This Paperback Book item from Harvest Books was reviewed on 11-Dec-2008.
Search ISBN:0156226006 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. Cosmicomics Reference Book. Classifications : General AAS Qualifying Textbooks Custom Stores Specialty Stores Books General Humor Entertainment Subjects Books General AAS Humor Entertainment Subjects Books General Short Stories Literature & Ficti . Click the following link to view the cover of Cosmicomics. Related topics: General AAS. Custom Stores. Specialty Stores. Books. General. Humor. Entertainment. Subjects. Books. General AAS. requestid: 2715be0f-04d6-443e-bc0c-41a0b246513e
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1) Paperback Book Cosmicomics by Harvest Books. Ever since our ancestors started looking into the night sky, the saw patterns and connections between the stars, moons and planets, and used stories and myths to imbue those patterns with meaning and structure. With the big hindsight of the scientific worldview, all those ancient stories may seem quaint and naïve. And indeed, the advent of modern astronomy and astrophysics has greatly enriched and deepened our understanding of the Cosmos. But these wonderful new insights should not be taken in opposition to our imagination when we stare in the sky. And this is the starting point of Italo Calvino´s wonderful book "Cosmicomics." It is in a sense a variation on the theme of Cosmos. Each one of the chapters in the book takes a certain scientific fact about the Cosmos, its evolution and the present state, and turns it into an imaginative story with a deeply personal theme. The main protagonist, whimsically named Qfwfq, is present in many forms throughout history of the Cosmos and he narrates its main events through very personal eyes. Many of the stories are love stories of the most imaginative kind, which is not surprising since Calvino is known and excels at that genre. Overall this is a wonderful book that tries to reestablish a very human face of the Cosmos. I highly recommend it.¤ 2) Paperback Book Cosmicomics by Harvest Books. I always hated reading translated books, but this one doesn´t lose an ounce because of William Weaver and Calvino! I highly recommend reading this book. It is mind-blowing, funny, and it look me so long to read because after every sentence I would think for a while about the meaning, our meaning, and what was going on in Calvino´s mind! This is a life-changing book.¤ 3) Paperback Book Cosmicomics by Harvest Books. I don´t quite know what I was expecting with this book, but this just wasn´t it. I was looking forward to reading this for a while but it just didn´t keep me interested. This book definitely has an interesting concept, but apparently that just isn´t enough for me. Other people might like it, but it may just take a little work to stay interested. Don´t let this review discourage you though; take a chance.¤ 4) Paperback Book Cosmicomics by Harvest Books. This is a collection of short stories ``based on´´ scientific theories. However, this attempt to give pseudo-scientific explanations/settings to all the stories, spoils the general fable-like literary beauty and charm of these stories. I don´t claim that science-fiction should be held to the same standards of rigour and correctness as science itself, but stories that require suspension of disbelief (Douglas Adams´ Hitchhiker´s Guide or Lem´s Cyberiad) should not try to explain things within the realm of ``actual´´ science. Such stories can develop their own internal self-consistent logical systems, but if they try to connect to actual science then they merely become inconsistent. It is sad to see good literature being wrecked by bad science.¤ 5) Paperback Book Cosmicomics by Harvest Books. The idea of entities as old as the universe telling their stories from their perspective - some at the galaxies macro scale and some at the atoms micro scale - seems like an interesting idea.
Italo Calvino has portrayed some stories with a style and prose that actually makes it a pleasurable reading experience. Unfortunately some of the stories are tedious and tiresome.
Overall - it deserves 3 stars for the idea, for being short- overall and for some of the stories which are truly fascinating.¤ 6) Paperback Book Cosmicomics by Harvest Books. Enchanting stories about the evolution of the universe, with characters that are fashioned from mathematical formulae and cellular structures. “Naturally, we were all there, - old Qfwfq said, - where else could we have been? Nobody knew then that there could be space. Or time either: what use did we have for time, packed in there like sardines?” Translated by William Weaver. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book
¤7) Paperback Book Cosmicomics by Harvest Books. An enchanting series of stories about the evolution of the universe. Calvino makes characters out of mathematical formulae and simple cellular structures. They disport themselves amongst galaxies, experience the solidification of planets, move from aquatic to terrestrial existence, play games with hydrogen atoms -- and have time for a love life.¤ Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 8-Jan-2009, 01562260069780156226004, 090-060-570-110-000-900-580-8 
Cosmicomics, Book, Image © Harvest Books
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