books

MAGNIFICENT CRINUM CRASSICAULE, THOMAS BAINES © THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW

Botanical Sketchbooks, a new book by Helen and William Bynum, collects some of the best drawings of the world's flora dating back to the 15th century.

If you are so much as a leisurely fan of American fiction, you likely already know the story of how Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road' came into the world, but there are many stories about the book's history that might just surprise you.

An escape from England, an indentured servant with a mysterious past, and an untimely death while crossing the Atlantic. While these might sound like plot points for the latest historical spy thriller, they’re actually real events related to <em>The Bay P

The 1952 novel about race and bigotry took seven years to finish.

Initially, no one wanted to publish William Golding's novel, which would go on to become a staple of English class reading lists.

A fixture of English class syllabi, William Golding’s 1954 novel 'Lord of the Flies' keeps winning over new generations of readers.

The author asked that his unfinished manuscripts be destroyed after he died, preferably by steamroller. His longtime assistant complied.

Puns can be divisive: Some find them irresistible, some find them groan-worthy. But for others, punning is a way of life. Here's what you should know about this ancient art.

Paleoart: Visions of the Prehistoric Past explores the first 160 years of illustrating extinct species.

For such a visionary futurist, Bradbury—who was born on this day in 1920—was rather old-fashioned.

Bedtime reading can get a boost from technology without screens.

It's every muggle's dream house.

George R. R. Martin at Worldcon 75, Helsinki, before the Hugo Awards.

When the 704-page 'A Game of Thrones' hit shelves on August 1, 1996, it received positive notices and respectable sales, but there was little hint of the hysteria that would follow.

Witches, demons, and wondrous creatures appear in a new book from the British Library, Graven Images: The Art of the Woodcut.

One key to being a good writer is to always keep reading—and that doesn't change after you've been published.

Before you see the big-screen adaptation of Stephen King’s world-traversing fantasy epic, pick up a few new nuggets and theories about the sweeping work.

Researchers at Northwestern University developed a new way to see inside old books.

Total eclipse of the sun, observed July 29, 1878, at Creston, Wyoming Territory, by Étienne Léopold Trouvelot.

In this excerpt from 'American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World,' science journalist David Baron writes about the morning and afternoon just before the eclipse, when national anticipation was at