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Isaac Asimov

Books

15 Movie Tie-In Book Covers That Make Us Sad

By Emily Temple on

Yesterday, we spotted the cover for Scribner’s upcoming republication of The Great Gatsby, in concert with the film adaptation’s May release. The Great Gatsby is one of those books with a cover so iconic that any change to it offends our delicate sensibilities, but even with that self-awareness, the image got us thinking about other movie (and TV) tie-in editions of books, and how truly awful — not to mention unfaithful to the original text — they can be. That said, there’s no denying that movie tie-in editions sell books, so we guess there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. We just wish there were another way. … Read More

Pop Culture

The Fascinating Business Cards of 20 Famous People

By Emily Temple on

In today’s climate of cell phone contacts, Facebook, and LinkedIn, business cards may be becoming a thing of the past. But they can still say a lot about you. After discovering an utterly charming card used by Isaac Asimov, we were inspired to hunt for more famous peoples’ business cards, from Abraham Lincoln to Lady… Read More

Books

Awesome Infographic: The Best-Selling Sci-Fi Books of All Time

By Emily Temple on

Science-fiction is no longer a niche genre. Sure, there are those who never touch the stuff, but sci-fi and fantasy are forever creeping closer to the mainstream, whether in full-fledged novels or by sneaking into contemporary literary fiction. That said, sci-fi has always been wildly popular among those who love it — the genre has a stable of incredibly loyal fans who have shot their favorite books up the best-seller list for years. To that point, Book Patrol has created this inforgaphic the best-selling science fiction books of all time, and though their standards for what constituted sci-fi are a little wide (The Lord of the Rings?), we still think it’s pretty interesting — and we’re adding to our reading lists as we speak. … Read More

Pop Culture

Video of the Day: Bill Nye, David Attenborough, and Isaac Asimov Sing About Climate Change

By Emily Temple on

We’ve been on a huge Bill Nye kick lately, we know, but bear with us. In the latest Symphony of Science video, Bill Nye, David Attenborough, Isaac Asimov are Richard Alley are remixed and auto-tuned to perfection by producer John D Boswell. This is only the latest project to come from Boswell (among our recent favorites is his Mister Rogers remix) but as always, it’s catchy, inspiring, and pretty much irresistible. Click through to watch some totally awesome science nerds “sing” about saving the planet, and let us know what you think in the comments. … Read More

Books

Gallery: Famous Writers as Handcrafted Dolls

By Caroline Stanley on

Tipped off by a Facebook post by literary scene fixture Miss Sara Rosen, we just discovered the most amazing treasure trove of handcrafted, miniature versions of some of our favorite writers of all time over on Etsy — and they’re all available for purchase. Just think, you can make a tiny Kurt Vonnegut chat up a pint-sized Flannery O’Connor! Joyce Carol Oates can have a deep conversation about heartbreak with Sylvia Plath! JRR Tolkien and Isaac Asimov can arm wrestle to determine who is more popular! The possibilities are endless. Assuming that you’d enjoying geeking out over these as much as we did, we’ve rounded up a slide show after the jump. Click through to check it out, and let us know in the comments which doll you think bears the closest resemblance to the author who inspired it. … Read More

Art

Space Illustrator Robert McCall Dies at 90

By Kelsey Keith on

Touted by none other than Isaac Asimov as “nearest thing to an artist in residence from outer space,” illustrator Robert McCall visualized the mid-century age of space exploration. McCall, who died at age 90 at his home in Arizona, is best known for his work on the poster for Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, as well as the six-story mural in the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC. A motherlode of McCall images after the… Read More