builder’s page for all their respective images via the links in the text above.

Cosmic Corvettes

Corvettes, like Mustangs, are often driven by people who think their car can spin on the spot. Or fly. Or both. They are mistaken.

But not today! Because we have two Corvettes that can do just that. Previous bloggee Sergio Batista has taken the 76903 Speed Champions Corvettes set and added a whole lot more vertical ability, with inspiration from artist Alejandro Burdisio, the ‘Blade Runner’ movies, and a heap of unusual LEGO Bionicle and Exo-Force pieces.

LED lighting adds to the aura, and there’s more to see of both the Corvette Stingray hover car and Corvette C8.R ‘Spinner’ at Sergio’s photostream. Click the links to take a look, or here for another bonus Corvette crash.

The Robot Apocalypse

We’re all living in a world of AI now. Mostly of course, AI is used to make terrible short videos and to write cover letters, but there’s a somewhat scarier application which means we’re pretty much at the plot of ‘Terminator’. AI drones and robots are already on the battlefield, and they’re making decisions about whether to kill real human beings. So on that cheery note here’s a Lego interpretation!

Looking rather like a 6×6 Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), TLCB newcomer deltamc‘s fully remote controlled ‘Autonomous Patrol Machine’ features six-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steering, a deployable scanner that raises out of the body reminiscent of one of the robots in ‘The Incredibles’, a spinning radar dish, and motorised opening weapons hatches to deploy unguided rockets. It’s all impeccably engineered and there’s more to see at the Eurobricks forum where the robot apocalypse is surely one step closer.

YouTube Video

 

Biking Through the Stars

It is just over a year since racing car building legend and TLCB Master MOCer Luca Rusconi (aka RoscoPC) tragically died in a motorcycle accident. His works remain amongst the finest that this site has ever published, and continue to inspire countless other Lego builders.

One such builder is Mirko Soppelsa, who has applied Rosco’s trademark style to his Star Wars Storm Trooper speeder bike, complete with a glorious retro Scuderia Ferrari livery.

Mirko’s incredible presentation is match for the builder that inspired him, and you can join Rosco forever biking through the stars via the link to Mirko’s Flickr album above.

Flight of the Bumblebee

According to early aerodynamic science, the bumblebee cannot – in fact – fly. But it can, because we’ve seen them do it. Like, all the time. We’re not sure about Shannon Sproule‘s ‘Bumblebee Short Ranger Scout’ though, as even by Classic Space standards its physics look rather improbable. The Classic Spaceman at the controls looks happy enough however, and you can fly on over to take a closer look via the link.

Smiles in Space

We’re in a sub-genre of a sub-genre today. In space. Which means that TLCB Team are light years away from their happy place next to an internal combustion engine. And yet we’re still happy, because how could we not be when looking at Rubblemaker’s joyous ‘chibi’ Neo-Classic Space creations. Assorted smiling Classic Spacemen, cartoon proportions, and clever construction combine for some delightful cosmic whimsy, and you can join us not knowing what we’re looking at, but enjoying it anyway, via the link!

Separation Space

Sometimes a little separation is a good thing. And we have two good things today in the form of these splendid brick-separator-based speeder bikes. Flickr’s Wynd owns the hands behind them and you can separate yourself from this page via the link above.

I Used to Bullseye Womp Rats…

It’s Star Wars Day, that one day of the year when nerds feel socially acceptable, and when websites that normally couldn’t care less about the George Lucas saga jump on the bandwagon for clicks.

Um, so here’s a Star Wars post… But it is an interesting one, we promise! This brilliantly clever T-65 X-Wing fighter, mounted atop a fully controllable Stewart Platform, is the work of vascolp of Eurobricks, and it’s built entirely from parts found within the enormous LEGO Technic 42100 Liebherr R 9800 Excavator.

The huge quantity of electronics from the donor set allows vascolp’s X-Wing to pitch, bank and twist beautifully, as well as position the opening wings. A custom Pybricks Python programme controls the magic and you watch this incredible alternate in action via the video above and read more about the build at the Eurobricks forum here.

Beef Pew

Along with cyberpunk and melon as a starter, we really don’t understand sci-fi. And that’s why, in our minds, pretty much all spaceships go ‘pew-pew!’. Except today, because this one goes ‘PEW-PEW’. Probably. It’s beefy.

That beef begins with two LEGO City cement mixer drum pieces on either side, whilst a Second World War bomber-like gun turret provides the ‘pew’-ing. Sorry, ‘PEW’-ing.

Flickr’s Thomas Jenkins is the builder behind it and you can join him for some beef pew at his photostream. Click the link above for a taste, or wait for a proper Lego site to blog this without referring to a bovine based broth.

Atomic Wedgie

Tightly-whiteys, budgie smugglers, keggs, chuddies… You’ll have to ask David Roberts why he’s designed a spaceship to look like a giant pair of undercrackers, but if you do, please also ask him why he didn’t build this in white. Perhaps with a brown streak at the rear. A missed opportunity David…

Astronomy Alphabet


Star Wars’ Rebel Alliance, much like Mercedes-Benz, name their products based on ‘Sesame Street’s Letter of the Day.

Thus today we have an H-Wing, so called because it looks almost nothing like an H. But it does look cool, which is why it’s here, and you can see more courtesy of Thomas Jenkins via the link.

Agricultural Abduction


“I’m tellin’ you man! I saw it with my own eyes – hovering in the sky like an… uh, I don’t even know what. But it was right over there! And I ain’t even started drinkin’ yet!”

Grab your ‘Welcome to Earth!’ sign and head to the location of the definite sighting with Grant Decker via the link!