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Cosmicomics | 
 enlarge | Author: Italo Calvino
Creator: William Weaver
Publisher: Harvest Books
Category: Book
List Price: $14.00
Buy New: $11.20
You Save: $2.80 (20%)
New (31) Used (12) from $7.43
Rating:  33 reviews
Sales Rank: 5668
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 153
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.5
ISBN: 0156226006
Dewey Decimal Number: 853.914
EAN: 9780156226004
ASIN: 0156226006
Publication Date: October 4, 1976
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Amazon.com Review
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.
Product Description
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
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| Customer Reviews: Read 28 more reviews...
 A home in Cosmos September 28, 2008
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 naive. 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.
The Greatest Book Ever August 17, 2008
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.
 Cosmicomics March 27, 2008
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.
 Great literary beauty sabotaged by horrible attempts at pseudoscience February 10, 2008
3 out of 9 found this review helpful
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.
Some funny and some ...tedious January 31, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
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.
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